A new core curriculum change has been presented to the Faculty Senate, but officials aren’t confident that this modification will be accepted. The administration should seriously consider a campuswide language requirement and how it would enhance students’ education. David Bedford, chair of the Faculty Senate Student Relations Committee, said he presented a six-hour foreign language requirement to the open forum. Bedford said he hopes the Senate will see the importance of having a foundation for a foreign language in the global community TCU promotes. However, students may be hesitant to up the workload.

Students need to think about the future instead of focusing so much on the present. They’re living in a world where food labels are in English and Spanish. By knowing another language students will be more marketable, and employers will recognize that. The AddRan College of Liberal Arts requires students to complete four semesters of a foreign language because it recognizes the importance of educating students with a skill that will apply to the real world.

Even if the Faculty Senate only agrees to a three-hour foreign language requirement, it is still worth the class time. Anyone who has ever taken a foreign language course at TCU can testify to the fact that it’s not just about the language. The most beneficial part of the class comes from the discovery of cultural aspects that are different than the familiar. Also, having a basic knowledge of how a foreign language works helps to better understand one’s native language.

There is a reason the United States is referred to as the “melting pot.” The country has the influence of many foreign cultures on this land, and whether people plan on staying here or traveling elsewhere, they can’t deny that having a foundation to communicate is a much needed skill.

Multimedia editor Allie Brown for the editorial board