Excellence, Faith, Leadership and Service. As Marquette students we are constantly reminded of these four pillars Marquette was founded upon. Abiding by the pillars helps students care for the whole person – cura personalis and fulfill the call to “Be The Difference.”

We’ve heard it all before, but is the Marquette curriculum really doing enough to equip its students with the necessary tools to evoke positive change?

The University Core of Common Studies enforces the Jesuit ideal of receiving a well-rounded education; or, at least, it attempts to. All students are required to take classes in nine knowledge areas: rhetoric; mathematical reasoning; theology; human nature and ethics; science and nature; individual and social behavior; literature and performing arts; diverse cultures; and histories of cultures and societies.

It’s no secret that loopholes exist allowing for some classes to fulfill the university’s requirements, although there are other courses available that could be more appropriate. With ambiguities such as these, we at the Tribune believe that it’s possible students may not be as educated in some areas as the Core of Common Studies would like to suggest and we believe civics is one of those areas.

A recent federal report claims students’ understanding of civic learning is declining. Civics encompases U.S. history, politics, democracy and diverse cultures. As a high school graduate, you were probably required to take some sort of civics or government class before college. But let’s be honest: How seriously did you take the class? How much do you remember about the United States’ government? Do you consider yourself well educated about current political issues?

Assuming you didn’t retain much from a U.S. history course you took when you were 14, the only aspect of civic learning clearly implemented in the Core of Common Studies is the diverse cultures requirement, which is broad enough that a student can easily omit civic knowledge.

One of the most important points of the Jesuit education is to be a well-rounded individual, and without a good understanding of civics this seems impossible. There are a wide variety of political classes available to Marquette students, some of which can be used to satisfy core requirements, but they are not mandatory. Due to the current political climate, we believe that it’s pertinent for students to take a politics course at Marquette.

You don’t have to be a political science major to need to understand political issues, because politicians are not the only ones affected by legislative decisions. Teachers, social workers, businessmen, doctors and many other professionals are all affected by political decisions being made today. Future teachers and social workers need to have an understanding of collective bargaining and union rights. Businessmen need to know about the economy’s past, present and future situations. Doctors must educate themselves about upcoming changes in healthcare reform.

Civics is also present in all four Marquette pillars. The pillars of Leadership and Service are clearly represented in government. Excellence, although not always demonstrated by politicians, allowed for this nation to be founded on a sense of achievement. While not every Marquette student has the same faith this university was built on, they should all have faith in their political system.

Many people who are not politically active by the time they graduate college tend to remain uninvolved and uneducated about current political events. If we are expected to  “Be The Difference” but lack adequate knowledge of this country’s issues and operations, how will this country be successful? How will any individual student be able to succeed after college?

Certainly, we may find jobs after graduation and lead comfortable, stable lives without ever truly understanding the present and past of our country; but, Marquette does not seek to merely make us comfortable, stable adults. If Marquette truly wants to transform us into men and women for others, a proper education in civics needs to be more than available to students — it needs to be mandatory.