Reflections on second week of classes

It has been a full week. In most classes we were able to complete the introductions. We'll complete these next week after the long Labor Day weekend. I hope you have a chance to get over to the SF Shakespeare production http://www.sfshakes.org of The Tempest at the Presidio. The Bay Bridge is closed, but BART is running 24 hours Sept. 1-5. Visit http://www.baybridgeinfo.org/

If you go and write something you can have extra credit. You also need to attach the program.
Essay 2 is due next week also. The topic for all classes is: Hurricane Katrina one year later. Make sure you complete the essay planning sheet before you write and attach it to your draft on Tuesday, along with a bibliography or works cited page. For English 201, and English 251, you can attach the articles to your essay.

I mentioned the Times-Picayune http://www.nola.com/t-p/ as a news source. Vary your sources, so that you can have a broader perspective. You might also look at the Democracy Now website http://www.democracynow.org/search.pl?query=hurricane+katrina.

I'm really excited about your literature circles beginning next week and I hope the groups work out to everyone's satisfaction. If you are having any problems pull me aside and let me know. Don't just drop out or stop participating. I am interested in your success.

In My Life in the Bush of Ghosts for English 1A, we are up to p. 104 for Wednesday. You are to keep a log for each chapter. Include a list for words you do not know the meanings of or how to pronounce. You are to also explore ideas discussed in the novel, plus discuss the characters, note descriptions, comment on scenes, themes, etc.

Here are some additional sources for Amos Tutola. Visit the links noted in the article also to read more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amos_Tutuola.

For all texts, look at the work from the perspective of a reader and a writer. As a writer think about the author's style and how they do what they do.

In The Pact students need to read the introduction, chapters 1, 2, and 3. Don't forget to respond in your notebooks. Visit their website http://www.threedoctorsfoundation.org/.

More later. I have a class to get to now.

Writing Assignments 2-3, Weeks August 28-Sept. 1; Sept. 11-15
As the anniversary of 2 major tragedies approaches, notice the domestic and international media coverage. (Domestic can be defined as corporate media and independent or listener supported media: radio, print, television.)

We could focus on the loss which of course can’t be denied, but as 9/11 is less than a month away, I am not going to ask you what you fear or ask you to name your worse nightmare. Instead, I am going to ask you to look at or note what you are most thankful for and what you no longer take for granted.

To become conversant on the topics: Go to a community event. There is a vigil tonight at Oakland’s City Hall. Watch a film or go to the movies. Read news articles, watch coverage on TV, listen to radio coverage, read the news on-line.

You need at least three sources as evidence. Take notes as you develop a viewpoint on the topics. 60-Minutes (CBS) had an exposé on Hurricane Katrina, Sunday, August 27. The San Francisco Bay Guardian has cover story on Katrina August 23-29 issue. There is a list of Bay Area events at my website: http://www.wandaspicks.com/ "Web Exclusives."

In Writing Assignment 2, due 9/6-7
Discuss one of the salient view points on the U.S. response to the Gulf region after Hurricane Katrina on its one year anniversary. Describe what happened, who was affected and what the response has been by government to the worse natural disaster in modern history. Do you think more could have been done to save lives? Do you think resources are being made available so that people who want to return can do so?

Looking at the situation through the lens of "for love or money," what is the motivating factor?

In Writing Assignment 3, due 9/18-19
September 11, 2000 in New York was just one of many other 9/11s: Kenya, Chili…. Why is America’s 9/11 the only catastrophe that gets any press? Why is America the only country that took on the world (under the leadership of President George W. Bush) in an international War on Terrorism? Is the world safer? Were any of these policies driven by greed – a love of money?
These are complex and difficult questions with no easy answers. Bite off only a crumb and as you write savor its bitter taste before spitting it out.

We might not be responsible for the consequences of our national policy, but as American citizens or visitors or residents we are all affected and perhaps infected. This exercise is a way one can determine where she or he stands. It is also a way one can see American policy from a perspective other than one’s own.

What’s at stake? Why do young men and women who are not citizens volunteer to fight in a war for a country which is not their own, which they are automatically granted citizenship to if they are killed? Is citizenship worth one’s life? Why?

If you fail to stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. Voting is one way citizens take a stand. Your presence in this classroom is a stand. It means you value higher education. This stand means you are prepared for the intellectual rigors this stand entails.

We are not here to play or waste time. We will enjoy ourselves and have fun. There is nothing more invigorating than a discussion of ideas, especially ones where there are several points of view.

There is flexibility on the assignments, which means as long as you stay on topic, I am open to alternative responses.

Note: Review the reference section in Diana Hacker Rules for Writers: http://www.dianahacker.com/rules/

English 201 College of Alameda
Fall 2006—Wanda Sabir

Assignment 1
Respond to the following:
Sometimes it’s not practical to follow one’s heart. When this is the case should you follow your heart anyway? Why or why not?

Though we do not control all aspects of our lives, we do have a lot of choice over what happens once we leave home and are able to exercise more autonomy. These choices often have to do with what makes us happy or what we need to do to survive. Sometimes if we’re lucky, we can take care of both in one act. In one of the books we are reading this semester, The Pact: Three Young Men Make A Promise and Fulfill A Dream, the three doctors: Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt are able to make choices which provide them with a fulfilling and satisfying lives.

They live in an area of Newark, New Jersey, characterized by criminal behavior, poverty, inadequate public schools, and single parent homes. Their story is one which many young people throughout America’s “inner cities,” like parts of Oakland, Richmond, San Francisco, Los Angeles, have to navigate.

You made a choice when you decided to enroll in this college class. In an essay I’d like you to talk about where you are now in your life and where you plan to be in two years when you are finished with your undergraduate requirements and able to transfer to a four year institution of higher education.

What is the plan for these two years? Do you need any assistance? Do you know where to get it? How can I help you? What do you need to adjust in your life to be successful?

The theme we are going to look at this semester is the choices people make “for love or for money.” The three doctors decided to go into medicine “for love and for money.” Sometimes our personal and professional choices have immediate payback potential.

As you navigate this journey, there will be distractions and times when the pace seems to slow and you want immediate gratification. When this happens remember what Aesop wrote in the tale of the Tortoise and the Hare: “Slow and steady wins the race.” There is another saying, “Good things come to those who wait.”

I would add “Good things come to those who are preparing themselves for greatness and are psychologically and emotionally available for opportunities as they arise.

This is why you are here. The Sspire team: College of Alameda faculty and staff is prepared to help you meet these goals over the 2006-07 academic year.

Expected length: 1-3 pages typed, double spaced, 12-point font
Due date: Next class meeting

I hope this semester goes well for everyone. Please do not hesitate to ask for help as soon as a problem arises. We have a lot to accomplish but I know you are up for the task. There are many support services available for you to take advantage of, one of them is tutoring services offered in the Learning Resources Center, second floor. Do not wait until the last minute to get assistance. Start now. Come visit me and we can develop a plan for your success.

Professor Wanda Sabir