They Say, I Say; "They Say" (Assignment 2)

Nicholas Kruzshak 

Mr. Fendryk 

AP Seminar 102

16 September 2020

They Say, I Say; "They Say" 

As for our next assignment in accordance with They Say, I Say, we were to read all of chapter one and answer the exercise questions accordingly. Those questions, exercise one as well as exercise two, referenced both what we had learned in the introductory section and what was recently taught within the "They Say" section of the book. Both exercises in addition to some useful notes are listed below (in chronological order, of course): 

Key Notes: 

• Continuously refer to the point in which counters your argument as it assists the reader in knowing your intent. 
• Beginning with an agreeable statement may be the best way to lead into your possible minority premise which others may not withhold. 
• By admitting to other viewpoints, your following argument becomes much more convincing to the now trusting audience. 
• While utilizing a strategy that aims to debunk a common claim, it's vital to quickly move to do so after establishing it. 
• In order to clarify your argument, it can be of extraordinary use to state both sides of an argument. 

Exercise 1: 

    To begin our application of what was taught, we were to review six stated arguments and refute each with our own counterpoint. This, of course, could've been done to either establish trust within the audience and then go on to refute your own counterargument or it could be done because it is the true intent of the author to explain a counterargument. 

a. Our experiments suggest that there are dangerous levels of chemical X in the Ohio groundwater.

Although experiments suggest that there are dangerous levels of chemical X in the Ohio groundwater, it's important to recognize that very little of our utilized water is taken from that source. 

b. Materials forces drive History. 

One implication that the premise of "Materials forces drive History" forgets to bring forth is that caveats to this rule have been made in recorded history. 

c. Proponents of Freudian psychology question standard notions of "rationality."

While they rarely admit as much, Proponents of Freudian psychology often leave out vital details regarding how one might have come to a solution. 

d. Male students often dominate class discussions. 

When it comes to the topic of male dominance in classroom discussions, most of us will readily agree that this notion is true to a degree. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of how they go about doing so. Whereas some are convinced that men are overly-aggressive in their approach in the classroom, others maintain their phycological willingness to assist in such discussions.  

e. The film is about the problems of romantic relationships. 

While they rarely admit as much, those who correlate the film with problems of romantic relationships often take for granted that the director himself rebutted this absurd notion in a recent interview. 

f. I'm afraid that templates like the ones in this book will stifle my creativity. 

One implication of the use of Templates, such as the ones frequently used in this book, is that they stifle creativity, although the author himself denounced this claim and also provided rational evidence behind his claim.  

Exercise 2: 

As for exercise two, we were to utilize the given template to properly structure an argument of our own choosing. That said, I decided to use this opportunity to express my thoughts on gender equality while using techniques learned from this chapter. The filled template is listed below: 

If ever there was not a time where a brother and a sister don't argue, it's certainly not over: who gets to debate in a class full of unfamiliar faces. Isn't that like walking right into an evident trap? Whatever happened to civil dialogue among unknown participants? 

    I happen to sympathize with those who encourage men to take charge in school discussions, though, perhaps because in our current culture, men are redundantly told that they have an upper hand in the classroom, which is not always true. 

With that said, I conclude my notes and exercises regarding They Say, I Say, chapter one. Thanks for reading and stay safe during these unprecedented times!