Peer review

Susendran 1

Nivita Susendran

Professor Navarro

English 1A

7 October 2021

Outline

● Based on an array of articles, the way that the argument is presented plays a vital role and

ultimately allows people to widen the perspectives of others in a way that will affect the

most people.

● The author uses all forms of rhetorical devices but mainly focuses on Pathos when

mentioning the impact of the budget cuts in art.

● Through the usage of Pathos, the author manages to recreate the scene they experienced,

and relate it to something that is familiar.

● There are many instances where the author elaborates on the importance of art, and the

positive feedback that art receives.

● In this work, there is a certain anchoring bias towards the city of New York rather than

the United States education system as a whole.

● This chapter utilizes an array of Cause and Effect situations to emphasize the issues of

budget cuts in New York City.

● The author crafts statements that lean towards a formerly bleak voice regarding the art

scene in NYC schools, but shifts to more determined statements in anticipation of a

possibly brighter future in art.

● In many ways, California schools relate to the NYC troubles with the arts through their

performance with budget cuts.

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● Though California may struggle with budget cuts in art for the curriculum, it is slowly

taking a turn for the better.

Susendran 3

Nivita Susendran

Professor Joseph Navarro

English 1A

7 October 2021

Painting a Budget Cut Here or There?

Art is a form of expression that can be seen in everything. From paintings on the walls to

even a simple gesture, it impacts how society perceives the world. However, though the arts

flourish in society, it is limited in school districts due to budget cuts. The arts are something that

often gets overlooked in favor of testing and other more academic pursuits. Because of this, it is

often difficult to persuade the education system to incorporate arts more into the curriculum.

Based on an array of articles, the way that the argument is presented plays a vital role and

ultimately allows people to widen the perspectives of others in a way that will affect the most

people.

The author uses all forms of rhetorical devices but mainly focuses on Pathos when

mentioning the impact of the budget cuts in art. When mentioning the budget cuts in art at

different schools in New York City, the author often appeals to the emotions of the reader. They

utilize the emotional rollercoasters that students in these classes experience, and how those

experiences allow the students to flourish. Students and educators are the focal points of the

article, as the “children were amazed and exhausted by how much work was in- volved” (63).

Though these students go through these emotions, the author connects us to how they are feeling,

and in doing so, connects us to the problem that the schools are facing which is the repeated

budget cut of arts education.

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Through the usage of Pathos, the author manages to recreate the scene they experienced,

and relate it to something that is familiar. Everyone is familiar with different teaching methods,

and by introducing the Elvis Phone, where the “The children talked of not being good at a sport,

of feeling unliked by friends or unloved by family, and about the pressures from their families to

achieve, to get into good schools, and to practice an instrument” (63). Everyone relates to these

issues, and it is indicative of the Pathos device that the author decided to use this anecdote

specifically. When the author uses Pathos in these instances, it appears to be more effective than

the other rhetorical devices of Ethos or Logos would be.

There are many instances where the author elaborates on the importance of art, and the

benefits that come with it. The author mentions artists that teach their students “that experiencing

an art- work can be an occasion to articulate a point of view, to think about var- ious ideas, and to

think critically about their environments” (66). This example establishes the importance of art,

while also making it seem more serious than it is often perceived. In doing so, the author creates

a sense of importance within the piece. When using these examples, they reinstate the thesis in a

way that is easier for the audience to connect to.

In this work, there is a certain anchoring bias towards the city of New York rather than

the United States education system as a whole. New York City is the main setting for this piece.

However, it is not the only city that is going through the issue of budget cuts in art programs. The

author mentions that they “graduated from a New York City public elementary school” (51)

which emphasizes the anchoring bias towards the city. The author feels an affinity for the city

due to their personal connections and delves deeper into the education system because of it. With

this bias, however, they seem to neglect speaking or writing about other states and major cities

where these issues are also prevalent. While it is natural that the author defaults to a city that

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they cherish and have a strong affinity towards, it also narrows the perspective of the issue down

to one place. In this case, the anchoring bias is helpful but makes New York City a focal point in

an issue that spans the United States.

This chapter about budget cuts in New York City’s art programs utilizes the tool of Cause

and Effect situations to emphasize these issues. One example is when the author speaks about the

cause and effect of New York City’s significance in the art community. Through the argument

that “New York City was the art capital of the U.S. had no significance in the context of

budgetary debates about the value of art to school children” (55), the author follows up with the

effect that “it ultimately shaped the outcome of this radical eradication in New York. For it was

New York City’s vast array of cul- tural organizations, institutions, and artists that began to fill in

the breach” (55). In this example of cause and effect, it is clear that these issues are prevalent in

New York City, and allows the reader to understand the true impact of how the issue affects the

future possibilities of art programs in the standard curriculum of New York City. In addition,

through the lens of New York City, the reader can then apply the situations to the states or areas

that they live in. It allows them to create and analyze their own perspectives and views about the

causes and effects of the art curriculum, or lack thereof in their education systems.

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Works Cited

Checker, Melissa, and Maggie Fishman. Local Actions : Cultural Activism, Power, and Public

Life in America, Columbia University Press, 2004. ProQuest Ebook Central,

https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/sjsu/detail.action?docID=909222.