Inventing the University

After reading David Bartholomae's Inventing the University, I thought the essays he used were all great examples towards his ideal point of "academic discourse". I found some of his clarifications of each specific essay somewhat confusing at a first to a certain point, overall I did understand the "appropriate" language or message he was getting to. After reading it for the second time, I saw things differently and understood it better. Evaluating these essays gave his perspective as a reader and writer what is considered academic and what needs more improvements. As writers, a comment he made about the creativity of the Clay Model,

"trying on the discourse even though he doesn't have the knowledge that makes the discourse more than a routine, set rituals and gestures. And he does this, I think, even though he knows he doesn't have the knowledge that makes he discourse more than a routine". (512),

we should think and write as scholars or "member of the academy". Impressing the readers and or audience also of our thoughts and ideas that makes it come through us rather than from us, can also create the creativity we own.

The Kind Word for Bullshit

After reading On Bullshit by Harry G. Frankfurt and The Kind Word for Bullshit by Phillip Eubanks and John D. Schaeffer, I thought this topic was overall a really interesting topic to think about. As these authors established bullshit in many student papers, it made me realized how writing has become somewhat bullshit. As a bilingual student majoring in Education, honestly, writing has always been one of my least favorite subject. Growing up I have struggled with writing for many years, and for the most part I know bullshit has taken up most part in my writings since I have found it difficult to learned the language properly a challenge. I have many times worked hard towards making good enough for a decent grade. For the majority, I believe the effort I put in it is truly what matters most.

I realized from The Kind Word for Bullshit, authors Eubanks and Schaeffer pointed out an interesting quote from Dave Barry:

Suppose you are studying Moby-Dick. Anybody with any common sense would say that Moby-Dick is a big white whale, since the characters in the book refer to it as a big white whale roughly eleven thousand times. So in your paper you say Moby-Dick is actually the Republic of Ireland....If you can regularly come up with lunatic interpretations of simple stories, you should major in English. (page 373)

From this quote, we are taught academically to also use big vocabulary words and be perspective in our state of mind towards writing. Sometimes a paper that sounds too academic to a certain level can be become nothing more but bullshit.