In recent discussions, a significant argument of the education system overlooking the intellectual potential of the students who possess exceptional “street smarts” is penned by Gerald Graff, a co-author of “They Say/I Say.” On the other hand, the society assumes that subjects such as fashion and sports among others hold no intellectual tenor and only inherently weighty academic subjects grant people true knowledge. From this perspective, the educational value of the subjects is being overlooked according to Graff and students would find themselves at a much higher rate of success if they are given a chance to choose what they wanted to build their knowledge. In the words of Graff, the purpose of his argument is to portray to his audience that knowing less about “academic work” and more about fashion, TV, and cars among others is not a detriment to the process of learning (Graff, Birkenstein, " Durst, 2006). According to this view, the society needs to understand that the students who excel in extra-curricular activities such as sports and do not do well academically possess a form of intellectualism which is concealed. In sum, then, the issue is whether society should overlook subjects such as fashion and sports among others or should give students the autonomy to choose what they want to do in life.
My own view is that Graff is straight forward and states his stance on “hidden intellectualism” straight away hence boosting his pathos as he states his personal opinion. Though I concede that Graff establishes ethos and expands his ideas and thoughts throughout the essay in the first few paragraphs, I still maintain that he does not bring out clearly the idea of students being independent in choosing what they want to pursue in their lives. Although some might object that Graff brings out the idea of students being independent, I would reply that he forgets to emphasize the importance of knowledge acquired from academic books. The issue is important because both academic and “smart streets” knowledge is important and students can make a career out either of them.
Reference
Graff, G., Birkenstein, C., " Durst, R. (2006). " They Say, I Say": The Moves that Matter in Academic Writing. New York, NY: WW Norton.
