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College Writing Program

Reasoning & Writing in the College
CAS 105/105E

Fall 2007

Each section has a unique content and grows out of the general CAS 105/105E course description developed by the Interdisciplinary College Writing Committee.

**Courses address issues of diversity

Writing about Cultural Studies

Exploring Violence and Nonviolence
Vasudha Bharadwaj, Departments of English and History
MW 3:25 - 4:40 CRN 22826

Violence is generally identified as the use of force and infliction of injury. To practice nonviolence on the other hand is to abstain from such actions – or so we generally understand. In this course, we will examine how both definitions can be complicated, and how they can pertain to everyday living. We will explore ways to expand the definition of violence to include issues like discrimination, exploitation, deprivation, and environmental degradation. We will also consider the meaning of nonviolence, and compare it to ideas like passive resistance and pacifism. Close reading and discussion of assigned texts will be an integral part of this process. The MK Gandhi Institute of Nonviolence at the University of Rochester will be an important resource for us in this course. Writing assignments will include informal response papers, argumentative essays, and an eight- to ten-page research paper. The subject material of this course will be ideas of violence and nonviolence; however, our larger goal will be to develop the cross-disciplinary skills of analysis and reasoning, communication (both written and verbal), and competence in self-assessment and peer review.

Watch that Step: Dance as a Cultural Lens
Liz Hallmark, Warner School of Education
TR 11:05 - 12:20 CRN 22782

In this course, we will explore dance as an embodied social practice that can give insight into social categories of identity. How do various forms of publicly displayed bodily motion reflect, resist or transform social meaning? To begin with, dance movement can provide markers for group affiliation; ideals of social class, race and gender; conceptions of beauty, virility, dominance and stereotype. As such, the dancing body serves as "text" for understanding or misreading human social relations.

With the help of some Effort/Shape analytical tools from the dance field, we will look at different kinds of dance as a way to sort through contradictory interpretations of movement. To ground students' perspective, we will study a variety of essays, films, television shows, magazine articles, and live dance. The course may also include optional introductory dance lessons in tango, African, contact improvisation or Capoeira. No worries, non-dancers! Any physical participation will be for developing your own experiential insight, not for assessment.

Three essays and a formal research paper will be required: through small group work, self-assessments, peer review and on-going revisions of writing, students will learn to organize and develop their ideas, analyze texts and integrate sources to effectively shape their writing.

Passing Narratives in Contemprary Film
Dinah Holtzman, Visual & Cultural Studies
MW 3:25 - 4:40 CRN 23080

The Wayans brothers as “white chicks,” Jews and blind black men as white supremacists, gay cowboys desperately posing as straight…these are just a few examples of pop culture passing narratives. Celebrities like Michael Jackson and Madonna suggest that race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality and religious affiliation are as changeable as wardrobe and hairstyle.

Some academics suggest that certain markers of identity, such as race, nationality, class and gender, are only social constructions. If this is true, are individuals free to create their own identities? How are notions of identity complicated when people choose to take on races, ethnicities, classes or genders other than those they were born into? Instances of successful passing suggest that identities can be chosen or rejected at will and are not simply inherited. Why are we so invested in defining our own and other people’s identities? What criteria do we use to assign various identities to others?

These are some of the questions we will explore through the process of learning how to write critically and present cogent arguments about film and popular culture. Students will articulate their personal and critical responses to films such as: The Jerk, Trading Places, The Talented Mr. Ripley, M. Butterfly, Six Degrees of Separation and White Chicks through the creation of a portfolio of written responses, multiple short writing exercises, peer review, self-assessments, class discussion and an 8-10 page research paper.

While the primary focus of the course will be cinematic passing narratives, we will also explore some literary, televisual, and pop cultural texts. Possible texts include: John Howard Griffin’s Black Like Me, James Weldon Johnson’s The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man, Nella Larsen’s Passing and Walter Mosley’s Devil in a Blue Dress.

The Politics of Place
Ann Marshall, Librarian
MW 12:30 -1:45 CRN 23065

Recent debates about the "red state" "blue state" divide raises critical questions about the intersection between geography and politics. In this course, we will investigate how place – whether street, neighborhood, campus, town, city, state, or region – affects how we collectively make decisions and resolve our differences. Through reading, writing and discussion, we will consider: How is where we live connected to who we are? And when is it important to transcend the limits of one's “home”? Through this inquiry, students will develop their own persuasive essays about a variety of contemporary U.S. policy debates, such as: Why might zip code be highly predictive of life expectancy? How might we address inequities in funding for local schools? Through an analysis of texts across multiple disciplines, such as political science, anthropology, and economics, students will refine and clarify their own ideas while also offering feedback to their peers. In addition to shorter analytic essays, students will pursue their own interests through an 8 to 10 page research paper.

Sifting Through the Trash: Facts and Myths of Energy and Climate Change
Daniel Martinez, Department of Chemical Engineering
TR 4:50 - 6:05 CRN 22880

Everyone has an opinion on the pending energy fallout - the one we face next year. Or is that next century? Wait, didn't that already happen in the 1970's? And shouldn't the ozone layer have already peeled off by now? After scientists collect empirical data, that information is disseminated to the public in a variety of media formats. However, regardless of the findings, much of that information is misinterpreted, misrepresented, or simply misunderstood. Sorting sense from nonsense is a critical skill for people working in any controversial field.

In this course we will explore the processes used by scientists, government agencies, activist organizations, and large energy-producing companies to shape public sentiment, specifically with regards to Energy and the Environment. From editorial opinions in newspapers to Nova television programming, we will look at all of the "junk" out there available to us and try to uncover what's "real" underneath. Students will be expected to contribute to in-class discussion and to write papers commenting on the media samples. The writing assignments will specifically include several informal response papers, a handful of formal essays, and an 8 -10 page argumentative research paper. Emphasis will be placed on revision, peer review, and self-assessment.

Reforming America's Schools
Burke Scarbrough, Warner School of Education
TR 2:00 - 3:15 CRN 22928

It is nearly impossible to open a newspaper without reading a critique of America’s schools. Headlines, editorials, and famous school tragedies raise a host of complaints: schools are dangerous; students are undisciplined; public education is a failure; teachers are apathetic and undertrained; applying to college is overly stressful; all that matters are standardized tests; American students won’t be able to compete with students from other countries; a decent education is only available to the rich. Even as a host of reform initiatives attempt to revolutionize American schools, success stories appear few and far between.

As a student in “Reforming America’s Schools”, you will have one major semester project: to design your own school. From the first day of class, you will shape and revise a proposal for a new elementary, middle, or high school to be opened somewhere in America. As a class, our goals throughout the semester will be to read a range of perspectives on school reform, discuss some of the most controversial issues about the nature and purpose of education, and use various genres of writing to develop your proposed schools. Our ongoing discussions will be informed by the diverse work of educators, social scientists, journalists, activists, parents, and other students. Though the class is organized around a particular project, the skills you develop as writers and thinkers will be crucial in any discipline. You will learn to self-assess your writing for clarity, sound argument, and rich research, knowing that your goal all semester is to design the most effective school possible and to win support for it. Your informal response papers, formal analysis papers and final research paper (8-10 pp)will help you elaborate your school proposal more fully. Meanwhile, you will bring your expertise as longtime students to each other’s work through discussion and peer review. Above all, together we will challenge some of our most basic assumptions about school and allow ourselves to “think outside the box” as you propose your own answer to the constant calls for reform in American education.

Writing about English Language and Literature

Crossing Oceans of Space
Esther Arnold, Department of English
TR 9:40 - 10:55 CRN 22851

How do we feel when we gaze at the night sky, knowing its stars are light-years away? What happens to our sense of self when we think of all the people who lived before us, who live today, and who will live after us? Do these thoughts isolate us or strengthen our sense of belonging to the human race? Walt Whitman describes the soul as standing alone in “measureless oceans of space.” He suggests that we spend our lives trying, often unsuccessfully, to reach across that space to make connections with others. Whether we live in remote villages or crowded cities, we may feel there are vast distances — cultural, ideological, or emotional — separating us. How do we cross these oceans of space, time, and mind? We will discuss and write about this topic as it appears in a selection of short stories, poems, plays, and films. In the process, we may cross into territory explored by philosophers, psychologists, and cognitive scientists. You will be expected to participate in discussions and to do informal writing that will lay the groundwork for formal essays. There will be several short, analytical papers and one 8-10 page research paper, all involving multiple revisions, peer reviews, and self-assessments.

Shell-Shock Nation
Robert Baker, Department of English
TR 4:50 - 6:05 CRN 22904

The death of one million soldiers was not the only British tragedy in World War I. The war traumatized the soldiers who survived and the civilians who welcomed them home. British veterans suffering from the recurring terrors of shell-shock sought help in the new science of psychotherapy. Tormented by grief, thousands of bereaved relatives turned to the occult in order to communicate with dead sons and husbands.

In this class, we will explore the emotional and psychological response to the Great War. England wrestled with the same questions that vex us in the current age of terror and protracted warfare: How do we care for the mental health of soldiers? How are expectations about soldiers’ behavior dictated by social constructions of masculinity and gender? Is civilian dissent compatible with support for soldiers? How do we reconcile acute feelings of grief and fear with the stoic attitude mandated by society?

In this class, we will examine literary texts that depict the English response to the terrors of World War I. We will read fiction, memoirs, poetry, and drama by Siegfried Sassoon, Virginia Woolf, Somerset Maugham, and others. We also will examine recent analysis by writers such as Pat Barker and Paul Fussell. In an attempt to sort out conflicting responses to the war, our critical investigation will employ peer review workshops, informal writing assignments, and self-assessments. We will sharpen reasoning skills through focused, in-class discussion and formal papers, including an argumentative research paper. Because writing is a recursive process, we will pay particular attention to the role of revision.

Questioning Beauty
Geoff Bender, Department of English
MW 2:00 - 3:15 CRN 23078

Beauty. Everybody wants it, but what is it? And how important is it to us? Are we, after all, better off without it? Through an exploration of the texts of popular culture, we’ll develop a working understanding of how certain notions of beauty insinuate themselves into our lives. This investigation will include close scrutiny of how we make aesthetic judgments to determine what is beautiful. Then, we’ll take a step back to see how some questions of beauty have been understood and debated across time through a reading of paired works in philosophy and literature. These works will include excerpts from the writing of Joyce, Plato, Aquinas, Mann, and the film American Beauty. Finally, you’ll construct a research project around an aspect of beauty that you find particularly intriguing. Your work could consider some of the questions we’ll be engaging at different points in the semester: Is the desire for beauty inborn? Why can’t anything be beautiful? (Or can it?) When does the beautiful get ugly? Or you might choose to pursue a different angle or set of questions that emerges out of the ways in which this topic most directly speaks to you. Regardless, you’ll need to do two things to bring your work to successful completion: (1) remain open to changing your mind as you encounter new points of view and (2) present the results or your inquiry in a well-written analytical essay of eight to ten pages. Several short readings (and several short essays by you), opportunities for peer feedback, self-assessment, and revision will help you to develop your skills as a writer and researcher while you are simultaneously formulating and refining the terms of your study.

The Fabric of Identity: Cross-Dressing in the Literary Imagination
Kristi Castleberry, Department of English
MW 3:25 - 4:40 CRN 21514

Do the clothes we wear define who we are? While most people would like to argue that they do not, it is clear that people often categorize people based upon what they are wearing. Many countries have at one time or another enforced laws to regulate the clothing that people could wear, forcing them to keep to the types of clothing considered appropriate for their genders and classes. Cross-dressing has, then, been illegal as well as socially taboo, and yet cross-dressing abounds in both literature and history, indicating that some people were willing to go against law and society in order to dress outside of their proscribed roles. In this class we will critically examine different interpretations of what it means to cross-dress and how cross-dressing functions differently in different literary and historical representations. Through the semester, we will travel from battlefields to pirate ships to masquerades as we examine through class discussion and formal and informal writing assignments such works as the 13 th century romance Silence, the letters of Joan of Arc, Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Thomas Heywood's Fair Maid of the West, and Aphra Behn's The Rover. The main goal of the course is to engage in critical inquiry and to write organized and thoughtful essays using peer review, self-assessment, and revision. Students will practice various kinds of writing, and will ultimately produce an 8-10 page research paper.

Borderlands and Border Thinking: Confronting the Myths of the American West
Daniel Hutchins, Department of English
TR 9:40 – 10:55 CRN 22802

In this class we will be looking at attempts to rethink and recreate the North American West in movies, television shows, short stories, novels and critical theory in the past fifty years or so. Has there been an attempt to ‘demythologize’ the West in contemporary popular culture? How has the disappearance of the uninhabited frontier in this country impacted our ideas about wilderness, nature and the environment? How can an understanding of borderlands and border crossings as powerful cultural signifiers inform the heated debates going on right now around immigration? We’ll be considering these questions while looking at a number of varied depictions of the West, including the gritty realism portrayed in a television drama like Deadwood, the appropriation and refashioning of Western filmic conventions in the so-called Spaghetti Westerns made in the 1960s, and the haunting narratives produced by contemporary fiction writers like Cormac McCarthy, Jim Harrison and Annie Proulx.

Our attempts to understand the current state of the West in the American cultural imagination will lead us to an engagement with critical theories of space and spatiality, as well as border crossing, immigration, environmental criticism and marginality. To this end, we will be examining the work of Gloria Anzaldúa and Lawrence Buell as well as a few contemporary films like The 3 Burials of Melquiades Estrada and Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas.

The primary goal of this class will be for students to improve their writing, reading and critical thinking skills. Formal assignments will include one 8-10 page research paper and three shorter analytical essays as well as self-assessments and peer reviews of rough drafts.

Outlaws as Heroes: Understanding the Fascination of Society's Rejects
Valerie Johnson, Department of English
TR 2:00 - 3:15 CRN 22949

Robin Hood and James Bond are heroes to many, yet their positions as outlaw and assassin appear to contradict their status as “good guys.” In this course we will critically examine and develop techniques for writing about cultural outsiders; we will also learn to clearly communicate the attractions many outsiders may or may not hold for consumers of popular culture. Class discussions and informal writing assignments will be used to examine the structures and contents of texts, as well as analyze responses to texts. We will use specific characters to develop methods to think about these issues, and to address the questions emerging from those inquiries. Texts may include works ranging from medieval ballads to modern films, as well as critical observations of those works. Formal writing assignments will include several short papers and one longer argumentative research paper of approximately 8-10 pages. All formal assignments will incorporate a revision process, which will include drafts, revisions, peer feedback, and self-assessments.

Fairies, Hos & Mistletoe: Transforming Grimm Tales into Fantasy
Gilbert Kirton, Department of English
TR 12:30 – 1:45 CRN 23017

In this course we will examine the original Grimm’s fairytales and explore how they might translate into distinctly American fantasies about race, gender, class and sexuality as perpetuated by the numerous films and storybooks that surround many Americans. We will pay particularly close attention to Disney films and several other adaptations of well-known tales such as “Cinderella,” “Snow White,” “Sleeping Beauty,” and “Little Red Riding Hood” in order to see if we can tease out any cultural and ideological differences between the German original and American adaptations in both form and content. In order to investigate such issues, we will consider the following questions: To what purpose did Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm create, collect and compile these tales? What about them might seem ‘foreign’ to American audiences of today and why? What, if anything, did American authors and filmmakers retain from the texts and what might they have changed or omitted? Why make any changes at all? How might these changes have influenced American conceptions of love, sex and ‘The American Dream’ by transforming a ‘Grimm Tale’ into a ‘Happily Ever After’? Through our active engagement with such questions, we will develop skills in analysis, critical thinking, and writing. Thus, students will be expected to participate in class discussions, peer-reviews, and ongoing revision as well as to complete self-assessments, multiple essays, and an 8-10 page research paper.

Writing in Confinement
Rachel Lee, Department of English
TR 12:30 - 1:45 CRN 23034

Through a close examination of short fiction and film, this class focuses on the relationships between confinement, writing, and the imagination. Through the works by Charlotte Perkins Gilman and the films The Virgin Suicides and Murderball, we will investigate questions like: Can confinement alone cause insanity? Can we overcome our surroundings through writing? How does our surrounding physical space affect us?

As we explore these issues through discussion, group work, and individual research projects, you will develop and strengthen your academic writing skills. Self-assessment and peer review will strengthen your writerly self-awareness and develop effective feedback strategies. Assignments will include two short papers, a project proposal, annotated bibliography, and final research paper. This class satisfies the primary writing requirement at the University of Rochester.

The Body Electric
Justine Ali McGhee, Department of English
MWF 10:00 - 10:50 CRN 22961

As we move further into the 21st century, ideas that were once considered science fiction have become real possibilities with advances in science. But with these advances come new concerns, and debates surrounding genetic engineering, cloning, and robotics rage in the political, medical, and academic spheres. Is our accepted definition of humanity changing? What are the advantages and consequences of our evolving perceptions? We will engage in a critical conversation about these topics and others, which we will use to develop ideas for discussion and writing about the subject matter. We may look at the novels of Philip K. Dick (along with films), writings on post- and trans-humanism, and the “body horror” of David Cronenberg in our discussion of these topics. Working with the course material, you will formulate topics to write 3 short papers and a longer (8-10 page) research paper. The paper-writing process will revision-intensive, and you will be expected to utilize both self-assessments and peer reviews to further develop your writing and critical thinking skills.

Deconstructing Neverland: Children's Literature and the Victorians
Megan Morris, Department of English
MW 12:30 - 1:45 CRN 22817

Bedtime stories are neither as simple nor as innocent as they seem. In this course, we will explore problems and questions raised by 19th century British children’s literature. Through class discussion and writing assignments, we will investigate how social issues such as class conflicts, industrialization, imperialism, and the changing role of women appear in texts such as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (1865), At the Back of the North Wind (1871), and Victorian adaptations of Shakespeare and Chaucer. Critical texts such as U.C. Knoepflmacher’s Ventures into Childland: Victorians, Fairy Tales and Femininity and works by Sigmund Freud and Jean-Jacques Rousseau will help us frame questions for oral and written consideration. Written work in the course will develop from questions to informal reflections to short essays; it will culminate in a research paper. Self-assessment and peer feedback will play an important role in helping students revise and reconsider their written work.

**Disease and the Colonial/Postcolonial Condition
Amira Richler, Department of English
TR 11:05 - 12:20 CRN 22779

This course will focus on colonialism’s impact on the psychological and physical wellness of individuals, communities, and nations caught up in the drama of colonial oppression. How do illnesses such as ‘madness’, eating disorders, and HIV/AIDS manifest themselves in regions occupied by the British and French? To establish an understanding of the assumptions informing imperial ideology, we will begin by concentrating on Joseph Conrad’s novella Heart of Darkness, a late nineteenth century representation of African subjugation under British conquest. We will then examine how contemporary authors, filmmakers, and scholars reflect on the complex relationship between disease and colonial rule. One of our main goals this semester will be to sharpen our understanding of the costs of colonialism through the process of argumentative writing, revision, in-class discussion and debate, peer review, and self-assessment. Students are required to complete several short papers, as well as a longer research paper of approximately 8-12 pages.

American Haunting: Conceptualizing the Gothic
Russell Sbriglia, Department of English
TR 9:40 - 10:55 CRN 22976

The literary gothic often deals with perplexing philosophical and epistemological dilemmas that seriously question commonly accepted conceptions of reality and rationality. Our primary focus this semester will be to explore—through discussions and in-class writing exercises intended to further develop students’ critical reading, writing, and rhetorical skills—the following overarching questions: (1) What does the fact that America’s earliest “professional” writers chose the European gothic romance to depict American culture tell us about the historical context(s) within which America developed? (2) What fears and misgivings about this newly formed nation do these authors address by utilizing a genre that deals so heavily with the spectacular and uncanny? We will read works by Irving, Poe, Hawthorne, and James, among others. Readings and discussions will be supplemented by informal response papers, which students will further develop into 3-4 page formal analytical papers, and an 8-10 page research paper, all of which will be revised through the processes of peer review and self-assessment.

Freedom, Power and Personal Indentity within a Collective Society
Daniel Stokes, Department of English
MW 2:00 - 3:15 CRN 22878

In this section of CAS 105, we will examine issues of personal identity. We will take a look at texts and films like Chuck Palahniuk's Fight Club, Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather, and George Orwell’s 1984 in order to discuss how an individual’s sense of self may or may not fit within his/her culture; and we will use these text in order to explore issues such as: “to what extent does an individual have the ability to form his/her own sense of self within a collective?” and “how does a person creates his/her own sense of individuality within a community?”. In topical debates, the class will discuss questions such as, “is contemporary western society an assemblage of individuals operating autonomously or are there some ways in which people within a society are prone to function collectively within a communally determined group mindset?” and “why do certain individuals transgress the social boundaries of the community in which they live and break society’s laws?”. Students will hone their writing skills, learning the tools of argument, analysis, organization, revision, and editing, while exploring their own ideas. Students will write three formal essays and an eight-to-ten page research paper; they will learn how to develop their own arguments, support their ideas with pertinent data, and critique their own, as well as their fellow classmates’ compositions.

Dear Diary: Private Lives on Public Display
Jennifer Thompson Stone, Department of English
MW 12:30 – 1:45 CRN 23112

How would you feel if the innermost thoughts of your diary or email were suddenly displayed for mass public viewing? In this course we will read, discuss and write about private, personal writings that were never intended for publication. Our engagement with these texts will provoke questions such as: How does the presentation of personal writing illuminate and/or mistreat historical events? Is it ethical to publish the private thoughts of the sensational and famous posthumously? How is the presentation of a writer affected by an editor’s agenda and/or personal interest? We will also read fiction that is written in diary form, which will help us think about our own voyeuristic desires as readers. Readings for this class might include: Journals by Kurt Cobain, A Writer’s Diary, The Yellow Wallpaper, Salvaged Pages: Young Writer’s Diaries of the Holocaust, and selections of love letters and wartime correspondence. By examining these important forms of writing, and thinking through these questions we will attempt to translate the personal voice of our own “life writing” into more formalistic, audience conscious academic writing. The most important emphasis of this course is on writing as a constantly evolving process. As such, students will be expected to develop their writing skills through multiple essays, peer review, ongoing revision, and self-assessment, culminating in an 8-10 page research paper.

Fantasy and its Discontent: J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth Narratives
Stella Wang, Department of English
TR 9:40 - 10:55 CRN 22865

This course addresses a few questions about fantastic literature and uses Tolkien's creative works as a contentious case in point. His works have been excluded from several theoretical discussions of fantastic literature for lack of generic, social, or psychological import. At the same time, their global popularity has generated divergent views about not only Tolkien’s texts but also fantasy as a genre. Whatworking definitions of fantasy writing, one may ask, are available for a critical discussion of the genre? In what way may fantastic literature be related to myth and cultural beliefs? In light of social and personal psychology, how may fantasy beperceived as escapist literature and how do fantasy writers, readers and scholars respond to such interpretations? These debates call attention to distinct but comparable mythic apparatus in folktales across cultures as well as the strong fantasy elements in related fields of contemporary cultural production, including films, video games and manga. By considering The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, some of his imaginary short stories, including their radio/film adaptations and related paintings and art works, the course provides an open forum to explore the various cultural forces that may have helped popularize Tolkien’s and other alternative fantastic texts and sharpened the controversy over their modern and post-modern relevancy. Throughout the semester, students will be expected to build up their critical thinking and writing skills by actively participating in class work, including roundtable discussions, writing workshops, peer reviews, self-assessments, informal and formal writings, revisions and an individual, student-initiated research project.

Is English Going to the Dogs?:Myths & Controversies about Language
Rebecca Webb, Department of Linguistics
MW 2:00 - 3:15 CRN 22834

In this course we will examine a variety of controversial questions and myths about language, which may include: Is slang ruining our language? Is the Internet destroying the quality of students' papers? Are some dialects and accents better than others? Is writing more perfect than speech? Should Ebonics be used in the classroom? Are "ain't" and "aks" (for "ask") ungrammatical? Are "aha!" and "uh-oh" in the dictionary? Did human language evolve from gesture or grunts?

Students will start by examining their own views on these issues, then gather more information through weekly readings from popular sources, academic texts, and film. Students will develop argumentative writing skills through class discussions, peer feedback, self-assessment and revisions. Writing will include in-class writing exercises, 2-3 short papers and an 8-10 page research paper.

Writing about History

Medieval Holy War: The Crusades, 1095-1453
Daniel Franke, Department of History
MW 12:30 - 1:45 CRN 22843

This course seeks to develop students’ critical reasoning abilities in the context of religious warfare as it was practiced in medieval western European society: the crusades. We will explore these military pilgrimages from the First Crusade in 1095 to the fall of Constantinople in 1453, emphasizing the first three major expeditions. Reading from sources such as chronicler William of Tyre and preacher Bernard of Clairvaux, students will use response papers and class discussion to formulate ideas concerning the crusades’ religious, social, and economic origins, their evolving practice, their impact on the societies involved, and the medieval debates about the morality of holy war. Students will then expand these ideas by means of formal in-class “debates,” short essays, and a final essay of 8-10 pages. Peer review and self assessment will assist students in critiquing and analyzing their own writing, so that they may better communicate their ideas concerning one of the most crucial aspects of medieval European culture.

America and the World: The City on the Hill from Across the Border
Jay Learned, Department of History
TR 11:05 - 12:20 CRN 22993

This course will explore foreign and domestic views of the United States at certain important points in its history, including the present. Some of the earliest Americans arrived with visions and rhetoric of a society chosen of God, creating a “city upon a hill”. Has this Puritan notion of America as a beacon of goodness shaped America's self concept and policies? What other concepts contribute shape America? What did outsiders such as Alexis de Tocqueville and other foreign visitors think about early America and its polices? How have Americans and others regarded America's immigration, its wars, and its role as the sole superpower? In daily exercises students will engage a variety of sources, including student-selected examples, focusing on written arguments, and will also consider the value of statistics to persuasive arguments, and the role of film and other media in projecting national images. Formal assignments will include one 8-10 page research paper and three shorter analytical essays as well as self-assessments and peer reviews of rough drafts, all stressing the importance of revision.

Seriously Funny: Satire and the American Century
Jamie Saucier, Department of History
TR 9:40 - 10:55 CRN 23026

Social commentary in America has historically taken many forms. In the twentieth century especially, commentators from Mark Twain to Stephen Colbert have chosen to express their first amendment rights through satire, criticizing certain social, political, and cultural conventions through the use of irony, sarcasm, or ridicule. Defining satire is as difficult as nailing jelly to a wall. Every possible definition only raises more questions. Is satire necessarily funny? Is it always political? Can it affect social change? How does it influence culture? How can both 1984 and The Simpsons be considered satirical? Students will tackle these and other relevant questions, examining satire in literature, television, and film through formal and informal writing exercises, including at least three short and one longer 8-10 page paper. They will further refine their arguments through a revision process involving peer feedback and self-assessment.

Writing about Philosophy

Matters of Life and Death: Uncommon Philosophical Topics
Greg Fowler, Department of Philosophy
TR 12:30 - 1:45 CRN 22899

In this course, students will learn the skills required to write clear and effective argumentative essays through consideration of uncommon philosophical topics rather than the so-called “big questions” that philosophers spend the bulk of their time discussing (What is there? What are minds? Are they simply brains? What is knowledge, and what can we know? What actions are right and wrong, and what things are good and bad? Are we free?). Among the topics to be discussed are: What is life? What is death? What are sounds? Are there holes and, if so, what are they? What is love? What is flirting? Cogent and compelling arguments concerning these topics will be constructed by students in required writing assignments, including in-class writing, three short formal writing assignments, and a longer research paper. The skills required to complete these assignments successfully will be developed through peer feedback and self-assessment work, as well as through class discussion concerning writing topics.

Puzzles about God
Joshua T. Spencer, Department of Philosophy
MWF 10:00 – 10:50 CRN 23103

The existence and nature of God has been a furiously debated topic in philosophy for many centuries. Some people think that there are sound arguments in favor of God’s existence and others think that there are sound arguments against. Moreover, even amongst those who agree that God exists, there are disputes about the nature of God and about various other religious claims. In this class, we will investigate arguments for and against the existence of God. We will also investigate puzzles regarding certain views about God and religion. In particular, we will consider whether or not an all loving God could send someone to hell, whether the possibility of an afterlife requires that we have a soul, and whether prayer could have any affect on the course that God has chosen for us.

While thinking about these issues, students will develop the ability to extract and evaluate arguments for various positions in a clear and concise way. We will learn to formulate and defend our own views about these topics by writing several short papers and a final research paper. Through focused writing and revision of original essays, students will explore ideas elated to God and religion. This process will include peer review and self-assessment of their written work. By the end of this course, students should be able to write strong essays in which they clearly present and defend theses about any subject matter.

Topics in Ancient Philosophy
Andrew Wake, Department of Philosophy
TR 9:40 - 10:55 CRN 22910

A number of philosophical topics were first discussed by ancient philosophers. Contemporary philosophers continue to struggle with many of these same topics. In this course, we will read both ancient and contemporary sources on puzzles concerning, for instance, the nature of knowledge, time, space, and morality. By comparing and contrasting the work of ancient philosophers such as Aristotle, Epicurus, Parmenides, Plato, and Zeno, with the work of contemporary philosophers writing on the same topics, we will develop a view concerning the goals and characteristics of good academic writing. Students will learn to extract, analyze, and present arguments by reading, discussing, and writing about the works of these ancient philosophers. Through a process of peer review, self-assessment, and revision, students will develop the ability to write clear, coherent, and focused academic prose.

Extended Courses (105E) (Program Permission Required)

The Politics of Food
Tanya Bakhmetyeva, College Writing Program
TR 12:30 – 1:45 CRN 23194

**Students must register for recitation section M 12:00 – 12:50(CRN 23175) when registering for this course**

The nineteenth-century English believed that food was an important indicator of a person’s social status: “Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are”. This formula carries even more importance today when food has become a highly politicized issue that defines social, cultural, religious and gender identities. In this course we will look closely at the politics of food and eating. Drawing on sources from various academic disciplines, as well as film and literature, we will explore questions such as: Why do we diet? To what extent do eating and food reinforce and challenge gender and cultural identities? Who is to blame for our skyrocketing obesity rates? Furthermore, similar to the way we use food to enter and become part of a community of people, we will use writing to begin entering an academic community. Be prepared to share your own work and taste the work of others through peer-reviews and self-assessments. You will be asked to cook a variety of writing dishes: several informal papers, 3 formal essays and a final research paper. Come hungry to learn and to write.

Writing Ourselves: Language and Identity
Heidi Bollinger, Department of English
TR 12:30 - 1:45 CRN 23129

**Students must register for recitation section M 10:00 – 10:50 (CRN 23130) when registering for this course**

We often think about how to define the words we use. But how do the words we use define us? Language allows us to share ideas and establish relationships, but it also reveals our individual differences. This course will explore how we imagine, construct, and revise our identities using language. We will consider how the acts of speaking and writing are tied to issues of race, gender, power, citizenship, community, and self-definition. Our reading on these themes may include Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street, Anna Deavere Smith’s Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, and George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion. We will also look at contemporary debates in American culture ranging from hate speech to bilingual education. Our own formal writing projects will include several short argumentative papers and an 8-10 page argumentative research paper. As members of a writing community, we will use the idea of a “conversation” or “dialogue” as the model for our writing practices. The class will emphasize peer review, self-assessment, and revision as strategies for becoming more confident, effective writers in an academic and professional setting.

Does it have to be this way?: Writing about Social, Political and Cultural Reform Movements in US History
Shane Butterfield, Department of History
TR 9:40 - 10:55 CRN 23260

**Students must register for recitation section M 11:00 - 11:50 (CRN 23148) when registering for this course**

Because of the American tradition of free thought and action, achieving lasting national agreement has been a rare occurrence in US history. As a consequence of such frequent division, debates about fundamental human goals and the special movements created to pursue them have been common and have influenced America in profound ways. Among the crucial issues addressed in such reformers’ writings are the quest for national and individual freedom, the importance of personal spiritualism in an industrial, modern world, and the search for gender and racial equality in a free society. Using writings such as Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, Lydia Marie Child’s What is Beauty?, and the Seneca Falls Declaration of Women’s Rights—and writing of our own—we will investigate vital debates and efforts at reform, constructing arguments and sharing insights about these goals and movements, and work to convey ideas effectively in our writing. Through classroom discussion, the drafting of short essays, revision, self-assessment, peer feedback, and an 8-10 page final argumentative research paper, students will gain experience in making inferences and presenting arguments in writing about the character of historical debates.

Big Brother in the Bedroom
Kathleen Casey, Department of History
MW 12:30 - 1:45 CRN 23336

**Students must register for recitation section F 1:00 – 1:50 (CRN 23292) when registering for this course**

At first glance the government of the United States and the private sex lives of American citizens seem to be two disparate topics. However, in this course, we will explore these two concepts as they converge in various cultural arenas by examining a broad range of topics including prostitution and sex education. Through reading, writing and discussion we will investigate multiple perspectives on the changing role of government in shaping the private lives of citizens in recent America. To accomplish this we will examine and discuss various texts on a weekly basis and construct argumentative essays as well as an 8-10 page research paper. In this course, our main focus will be to develop essential writing tools such as peer review and self-assessment while increasing our knowledge of on-going cultural debates.

Comic Books
John Chandler, Department of English
MW 12:30 - 1:45 CRN 23271

**Students must register for recitation section F 1:00 – 1:50(CRN 23258) when registering for this course**

Comic books are often considered light reading, something good for kids, but not the object of serious study. This course will give comics serious, scholarly attention by discussing the medium and the reasons why comics are considered “low” or “popular” culture. Through a variety of methods, we will look at a range of questions, such as: how does the comic book integrate art and text to create a more complex story? How do comics interact with society by reflecting the concerns of readers and the populace in general? How might adaptation to another medium, such as novel, film, or television, change the essential quality of a comic book character? As there are no strict models for academic writing about comics, we will explore a number of styles through several short papers, in-class writing, and a formal, 8-10 page research paper. Although readings will focus on the superhero genre, especially Batman as a highly visible and popular character, other comics will be considered. The course will also emphasize self-assessment, peer feedback and revision as methods for independent growth as a writer in this and future classes.

Trauma and the Effects of Repetition
Amy Fenstermaker, Department of English
TR 9:40 - 10:55 CRN 23318
**Students must register for recitation section F 9:00 - 9:50(CRN 23285) when registering for this course**

TR 12:30 - 1:45 CRN 96288
**Students must register for recitation section F 10:00 - 10:50 CRN 96297) when registering for this course**

For quite some time now television news reports have been governed by the phrase, “if it bleeds, it leads,” meaning that stories of bloodshed and tragedy are used to garner ratings; however, what effect does repeated exposure to such stories and images have on viewers? Are we so over-exposed to images of trauma that we no longer empathize with the suffering of others, or do such images have the power to sway public opinion? In this course, students will debate the impact and significance of literary, photographic, and critical representations of trauma. Informal, exploratory writing will help prepare students for three formal papers, and in preparation for the final, 8-10 page, argumentative research paper, students will give in-class presentations. Peer-feedback and self-assessment will play a prominent role in the writing and revising of each paper.

Strikes and Gutters: Considering the Coen Brothers
Dustin Hannum, Department of English
TR 11:05 - 12:20 CRN 23246

**Students must register for recitation section M 1:00 – 1:50 (CRN 23209) when registering for this course**

Joel and Ethan Coen, directors of films such as Barton Fink, Miller’s Crossing, The Big Lebowski, and Fargo, have garnered wide critical and popular attention for their tendency to play on a number of conventions from genres such as film noir, slapstick, gangster movies, crime thrillers, westerns, epics, and more. They often play on several different genres within the same film, making it difficult to place many of their films in any particular genre. In addition, while their films are often comic, they are just as often dark and violent—indeed, the most violent elements of their films are sometimes used for comedic effect. These tendencies make their films excellent points of departure for broader discussions of several film topics. In this class, we will view several films by the Coen brothers with a mind to learning how to write about film and popular culture. This will include reading what other writers had to say about the films, and learning how to join a critical discussion about these films, which we will use as the subject matter for our own discussions and writing about the Coens, their movies, genre, comedy, violence, and more You will be responsible for writing a series of response papers, as well as 3 shorter formal papers that will lead up to a major 8-10 page research paper. The writing process will involve drafting, peer feedback, self-assessment, and revision. In addition to this, you will be asked to participate in and contribute to class discussion on writing and the course theme.

Inverted Dreams: Dystopian Themes in Literature, Music, and Film
Leila Kate Norako, Department of English
TR 4:50 - 6:05 CRN 23223

**Students must register for recitation section M 2:00 – 2:50(CRN 23181) when registering for this course**

Dystopian societies are at once utterly unbelievable and frighteningly real. They are avatars -- embodiements - of our fears of absolute government, unethical technological advances, and dehumanization for the sake of taming the world. But they also serve as potent warnings of a world that could easily be. These socieites have been the setting for some of the most compelling works of speculative fiction, film and music. But why does such a bleak vision of the world hold such artistic appeal? Should the warnings in these works of art be taken seriously, or are they simply paranoid reactions to the erratic and unstable world around us?

These questions, as well as ones of your own creation, will lay the foundation for our critical exploration of the dystopia in literature, music and film. We will examine an array of dystopian media that may include the following: Anthem by Ayn Rand, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, 1984 by George Orwell, Nine Inch Nails' Year Zero, Pink Floyd's The Wall, The Matrix, V for Vendetta and Children of Men . Through in-class assignments, informal papers, class discussion, and four formal essays, you will hone your writing abilities in a way that will allow for full participation in the academic community. Our writing process will involve drafting, peer review, revision, and self-assessment.

Ghost Stories of the 21st Century
Kathryn Van Wert, Department of English
MW 4:50 - 6:05 CRN 23214

**Students must register for recitation section R 12:30 - 1:20(CRN 23320) when registering for this course**

Not all ghosts rattle chains and howl in the night. Some are haunted by the “ghosts” of divorce, some by the loss of childhood, and still others by national tragedy. In this class we will examine the ghosts of various types that have appeared in short fiction from around the world, and ask what they have to tell us about the nature of loss, grieving, identity, and transformation. How do today’s ghost stories address issues such as leaving home, understanding war, and coping with illness? And why use fiction to write about those issues? We will explore such questions with our own writing. Our primary texts will be short stories published in the last decade, as well as critical responses to them. We’ll read stories by popular authors such as Joyce Carol Oates, Rick Moody, and Dave Eggers alongside the work of emerging writers. Through discussion, weekly reading/writing assignments, and a final research paper (8-10 pp.), we will think critically about works of fiction and ground our opinions in close reading. The course emphasizes revision, self-evaluation, feedback from peers, clear argumentative technique, and the development of a compelling rhetorical style.

Fantasy and its Discontent: J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth Narratives
Stella Wang, Department of English
TR 12:30 - 1:45 CRN 23167

**Students must register for recitation section M 1:00 – 1:50 (CRN 23237) when registering for this course**

last updated August 14, 2007

College Writing Program

Reasoning & Writing in the College CAS 105/105E

Fall 2007

Reasoning & Writing in the College
CAS 105/105E