Entry #5 - Review of the Article "Why Arizona Needs More College Grads"
On September 17, 2016 Governor Doug Ducey published an article called "Why Arizona Needs More College Grads." In his article, Ducey explained the importance of gaining a higher education, and he also used the article to introduce the new Achieve60AZ plan. His article was extremely well written and it is clear when reading it that Ducey is highly knowledgeable when it comes to the elements of persuasion. In the article, Ducey uses the rhetorical triangle to help him establish credibility, present logical facts, and connect with his readers.
The very first thing that Ducey does in his article is construct his own ethos, which is a fancy Latin word for "ethical appeals." Louisiana State University tells us that ethos, "appeals to the writer's character. Ethos can also be thought of as the role of the writer in the argument, and how credible his/her argument is." Ducey begins the article by saying, "I'm honored to be governor of Arizona, but today I'm writing not just as an elected official, but as a husband and father." In this sentence we are encouraged to trust him. He is going to be writing about a statewide need for education, and as governor we unconsciously assume that he must know what he is talking about because he is technically in charge of Arizona. The other key thing to notice is that he says that he is also a husband and father. If being governor isn't enough, he is saying that he has experience with education on a more basic level, just like his readers. Throughout the article, Ducey continues to reinforce the idea that he is credible; he continues to reinforce the idea that we can trust him. He has now established his credibility, so then he moves on to the next important aspect of the rhetorical triangle: pathos.
Pathos "appeals to the emotions of the sympathetic imagination, as well as the the beliefs and values" (Louisiana State University). There are multiple instances in Ducey's article where he uses pathos to connect with the reader's thoughts, feelings, and emotions. One such instance is near the top of the article, where he says:
As parents, we all want the best for our children. Some aspire to go straight to a university after high school. Others begin at a community college, earn a credential and eventually transfer with sufficient credits or after completing an associate's degree. Or maybe they want to serve in the Armed Forces before returning to a technical school to learn a specialty trade. There's no one size fits all for them. But what we do know is a quality education remains the surest path to the American Dream. Our children's futures, and the future prosperity of our state, depend on it.
In the above paragraph, Ducey is playing with our emotions. He begins by reminding us that he can relate to parenthood, and then he goes on to list the many different paths that children may take in an attempt to gain higher education. At the end, he reinforces the desire that all parents have for their children. Parents want nothing more than for their children to succeed, to be happy, to thrive. Ducey is connecting with that desire and he is filling us with hope that children can accomplish that dream. Then, he includes a little bit of fear in the idea that the "surest path" to that success is through higher education. The idea that children could fail in life is frightening, so we instinctively side with him and want our children to gain a higher education. Another instance where he uses pathos is at the end of the article. He says, "If we want our kids to be competitive, it's going to take all of us -- elected leaders, business leaders, parents, grandparents and neighbors -- working together and taking a fresh look at how we can bridge education and the economy." Here, he once again fills us with hope; this time over the idea that we can work together with people of all types of social, economical, and power statuses to help children succeed.
While Ducey is great at establishing ethos and pathos in his article, the two are pointless without the final corner of the rhetorical triangle, logos. "Logos appeals to reason. Logos can also be thought of as the text of an argument, as well as how well a writer has argued his/her point" (Louisiana State University). Ducey's article is filled with all types of statistics and facts that help him to argue his point. One such example was actually included in the article as an image. In the image, we see a list of numbers with explanations underneath them. Through the image we learn that the goal of Achieve60AZ is for 60% of Arizonians to have a college degree or certificate by 2030, that 42% actually have a degree right now, and that two out of three jobs are expected to require a college degree. These facts help to convince Ducey's readers that he is making a strong argument.
"Why Arizona Needs More College Grads" is an excellent, strong, and powerful article that uses great senses of ethos, pathos, and logos. We now know that Ducey was very clever in his writing and created a very convincing argument; however, is what he said actually true? Does children's future actually depend on their ability to achieve higher education? And will they really be better off financially? I think that this is a question that must be answered by each person individually. Personally, I value education greatly. There are many jobs that you cannot have unless you have a college degree, such as being a teacher, doctor, therapist, nurse, biologist, politician, etc.. I do believe that those who attend college are more likely to get a job, and it is quite possible that they will be paid better than their colleagues who did not attend college. However, I also believe that there is more to it than that.
Neither of my parents got a college degree, and they are successful and financially stable people. Thankfully, we have never had to worry about money because my dad was blessed to find an excellent job. He was able to do this without a college degree. I don't think that gaining higher education is mandatory to our lives, and I do not feel that our success is hinged on us receiving a degree. I also wonder if people who have a college degree are actually better off financially. Northeastern University tells us that people with a high school diploma tend to make $42,081 on average every year, while people with a Bachelor's Degree make $69, 381 on average every year. Student loan debt has become a common topic in schools and politics all over the U.S. USA Today tells us that as of 2023, the student loan debt balance is 1.77 trillion dollars. In Arizona, the average student loan debt is $24,298 (USA Today). Typically, student loan borrowers take more than 20 years to pay off their debt (USA Today). So, someone who gets their Bachelor's Degree may make about $15,000 to $20,000 more than someone who didn't go to college; however, they may also have about 20 years worth of student debt to pay off.
I just want to say the way you have with your words is phenomenal! The ideas attached are even better. I must agree with you when you state that Doug Ducey does have his way with words, and the way you went into detail was very captivating to the readers. From the questions you asked to the images chosen, I felt this was extremely well put together. You can really see the thought process come together and flow smoothly. Overall, I think your explanations and attention to detail is extraordinary.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you! Every time I read one of Yesmeen's blogs, I am fascinated with her way of words. Yesmeen, you put together you pieces phenomenally and you never miss an idea. For this specific blog, I enjoyed the way you included all three appeals and how Ducey incorporates them into his article. You also made a very personal connection to the topic which interested me even more. Keep up your great work!
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