Every Thanksgiving or holiday college students battle the dreaded visits with relatives (or even strangers who are just really curious and lack conversational boundaries - like the Uber driver I had on my way back to the airport) who bombard them with questions such as "So, what're you going to do with your major?" Or in my case, "What is your major?" These questions can be particularly frustrating for those who are art majors. In this article I will answer these questions in depth and take into account some misconceptions regarding the significance of the arts.
MCA is my major; this stands for, "Media, Culture, and the Arts." Essentially, this major requires several components including several hands-on workshops (such as an intro. photography, an intro. film or intro. music class, to name a few). When we are not workshopping a talent or honing on an artistic skill that intrigues us, MCA majors engage in critical thoughts and discussions about the world about them. We embody our school's slogan of "Challenge Convention, Change Our World" because that is that we aim to do. Through Media and Culture studies, one can become in tune with not only disturbing societal normalities that we rarely question, but rather we are also taught to use our creativity (and knowledge of media literacy) as an apparatus that combats each perceived injustice. MCA incessantly reiterates the idea that with a click of a few buttons, you can change the world and make a difference. I understand it is not that simple. However it starts with an idea and a passion to pursue that idea. Moreover, these newly acquired media technologies and platforms open up the conversation, giving a voice to the once deemed voiceless. (YouTube is a chief example of this.)
Thus, each word of my major is there for a reason. Meaning, everything we do is interconnected. Social truths are made abundantly clear when we study the rudimentary aspects of our culture and how it functions as well as the products consecrated by our culture (including the artworks produced). The word 'Media' indicates the medium of choice or focus (whether it be social media or mainstream televised media, etc). The word 'Culture' in accordance to cultural studies, relates to our culture's current condition (this chiefly refers to any perceived societal issue or injustice). Lastly, the inclusion of the word 'Arts' in my major is equally significant. Art (whether auditory or visual) is a product of media and our culture (think of it as a response to these constructs). It is used as an outlet for coping or self expression. It is the chief communicable medium that every intellectual human indulges in one way or another. Through the usage of a particular medium as an apparatus, MCA majors plan on using their acquired knowledge of culture in order to produce our own artistic works that initiate dialogue (with the hope of improving the overall condition of our world). Knowing all of this, is the reason I become discouraged when peers or ignorant adults make condescending remarks denoting the arts as well as the humanities in its entirety. We need MCA majors who are actively seeking ways to make a profound, positive difference in our world just as we need doctors or lawyers.
One day, my professor (who is also my adviser for my major) told my MCA 101 class something interesting. Evidently, another professor at Clark (presumably a professor in the STEM field) considered our major a major for 'twits'. My professor told us that he chose not to engage in such immaturity and did so by keeping the majority of the details surrounding the incident confidential. However, my professor shared the other professor's patronizing remark in order to make a point that everything as well as every word brings its own connotations. For instance, an 'easy' major is often assimilated with majors that lack extensive scientific or mathematical knowledge, which is why they are often viewed as inferior by comparison in our society. This examples segues into another encounter I had with a college friend of mine.
One day as I was in the car with a group of friends, when a friend of mine made a comment that honestly irked me. It wasn't meant to sound pretentious, but it did. He said, "Ohhh so your major is the smart version of a being film [screen] major?" I was angry because I thought of all my friends and peers that are screen majors. They are smart people!! One girl in my MCA 101 class was a film major and she was just as engaged as the rest of us... She wasn't intellectually deficient or inept because she chose the 'easier' major. Finally, if you want to critique Screen majors and denote them, DO NOT watch movies or TV because you clearly do not appreciate what it is they do. Furthermore, every film has a deeper meaning. People often reject this notion, assuming everything is in plain sight, and overall take the medium for granted as a craft that 'anyone' can do, which is truly not the case. Not everyone is Alfred Hitchcock or Stanley Kubrick just as not everyone is Albert Einstein or Stephen Hawking. There are multiple intelligences (musical being one as well as bodily kinesthetic, logical-mathematical, verbal- linguistic, and etc.) as proven by Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. In conclusion, we should appreciate every occupation because they are all relevant and necessary in order to sustain and better our lives collectively (bringing us closer together, in unity). Overall, I hope this article was informative regarding what my major is. In my next article, I intend on sharing a project idea I have in regards to my major and its nature as a tri-fold mechanism.
