Instructions: Compose a summary and response to the essay "Serve or Fail" including an argument about community service requirements in college.  You must read and respond to the essay, "Serve or Fail" by Dave Eggers, and make an argument that colleges should or should not require these types of projects, using information from the article to make your point. 

You must use and cite the source "Serve or Fail" in your essay.    

Your essay must contain a minimum of 4 paragraphs, and it should be about 2 pages (approximately 500 words) in length.  You should both paraphrase (at least twice) and quote directly (at least once) from the article, making sure to distinguish between the two.  (See the samples below.)  Please use correct MLA citations (author's last name and page number in parentheses).  You may quote or paraphrase more frequently if you choose; however, make sure to achieve a balance by offering your personal observations. 

Remember to proofread your essay meticulously (at least once out loud) for clarity, grammar errors, vocabulary usage, citation problems, and careless errors (typos), and make necessary corrections. 

When you turn in the final essay, it should include final essay, typed rough draft and/or handwritten rough draft(s), pre-writing or reflections, copy of the article with the portions you used highlighted, and this assignment sheet (in this order) in a folder.  All essays must be word-processed and double-spaced.  Use 12-pt., Times New Roman font.  Please use the outline below as a guideline to assist you with composing and organizing the essay.

Introduction - Gain the attention of your audience with an observation about the importance of community service in college or quote from the article (about community service), offering your interpretation, or use another interesting opening. Also, briefly give some background on the history of service projects. You might mention some of the advantages (or disadvantages, depending on your view) of required community service for college students.  Based on your experience and research, do you agree that community service initiatives are beneficial for college students?  (Should they be required of all college students?)  Your thesis (main idea) should indicate your view about these types of projects for college students.

Body Paragraph 1 - Summarize Eggers' article in one paragraph.  You must begin the summary by referring to the author and the title of the article and mentioning the theme (main idea) of the essay.  Make sure to include the author's most important points.  You should paraphrase (use your own wording) from the essay in order to complete your summary.  Use signal phrases to refer to the author. 

Sample Paraphrase - Author Dave Eggers argues that many college students have extra time that is not being used productively.  In fact, he believes that all college students could and should offer at least some time to volunteer efforts during their college years (Eggers 1).     

Body Paragraph 2 - Evaluate the effectiveness of two (or more) of the opinions, facts, evidence, and examples that Eggers uses to make his points.  Is his argument convincing?  In other words, what points does he make that are valid? (Or if you disagree, why wouldn't his proposals work?)  Quote specific passages and interpret and evaluate them based on your understanding.  (See the sample below.)  Look carefully at the types of evidence Eggers uses to make his argument.  Support or refute the author's assertions with your own evidence.  You might focus on some of the advantages (or disadvantages, depending on your view) of required community service for college students in this paragraph if you did not cover this in your introduction.

Sample Quote - The author insists that "college students are, for the most part, uniquely suited to have time for and to benefit from getting involved and addressing the needs of those around them" (Eggers 1).  Eggers makes an excellent point here because college students need to have real-world experiences in order to make informed decisions about their future career path.  (Enclose quoted material in quotation marks).

Body Paragraph 3 - Use our work with the Reading Party as a specific example of why (or why not) students should participate in these types of projects.  Describe your participation in detail, including what you thought was most useful.  Think carefully about how to word your topic sentence.  The topic sentence might read something like...

Participation in community service projects can be beneficial for college students.  (Then, go on with your explanation.)  In fact, I had the opportunity to assist in this type of project recently through my composition course. 

Discuss details such as:  Does participating in hands-on activities and having a community service project help you to learn more effectively?  Why or why not?  What did you learn (or have the opportunity to learn) from a project that you could not learn in another way (like in the classroom)?  Would students enjoy having this type of learning opportunity?     

Conclusion - Respond to the article by Eggers and his theme and arguments.  Make your own argument about whether these types of projects should be required, or at least strongly recommended, for college students.  Remember to use specific evidence, and you must cite any information that you use from the source in this essay (from the article by Eggers).  Give your own opinions about service projects as well as Eggers' comments and your beliefs about college community service projects in general.  Do you agree or disagree with the author?  Carefully explain why.  Would projects such as these motivate students more effectively and help them to gain fresh perspectives?  Should college students receive academic credit for community service projects?  Why or why not?  At the very least, should these projects be options for general education and/or elective courses?  Is there a possibility that students could begin a tradition of service that might carry over into their later lives if introduced to service projects during the early college years?  Could volunteering in a particular area in which a student is interested ultimately help him/her to make a better career choice?  What connection do you see between service projects and career skills?  Be specific.  (Really try to offer some innovative remarks here.)  Finish with a strong concluding thought.