Phoenix小组组员11号2010.2.16 argument

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ARGUMENT125 - The following is a recommendation from the president of Appleby College.
"Whereas Appleby College holds class reunions every five years, Edelston College holds annual reunions for all classes, during which Edelston's alumni are treated to banquets, lectures, and student performances, enhancing their loyalty to the college and their willingness to donate money. Edelston College receives most of its alumni donations during or shortly after these reunions. Therefore, the best way for Appleby to increase its alumni donations is to offer similar reunion activities and to have each graduating class hold annual reunions."

This argument is well-presented, but not thoroughly well-supported. By comparing reunion frequency of Appleby and Edelston, the president recommends that in order to raise donations in Appleby, more class reunions should be held just as Edelston do. He also uses evidence that most of Edelston’s alumni donations comes during or shortly after these reunions. However, I find this argument unpersuasive in many ways.
To begin with, the president considers high reunion frequency is the only reason contributing to alumni’s donation. He neglects, however, other possibilities. Many other factors can account for a person’s donation. Those factors including one’s education background, economy situation and other people’s persuasion. A donation can be made even on a sudden impulse. It is entirely possible that Edelston’s donation comes from its alumni’s wealth state or what they learn in college but not the reunion. Without ruling out these possibilities, the president can not get his recommendation that Appleby’s increasing reunion frequency.
Secondly, the president’s recommendation rested on the assumption that Appleby is analogous to Edelston in all aspects. This assumption is weak, since no evidence in this argument can support it.
Nothing in the world is the same, thus what is proper for one might not be suitable for another. It might be a fact that Edelston College’s economic situation is too bad to hold these expensive class reunions. Instead of ameliorating its wealth condition, holding excessive class reunion may well devastating it. Therefore, this recommendation becomes fallacious considering the dissimilarities of the two colleges.
Thirdly, even if we assume that Edelston College is similar to Appleby College, the president’s proclamation that increasing class reunion frequency is the best way to raise donation is not well supported. There are other alternatives for Appleby to choose, which might be better than Edelston’s method. Those alternatives include commencement speech and other forms of activities. Without further information provided, the president can not conclude holding more class reunion is the best way for Appleby.
To sum up, the president’s recommendation seems logical since loyalty will generate from class reunions and if loyalty enhanced, people will tend to donate more. However, before any final conclusion is made about increasing alumni’s donation, the president should evaluate all possibilities and consider other alternatives.


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