Comparing Edmundson's 'Other Voices, Other Rooms'

Maria Ruiz
English Comp. 101
Prof. Courtney Stanton
Sep.14, 2014 Gerard Graff’s Influence on Edmundson’s Argument What is Education? It is clear to us that education is an essential part of everyone’s lives and our future depends on it. Despite the differences found in both Edmundson and Graff’s works, Graff supports the different ideas Edmundson has toward education. Edmundson, who writes “On the Uses of Liberal Education”, tells us that today’s priority of education has changed; colleges have turned into a market mentality. Graff’s focus in “Other Voices, Other Rooms” is not this market mentality, but to stress the different factors as to why education has deteriorated. One of the factors is compartmentalization. Both, Edmundson
and Graff, discuss different ideas as to how the students and professors’ actions cause an effect on education. However, Graff supports many points argued by Edmundson. Also, to finalize their arguments, they present separate solutions as to what they should do to make the best out of education. As Graff, Edmundson shows how universities are one of the major factors that most influences students’ education.
Edmundson starts telling its readers why he dislikes class evaluations at the end of each course. Edmundson extends this to the idea that universities have adapted a market mentality (vendors and consumers). In other words, the universities will change things around just to satisfy their students (consumers). Moreover, professors usually have to make their own changes, so that they receive good evaluations and make students “comfortable”. Graff supports the idea that universities don’t care about education, but they just want to make the students’ life easier, with those “easy classes”. Edmundson talks about how his students usually say that it’s a fun and interesting class. However, these comments don’t make him happy, instead it gives him a self-dislike feeling. He wants to hear something different; “I want some of them to say that they’ve been changed by the course” says Edmundson (Edmundson
323). Students’ mentality has changed throughout time and both writers discuss the students’ behavior towards education.
An exemplary example of how Edmundson wishes students should be is, Joon Lee. “Joon Lee is endlessly curious”(Edmundson 324), his personality and interests separate him from the crowd, who just “go with the flow”. Edmundson says that the only thing students care about are grades. Graff supports this by using the example of one of his undergraduates, when he asked her which course she prefers and she said, “Well, I’m getting an A in both”(Graff 328). This tells both authors that students don’t really care about learning but they only look after their own interests. In other words, they have lost a sense of curiosity. Graff goes on saying how students take classes that result in a “cognitive dissonance”. This means that students become confused by ideas presented to them in class that contradict themselves, but they never question authority. “Each course was challenging enough on its own terms, and to have raised the question of how they related would have only risked needlessly multiplying difficulties for myself” (Graff 340). Like Graff, Edmundson wishes students would challenge themselves and develop different interests on education. Students are satisfied by acquiring a good grade and then forget what they have learned right after. Both authors don’t support this way of thinking. Students can’t do anything about it, because the university has allowed this to
expand in order to satisfy the “clientele”. Graff supports Edmundson on the idea that problems encroaching education are not just the students, but also the professors and the university itself. The students’ problem is the lack of unwillingness to challenge themselves. The professors’ error, is not engaging their students into interesting discussions. Graff mostly blames universities/professors and not the students; he says that it’s too late to blame students. Graff shows how universities compartmentalize each course, which causes confusion within students. There’s not a solid idea that relates each class; they’re all different with its own ideas, therefore it is harder for students to contrast. Courses don’t show connections amongst themselves, making students lose interest. These authors finalize their points by giving its readers their different ideas of solutions to the problems education faces. “Ultimately, though, it is up to individuals and individual- students in particular- to make their own way against the current sludgy tide” (Edmundson 336). This statement incites students to wake up; Edmundson’s solution says that it’s up to the students’ to make decisions and think what they really want for their education. “Contrast is fundamental to understanding, for no subject, idea, or text is an island” (Graff 340). Graff’s solutuion basically says that we will never comprehend what each course is trying to show, if we don’t contrast our ideas and relate them. Graff, also means that it is important for students to compare their ideas; so that their education actually has a meaning and is not just confusion. The “sludgy tide” that Edmundson mentions, is supported by Graff when he tells us as to why students get so confused. The only way to break free from this tide is to relate subjects, ideas and texts.
These works have served to emphasize the importance of education, and how the real meaning of education has changed. Edmundson’s view of universities as a market mentality goes along with students not wanting to progress, and challenge themselves. Graff’s points on compartmentalization go along with students lacking to think and conjoin ideas. They both acknowledge that is not just the students’ fault, but it is also the institution and professors. One person cannot make education better, but every-individual should start making the right decisions. We as student-individuals have to think what we really want four our future and ourselves. Overall, Edmundson and Graff, associate their thoughts to portray how use of education in todays’ world is losing its essence.

Citations
Edmundson, Mark. "On the Uses of a Liberal Education." From
Inquiry to Academic Writing: A Text and Reader. By Stuart
Greene. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012. N. pag. Print.
Graff, Gerald. "Other Voices, Other Rooms." From Inquiry to
Academic Writing: A Text and Reader. By Stuart Greene. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012. N. pag. Print.