As finals week approaches, students tend to feel anxious and even frustrated due to the great pressure that arises from giving such a great importance to grades. Yesterday I was coming back from the library stressing out about my Marketing final, and as I walked down the street I kept saying to myself ‘Anabella, you’re a Marketing major, you HAVE to get an A’. When I opened the door to my dorm I saw my roommate and two of her friends. We all started talking and one of them asked me what my major was. Little did I know that a simple question that tends to be just ‘small talk’ would end up initiating a fascinating debate regarding the purpose of business and its role within society.
One of my roommate’s friends described business as the root of social injustice and poverty as, according to him, business accentuates the inequalities in the distribution of wealth. My heart was pounding. I was furious that someone would refer to my profession in such manner. I understand there are some dreadful business models, but it is unfair to generalise assuming that all businesses are unethical. As a matter of fact, since I have been in DePaul there hasn’t been one business class where we don’t discuss business ethics. Nonetheless, as a curious person I decided to find out what his views were and defend mine by refuting his arguments. I began to explain what good business is to me and how I believe it contributes towards development and benefits society if done in an ethical manner. We engaged in a heated conversation that lasted about two hours regarding economics, social issues and politics. It was a challenging conversation where we both used our knowledge in our respective fields along with our own personal analysis to support our views. At the end, we agreed to disagree, as we realised that we both had valid arguments.
The stress I had regarding my Marketing final vanished, I remembered the real reason why I am in college and why I love it so much. College isn’t about simply obtaining a degree and getting good grades so a firm hires you after graduation. College regards learning about the field one is passionate about and other fields too. College is the home of intellectualism, the place where knowledge is fostered and where you develop your own views regarding subjects of interest. It is also the area for intellectual debate, where one is given the opportunity to meet fellow students that share different views in order to test the validity of one’s arguments and the information acquired within the classroom.
Perhaps I’ll get an A on my final, perhaps I won’t. What I do know is that I will become a successful marketer regardless of the grade I get. DePaul has provided me not only with knowledge in the field, but also with the necessary tools to foster ethical business that will benefit others besides making profits. I have learned to cherish my field and use my knowledge to make a contribution to business and society, acting as a leader and representative of the field I care for so much, Marketing.
Anabella Rojas – “What College Is Really About”
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As finals week approaches, students tend to feel anxious and even frustrated due to the great pressure that arises from giving such a great importance to grades. Yesterday I was coming back from the library stressing out about my Marketing final, and as I walked down the street I kept saying to myself ‘Anabella, you’re a Marketing major, you HAVE to get an A’. When I opened the door to my dorm I saw my roommate and two of her friends. We all started talking and one of them asked me what my major was. Little did I know that a simple question that tends to be just ‘small talk’ would end up initiating a fascinating debate regarding the purpose of business and its role within society.
One of my roommate’s friends described business as the root of social injustice and poverty as, according to him, business accentuates the inequalities in the distribution of wealth. My heart was pounding. I was furious that someone would refer to my profession in such manner. I understand there are some dreadful business models, but it is unfair to generalise assuming that all businesses are unethical. As a matter of fact, since I have been in DePaul there hasn’t been one business class where we don’t discuss business ethics. Nonetheless, as a curious person I decided to find out what his views were and defend mine by refuting his arguments. I began to explain what good business is to me and how I believe it contributes towards development and benefits society if done in an ethical manner. We engaged in a heated conversation that lasted about two hours regarding economics, social issues and politics. It was a challenging conversation where we both used our knowledge in our respective fields along with our own personal analysis to support our views. At the end, we agreed to disagree, as we realised that we both had valid arguments.
The stress I had regarding my Marketing final vanished, I remembered the real reason why I am in college and why I love it so much. College isn’t about simply obtaining a degree and getting good grades so a firm hires you after graduation. College regards learning about the field one is passionate about and other fields too. College is the home of intellectualism, the place where knowledge is fostered and where you develop your own views regarding subjects of interest. It is also the area for intellectual debate, where one is given the opportunity to meet fellow students that share different views in order to test the validity of one’s arguments and the information acquired within the classroom.
Perhaps I’ll get an A on my final, perhaps I won’t. What I do know is that I will become a successful marketer regardless of the grade I get. DePaul has provided me not only with knowledge in the field, but also with the necessary tools to foster ethical business that will benefit others besides making profits. I have learned to cherish my field and use my knowledge to make a contribution to business and society, acting as a leader and representative of the field I care for so much, Marketing.