// JavaScript Document - Random Testimonial Display //store the quotations in arrays quotes = new Array(13); authors = new Array(13); quotes[0] = "I study philosophy in order to acquire the tools to answer questions such as, Why do I study philosophy?"; authors[0] = "Samuel Neylon (current philosophy major)"; quotes[1] = "Philosophy has stimulated an entrepreneurial spirit in me."; authors[1] = "Stewart Smith (current philosophy major)"; quotes[2] = "Philosophy guides my life, and the wisdom I derive from it influences all of my choices on a daily basis."; authors[2] = "Sean Arlt (philosophy alumnus)"; quotes[3] = "I have always had a natural bent towards being skeptical. Luckily, the philosophy department has helped me control my skepticism and harness it for productive purposes."; authors[3] = "David Petrini (current philosophy major)"; quotes[4] = "Philosophy can save us from being hypocrites. It provides a way to really examine ourselves and find the parts of ourselves that need to be changed in order for us to become whole people."; authors[4] = "Luke Plasse (current philosophy major)"; quotes[5] = "Philosophy saved me from a life of ennui."; authors[5] = "Chelsea Stipek (current philosophy major)"; quotes[6] = "I arrived at the SSU Philosophy Department as a jazz saxophonist interested in musical meaning and the aesthetics of improvised music. The department's broad spectrum of offerings and the faculty's varied research interests quickly opened my eyes to a remarkably diverse world of philosophical theorizing. I was hooked! The skills that I developed through coursework and independent study have become the groundwork for my ongoing research in music, improvisation, and cultural identity."; authors[6] = "Jason Robinson, Ph.D., Visiting Assistant Professor of Music, Amherst College, SSU class of 1998"; quotes[7] = "My time in the Philosophy Department at SSU provided exceptional preparation for the competitive environment of law school. Philosophy, essentially, is the historic study of humanity’s search for understanding of our relationship to the world and how we should act within it. Philosophical training exercises and sharpens our ability to read, understand, reflect, evaluate, communicate, and write clearly, efficiently, and effectively. These liberal art skills are absolutely essential for anyone aspiring to thrive in our society. A solid grounding in the arts of reasoning and communication is particularly valuable for students of law. The legal tradition—our attempt to identify and ensure fair and just action—could be reasonably described as ‘applied philosophy.’ I can think of no better preparation for law school than a solid grounding in the philosophical tradition."; authors[7] = "Kerry Kovarik, alumnus, currently in law school"; quotes[8] = "As an undergraduate at SSU, I was a double major in Molecular Biology and Philosophy. I’m currently pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of Washington, where I work on HIV vaccine research. Critical thinking is a crucial skill for any scientist, but my philosophy studies also prepared me for infectious disease research in unexpected ways. Coursework in ethics and comparative religions exposed me to many different cultures and belief systems, the understanding of which is crucial to the development of culturally-appropriate intervention strategies to prevent and treat HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. In addition, the incredible professors I had at SSU encouraged me to challenge my own beliefs and preconceptions, as well as to think ‘outside of the box.’ I believe the study of philosophy is a valuable pursuit for any number of future careers."; authors[8] = "Dina Kovarik, alumnus, doctoral candidate"; quotes[9] = "I wouldn’t trade my years in the SSU Philosophy Department for anything. The solid academic foundation I received was indispensable, but it was nothing compared to the infectious passion for learning and debate I encountered daily in class. Even now, five years after graduating, I am finding the draw of philosophy undeniable and am heading back to graduate school at the University of Edinburgh to work on a project on the ethics of forgiveness. I know I wouldn’t be who or where I am today without the hard work I did then, or without the encouragement and camaraderie between professors and students that made studying at Sonoma such a joy."; authors[9] = "Lily Copple, alumnus, en route to graduate school"; quotes[10] = "Philosophy is the most universally beneficial major—learning to think critically will be of unmeasurable value for anyone. The logical reasoning, and the analysis of the structure and merit of arguments were so helpful for me when I scored in the 97th percentile on the LSAT. I am now applying to top law schools, and having a philosophy degree will carry right into my law school studies."; authors[10] = "David Seidel, alumnus, on his way to law school"; quotes[11] = "I soon realized that the point of philosophy was not to agree with everyone but to get to know my classmates in one of the most intimate ways possible: through their ideas. Through asking these questions, it also allowed me to realize that there were unaddressed and unfounded assumptions in my own life. In that way, philosophy has been relevant in my life in a perennial kind of way."; authors[11] = "Benjamin Craig, alumnus, currently pursuing a PhD in philosophy"; quotes[12] = "Every semester, professors revise their curricula to include current and hip material, thus inviting students’ own creativity into the learning process. Here are some examples from my own philosophical studies at Sonoma State: building robots to learn the philosophy of artificial intelligence; traveling to Angel Island to write about internment camps; analyzing blogs for the philosophy of pop culture. The SSU philosophy department maintains incredible theoretical integrity of canonical, classical philosophy while teaching students to engage and question beyond the content of their books"; authors[12] = "Anna Le Roy, alumnus, currently pursuing an MA degree in media and cultural studies"; //calculate a random index index = Math.floor(Math.random() * quotes.length); //display the quotation document.write("
" + "\"" + quotes[index] + "\"" + "" + " -" + authors[index] + "
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