“What is your major?” is the quintessential question that nearly every college student receives upon meeting someone new.

The puzzled and often skeptical response “why?” is the quintessential reaction I receive when I reply “history and biochemistry.”

Yet, my two majors, as seemingly disparate as they may seem, have worked in confluence with one another to not only provide me with a rich liberal arts education, but also to help shape my passions and character.

I believe that such a fusion of disciplines is imperative for one’s erudition, as intellectual exploration is inherent to the very process of personal growth.

Ultimately, when we take part in intellectual scavenger hunts to find truths through the liberal arts we are given the tools necessary to better understand the world and ourselves.

History tells the stories of times, people, places, cultures, accomplishments and mistakes.

But above all, history is replete with stories of the resilience and power of the human spirit. These stories in turn foster a greater understanding of and perspective on human nature, and remind people of their duties as citizens of the world.

It is so easy to become enveloped in the bubble of day-to-day affairs. However, an awareness of history helps ground us in reality and provides us with a greater perspective and appreciation of life. When we attempt to learn and understand the past, we are provided with the foundation to understand the current socioeconomic and political state of the world.

Moreover, just as history gives us a greater outlook, history also teaches us how to critically analyze matters, and to actively seek out trends, connections and themes. This ability holds immeasurable value as it leads to a multi-faceted outlook, which in turn enables one to approach problems, issues, and life more intelligently.

Thus, the weltanschauung of a historian permeates and strengthens one’s mindset as an individual.

Similarly, the realm of literature is rife with lessons that deepen our understanding of the human condition and help shape our moral compass and identity. These lessons do not transiently enter and leave our lives, but rather they weave into the very fabric of our being and become a part of who we are.

Atticus Finch of “To Kill a Mockingbird” constitutes one of the most influential literary instructors in my life as the lessons he taught me when I was a mere girl still continue to guide me in my interactions with others.

Whenever I begin to feel frustrated with someone’s behavior I simply recall Atticus’s sagacious words, “you never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around,” and the frustration that previously seared through me, quickly dissipates.

Thus, through his example Atticus has made me into a better, more understanding person, and serves to exemplify the transformative power of great literature.

When we immerse ourselves in the study of liberal arts our memories, thoughts, and emotions become collapsed and intertwined with those of the fictional and real characters we meet. In every encounter in the liberal arts we gain critical knowledge that enriches our souls and provides us with an impetus to continue to seek out more knowledge. Just as Leo Tolstoy writes in “Anna Karenina,” “enjoyment lies in the search for truth;” accordingly, we should never cease in our search for the truths revealed through the study of liberal arts.

Furthermore, as John Steinbeck advocates in “East of Eden,” “the free exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world. And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected.”

We should always fight for and pursue intellectual exploration as it is through the study of the liberal arts that we are provided with “a ladder to climb to the stars” (Steinbeck, “East of Eden”).

This pursuit is not interminable, but infinite, and in this pursuit we are given the conduit to continually evolve into wiser, more compassionate individuals and citizens of the world.

Jasia Mahdi is a senior double major in history and biochemistry. She can be reached for comments or questions at [email protected].