ENGLISH 101
T/R 9:30-10:45
CON 217
Benjamin Vogt
Office: Gaylord 307
Hours: T / R 8:30-9:30 by appointment
Phone: 6748 (hours only)
enfrancais@att.net (always & at any time)
http://enfrancais.home.att.net
In this course you will become effective, efficient, and effervescent thinkers and essayists. You will gain creative and analytical confidence through: reading diverse texts; constructively critiquing the work of your peers and professional authors (we may prefer, at times, to destructively critique professional authors); and forming thought-out oral and written arguments with compelling facts to back them up. We will be activists of the mind and spirit—human or other—as well as aficionados of the fine home furnishings offered by Ikea.
QUOTES OUR CLASS WILL LIVE BY
Writing is a way of arguing with ourselves, a way of keeping ourselves honest by discovering precisely what we believe and finding out whether we are justified in believing it. – Jim Raymond
Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. – Gandhi
Try not to become a [wo]man of success, but rather to become a [wo]man of value. – Albert Einstein
The reward for conformity is everyone likes you but yourself. – Rita Mae Brown
TEXTS
Arts and Letters Daily (artsandlettersdaily.com)
Alternative Press Review (altpr.org)
In the Lake of the Woods—Tim O’Brien
The End of Nature—Bill McKibben
Writing With Style, 2nd Ed.—John Trimble
MLA Handbook, 6th Ed.—Joseph Gibaldi
http://enfrancais.home.att.net
THE PERCENTAGES
Essay 1—20% (3-5pp)
Essay 2—20% (3-5pp)
Essay 3—30% (4-6pp)
Participation—20% (in class, workshops, conferences, discussion leading)
Quizzes—10%
POLICIES
Absences—As per Doane policy you are expected to attend every class. I expect to be notified in advance of the class if you are: 1) participating in a co-curricular event, with a note from a person in charge of the event; 2) sick, with a note from a doctor or a school nurse explaining your illness (you can email me if you’re sick and provide that note later on). In both cases you are responsible for missed work and for checking in with me.
Tardiness—I expect you in class and on time. If you are more than 10 minutes late I will count you as absent. Excessive tardiness will be reported to advisors.
Plagiarism—Passing off someone else’s ideas as your own—this includes the gist of an idea as well as direct quotations. When in doubt give credit for the idea; referenced material always makes you appear more reliable, trustworthy, and convincing to a reader.
Respect—For your classmates, yourselves, and me. Never put down another’s idea, but never be afraid and hold back from speaking your mind and going against someone’s opinion—just do so considerately, constructively, and informatively. We’re here to learn, engage, and push the envelope of thought together.
All Essay Drafts— -2/3 full letter grade each day late (one day will also include not turning in the essay at the beginning of class on the date due); -1/3 letter grade for papers that do not specifically follow the basic guidelines of the prompt (length, works cited, etc.—take pride in your work). You will have the opportunity to draft each paper twice while receiving peer and instructor feedback. The second draft will receive a final grade.
Discussion Leading—5% participation. No credit if not fully prepared and participatory. You only go once, with a partner, so make them count. More to come on this in class and on website.
Workshop Comments—150 word DETAILED and SUPPORTED and thus HELPFUL write up on each group member's essay. Missing comments will drop your participation grade by 2% per essay. No late comments will be accepted.
All readings and assignments due at the beginning of class on day listed.
You will ne notified in advance of any changes made to the syllabus.
TNY: The New Yorker
ALD: Arts and Letters Daily
Thursday 1/27
Intro / Testing
Style: Ch. 8; Lake: 1-93
Style: Ch. 2; Lake: 94-146; Essay 1 Prompt
Style: Ch. 3 & Ch. 9; Lake: 147-249
Style: Ch.2 (pp. 21) AND Ch. 4 (pp.32-44); Lake: 250-303; Thesis Workshop
Style: pp. 6-12, 45-52; Transitions / Organization Workshop (intro, body quotes)
Essay 1.1
due with copies
Workshops w/ comments
MLA: Ch. 5 & 6; TBD
Essay 1.2 due; Film: “Oil”
Style: Ch. 6; Nature: TBD; Essay 2 Prompt
Style: Ch. 7; Nature: TBD; TNY: TBD
Style: Ch. 9 (again), Ch. 7 continued; Nature: TBD
Style: Ch. 12 & 13; Nature: TBD
Workshops w/ comments
Film: “Super Size Me”
Essay 2.2 due; Finish Film; TNY / ALD: Selections; Essay 3 Prompt
TNY / ALD: Selections
TNY / ALD: Selections
TNY / ALD: Selections; Other: TBD
TNY / ALD: Selections
Essay 3.1 due
Conferences—No Class
Conferences—No Class
Tuesday 3
Workshops w/ comments
(final exams week)
(final exams week)