Students in the major explore writing from the past and the present and all over the world because all of it helps us understand life, whether it be our lives as individuals or our nation?s place in a global society.?We celebrate the beauty and power of words but we do not stop there. We see words as the basis for action.?To become a liberally educated person is to become more than just ?well-rounded.??It is to internalize the habit of critical, flexible, compassionate thinking and thereby to become a more responsible agent in society. It is also to become a more eloquent and persuasive communicator, therefore a more effective agent in society.?