reminder, memoir submissions

Please make note that October 16th is the deadline for memoir/essay submissions to this year's edition of Telling Our Stories, Sharing Our Lives. The woman responsible for compiling these documents has asked for them via electronic submission, a.k.a. via email attachment.

Therefore, should you desire to submit your essay please email me with it attached by the 15th. Last minute requests on the 16th are not guaranteed to make the deadline if they are sent to me after 5pm.

I encourage each and every student to submit their essays, as I believe that each of you has a distinct voice worth projecting out into the world... either verbally or written. I would also encourage you to revise your essay, not only to resubmit for a second-round grading to me on 10/14, but moreover to increase your chances of being accepted into the publication. Feel free to bring your essay (either paper or e-copy) to me during office hours, or go to the Learning Center for peer assistance.

That is all for now, I suppose.
Good luck with your revisions and submissions!
Get them to me by the 15th of Oct. at the latest.

article assignment website links

Hey, is anyone else having trouble connecting to the websites to the articles?

If anyone knows any other websites I would appreciate it as I can't get to any of the websites.

thanks,

Nick

journal #4 (9/30) and #5 (10/5)

If you haven't read CP Nelson and Moore, as well as the post entitled "Obama Toughens State Secret Privilege" yet, do so before completing these journal entries.

#4 - due by Wed. 9/30
#5 - due by Mon. 10/5

I've wanted to add another avenue to these assignments, and so we'll be trying it out this time around. As an additional requirement to this assignment I'd like you to complete the following, each in a separate comment/reply. Yes, that means you'll have to post twice. So, I'll count this as two journals.

1. Identify in which "camp" you reside on the issue(s) surrounding the Patriot Act and other post-9/11 legislation as it is presented by these readings. Here I'm looking for you to argue your position with efficiency; i.e., short and to the point.

Here I'd really like you to explain your feelings and thoughts about this topic and the authors you have just read. Using their writing and arguments, and your own experiences and knowledge of this topic describe your informed opinion or stance. Consider the following for guidance: How have you arrived at your opinion? On what points do you agree/disagree with the authors we've read? What evidence will you cite to back up your argument?


2. Respond to one other student's comment, citing how they have constructed their opinion or stance. Did they use the strongest evidence they could have? Do they adequately explain how their evidence supports their opinion or stance? How did they succeed? How could they improve?

I know that it may take a moment for statements to build up before you can re:comment (that is, reply to comment). Therefore, I will be joining in on the "chat" to help get things going!

post-9/11 court secrets!?!

Obama Toughens State Secrets Privilege

by Ari Shapiro

National Public Radio (NPR)
September 23, 2009

(direct link to this article)

The Justice Department on Wednesday unveiled a new set of rules for when the government can claim it is protecting state secrets in court.

The Obama and Bush administrations have both been criticized for the way they have invoked the state secrets privilege, which essentially lets the government tell a judge to throw out a case because a trial would expose information that compromises national security.

Among other things, the new rules say that in order for lawyers to make a state secrets claim, a government agency must convince the attorney general and other top Justice officials that releasing information would "cause significant harm to national defense or foreign relations."

In a statement, Attorney General Eric Holder said this will "provide greater accountability and ensure that the state secrets privilege is invoked only when necessary and in the narrowest way possible."

ACLU Attorney Ben Wizner has argued cases against government lawyers who claimed state secrets. The new rules make him hopeful.

"But," Wizner says, "even as they are rolling out this new policy, they are simultaneously demanding that federal courts throw out lawsuits brought by torture victims, including my clients and victims of illegal surveillance, citing the state secrets privilege."

The new policies take effect Oct. 1. It is not clear whether they will change the administration's position in Wizner's case or others already filed.

It is also unclear what impact this will have on pending legislation that would restrict state secrets claims.

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) is one of the bill's sponsors. "We want the privilege, but we don't want it misused," Leahy said. "We have to have mechanisms to guide its application, and today's announcement marks progress."

Leahy said he would still like to see more involvement from a judge to make sure the privilege is invoked in a responsible way, but he called the new rules movement "in the right direction."

Wizner says even if these new policies are perfect as written, there is still a major shortcoming. "These reforms, even if they're meaningful, will last no longer than the Obama administration," Wizner says.

For that reason, he hopes Congress moves legislation despite the new guidelines.

Even as the Obama administration trumpeted a break with the Bush administration on the issue, officials pushed to continue Bush-era policies on the state secrets issue.

Three parts of the USA Patriot Act expire at the end of the year, and the Obama administration wants to extend them. At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday, Leahy, the panel's chairman, and other Democrats said they think the law needs more protections for civil liberties.

For example, Leahy pointed to one expiring provision that lets investigators secretly take business records, broadly defined. Investigators could seize computers, for example, or financial records. Seizures could encompass "any tangible thing at all," said Leahy, "even if it meant it closed down your small business."

"And the government is almost always guaranteed success," Leahy said, because the law as written presumes the government is correct when it claims business records are relevant to an investigation.

Other parts of the law that are set to expire include the "roving wiretap" provision, which lets the government continue eavesdropping on someone who repeatedly changes cell phones, and the "lone wolf" provision, which lets the government spy on an independent terrorist under the same rules that apply to members of a terrorist group.

Some Democrats have introduced legislation that would scale back the three parts of the law that are up for renewal.

David Kris of the Justice Department told senators he cannot yet state the administration's position on those proposals, but he said the administration wants to work with the committee "to try to see if these tools can be sharpened."

the “article paper”

• Due Date: first is due Monday, 10/5; three subsequent assignments to follow
• Length: one to three pages
• Formatting: one-inch margins; double-spaced, 12pt. font, Times New Roman; MLA citation
• Grade: a standard letter grade will be given

For this assignment I ask that you do some brief, outside research. These short papers essentially summarize and analyze the thesis, main argument, and content of an article or essay located within an “approved” academic source. (Check the WR for the meaning of summary and/versus analysis.) Ultimately, I’d like you to find an article or essay that corresponds to the subject matter being discussed in the class at the time the assignment is given. If you choose to do so, you may compare and/or contrast your article with one previously read in the class.

For this first article essay, the topic or subject matter is The Patriot Act and Post 9/11 Legislation. Therefore, articles which address issues of and surrounding the Patriot Act and other legislation enacted during the last eight years regarding civil liberties and/or terrorism, the aftermath and fallout of 9/11 upon American politics, culture, and society, et cetera, will serve as “good” articles to write about. Articles that do not deal with this subject matter directly should be avoided, as they are outside the scope of the topic and the issues being discussed by the class. Such “poor” articles will receive no credit.

In your 1-3p paper you need to accomplish the following requirements:
1. In the introduction name the article, the author, and the source of publication.

2. Summarize the author’s thesis and the article’s main points in one or two paragraphs. It is highly recommended that you quote the author’s thesis statement verbatim; explaining why you think it is the thesis of the text.

3. Analyze and explain in one to two paragraphs how you see this article “fitting in” with the subject matter currently being discussed in class. Ask yourself:

a. How does this article comment upon what we’e been talking about?

b. Does it offer a new viewpoint that we have not encountered yet?

c. Does it agree or support any of the views, articles, or authors we’ve read thus far? How so?

d. Does it disagree, challenge, or refute any of the views, articles, or authors we’ve read thus far? How so?

e. How does the author support his or her argument and claims? Facts and statistics? Personal experience? Other texts via quotation? (cf. WR, p.26-31 for a list of rhetorical devices that authors commonly utilize)

4. Attach a printed copy or photocopy of the article to the end of your document. If you fail to do this you will not received any credit for the assignment.


Below is a list of some, but indeed not all, “approved” academic sources, databases, and search engines. Be sure to examine the quick links on the sidebar of the blog for these sites too!

• Academic Search Complete
• the BBC
• EBSCO Host
• Environmental News – Guardian UK
• Google Scholar
• J-STOR
• the OED
• the New York Times
• NPR
• Project MUSE

Note: any of the databases appearing on the Brooklyn College Library Databases website also qualify as “academically approved” sources. Go to the following website for the complete list of databases available to you as a student of this institution; this link also appears on the course blog and is listed as BC Lib Databases.

--> http://dewey.brooklyn.cuny.edu/resources/databases.jsp

Note: Wikipedia is not an approved academic source and will not under any circumstances be accepted as such. That is to say, any article derived from an unapproved source will not be counted; the assignment will receive no credit.

my office hours

Okay folks, so I have finally confirmed my office hours for this term and can finally announce them with accuracy. Listed at the end of this post are the days and times that you'll be able to find me in 3308 Boylan Hall. I am available to discuss any matter concerning our course, the readings, written assignments, etc. You can always come to just chat about school and your classes in general too...

It is important to know that 3308B is the Philosophy Dept main office. Ask for me at the front desk if you do not see me immediately, as the office is large and I am most likely somewhere within. But wait... Prof. D is an English guy, right? Then why is he in the Philosophy office and not the English office for Pete's sake? It is true that I teach for the English Dept, but it is also true that I tutor Philosophy students in their reading, writing, and research techniques each semester. Hence, my location in the Philosophy offices.

My hours are:
Mondays 9a-2p
Tuesdays 1p-5p
Wednesdays 9a-2p

your memoirs... published?!

Students of English I,

Each year the English Department publishes Telling Our Stories, Sharing Our Lives, a collection of writing inspired by the common summer reading and generated by students of English I. We are excited to be beginning this process again and will be sending out details about submissions in the near future, so be on the lookout for forthcoming information from your professor. In the meantime, we wanted to send along a link to the new (and not entirely finished) webpage to accompany the publication.

http://www.thenextinline.com/tos3/index.html

This link allows you the opportunity to view the work of students from previous years. While, most of the entries fall under the category of memoir, we welcome new and creative approaches too!

essay #1

This rubric has been ever so slightly revised in order to clear up the few typos I mentioned in class. So please read over it thoroughly. And, as always, email me with questions and/or concerns regarding this assignment.


• Due Date: 9/23/09
• Length: three to six typed and stapled pages
• Formatting: one-inch margins; 12pt. font, Times New Roman; MLA citation
• Grade: a standard letter grade will be given

For this assignment I ask that you choose one of the two following options; you may choose only one: (1) write a memoir/autobiography of your own life, or the life of an immediate family member or close relative; (2) write a formal essay which compares and/or contrasts at least two of the readings from segment one, these include Du Bois, Obama, and Washington.

Tips for Option 1:
• Choose to focus on one specific event, or series of inter-related events that illustrate or discuss a similar theme, issue, problem, or challenge that you and/or your family has encountered
• Tell a story of emigration, travel, quest, pilgrimage, or journey
• Share your religious beliefs and how they have affected your life
• Discuss a hobby, passion, ritual, or habit that has helped shape you as an individual
• Celebrate a family member or close friend of yours that has either passed or is alive
• Discuss a moment of particular strife or challenge; that is, offer details concerning a life-lesson, if you will

Tips for Option 2:
• Theme(s) or issue(s) that you have discovered to be common between the authors and/or texts you have chosen is a good place to begin your comparison
• To contrast, offer the ways in which the authors are different; focus on their overall argument, goals, desires, etcetera…
• Use class notes to supplement your evidence and support, if need be
• It would behoove you to read the following post, regarding formal essay/paper descriptions. I posted this early in the term. It describes how your essays and papers will be graded, based on their qualities, aspects, and characteristics.


General tips:
In your introductory paragraph:
-- Be sure to introduce the overall point(s) or purpose of the memoir or essay; that is, what is it that you are trying to share with your audience, what are you trying to argue, and why?
-- You may wish to identify who your possible audience may be in this introduction, and how this memoir or essay will affect them should they read it.
-- Remember, you are not writing this essay for me, your professor. Imagine that you will “publish” it via one form or another to an imagined audience outside of this classroom.

In your body:
-- Be sure that each paragraph is following the “course” or “path” set by the introduction; that is, ask yourself: how does each body paragraph highlight and expand upon the main idea or thesis offered by the essay’s beginning? How does each body paragraph provide further evidence in support of your argument or purpose?

In your conclusion:
-- Be sure to summarize your paper’s main point(s)
-- Also, you may wish to offer “what’s next”; that is, ask yourself, what are the implications of the memoir or essay that you have written? How can/will the things you discuss be implemented in the future? What is the next step you will take? How will this writing affect the larger, greater world?

VIP! Should you quote any reading or text we have read thus far, be sure to properly cite each source using parenthetical citation. Use the handout on citation for assistance. You may also use the MLA section within Hacker’s Writer’s Reference for further assistance with this necessary requirement. A “Works Cited” page or bibliography is not needed for this paper.

Note: You will have the option to revise this first essay, due at the time of Essay #2. The revised grade with be averaged with the first grade to obtain a mean score which will be recorded as your final grade for this paper. This revision option remain for each paper submitted for this course!

reading for 9/14 and journal #3

For Monday please read Chapter XIV of Booker T. Washington's Up From Slavery. This chapter is vital because it includes the "Atlanta Exposition Address", which Washington delivered at the Cotton States and International Exposition in September of 1895. During this speech Washington outlines his philosophy regarding "the great and intricate problem" of Negros in the post-slavery South. To help you complete this journal assignment, I've offered some guiding questions and comments below. Use them if you'd like or follow your own direction...

Pay attention to Washington's overall argument and how it is supported. How does he mean to "cure" the Negro problem of the late 1800's? What does he advocate for? What is his attitude, his mood, his means of approach? Compare and contrast your observations with those made when reading WEB Du Bois and Barack Obama's memoir. How do these three social advocates differ? How are they the same? Which author and/or text do you find more compelling? Why?

Remember to parenthetically site any quotations that you offer!

Monday's reading passage can be found on the web here. If you're interested in the other chapters contained within Washington's autobiography look for the following link-bar located towards the top of the page:

Booker T. Washington > Up from Slavery > XIV. The Atlanta Exposition Address

Click the title and you're off to the beginning, with information about the author and the text. It even includes a table of contents.

If you're interested in downloading and printing a Word Document version of the Washington selection, you can do so here.

You may also find Chapter III of Du Bois's Souls to be illuminating... as it is a direct response to Washington's social theories.

journal #2 (9/9)

After reading the Du Bois selection, consider responding to some or all of the following questions in this journal entry:

What is the argument that Du Bois is trying to make in "Of Our Spiritual Strivings"? How do you think Du Bois's concept of double-consciousness applies to Barack Obama's text? Think about the way Obama describes his feelings, thoughts, and emotions throughout the first section, "Origins". In what ways does Obama react to the various life-changing situations he experiences? What events in Obama's life relate to some of the things that Du Bois discusses nearly a century earlier?

Do you think that double-consciousness, as described by WEB Du Bois, can be extended beyond the" polarized" races of black and white? Is there the possibility of a triple-, multi-, or poly-consciousness? How does this "fragmented" consciousness affect the individual? How does ownership and/or possession factor in here?

Explain your answer using either course text, if not both, as support. Draw from personal experience too, if you can, when answering these questions. Be sure to cite the appropriate page numbers if you quote something!