Hookups Starve The Soul By Laura Vanderkam Summary
Justin Benge
K Kraus
Wrt 101
13 Apr, 2013
Hookups Starve the Soul In the essay “Hookups Starve the Soul” by Laura Vanderkam, we are given “insight” into college life and what the students may do with their free time. At first glance it may seem that Vanderkam is writing her essay and directing it towards students, but she is in fact directing it towards the parents and it seems that the audience is a hostile one too. Vanderkam tries to explain to the parents what is possibly and probably going on that they may not know about, and that it all falls on the parents, that it is their own fault. Her thesis being; “Some blame the sexual revolution. Some blame co-ed dorms and alcohol abuse. I blame something else.” Throughout Vanderkam’s essay she uses a logical argument, which is somewhat reasonable with supporting evidence. She also tries to establish credibility in her paper, and unfortunately her essay is saturated with logical fallacies. Vanderkam’s argument is that because children, from an early age, are overscheduled they do not have time to stop and “smell the roses” and then ask “why?” This, in my opinion, is not a strong argument. She speaks of the soul but fails to explain what the purpose of the soul is or why it is necessary. The argument falls apart because the term soul has many meanings pertaining …show more content…
She says that she had a personal experience with hookups herself “what happened when she left last night’s party with a boy neither of us had ever seen before? Oh said she with a knowing look We hooked up.” Speaking of her friend. Vanderkam then goes on to say that, that is how all college parties end and how little to no college students ever have a steady relationship because of their “lack of time.” Myself being a college student I can say that I have a lot of time on my hands and that I do not go out partying looking solely for a
K Kraus
Wrt 101
13 Apr, 2013
Hookups Starve the Soul In the essay “Hookups Starve the Soul” by Laura Vanderkam, we are given “insight” into college life and what the students may do with their free time. At first glance it may seem that Vanderkam is writing her essay and directing it towards students, but she is in fact directing it towards the parents and it seems that the audience is a hostile one too. Vanderkam tries to explain to the parents what is possibly and probably going on that they may not know about, and that it all falls on the parents, that it is their own fault. Her thesis being; “Some blame the sexual revolution. Some blame co-ed dorms and alcohol abuse. I blame something else.” Throughout Vanderkam’s essay she uses a logical argument, which is somewhat reasonable with supporting evidence. She also tries to establish credibility in her paper, and unfortunately her essay is saturated with logical fallacies. Vanderkam’s argument is that because children, from an early age, are overscheduled they do not have time to stop and “smell the roses” and then ask “why?” This, in my opinion, is not a strong argument. She speaks of the soul but fails to explain what the purpose of the soul is or why it is necessary. The argument falls apart because the term soul has many meanings pertaining …show more content…
She says that she had a personal experience with hookups herself “what happened when she left last night’s party with a boy neither of us had ever seen before? Oh said she with a knowing look We hooked up.” Speaking of her friend. Vanderkam then goes on to say that, that is how all college parties end and how little to no college students ever have a steady relationship because of their “lack of time.” Myself being a college student I can say that I have a lot of time on my hands and that I do not go out partying looking solely for a