Neusner Response
Write a response supporting or refuting one (or numerous related) of Neusner's ideas in his article, "The Speech the Graduates Didn't Hear."

Now, there is a difference between supporting or refuting Neusner's ideas and simply getting ticked off at his ideas and lashing out on paper. Be sure to be constructive and compose a solid argument—and better yet, a solid analysis—when you write this paper. In fact, understanding the true purpose of this article and his ideas will aid in your argument, so you may want to spend time thinking about (and possibly even somewhat writing about) the purpose of the claim you are supporting or refuting.

I agree that he generalizes, stereotypes, assigns fault, etc., but is this really the point? Is there another level that should be examined in this article, rather than the literal/surface-level meaning of the article?

Should this "speech" be taken at face value, or is there some underlying message/meaning/purpose to the article? What do you think the real reason is for Neusner writing this article, and the reason for me having you read it in this class? What does the article say about values, work ethic, responsibility, effort, the academy, American societal values, etc...? What does this article try to get you do think about?

You may choose to focus on:

• What value does Neusner place on students' work and on grades? He says professors simply give out "easy Bs," but is this his intended argument, or is there a more significant/sophisticated argument he is trying to make about the importance of grades?
• How does Neusner feel about his relationships with his students, and what are his feelings about their intellect? Again, does he really feel this way? What is he really trying to say about student-teacher relationships and their importance in education?
• What differences does Neusner highlight between college life and "the real world" (not the one on MTV)? Why does he highlight these differences? What is he trying to make a statement about: responsibility, work ethic, determination, etc.?
• Why would I choose to assign this reading to you? How does this reading tie in with what my teaching goals are or with the other things we will learn in this class?

This paper is due Thursday, January 31^st.