Interviewee: André Orta

            The following interview was conducted through direct messaging (iMessage) of the emails of both parties. André Orta is a multi-disciplinary designer with a focus on UX, product development, and brand strategy. He has brought several years of experience as a full-service marketing manager and copyeditor to his own design practice, having worked as a UX/Product Design Intern for Normative, a Product Design Intern for Birsel + Seck, a Marketing Manager for Acorn Paper Products, Co., Marketing Manager for Bambino, Social Media Strategist for Tiger Pistol, and a Content Marketing Strategist for LittleQuest.com. In 2013, he earned a BA in Writing & Rhetoric from Pepperdine University. He is currently enrolled as a graduate student at the School of Visual Arts where he is pursuing an MFA in Products of Design. What I hoped to learn from this interview, were the many benefits of pursuing a career within the humanities, as well as the importance of the humanities as a field of general study.

 

Sebastian:

Hi Mr. Andre Orta.

Before we begin, I would like to thank you for allowing me to conduct an interview about your experience in the Humanities. That being said, the interview questions will focus on your work and experience within the fields relating or complementary to the Humanities. I intend to ask you several questions, but I hope the interview won’t take up too much of your time or interfere with your schedule in any way.

Andre:

Not at all, I’m happy to chat.

Sebastian:

I’m glad to hear that.

Let’s begin. Having graduated from Pepperdine University as an English Major and now about to finish your graduate studies at the School of Visual Arts, I’ve been meaning to ask, why did you choose to pursue a degree in English?

What about the Humanities seemed so appealing to you?

Andre:

Studying English was never about “The Humanities”. TO be honest, I never heard that term until college, and I haven’t heard that term since college.

I studied English because I love to write. I’ve loved it ever since I first learned how to write. I’m fascinated with big ideas and beautiful stories, and I love the challenge of uncovering and sharing them with other people. It’s simultaneously the most difficult and most fulfilling thing I know how to do.

 

Sebastian:

Well said.

The average salary of certain jobs (that require a certain degree) has always been a driving factor for choosing to work in the Humanities (for certain people). That being said, did the stats of salary averages for English majors influence (in any way) your decision to pursue your degree at Pepperdine or was your decision strictly based on your interests and passion?

Andre:

I suspect the question you’re really trying to ask is: to what degree does the low pay associated with humanities degrees affect your decision to become an English major?

Sebastian:

Yes. Thank you. I apologize for any misinterpretation or confusion.

Andre:

My sort answer to these questions is:

my decision was based strictly on my interests and passion. Choosing a major was a non-issue for me. I’ve always been a writer, so of course I would study writing. There’s more to it than that, however. For English majors specifically, the two stereotypical careers people like us are said to take are either a teacher or a journalist. I never wanted to be either, so the wage issue wasn’t of much concern to me. I actually didn’t even consider what I’d do after college until I graduated. My goal ever since the 6th grade was to get into, and ultimately graduate college. Life after that wasn’t my field of view at that point.

Feel free to correct my spelling in the transcripts–I’m noticing autocorrect typos and it’s driving me nuts.

Sebastian:

Don’t worry to much about the spelling and grammar. And also don’t feel to limited to how you wish to answer or respond.

Andre:

I won’t.

Sebastian:

Do you think the Humanities are a popular career route for students that are undecided or undeclared? If so, why?

Andre:

There’s probably quantitative data that indicates how popular the humanities are for undeclared students, so I won’t speculate on that.

Also, you’re literally asking a humanities major if majoring in humanities is a good idea, so obviously I’m going to say yes. But here’s why:

The social sciences train you how to be a critical thinker in a world increasingly fraught with complex ideas. They give you skills around how to understand, analyze, form, and communicate ideas–regardless of your career field.

Furthermore, I feel the social sciences give you the highest advantage you could ever hope for from a good education: agency over your own life. Skills like criticizing the validity and efficacy of ideas, expressing yourself precisely and succinctly, and engaging in directed discourse with other people allow you to claim agency over your life that a fake news article, government, loud-mouth, or false advertisement might otherwise take from you.

Something I’ve told people before is: “Having a good education allows you to smell other people’s bullshit from a long way off.”

Sebastian:

Well said.

Andre:

Do you have any more questions?

Sebastian:

Yes.

I know you answered part of this question, but I feel I should still ask. Do you think the Humanities as a general field of study plays an integral role in society?

Actually what I mean to ask is, are the sciences more influential to world development (wether that be through technological advancements or improving the daily lives of humans all around)?

Would it be fair to assume that both the humanities and sciences overlap with each other and therefore both essential for progress?

Andre:

I’ll answer your questions in order:

Of course the humanities play an integral role in society. The humanities are the foundation of our social world. Ideas, history, government, social groups, indeed most of the social constructs the industrialized world requires to operate, would not exist without knowledge and use of the humanities. You’re third question is a bit of a leading question, but I understand how it’s trying to clarify the second. So I’ll say this:

The sciences, particularly, STEM subjects, are becoming the new drivers of our post-industiral economy. For example, STEM subjects are the bedrock of the tech industry, and tech companies like Apple, Google, and Amazon have now overtaken “industrial-based” companies like Wal-Mart and General Motors in terms of market cap and annual revenue. For these reasons, I think many people might argue that STEM subjects are more valuable because they’re the ones that are probably going to drive the most economic growth in the near future.

But this doesn’t mean they’re more valuable.

I’m currently an MFA candidate in a STEM-related field. I also, as you know, have a degree in the humanities. As a student and practitioner in a STEM field, I can say that my work is better because I had a humanities education. Humanities should not be thought of as a discreet skillset unto itself, like mathematics or paleontology. It is a universal skillset of ideas, communication, and analysis. Any person in any field would benefit from a strong foundation in the humanities. It would be shortsighted to assume that STEM fields are more valuable because they drive more economic growth.

Sorry, that one took a minute to formulate.

Sebastian:

As a current graduate student, what do you hope to achieve once you finish your studies?

Were your goals the same now as they were before say when you were about to finish your undergraduate career?

Andre:

Well my first goal after graduation is to get a job, so in that respect it’s exactly the same as it was when I was finishing undergrad.

Beyond that, though, after graduation I want to have a career and lifestyle that will make me happy. By that I mean: I want to do work that improves the lives of everybody, not just myself. I want to have a career that pushes me to become a better practitioner …as well as a better person. I want to have a life that is not built around my occupation, but rather built around the people and things that bring me fulfillment. I don’t think you necessarily need all this education to achieve those things, but I feel it is helpful for the type of work and life I want to have.

Sebastian:

Education definitely acts more like that of a catalyst for achieving any form of career goal.

Andre:

I agree.

Sebastian:

I’m aware that you’ve worked as a copywriter for the tech startup LittleQuest.com and as a Staff Writer for Fresh!nk. I also was able to get the chance to read your article on “How Might ‘Design Thinking’ Harm The Undeserved?” and I have to say it does well you demonstrate your writing ability as both a capable and experienced writer. That being said, do you think developing a good writing ability should be essential for all career paths and occupations?

Andre:

No.

I’d love to sit on my high humanities horse and preach about how all the world’s professionals need to also be good writers, but it’s not the case.

Medicine saves and improves the lives of arguably every single person on earth, but that doesn’t mean everyone should be a doctor.

We live in a global community of diverse, interdependent, vital skill sets. The humanities are part of that community, and I would argue they are no less vital than things like science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.

We need diversity in skill sets in order to have a thriving economy and a thriving world. That will mean some people aren’t as skilled in the humanities, but my hope is that it will allow them to be skilled in other areas that can benefit and benefit from the humanities. After all, we’re in this together.

Sebastian:

That’s is actually a great way to sum everything up. Very well said.

Mr. Andre Orta, Thank you for your time and I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to interview you.

Andre:

You’re very welcome, Sebastian.

I think I’m going to take this interview and turn it into an essay.

Sebastian Gonzalez-Arboleda – Interview Assignment Transcript (PDF Download)