Anna Mae Duane, University of Connecticut

Stereotypes abound about liberal arts degrees leading to low-paying jobs, despite research showing that humanities majors earn salaries comparable to students in many other majors.

Authorities from the White House to high school guidance counselors have encouraged students to prioritize degrees in science and technology over the humanities because of their applicability to the job market. Some legislators have even argued that humanities courses should be defunded entirely.

As a result, enrollment in humanities majors in college has plummeted by 24% since 2012. Lower enrollment also means fewer people are training to teach in this field as well.

But employers value the skills that humanities majors have. Courses in art, literature, history and philosophy can provide students with life skills they can use outside the classroom too. This includes recovering from the current loneliness epidemic afflicting young people.

I’m the director of the University of Connecticut Humanities Institute. Here are three scientifically proven ways that humanities classes benefit students and help them develop social skills within and beyond the classroom.

Development of empathy

As an English professor, I know that when I ask students to discuss the motivations of characters in novels, they inevitably find ways to empathize with the character as well as one another. Both narrative theory and cognitive science back this up. Spending hours immersed in the words and beliefs of other people changes students’ capacity to connect with others.

The same is true of studying history. Students can learn to view the world as a historical figure would have seen it – a concept known as “historical empathy.”

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These benefits are not restricted to those who study these subjects as their majors. Medical students who take humanities courses score higher in terms of empathy than those who didn’t. This is a vital skill for those caring for sick patients.

Enrichment of conversational skills

Research suggests that an increase in technology use has atrophied humanity’s capacity to engage in and benefit from face-to-face conversations and to empathize and respond to people in real time.

Humanities classes give students the opportunity to build and sharpen these skills. As a result, there is increasing attention paid to the importance of students in science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, taking these courses, too.

For example, students in humanities classes must listen to one another’s interpretations and respond, prompting deeper thinking. In one study, pharmacy students took a humanities course where they interpreted and discussed works of art that touched on themes of health care, patient experience and death. By the end of the course, they demonstrated more critical thinking and interpersonal skills, including better communication, self-awareness and ability to relate to others.

Developing the soft skills of interpersonal communication is necessary for students not only in the workplace but also in their lives as citizens.

Promotion of a sense of community

Because humanities courses engage a wide range of human experiences through reading, writing and conversation, students are able to experience other ways of living and relating. This allows them to feel a greater sense of choice in their own lives and a stronger connection to others, even those who make different choices. By studying the choices that people made long ago, students also reckon with how the actions of a few people can affect whole generations, a powerful indication of how profoundly connected people are to one another.

When students are exposed to literature written by authors from a wide range of backgrounds, they are better able to find common ground as they draw from both the author’s perspective and their teacher’s input to shape their own verbal and written responses.

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Further, because literature classes often involve collaborative discussion between instructors and students as they work together to approach the text, students see their own contributions as a necessary part of the whole.

For students from marginalized and impoverished backgrounds, the invitation to imagine other ways of life has also been shown to enhance confidence in themselves and connection to others. When these students felt that their voices were an essential part of group discussion, they reported increased feelings of self-efficacy and a greater willingness to engage with the world.

Just as educators teach students to code, they can also teach them to connect to others, understand human complexity and read emotions as skillfully as they read data. These are not just soft skills – but survival skills. I believe the greatest tool we have for combating loneliness, fostering empathy and building a more connected society isn’t silicon-based. It’s the age-old practice of engaging deeply with human stories, ideas and experiences.

Anna Mae Duane, Professor of English, University of Connecticut

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Affordability and job growth are key drivers of competition 

• Competition among buyers never cooled in Buffalo last year, and that heat should keep smoldering through 2025.
• Hot markets spread from the Northeast, Great Lakes and South regions into the Midwest and West.
• Virginia Beach jumped farthest up the list from 2024, leapfrogging over 23 markets.

SEATTLE, Jan. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Buffalo, New York, will be the hottest major housing market in 2025, according to a new analysis by Zillow®, the first time a market has held the title in back-to-back years. Relative affordability and few homes for sale are common threads among what should be the most competitive markets for buyers this year. 

“Construction that keeps pace with an area’s growth remains a crucial piece of keeping homes available and accessible. In chilly Buffalo, competition among buyers will remain hot, with employment growing far faster than builders are adding homes,” said Skylar Olsen, Zillow chief economist. “Shoppers nationwide should see more options for sale than in recent years, along with slow and steady price growth. That’s the good news. But both buyers and sellers should expect unpredictable mortgage rates.”

This hotness ranking of the nation’s 50 most populous metros takes into account Zillow’s forecast for local home value growth and how quickly homes are selling. It also considers job growth per new home permitted and expected growth in owner-occupied households. 

Zillow forecast Buffalo to be the hottest market in 2024, and that prediction proved prescient. Sellers held a strong advantage in negotiations there throughout last year, according to Zillow’s market heat index.

Buffalo has the most new jobs per new home permitted — a measure of expected demand. New jobs often mean new residents, which raises competition and drives up prices unless builders can match the additional demand.

Although affordability has improved slightly compared to last year, it’s still top of mind for buyers. Lower-than-average home prices and rent costs in Buffalo as well as Midwest metros like Indianapolis, St. Louis and Kansas City have bolstered demand in these areas, helping push them to the top of the list. 

Relative affordability is a powerful force, too. Nearby alternatives to expensive Northeastern metros like New York and Boston dominated Zillow’s list of the most popular cities among home shoppers in 2024. Metropolitan areas in the same vein — Providence, Hartford and Philadelphia — rank high on this list as well.

Hartford, Providence, Indianapolis and Charlotte are all among the top five in Zillow’s forecast for home value appreciation in 2025. Hartford leads the pack with 4.2% expected growth. But home value growth is set to largely level out this year — even these standout metros look tame compared to the double-digit annual appreciation seen in 2021 and 2022. 

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Rising fastest in the ranks from 2024’s hottest markets list is Virginia Beach, which leapfrogged over 23 markets to the No. 13 spot this year, driven by job growth that has far outpaced new home permitting. Memphis fell the farthest by the same token, dropping 30 places, as new home permitting has eclipsed low job growth. 

After the entire western half of the country was shut out of last year’s top 10, Salt Lake City nudged its way onto this year’s list at No. 10. San Diego was the only other Western metro in the top 20, at No. 19. 

Mortgage rates are likely to continue on their bumpy path in 2025, and swings will have a major impact on which homes shoppers can afford or even qualify for. Zillow Home Loans’ BuyAbility^SM tool tracks rates in real time to show users which homes fit their budget.

About Zillow Group:
Zillow Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: Z and ZG) is reimagining real estate to make home a reality for more and more people. As the most visited real estate website in the United States, Zillow and its affiliates help people find and get the home they want by connecting them with digital solutions, dedicated partners and agents, and easier buying, selling, financing, and renting experiences. 

Zillow Group’s affiliates, subsidiaries and brands include Zillow®, Premier Agent®, Zillow Home Loans℠, Zillow Rentals®, Trulia®, Out East®, StreetEasy®, HotPads®, ShowingTime+℠, Spruce®, and Follow Up Boss®. 

All marks herein are owned by MFTB Holdco, Inc., a Zillow affiliate. Zillow Home Loans, LLC is an Equal Housing Lender, NMLS #10287 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org). © 2025 MFTB Holdco, Inc., a Zillow affiliate.

(ZFIN)

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SOURCE Zillow

COLUMBUS, Ohio /PRNewswire/ — Big Lots, Inc. (the “Company”) today announced that it has successfully closed its previously announced sale agreement with Gordon Brothers Retail Partners, LLC (“Gordon Brothers”) that will enable Variety Wholesalers, Inc. (“Variety Wholesalers”) to acquire between 200 and 400 Big Lots stores, which it plans to operate under the Big Lots brand, and up to two distribution centers. In addition, Variety Wholesalers may employ Big Lots associates at the acquired stores and distribution centers, as well as certain corporate associates needed to support Big Lots’ go-forward footprint.

Bruce Thorn, Big Lots’ President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are pleased to close this strategic transaction, which provides a framework to preserve thousands of jobs, maximize value, and maintain the Big Lots brand. We are working closely with the Gordon Brothers and Variety Wholesalers teams on this transition. We are grateful for the continued hard work and dedication of Big Lots associates across the Company.”

Kyle Shonak, Gordon Brothers’ Chief Transaction Officer, said, “We were proud to support Big Lots through the restructuring process to enable the Company’s continued operation, and look forward to working with Variety Wholesalers to support Big Lots’ go-forward footprint.”

Lisa Seigies, Variety Wholesalers’ President and CEO, said, “Variety is thrilled to officially welcome the Big Lots brand and looks forward to operating hundreds of Big Lots store locations. This strategic acquisition allows us to serve additional customers and communities. We plan to combine the best of Variety with the best of Big Lots and are excited about the possibilities ahead.”

Court filings and other information related to the proceedings, including how to file a proof of claim, are available on a separate website administrated by the Company’s claims agent, Kroll Restructuring Administration LLC, at https://cases.ra.kroll.com/biglots, by calling toll-free at (844) 217-1398 (or +1 (646) 809-2073 for calls originating outside of the U.S. or Canada), or by sending an email to [email protected].

Advisors

Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP is serving as legal counsel, Guggenheim Securities, LLC is serving as financial advisor, AlixPartners LLP is serving as restructuring advisor, and A&G Real Estate Partners is serving as real estate advisor to the Company.

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Riemer & Braunstein LLP acted as counsel and M3 Partners LP acted as financial advisor to Gordon Brothers. Gordon Brothers’ Real Estate Services team will handle real estate matters for Gordon Brothers as well as Variety Wholesalers. For real estate inquiries, please contact Gordon Brothers’ Real Estate Services team at [email protected].

Cozen O’Connor is serving as legal counsel to Variety Wholesalers.

About Big Lots, Inc. 

Big Lots is one of the nation’s largest closeout retailers focused on extreme value. The Company is dedicated to being the big difference for a better life by delivering bargains to brag about on everything for the home, including furniture, décor, pantry and more. It fulfills its mission to help customers “Live BIG and Save LOTS” with sourcing strategies to grow extreme bargains through closeouts, liquidations, overstocks, private labels, and value-engineered products. The Big Lots Foundation, together with the Company’s customers, associates, and vendors, has delivered more than $176 million of philanthropic support to critical needs in hunger, housing, healthcare, and education. For more information, to shop online, or to find a store near you, please visit biglots.com.

Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements in this release are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and such statements are intended to qualify for the protection of the safe harbor provided by the Act. The words “anticipate, “estimate,” “continue,” “could,” “approximate,” “expect,” “objective,” “goal,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “will,” “should,” “may,” “target,” “forecast,” “guidance,” “outlook” and similar expressions generally identify forward-looking statements. Similarly, descriptions of our objectives, strategies, plans, goals or targets are also forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements relate to the expectations of management as to future occurrences and trends, including statements expressing optimism or pessimism about future operating results or events and projected sales, earnings, capital expenditures and business strategy. Forward-looking statements are based upon a number of assumptions concerning future conditions that may ultimately prove to be inaccurate. Forward-looking statements are and will be based upon management’s then-current views and assumptions regarding future events and operating performance and are applicable only as of the dates of such statements. Although we believe the expectations expressed in forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions within the bounds of our knowledge, forward-looking statements, by their nature, involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, any one or a combination of which could materially affect business, financial condition, results of operations or liquidity.

Forward-looking statements that we make herein and in other reports and releases are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those discussed in such forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, the current economic and credit conditions, inflation, the cost of goods, our inability to successfully execute strategic initiatives, competitive pressures, economic pressures on our customers and us, the availability of brand name closeout merchandise, trade restrictions, freight costs, the risks discussed in the Risk Factors section of our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, and other factors discussed from time to time in other filings with the SEC, including Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. This release should be read in conjunction with such filings, and you should consider all of these risks, uncertainties and other factors carefully in evaluating forward-looking statements.

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You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You are advised, however, to consult any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our public announcements and SEC filings.

SOURCE Big Lots, Inc.