The Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts organized a week of career opportunities and professional presentations catered toward humanities studies at Coastal Carolina University.
Humanities Week will kick off Jan. 27 in the Allen Ballroom in the Edward M. Singleton building where faculty and students can mingle over food and drinks.
With 33 events planned, Humanities Week held several panelist discussions, networking events with local businesses and a resume workshop focused on students in the humanities.
A keynote presentation from the Dean of Wake Forest University’s School of Divinity presented on humanism, the philosophy of human experience.
“We have the opportunity to harness the human excitement that young people bring, and the strategic plan is focused on expanding that excitement into realizable things,” Associate Dean of Edwards Tripthi Pillai said.
Krystin Santos, an English professor and CCU alumni, said this week is about breaking the stereotypes of humanities majors and showcasing the diversity of the Edwards College. Santos helped organize the events during Humanities Week.
“There are a lot of transferable skills that a humanities major gives you, like even with an English degree, which is helpful in all majors,” Santos said.
Pillai organized and oversaw the events. With the rapid growth of CCU and the community outside of it, she believes it is important to introduce new and current students to the diversity of Edwards College.
Pillai said Humanities Week will show the importance of interdisciplinary connection in problem-solving, highlighting diverse skills and the perspectives of humanities majors.
“What Humanities Week is trying to [do] is kind of draw attention to the real potential, the exciting futures that are there for students who are working in the humanities,” Pillai said.
Students with humanities majors may struggle to find internships or other career-building opportunities in the area because CCU has a larger focus in the science and business departments.
Students and professors alike hosted panel discussions. Freshman Nori Cass, a marine science major, will be speaking on the panel “Age of Being Socially Mediated.” There they will discuss the use of memes in an academic space.
Although Cass is a science major, they took a humanities class last semester which gave them a greater appreciation for the field.
“You guys [humanities majors] have to not only look at things and extrapolate, have that literacy, but you then have to communicate that to other people,” Cass said.
