March Madness draws a lot of attention to many colleges and universities that don’t usually get noticed, and the lack of recognition applies to much more than sports. In this March 2018 essay in the Chronicle of Higher Education, education professor Kevin R. McClure argues that public regional universities across the US should receive much more funding, status, and respect.
Read it here: McClure, “The problem with calling UMBC a Cinderella”
- It doesn’t look like it at first, but McClure’s essay isn’t really about basketball at all. What is it about? What is McClure arguing for? Summarize his main point. Is the essay persuasive? Why or why not?
- What does it mean to call somebody or something a “Cinderella”? Obviously, the practice is a reference to the well-known fairy tale of Cinderella, but what is the metaphor actually saying? Explain the meaning in the case of UMBC. (If you don’t remember or you never heard about Cinderella, ask a classmate to bring you up to speed.)
- Throughout his essay, McClure uses the first-person plural “we.” Who is the “we” that he is addressing? (Hint: Pay attention to where the essay was published.) Would the essay have been more effective if McClure had addressed his audience as “you” or “they” rather than “we”? Why do you think so? Explain your reasoning.
- Read (or re-read) Jorge Salles Diaz’s essay on theysayiblog.com. Salles Diaz attends one of the elite universities that McClure writes about. In what ways might the two authors agree? How might each author respond to the other author’s essay? Write an essay in which you imagine Salles Diaz’s response to McClure’s essay, or an essay in which you imagine McClure’s response to Salles Diaz’s essay. Based on your own college experience, what is your position?
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