thePROSPECTUS
WEDNESDAY
March 16, 2016 Volume 10, Number 10
Entertainment | Future Rock
Lifestyle | Spring Break
Sports | Basketball
News | 50th Anniversary
See photos from Future Rock and DJ fiDlin at The Canopy Club.
Travel alert issued due to Zika virus.
See the spring 2016 schedules for men’s golf and women’s softball.
Long-time faculty members recall changes at Parkland.
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Happy 50th Anniversary Parkland!
Photo courtesy of Parkland College Archives Pictured above is Parkland’s temporary Learning Resource Center and administrative offices, located on 2 Main in downtown Champaign. The photo was taken September of 1973 during the move to the permanent campus. View more then and now photos in celebration of Parkland’s 50th anniversary on pages two and three.
Value of cultural education overlooked by Parkland students Scott Barnes
Staff Writer
Developing a well-rounded understanding of other cultures is not something a lot of American students think of, according to the faculty at Parkland College. A lot of students attend college because they hope obtaining a degree will increase their chances of finding employment but many are overlooking this important area of study, which may be putting them at a significant disadvantage. One component of cultural competency is the ability to speak multiple languages, an area in which students are lacking. In fact, according to chair of the humanities department Wendy Patriquin, enrollment in foreign language courses has been trending downward in recent years. This is an issue the college is well aware of and Parkland staff and faculty have been busy trying to spread the word among the student body. The Career Center at Parkland is just one department that has been trying to raise awareness about the value of cultural
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competency. The center offers tips to students on how to ensure their résumés reflect the skills they gain through programs such as Parkland’s study abroad program. Career counselor Carrie Harris explained that employers place a high value on an understanding of cultural diversity in an increasingly globalized economy. “In the job market, just like in school, you have to be able to manage and understand other people’s backgrounds,” Harris said. “Understanding just a little bit about the world around us makes us better employees. Appreciation of diversity, patience, being adaptable and understanding points of view from different world cultures is important.” Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Parkland College Seamus Reilly agrees that cultural competency is a valuable asset for students to possess, and encourages students to learn to speak multiple languages. “Learning a language, in and of itself, is important as an intellectual piece for your brain function,” Reilly said.
Photo courtesy of Jody Littleton | Parkland College Fine and Applied Arts This photo was recently taken with the faculty from Parkland and Joliet Jr. College in Morocco. They are there previewing what students will experience in the study abroad trip in May. “But learning a language and learning about other cultures is important because it will help you to fit into the workplace. This is not my opinion; this is what the employers are saying.” Perhaps the best way for students to gain an understanding of foreign culture is to study abroad; a costly investment but worth it in the long run. Reilly explained that companies are more likely to hire students if they have spent time outside of the country they were born in, even if that time
spent abroad was simply on a family vacation. Employers realize the value of a world view. According to a 2015 survey conducted by Hart Research Associates, 78 percent of American employers prefer employees possess intercultural skills as well as an understanding of societies and cultures outside the United States. Reilly suggested that learning new languages is just good business sensibility and expressed concern about the fact that fewer students are taking an interest in foreign
cultures. Patriquin shares the same sentiment. “Americans taking foreign languages—they don’t seem to want to do it unless they have to do it,” Patriquin said. “When the U of I changed their foreign language requirements our enrollments plummeted. Students aren’t going to do things they don’t have to do. Students don’t want to pay for any more than they have to and that’s understandable. But, if they’re not more SEE CULTURE PAGE 5
Fact or Fiction The Muppet Elmo has testified in court.
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Answer on page 5
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