The Essay "Hookups Starve the Soul" by Laura Vanderkam
Chris Dulny
English 102
Jadi Keambiroiro
March 10, 2009
The Essay “Hookups Starve the Soul” by Laura Vanderkam Through out Laura Vanderkam’s essay she talks about how students are no longer searching for that long lost lover but instead just partying, drinking and finally “hooking up.” As Vanderkam puts it hookups are “when a guy and a girl get together for physical encounter and don’t expect anything else.” (312) Vanderkam continues to say how hookups have all but replaced college relationships and dating. Through out her argument she gives many pieces of evidence that lead up to her final point which is, over scheduling and placing too many restrictions on your children could one day lead to a lack of pride or even want to fall into a deep relationship with someone and also kids who “would rather get the right answers on tests than ask the larger questions” (312). There are few things in Vanderkam’s essay I agree with and there are many I don’t. First off the whole idea that hookups are causing children of the future to have a lack of luster for asking the “larger question” is impractical. It is in our human nature to always be asking why and searching for that final answer if it actually existed and I don’t believe any amount of drunken sex can deter that. Vanderkam continues to state how hookups are not only destroying the intellectual part of college youth but the artistic/literary part as well. In her statement “No great art will be inspired by the muse of Milwaukee’s Best or a tryst that both parties are trying to forget.” (313) I assume she trying to say that the only fixation college students will be able to use as inspiration or insight for writing or doing anything creative is hookups. Even if this were true it would not be that bad of inspiration. Speaking from personal experience hookups bread two thing: short term boost in confidence and depression. The boost in confidence comes from the thought that “I just meet this really good
English 102
Jadi Keambiroiro
March 10, 2009
The Essay “Hookups Starve the Soul” by Laura Vanderkam Through out Laura Vanderkam’s essay she talks about how students are no longer searching for that long lost lover but instead just partying, drinking and finally “hooking up.” As Vanderkam puts it hookups are “when a guy and a girl get together for physical encounter and don’t expect anything else.” (312) Vanderkam continues to say how hookups have all but replaced college relationships and dating. Through out her argument she gives many pieces of evidence that lead up to her final point which is, over scheduling and placing too many restrictions on your children could one day lead to a lack of pride or even want to fall into a deep relationship with someone and also kids who “would rather get the right answers on tests than ask the larger questions” (312). There are few things in Vanderkam’s essay I agree with and there are many I don’t. First off the whole idea that hookups are causing children of the future to have a lack of luster for asking the “larger question” is impractical. It is in our human nature to always be asking why and searching for that final answer if it actually existed and I don’t believe any amount of drunken sex can deter that. Vanderkam continues to state how hookups are not only destroying the intellectual part of college youth but the artistic/literary part as well. In her statement “No great art will be inspired by the muse of Milwaukee’s Best or a tryst that both parties are trying to forget.” (313) I assume she trying to say that the only fixation college students will be able to use as inspiration or insight for writing or doing anything creative is hookups. Even if this were true it would not be that bad of inspiration. Speaking from personal experience hookups bread two thing: short term boost in confidence and depression. The boost in confidence comes from the thought that “I just meet this really good
Bibliography: Barnet, Sylvan Burto, William Cain, William E. “Hookups Starve the Soul.” Literature For Composition. Laura Vanderkam. New York: Pearson Longman, 2007. 312-313