Governor Rick Scott’s statement dismissing anthropology programs as a waste is illustrative of a governor out of touch with the social sciences and how vital they are to society.
In an interview with the Sarasota Herald-Tribune about the downtrodden economy, Scott said, “Is it a vital interest of the state to have more anthropologists? I don’t think so.”
The Beacon thinks that Scott’s desire to cut funding to certain programs, which will essentially make it harder to study certain fields, is completely out of touch with America’s history of the freedom to study diverse topics of the students’ choosing.
Students should not have to study certain fields simply because the governor has cut funding from others.
Lyndsey Fitzgerald, former Navy linguist and University of Central Florida anthropology student, rejects Scott’s notion that funding must be cut for anthropology and liberal arts programs. She said, “I spent nearly nine years as a linguist in the U.S. Navy. I saw firsthand the absolute necessity of linguistic, historical and cultural understanding in very complicated situations. Slashing liberal arts funding only to divert that funding to STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering and Math] programs is a short-sighted move with long-term educational and economic consequences.”
Fitzgerald is correct. There need not be a slashing of funds for liberal arts programs. STEM fields are indeed important, however, they should not be given priority over liberal arts programs.
The Beacon would like to point out the irony in the fact that Scott’s daughter Jordan Kandah, has an anthropology degree from the College of William & Mary. The out-of-state tuition per semester at the College of William and Mary is $17,981. Perhaps what Scott means is that only students of a certain demographic should study anthropology, namely the one that can afford about $72,000 in out-of-state tuition for the very degree he thinks is useless.
Scott, who recently called government regulations an “endemic weakness,” should not hold funds hostage for certain academic tracks. By doing this, Scott will create a dangerous precedent. Freedom in academia should be absolute, and the government should not dictate what majors students should pursue, whether it be through funding cuts or propaganda.
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