Dessade Green  

Professor Joe  

5/12/2022 

The article “Why College Should Require a Gap Year” addresses taking a gap year to do national service. Additionally, proposing the idea that colleges should benefit students who take gap years to do national service work or even do a gap year project. Zimmerman’s thesis is, “’ One thing we could do that would change that would be to make it — if not legally obligatory but certainly a social norm — that anybody after they’re 18, spends a year in national service.’” Zimmerman agrees with what Buttigieg says, then goes into his more minor reasonings as to why Buttigieg is right. Zimmerman’s first claim is that “colleges and universities need to step up. Although the federal government is unlikely to require national service, we could. And the benefits would be extraordinary — not just for our students and our country, but for higher education itself.” Zimmerman states, “61 percent of Americans think higher education is headed in the wrong direction.” Zimmerman’s second claim is, “We’re creating better citizens and a better country. It isn’t just that required service would benefit our students, who would be exposed to the diversity and complexity of America. It would also make our nation a more decent and humane place for everyone.” Zimmerman says that “Our students would clean up our parks and rivers. They would visit senior citizens. They would serve food at homeless shelters, soup kitchens, and prisons. They would assist teachers in kindergartens and elsewhere at schools.” Zimmerman uses the evidence of 61 percent of Americans to show that the colleges are not doing their job as they should be because people do even know what is going on in the higher education system. Zimmerman then goes into the good of having the gap year and what it will do for students and the country, proving that the gap year to national service will improve overall results, hence why college students should take a gap year. Zimmerman connects to the audience by using words such as “extraordinary,” making one think that something great will happen. And saying that “the benefits would be extraordinary” makes one feel hopeful for what will come and get people to hop on board to see these “extraordinary” benefits. Zimmerman also uses words like “big change” to give people hope. Zimmerman’s proposal should get thoughtful consideration because people can use that year to see what they enjoy in real-world situations. I am at a stage in life where I do not know what I want to do or what I am interested in, but I believe if I had that Gap year to do something like national service, I would be able to find something to do that I can now learn more about that field when I go back to college. A gap year can impact me because I would not want to go back to school; in terms of the community, it will be helpful because we will have more people doing things for the community than not doing anything at all.