Topic Selection : Topic 1
Team: Sarah Veneziale and Cait Mangini
Working Thesis: The problem of the student is the loss of sovereignty and to become the knower again can occur from the education outside of their major. By taking other classes not necessary for one’s major, they will bring a sense of having back up plans, rekindle a love for learning, provide more chances to find happiness, and save time if having to switch career paths.
Two ideas with two supporting quotes:
- Many students may have a preconceived idea of what their future job will be, like the tourist saw when he got to the grand canyon and compared it to the postcards. Preconceived ideas may ruin the job in the future, so having experience in other classes outside major can help them find other interests as backup plans. This can lead to a major change, will ultimately make the student more happy.
- “It is almost impossible because the Grand Canyon, the thing as it is, has been appropriated by the symbolic complex which has already been formed in the sightseer’s mind.” (Percy 1)
- For the love of learning. In Percy’s piece he talks about how a boy who found a dogfish compared to a student who has to dissect a dogfish for class is more likely to remember the situation. The boy is excited to dissect the fish and is doing it for fun, but the student has to do this. The boy although may not understand exactly what he is doing, he is enjoying and going to memorize this moment better than a student who is forced to do so. Taking classes outside of one’s major creates a non forced environment. Knowing they don’t have to take this class necessary for their major, they are not as pressured and can enjoy the experience.
- “A young Falkland Islander walking along a beach and spying a dead dogfish and going to work on it with his jackknife has, in a fashion wholly unprovided in modern educational theory, a great advantage over the Scarsdale high-school pupil who finds the dogfish on his laboratory desk.” (Percy 4)
(Emily)-What do you mea by “Ruin the job in the future?’ how does this connect to the education you get beyond your major?
(Emily)- I would reread your thesis and try to connect Percy to it.
I think point D should be first while writing your draft because It is your strongest point.
Try not to think so much about what is being learned or taught by the teacher because that goes against Percy’s views.
Point C comes off as a little vague and does not have a clear meaning to the point.
I think you did a good job on connecting your quotes to your points.
I would lead with point D because I think it best supports the topic in terms wf what Percy is trying to say