School Wide Writing Project Former superintendent, Lawrence B. Shlack argues in his article, Not Going to College is a Viable Option, that too many students believe that going to college is the only option after high school in order to be successful. The main purpose of this article is to convince students to be less narrow-minded on the topic of post-high school decisions and effectively provides the reasoning behind his logic and provides alternatives. As a retired superintendent, Schlack proves that he has sufficient credibility and knowledge of high school students and what most of them are thinking. The use of pathos and ethos combined with his credibility appeals to the readers strongly by making the article relatable for most high schoolers. Knowledge and credibility on the topic along with emotional and logical appeals made Schlack’s article’s persuasion effective. Schlack starts the article off by establishing his credibility, stating, “any retired superintendent who’s running around the country telling high school senior not to go to college had darn well better explain himself or herself”, which indicates that he was …show more content…
Schlack sums up the issue in three key words, “status, economics and competition”. By identifying these three factors, schack strengthens his appeal towards the reader by letting them know that he understands what is false about their ideas of going to college. Additionally, Schlack gives an example of a student who is brainwashed by parents and teachers who push them towards going to college. “ college is like your life. If you don 't go to college… you can 't live a successful life”. This quote from an 8th grade student shows what most students are taught from a young age except with over exaggeration. However, this over exaggerated example helps in convincing students that they have been taught to grow up with a ridiculous and illogical mindset when it comes to