In Marty Nemko’s article, “We Send Too Many Students to College,” he analyzes and questions whether college is truly worth the money. Marty “holds a Ph.D. specializing in the evaluation of education from the University of California, Berkeley, and subsequently taught there” (martynemko.com) as well as published five successful books. In addition to his novels, he previously was a columnist at San Francisco Chronical and The Atlantic Monthly, also a contributing editor at several other well-known companies. Nemko’s purpose is to convey the idea that, even though there may be reasons one would attend college, the complications overshadow the benefits. He adopts an impassionate tone in order to convince his adult audience to take a hard look at whether it is worthwhile for their children to attend college.…
Her essay originally was published in the Academe, the journal of the American Association of University Professors. It has 5 sections and each section is about one full page in length. The first section of her essay discusses the changes in universities’ images and ethics. Students are developing their identities and lifestyles which is why college is important. Several university…
Students enrolled at community college are lost high school graduates and employees seeking to gain certain skills is the minor persuasiveness found in the argument. This statement is persuasive due to the audience of a select few higher class individuals, whom probably never attended community college. Farrington opens the readers to categorize community college students within these two stereotypes. The lack of morals demonstrated in his approach to stereotyping, reveals an ad hominem fallacy. The biased tactic of bullying to get his way leaves readers disgusted by Farrington’s stereotypical remarks. More or less, Farrington unsuccessfully argued his way into an abysmal ending with his personal attacks. If personal accounts of students continuing towards a university but were confined by financial obligations was stated, a more intelligent, unbiased argument could have been…
In his book Why Teach?, Mark Edmundson has written an essay in which he approaches an argument about the paradoxical consumer culture surrounding education. The university professor takes a stance on the problems that he has both experienced in his own classroom and observed on campuses, and he assigns these problems—his claims—appropriate blames. Enough logic is used to make these “blames” more factual, and he often claims how things are and offers several reasons as to why. His essay, “Liberal Arts & Lite Entertainment,” originally written in 1997, begins with his own university before branching out to all those across the country, and it is followed by a deduction of student culture and professors. He gives hope to the idea of the acceptance and praising of “genius” (as opposed to the alienation students indorse so well) closer towards the end, narrowing his argument down to a more specific change…
In the article The Coddling of the American Mind, authors Lukianoff and Haidt argue that college students in contemporary America are becoming overly sensitive to abrasive topics because of exposure to an abstract version of reality that is being presented in the classroom. They propose that the use of trigger words in conjunction, with admonitory devices, which are intended to introduce students to controversial topics of discussion. These topics of discussion mimics the “Real World”, because typically these types of conversations are discussed in an open forum. The author’s use many images to crowd the page in the form of advertisements. Though visually striking, the article’s images themselves do not contribute to the argument presented,…
#1. Alvin Langdon Coburn was at the forefront of photography as art. At the time photography was young and new much like the skyscrapers and machinery in the quickly expanding cities of the second industrial revolution. Coburn’s photography depicts a cold, hard, and filthy place with smoke and steam rising into the sky above all else. Coburn is trying to convey the price of advancement and progress in his newly mechanization world.…
“Coddling of the American Mind”, written by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, is an extensive article touching on the oversensitivity of college students and faculties in today’s society. They discuss these issues and the environment created by “protecting” college students from emotional discomfort while pointing out the negative effects of this particular mindset. In all reality, “coddling” the students is doing more harm than help. So after reading this article, I am truly convinced our generation needs to make a change within these schools by articulating a more open, understanding, and helpful atmosphere for our young adults. The authors also provide numerous evidence and truths throughout their dictation and voice, allowing the style of their report to have a more honest tone one can appreciate.…
The reputation of the modern education system has been damaged by the deterioration of student and instructor performance, leading people to question the validity of education as a whole. Many professionals in the field have speculated about the specifics of the problem, but few have offered well-constructed alternatives to resolve them. Of these few, Allan Bloom’s book The Closing of the American Mind (1987) directly diagnoses the pitfalls of modern education, offering multiple solutions to this poorly executed system that is failing students across the country. Bloom discusses the lack of truth and literature in the educational sector, and he states that the human soul is incomplete as a result. He believes that the system requires reform,…
Sadly, many institutions of higher learning have adopted an anti-Western worldview that has permeated campus culture across our nation. What has resulted from this antithetical groupthink towards this foundational heritage is a graduate body of citizens that often have not only abandoned our country’s foundational principles, but also have failed to develop an ability to reason soundly. While I am…
Quote from The Age of American Unreason, page 219-220: “The first and most fundamental warning sign [of junk thought] is an inability to distinguish between coincidence and causation—a basic requirement for scientific literacy.” “During the past twenty-five years, there appears to have been a significant increase in the incidence of autism in children around the world. Whatever the reason for the rise in reported cases of autism, it has coincided with an increase in the number of recommended child immunizations. Anti-vaccination groups have focused on a relatively new triple vaccine, introduced in 1987, that immunizes children against measles, mumps and rubella.”…
A lot of scientists and universities are concerned due to new tendency among student to protect them from the real world. For instance, some activists in university want to persuade people that some words, statements and thoughts are offensive for some students, thus these words should be removed from everyday usage, at least in university. Such approach created a discussion across the country whether it is necessary to protect student from such words or behavior.…
The Closing of the North American mind by Robert Nielsen, discusses the erosion of the North American society, because of our failing educational system. I agree with Nielsen on some of his arguments against the system. Majority of the student body studies to obtain marks. What they study usually disappears after they get what they want. This pattern goes on for four years, which is supposedly preparing the students for the bigger step, university or college.…
In the article that I read, “Two Years Are Better Than Four”, Liz Addison, expresses her opinion on community colleges, which she believes that the community college system should be regarded as one of America’s uniquely great institutions, not only because community colleges lets students have a place to start their higher education, but also because community colleges is critical to the nation by offering people a network of affordable future, of accessible hope, and an option to dream. Addison firstly refutes Rick Perlstein’s opinion and states “My guess, reading between the lines, is that Mr. Perlstein has never set foot in an American Community College”. Then coupled with the writing that came before this statement, this line sets up Addison’s paper and provides the reader with her thesis “The philosophy of the community college is one that unconditionally allows its students to begin”. And Addison properly concluded her opinion of community colleges towards the end of the essay that the community college really matters to these students, from different backgrounds. It services them a way to prove themselves who would never breathe the college experience.…
Greg Lukianoff & Jonathan Haidt express their concerns about college students being overprotected. In The Atlantic, the article The Coddling of the American Mind has many cases of students being pampered because a few people were hurt. The authors view was that coddling will not be good for students in the long run. Coddling will not prepare students for the real world because the real world is much harsher than universities are portraying.…
The Myth of Inferiority by T. Allen Culpepper published in The Chronicle of Higher Education, October 27, 2006 explores the stereo-type that community college are viewed inferior to University students. Are community college students at a disadvantage?…