What Democracy Requires

What Democracy Requires Heriberto Garcia The University of Texas at El Paso

What Democracy Requires Ha !es" E#T# $2%11&" What Democacy Requires' ( )tu*ent Ta!es His Princi+al to ,airness# Studies In Education" -ol# ." ++# 11/0121" #2stor#or34stable41%#1%.54567111

The aca*emic 2ournal 8What Democracy Requires9 ritten by T# Eli2ah Ha !es *escribes the im+ortance of re0evaluation of the +ublic school system throu3h the author:s +ersonal 2ourney he encountere* ith a fello stu*ent;s *ynamic min*set to ar*s e*ucation# The author 8Teacher9 synthesi<es his ritin3 throu3h the a++eals of Ethos" Pathos an* =o3os to *emonstrate shits in the +lots here he illustrates his +oint of vie s" reasonin3" an* ex+lains hy his stu*ents stru33le in the foster system have affecte* him mentally# >n conclusion he em+hasi<es ho his o n tone in conversation s+ar!e* chan3e to the stu*ent? hich cause* the stu*ent to +rove all ron3 hen focusin3 in receivin3 a hi3h school *e3ree# Pathos >n the intro*uction of the article 8>n a @ircle" =istenin39 $Ha !es" 2%11" +# 11/&" the author +resents the main i*ea throu3h *ialo3ue# >n the quote"" $+# 11/& 8 What Eli2ah sai*" it really u+set me# > as so u+set > 2ust left# > as thin!in3 about it all ee!en*9" the stu*ent 8(le2an*ro9 reveals his emotions for the first time in the article" in res+onse to hat his teacher tol* him in a +rivate conversation# The author uses a shift to further ex+lain this by foresha*o in3" $Ha !es" 2%11" +#11.# Para#2&" 8Aaybe you shoul* 2ust leave9" hen this is state* this brin3s +ersuasive to the article# The teacher has !no n the stu*ent four a cou+le of years" an* throu3h time the the stu*ent has become more *isru+tive an* ru*e? thus he misses class an* *oes not turn in assi3nments# (s the teacher he oul* li!e to see chan3e from the stu*ent" but it as never seen# When he states" 8Aaybe you shoul* 2ust leave9" he ante* to brea! throu3h the stu*ent an* he *i*# Ho ever" ith a shift in +lot the stu*ent;s chan3e as not hat he ex+ecte*#

What Democracy Requires

)ince the author is ritin3 in first +erson narrative" the rea*er is able to un*erstan* his thou3hts an* emotions# >n the en*in3 of the 2ournal he states $Ha !es" 2%11" +# 12B& 8Cnce > itnesse* a beatin3 on the mom also ma*e me cry" but > coul*n:t sho it because then > oul* feel li!e > lost my battle a3ainst all the feelin3s > hel* bac! from all these years9" this quote clearly sho s +athos most hen states 8cry9 $Ha !es" 2%11" +# 12B&# To fully un*erstan* the statement" the author is ex+lainin3 ho he as feelin3 hen his stu*ent turne* in a +ersonal essay" here he as as!e* to rite a +ersonal narrative usin3 ima3ery# The beatin3 of the mom coul* be the +oint of emotion" but hen closin3" 8> hel* bac! from all these year9 $Ha !es" 2%11" +# 12B& coul* he be insistin3 his +ast ex+ericances ith stu*ents an* their +ersonal life stru33les# The author illustrates ho the stu*ent be3ins to chan3e an* he becomes more thrille* to the 3ro th in behavior" an* revels it in emotion# =o3os The article as ritten ithin the bac!3roun* of De Eor! @ity# With the minimal information Provi*e about the authors bac!3roun*# The article ex+lains" that the hi3h school has a +ro3ram for trouble* stu*ents" ith this in min* the article illustrates the stereoty+ical minority 3rou+s that are 8trouble*9# The Fuote" 8> !ne his +arents ere *ea*" burie* in a country far a ay# > !ne " mostly from tal!in3 to teachers an* a*visors ho !no him ell" that his 2ourney0to our county" to our school" to fluency in En3lish" to mental health" ha* been an ar*uous one9" $Ha !es" 2%11" +#117" +ara# 2&" this 3ives a small inter+retation of the stu*ents bac!3roun*" hen un*erstan*in3 the 8his 2ourney0to our country9 hints the stu*ent is an immi3rant# Thus" his name is (le2an*ro" hich comes from a =atin culture# Donetheless" the character is His+anic# When un*erstan*in3 the text to a closer level a *isa*vanta3e is 3iven to the stu*ent" 8Aaybe you shoul* consi*er some other o+tions' other schools" or +ath ays to 3ra*uation maybe a GED +ro3ram9" $Ha !es" 2%11" +#11.& this hen analy<e* +roves ho His+anic stu*ents are the minority in the +ublic school system an* to some extent are value* less#

What Democracy Requires The title of the article can also su++ort this same theory 8What Democracy Requires9" are all stu*ents

treate* the same" an* are the minorities loo! *o n on# Eli2ah Ha !s *oes su++ort this claim" $Ha !es" 2%11" +# 12%& 8He tol* us that he as *etermine* to 3et a hi3h school *i+loma even thou3h so many +eo+le ha* tol* him that he coul*n;t" an* he as 3oin3 to +rove them ron39" this reinstatement of the author sho s ho the stu*ent is tol* that a GED is the best o+tion for him since he is trouble* an* a minority# >n the section 8Academics versus Values $Ha !es" 2%11" +# 121&" the author questions hat the im+ortance of both aca*emics an* values# When statin3" $ Ha !es" 2%11" +# 121& 8(P an* exams" an* com+etitions to 3ain a*mission to to+ ran!e* colle3es0 *oesn:t time focus on character an* culture *irectly conflict ith these other aca*emic en*eavors#9" +oints ho the e*ucational system is ell focuse* on the score of a stu*ent on stan*ar*i<e* test rather than character *evelo+ment# Gein3 both an* e*ucator an* a member of lea*er shi+ as the +rinci+al he 3ets the taste of both enforcin3 +olicy an* un*erstan*in3 stu*ent nee*s in the classroom" he is able to formulate the ar3ument from both si*e# He believes that stu*ents to +rove themselves in classroom an* *evelo+ the +ro+er aca*emic tools in or*er to achieve hi3her learnin3# Ho ever" he *ebates hen statin3 $Ha !es" 2%11" +#121& 8Recess is cancelle*" art +ro3rams ither an* *ie" an* 3ui*ance *e+artments are shrun! until counselors case hol*s in hun*re*s9" this sho s ho stu*ents are losin3 the ability stimulate character 3ro th# ,or exam+le he exam+les" ithout recess stu*ents *on:t net or!" ithout +ro3rams they can:t be +art of somethin3 other than home or!" an* ithout counselors they have to one to assist them since they are one in hun*re*s# This ma!es him *ebate that stu*ents nee* to have a balance bet een both aca*emics an* values that hy the can have the +ro+er tools an* full enrichment# Ethos Ha !es is a cre*itable author because he has a soli* career +ath in ritin3 since he is both a

What Democracy Requires Princi+al an* En3lish teacher# Gein3 an e*ucator he learne* the basics of stu*ent behavior by interactin3 ithin the classroom# Thus" he has been able to use this ex+ericance as a member of the fairness committee here he un*erstan* behavior cases" here he *evelo+s solutions for stu*ents to that are havin3 trouble in school# The committee also hears stu*ent com+lains a3ainst staff? for exam+le hen 8(le2an*ro9 trails the +rinci+le for ur3in3 the stu*ent to 3et a GED# )ince he is ritin3 a 2ournal that *ebate the i*ea of stu*ent Democracy" he uses a +ersonal situation to +rovi*e extra emotional a++eal from the rea*er# Gein3 that he has the +ersonal story ith 8(le2an*ro9 this 3ives him a boost of ethos because ithout it he oul* 2ust be ar3uin3 for the i*ea hen he has nothin3 to +rovi*e a stan<a# =astly" his +ersonal Hournal" as +ublishe* in Studies of Education in 2%11#