Then again. . .

There's this on the official occupy page:

"On Saturday, Mayor Quan's actions again demonstrated that open war has been declared on the spirit of democracy and the people of Oakland and this nation. We call for the end of Mayor Quan's administration and a regime change in Oakland. We continue to stand in solidarity with Occupy Oakland and will support them as they continue peaceful protest and community building until this and all other authoritarian administrations have been ousted from their place of illegitimate power. Together, we are building a stronger world, a stronger community, a stronger promise for the next generation."


And this video of police brutality:

Occupy Wall Street--Flag Burning

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/31/occupy-oakland-flag-burning_n_1243232.html


"The images of the flag-burning went viral in the hours after Saturday's demonstrations on Oakland's streets, with Occupy supporters denouncing the act as unpatriotic and a black mark on the movement. Others called it justified."

In his article, Fitzgerald argued that the movement was becoming reifed as a particular group of people, rather than maintaining itself as a claim. Occupy Oakland, by burning the flag, has only reinforced the idea that Occupy protesters are anti-Americans, who engage in semi-terrorist like activities. Many have spoken out against this portrayal of the movement, but the fact is that this is now the static image we have of Occupy protesters:

The flag's been torn, the protesters have bandana masks on, and one guy is smiling and holding up what appears to be a occupy poster, essentially equating the movement with Anti-American sentiment. I wish I could see exactly what is on that poster, because it matters if it says "Occupy Oakland" or "Occupy Wall Street."  More than any other photo I've seen, this solidifies the "us" versus "them" mentality. "They" are doing something and we don't like what "they" are doing, so they transform themselves into an isolated group of people rather than one part of a vast network of occupy movements. Occupy Oakland is now a fixed entity that now Occupy Wall Street in general cannot help but try and distance themselves from--this may be the first step in the breaking down of the solidarity of the network. Perhaps this was the danger inherent in occupying more than New York--the center of Wall Street.. .I am just not sure.

Response to Summary's of OWS article

I'd like to start with a question: Does the summary have to start with the introduction and follow the article linearly?

I would say not necessarily. Furthermore, summaries are really hard to sustain without moving into "interpretation" mode. I think most of you did a great job giving equal attention to about 3 main parts of the argument (most of you, in fact, divided up your response in 3 sections).

The first regarded the introduction, which pointed out the current status of occupy wall street as something that has become less interesting as we have begun to "understand" what the movement "is."

Many of you mentioned the analogy of the reality tv show and some of you defined and honed in on reification. The idea that Occupy has become a "thing" and that it can be defined is the main problem for Fitzgerald (most of you pointed this out).

Most of you decided to cite the difference between "it" and "us" and some of you cited or paraphrased Fitzgerald's idea that we need to understand Occupy Wall Street as a claim rather than a "thing" that can be easily defined. This is a main point of the argument.

All in all, I was happy with the summaries. I think that we need to keep in mind that while a decent summary can be written on the fly, it usually comes with several revisions, combining sentences and thoughts in order to make it as concise as possible. This will be especially important when you condense Geertz (30 pgs give or take) to a mere 300 words!! Sometimes it might be useful to write a rough sketch that is WAAAAY too long and then combine and condense afterwards. I know this is more work, but, trust me, it frequently pays off.

Summary/Analysis Response Writing Prezi

Strong Response Writing on Prezi

Summary/Analysis Kanye West Example

Great Student Example of Summary/Analysis

Summary/Analysis of Kanye West’s “Power”

            Rapper Kanye West, well-known for his cleverly-constructed yet controversial song lyrics and videos, compares his rise in the music industry to the rise to the superiority of Greek gods in his video “Power”. In this one minute and forty-three second video, a stern and omnipotent West plays the role of a Greek god as a number of subordinate Athenian characters slowly and gracefully move around him. West, who gradually marches forward in front of the open gates of heaven, exerts dominance and resilience even in the growing presence of these characters, which symbolize what he calls “the cruel world”. In both the lyrics and video, Kanye West reminds critics that his rise to the elite as a rapper has given him such power and responsibility that no one can knock him off his pedestal except for power itself.

Through his body language, Kanye West captures the role and journey he has taken as a song artist. He embodies a tough-as-nails persona through his piercing eyes and bull-like charge in his walk. As West steps forward, he encounters a growing crowd of Athenian figures, most of which are females portrayed as sex symbols. West’s forward walk signifies his ascending toward the pinnacle of his music career. The encounter of the female characters as well as the two male characters that leap in the air and draw their swords refer to the distractions that West himself inevitably faces in his career: women in search of fame, sex, or money; criticism from the media; and feuds with other artists. Just as notable is the placement of the female figures that resemble runway models; West deliberately positions these Athenian female characters below him to indicate that women are inferior to him. Throughout the entire video, West stares straight ahead

at the viewer, paying no attention to the characters surrounding him; by doing so, West insinuates that his focus is on his career and that he will not let anyone keep him from attaining and maintaining success in the music industry.

In addition to body language, Kanye West’s choice of words to describe himself and to address his critics highlights his egocentric personality. West admits that he “embodies every characteristic of the egotistic,” and in the chorus, he refers to himself as a “21^st century schizoid man.” Schizoid, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is a type of personality disorder characterized by aloofness and detachment from others, little desire or enjoyment for close relationships, “difficulty relating to others, indifference towards praise or criticism, and daydreams or vivid fantasies about complex inner lives.” These characteristics may well describe Kanye West, but it is the deliberate insertion of the phrases “embodies every characteristic of the egotistic” and “21^st century schizoid man” that one realizes that West is fully aware of his arrogant, self-centered personality. This awareness empowers him to ward off any form of criticism hurled at him.

 In the music business, great power draws greater scrutiny from the media and the public. As Kanye West points out in his lyrics, many of his critics believe that West is an “abomination of Obama’s nation” or a hated figure in present-day American society.  While such a comment may have at first offended West, West simply shrugs it off and reminds critics that “at the end of the day goddamn it he is killin’ [it]/[he] knows damn well [his critics and supporters] are feelin’ [it].” In other words, despite people’s abhorrence toward him, he continues to excel in both album sales and song charts. His music still resonates with people, and based on his prolonged success in record sales and on billboard charts, people continue to value his music, which is what matters to him most.                                                                                                                       

Finally, in an unexpected turn of events, Kanye West adds a suicidal element to the end of the song when he reiterates that he is “jumping out the window [and] letting everything go”. While West accepts and embraces the power that he has gained through his success as a music artist, West knows that he is vulnerable to the added pressure and scrutiny that comes with power. This overwhelming pressure can eventually lead to the demise of the powerful, but West sees this tragedy as a “beautiful death”. In this paradox, West suggests that there is beauty in the reassuring fact that by achieving success in his career, he has obtained the freedom and power to rid himself of everything he has gained. One may question why West would want to purge himself of his accomplishments. In response, West implies that he is only human and that one can only take so much pressure before he or she can no longer handle the demands of the media and the public, thus leading the almighty to dispose his or her power.

In the video “Power,” Kanye West appears not as a human being but as a god; a force that shows no sign of slowing down or losing strength, but beneath his tough exterior lays this vulnerability that feeds on growing power. As shown in his dominant stride, West, infamous for his detached, self-absorbed personality, embraces his egotism in order to protect himself from those figures—women, critics, foes--that take advantage of him or that wish to see him fail. In the lyrics, West considers himself “chosen” in a “white man’s world”, given the adversities that those particularly in the black community are going through such as poverty, education, and incarceration, and yet he still struggles with his own hardships, including taking on adult responsibilities as a prominent musical figure in society. For West, “reality is catching up with [him] taking [his] inner child [while he is] fighting for custody,” his “inner child” being that comfort zone that allows him to use his imagination and to engage in complex and creative thinking. This obstacle suggests that while Kanye West’s critics are not a major threat to his power, he, however, is.

Language and Vocabulary

In order to be able to talk about our writing, we need a common vocabulary to describe it. Luckily, most of these are standardized. So now, I am going to list a few words I frequently use that you may or may not know and attempt to define them.


What do I mean by text?


--A text is really anything that has the possibility of being interpreted, used, or looked at. We can look at the body as a text, a house as a text, a book, an article, a desk, a video, an image (painting, photgraph, whatever). "Text" stems from the latin, texere, which means "to weave" I like to think about "weaving together texts" in order to make meaning.

What do I mean by discourse?

Discourse is a common word that we use in the humanities that may sound fancy or intimidating, but it really just means "a way of organizing knowledge, ideas, or experience that is rooted in language and its concrete contexts"

Example: I might talk about the "discourse" of a particular thinker. This refers, to simplify, to his particular way of using and engaging with language. So we might say "In Geertz's discourse, culture is a text"

What do I mean by meta-discourse?


Meta-discourse is simply one remove from discourse; or, discourse about discourse. For our purposes, I mostly mean language that describes language or writing. Examples of meta-discourse can be seen below. We will return to this term.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Just as Bartholomae and Petrosky might talk about appropriating (taking, making-one's own) the 'discourse' (the language and mode of organizing ideas) from some of these texts, I want you to either

a) Adopt some of the language I use in the class. If I say something you do not understand please stop me and I will attempt to define it. Some of the language I use is such a part of the way I speak that I may have to actually look up a definition online and then if that doesn't make sense to you, give you examples and "interpret" that definition.

b) Suggest your own language/terms/concepts for the stuff we are talking about; Define them for the class and myself and I will adopt your language and try to speak that. Although I do want to teach you different ways to talk about stuff, we also have to meet each other half way. If we cannot speak with similar vocabularies or at least touch vocabularies, this will be a very hard semester for all of us.

Language changes the way we think. Its that simple. We learn new words or use old ones to describe new things--it opens us up to new ways of seeing. I believe all language is figural--there is no such thing as "literal" meaning, although for convenience's sake we may speak of a "literal meaning" (or "denotative" rather than "connotative" language in jargon terms). There may be a "literal meaning" within a given context or use of language, but there is no intrinsic literal meanings. 

"What then is truth? A mobile army of mteaphors, metonyms, and anthropomorphisms--in short, a sum of human relations, which have been enhanced, transposed, and embellished poetically and rhetorically, and which after long us seem firm, canonical, and obligatory to a people"   

                        --Nietzsche, "On Truth and Lie in the Extra-Moral Sense"

"Saying" and "doing" --One more attempt

So I'm reflecting on maybe a better way to explain what I mean by "doing." So I realize that there are several ways to describe what an author is "doing"--that there is no one thing that would constitute "doing." So look for

Rhetorical strategies such as figurative language (metaphor, metonymy, synechdoche, simile, extended images)

"movement" cues -- One the one hand, on the other hand, Although, However, In contrast, Consequently, First, Second, Third, Similarly, Analogously, Like x and y, Just as x, so y;

"Movement" cues are what indicates difference or similarity in the essay and makes the essay progress or move in a somewhat linear fashion.

Another metaphorical way to say this: What is the "function" of the language the author is using? How about the paragraph? What is the function of the paragraph within the whole essay?

I hope this gives you other ways to think about what I'm trying to say. What an author is "doing" usually describes some sort of writing strategy non-specific to the text at hand.

You may think that these are silly distinctions, but once we all acquire this vocabulary of "meta-discourse," we will be able to apply it to several different texts and hopefully end up on the same page. Grammar is another kind of metadiscourse that we can use to talk about writing. So another way to think about these words is that they are an extension of grammar to the realm of rhetoric.

Summary Prezi

Hey there class. Here is the summary prezi:

Summary and Analysis--Take 2 on Prezi

Kanye's Power

"Power"



Power Lyrics: Kanye West ft Dwele
[Kanye West]
I’m livin’ in the 21st century
Doin’ something mean to it
Do it better than anybody you ever seen do it
Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it
I guess every superhero need his theme music
No one man should have all that power
The clock’s tickin’, I just count the hours
Stop trippin’, I’m trippin’ off the power
(21st century schizoid man)
The system broken, the schools closed, the prisons open
We ain’t got nothin’ to lose, ma’f-cka, we rollin’
Huh? Ma’f-cka, we rollin’
With some light-skinned girls and some Kelly Rowlands
In this white man’s world, we the ones chosen
So goodnight, cruel world, I see you in the mornin’
Huh? I see you in the mornin’
This is way too much, I need a moment
No one man should have all that power
The clock’s tickin’, I just count the hours
Stop trippin’, I’m trippin’ off the power
‘Til then, f-ck that, the World’s ours
And then they (Go)
And then they
And then they (Go)
And then they (21st century schizoid man)
F-ck SNL and the whole cast
Tell ‘em Yeezy said they can kiss my whole ass
More specifically, they can kiss my asshole
I’m an asshole? You n-ggas got jokes
You short-minded n-ggas’ thoughts is Napoleon
My furs is Mongolian, my ice brought the goalies in
Now I embody every characteristic of the egotistic
He know, he so, f-ckin’ gifted
I just needed time alone, with my own thoughts
Got treasures in my mind but couldn’t open up my own vault
My childlike creativity, purity and honesty
Is honestly being prodded by these grown thoughts
Reality is catchin’ up with me
Takin’ my inner child, I’m fighting for it, custody
With these responsibilities that they entrusted me
As I look down at my dia-mond-encrusted piece
N-gga, no one man should have all that power
The clock’s tickin’, I just count the hours
Stop trippin’, I’m trippin’ off the power
‘Til then, f-ck that, the World’s ours
And then they (Go)
And then they
And then they (Go)
And then they
And then they (Go)
And then they (21st century schizoid man)
Colin Powells, Austin Powers
Lost in translation with a whole f-ckin’ nation
They say I was the obamanation (abomination) of Obama’s nation
Well, that’s a pretty bad way to start the conversation
At the end of day, goddammit, I’m killin’ this sh-t
I know damn well y’all feelin’ this sh-t
I don’t need yo’ p-ssy, bitch, I’m on my own d-ck
I ain’t gotta power trip, who you goin’ home with?
How ‘Ye doin’? I’m survivin’
I was drinkin’ earlier, now I’m drivin’
Where the bad bitches, huh? Where ya hidin’?
I got the power, make yo’ life so excitin’ (So excitin’)
Now this would be a beautiful death
Jumpin’ out the window
Lettin’ everything go
Lettin’ everything go
N-now-now this would be a beautiful death
Jumpin’ out the window
Lettin’ everything go
Lettin’ everything go
Now this would be a beautiful death
Jumpin’ out the window
Lettin’ everything go
Lettin’ everything go
You got the power to let power go
[End]

My half-truth

Today, I made the claim that I wanted this course to work toward an "understanding" the occupy movement without necessarily swaying you one way or the other. While I still maintain this as my goal, I must confess my own political bias. Although I maintain the movement has its issues and problems, it is probably clear that I am sympathetic with the movement, although remain ambivalent about many of its particular practices. And yes, I probably lean a bit more to left than some of you--fulfilling the "English graduate student" stereotype. Despite this bias (and we all have our biases) I am open to debate and argument--some of you may even want to argue the uselessness of the movement. This is fine. I hope that we can use the Occupy phenomenon as a 'subject' to write about. That is, I hope that by using Occupy as content, we can focus on the form of your writing. The ideas and opinions will be important, but this is a writing and research course--not a political science course, not an English course, and not discussion group on current events.

That said, I hope that together we can become more aware of our own roles in society and culture. Writing is always a situated activity; even the "essay prompt" is a particular situation that calls for a certain type of writing. We always write for a purpose and the most useless and arbitrary purpose is to write merely for a grade. We will write for each other. Your audience will be the class and, potentially, other people on the internet. As I'm sure you all have heard at one time or another, writing is all about audience. What are strategies to convince people of your point? What do you want to say? These are some of the hardest parts of the writing process.

Example: What is the purpose of this blogpost?

1.) To admit my own political bias

2.) To further explain how we will "use" the occupy movement

3.) To reflect generally on the situatedness of writing.


What I just did there is reflect on my purpose. Reflection will be a key component of this course. We will read and re-read our writing and write more based on our reading. We will create a feedback loop, where thinking happens between the writer and the page rather than in the writer's head. I am a firm believer that writing is thinking rather than writing as an "expression" of thinking.

Some of you may be reading this wondering what the hell I'm talking about. Perhaps I have not taken my audience into account. But who is my audience?

The blog format is not merely for others, but for yourself. Your final projects will take a broader audience into account and indeed your blogs will be read by fellow students and me (so think of some assignments like that) but also think of your blog as a place for brainstorming or even as a digital memory--a kind of journal that compiles your own thoughts, quotations from texts or articles you read on the web, links, images, and videos. Hopefully, we all will look back at our blogs as a record and archive of our thinking and learning.

If you facebook, I encourage you to post a link to your blogposts for your friends to read--who knows, maybe they will be interested in what you have to say.

Good luck.

Occupy Wall Street Material/Videos/Images

 Ocuppy Wall Street--Official Site



A recent article about occupy wall street: Jason Fitzgerald Article on Occupy Wall Street

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
The 99%
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Colbert Super PAC - Stephen Colbert Occupies Occupy Wall Street Pt. 1
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog Video Archive

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

Interpretation of "Class Warfare"

Syllabus

ENC 1102: RHETORIC AND ACADEMIC RESEARCH

SECTION 04B3 T/R 8-9,9  MAT 10

The Rhetoric of Occupation

The metropolis is the site of biopolitical production because it is the space of the common, of people living together, sharing resources, communicating, exchanging goods and ideas

--Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri, Commonwealth

Instructor: Jacob T. Riley

Email: jtriley@ufl.edu

Phone: 734-368-8015

Office Hours: TBA

This section uses E-learning in Sakai:   http://lss.at.ufl.edu (use your Gatorlink ID & password)

ENC 1102: Rhetoric and Academic Research focuses on the essential stylistics of writing clearly and efficiently within the framework of argumentative research writing. You will learn how to formulate a coherent thesis and defend it logically with evidence drawn from research in your various fields. You will also learn how to work through the stages of planning, research, organizing, and revising your writing.

ENC 1102 will introduce you to techniques and forms of argument in a broad range of disciplines, including the humanities, social sciences, business, and natural sciences. To ground your investigations for the semester, the course will focus on a particular seminal theme.  This course encourages students to investigate the relationship between writing and knowledge, and to discover how writing can create, rather than merely transmit, knowledge. Class discussions will reveal the complementary relationship between writing and research and demonstrate how persuasive techniques and genres vary from discipline to discipline. You will learn how writing effectively and correctly in your fields will help to integrate you as professionals into your “knowledge communities.”

Theme: Occupation

In order to focus our in-class activities, discussions, and research, the theme of this course will concern the rhetorical dimensions of the “Occupy Wall Street” movement. Your final research paper will explore some aspect of the “Occupy” movement or related topic. The particular ‘angle of vision’ you take on Occupy Wall Street will depend on your prospective major. Such a massive phenomenon can be studied from economic, social, cultural, psychological, anthropological, rhetorical (and more) angles. During the course, we will work together as a class by finding research, news articles, journal articles, images, media, etc. to help our understanding of the movement. I say “understand” because in no way am I trying to simply endorse the movement nor condemn it. Rather, our purpose will be to look at how various media present the movement.

Course Structure

In ENC 1102, we’ll cover the essential elements of writing clearly and persuasively. We’ll spend roughly the first third of the term focusing on persuasive writing principles, and then build incrementally towards a full research paper, from writing a summary, to an annotated bibliography, which will expand into a synthesis of critical sources, and then a full-scale research paper. Along the way, you will learn efficient library research techniques, correct documentation styles, and ways to avoid plagiarism. While the course does emphasize academic research and writing skills, assignments and discussions in ENC 1102 are designed to demonstrate that writing classes do not exist in a vacuum and that writing is not solely an academic enterprise. The critical thinking skills and efficient writing habits learned in this class will help to ensure your success both at college and in your future careers.

Required Texts

Ramage, John D., John C. Bean, and June Johnson. The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing.  New York: Pearson, 2009.

Bartholomae, David. and Anthony Petrosky.  Ways of Reading. 9th  ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin, 2011.

ASSIGNMENTS AND GRADING

This is a portfolio class, which means that you will write a discovery draft that will be peer read, followed by a revised professional draft that will be graded by me, and finally revised version of the paper for your portfolio grade.  During the semester, I will ask you to bring your working portfolio to conferences so that you do not get behind.

WRITING PROJECTS: 700 points—350 points for the discovery drafts (process) and 350 points for the final portfolio text (product).  Professional Drafts are graded on their potential and completeness and potential and not on mechanical issues or cohesiveness.  Quality of writing, which includes audience awareness, organization of thoughts, and editing, will be addressed in the final portfolio.

Summary (300 words)                                                                                    20/20 Students will summarize an academic argument. Analysis (800 words)                                                                                       40/40 To demonstrate critical reading and analysis, students will write a brief                                  a detailed analysis of an academic argument. Synthesis of Literature (1200 words)                                                           75/75 To demonstrate the skill of synthesizing information, students will analyze three essays and then synthesize them to demonstrate how they have reached an enlarged perspective on a specific topic.

Research Prospectus/Presentations (400 words)                                         20/20 As a part of topic and thesis development, students write a brief proposal and present preliminary findings to the class.

Annotated Bibliography of 15-20 sources (1200 words)                             70/70    In preparation for the Research Paper, students will gather and annotate sources emphasizing their value for a particular research project.

Research Paper (2700 words)                                                                    125/125 As the culmination of the course, the research paper will incorporate the skills of argumentation, summary, analysis, and synthesis that students have refined during the semester. In the paper, students will make a clear, specific, narrow argument about an arguable topic. The argument will be logos-based and supported with evidence in the form of facts, statistics, and/or quotations from experts in the field.                                                                                                                 Total—700

             

REFLECTIVE WRITING (50 points): I will ask you write a reflective paper for each major project that you will turn in with the professional draft of your papers.  You will also write a reflective letter that will accompany your portfolio. 

FINAL PRESENTATION (50 points): Oral or Visual Report

PEER REVIEWS (20 points each=100):  Class participation grade will based on having complete drafts for each of the peer reviews during the semester.  If you are absent on a peer review day or arrive without a draft, you will lose the points for that session.

Blog                                                                                                                      100

Throughout the semester, you will be asked to compose blog posts on readings, visuals and/or questions raised in class. I may also ask you to find blogs and/or articles concerning our major theme.  Create a blog using Google’s blogger service: www.blogger.com.

                                                                                                                 TOTAL                                                                                                                                                                 1000  pts.                                                                                                                                                             

REQUIREMENTS FOR AN “A” PORTFOLIO

√  Table of Contents

√  Introduction to the Portfolio

√  Two or more drafts including a final, polished draft, of each project (I, II, III, IV, V)

√  At least 10 research logs

√  Self-assessment of projects and participation; final reflective letter

√  Small group conferences

√  Conferences with me

√  Conversations with others in/out of class pertaining to work for class (i.e., copies of

     e-mail) 

√   Outside materials (research, interviews, books, articles, surveys, etc.)

√   Maturity of writing style and/or evidence of trying new writing styles

√   Evidence of writing that meets the “A” criteria

√   Documentation of class participation

√   Enhancements (graphics, charts, figures, artwork, poetry, short stories, use your

      imagination)         

√    Evidence of growth: willingness to take risks to profit from advice, to revise, to make

      recommendations to others

REQUIREMENTS FOR A “B” PORTFOLIO

All of the requirements for an A with these exceptions:

√   Only assigned reaction/response papers

√   Less than two drafts of one or more of the projects

√   Fewer than 10 research logs

√   Limited outside materials/connections to outside world

√   Limited choices in trying new ways of writing

√   Evidence of writing that meets the “B” criteria

REQUIREMENTS FOR A “C” PORTFOLIO

All of the requirements for a B with these exceptions:

            √   Minimal self-assessment

√   Minimal written assessment for and from others

√   No connections to outside work

√   Evidence of writing that meets the “C” criteria

Anything less than this minimum will be considered a failing portfolio

A detailed portfolio checklist will be given out toward the end of the semester.  Remember, however, that ALL class materials will be required in the portfolio and should be maintained throughout the semester.

 “A” Paper/Portfolio

Perhaps the principle characteristic of the “A” paper is its rich content.  Some people describe that content as “meaty,” others as “dense,” still others as “packed.”  The information delivered is such that one feels significantly taught by the author, sentence after sentence, paragraph after paragraph.  The “A” paper is also marked by stylistic finesse: the title and opening paragraph are engaging; the transitions are artful; the phrasing is tight, fresh, and highly specific.  The “A” paper, because of its careful organization and development, imparts a feeling of wholeness and unusual clarity.  Sources will be well documented.  Student presents the paper professionally and in proper MLA format.

“B” Paper/Portfolio

This paper is significantly more than competent.  Besides being almost free of mechanical errors, the “B” paper delivers substantial information–that is, substantial in both quantity and interest-value.  Its specific points are logically ordered, well developed, and unified around a clear organizing principle that is apparent early in the paper.  The opening paragraph draws the reader in; the closing paragraph is both conclusive and thematically related to the opening.  The transitions between the paragraphs are for the most part smooth; the sentence structures are pleasingly varied.  The diction of the “B” paper is typically much more concise and precise than that found in the “C” paper.  Occasionally, this diction even shows finesse and memorability.  Work is presented professionally, and MLA format is followed.

“C” Paper/Portfolio

This paper is generally competent; it meets the assignment, has few mechanical errors, and is reasonably well-organized and developed.  The actual information it delivers, however, seems thin and commonplace.  One reason for that impression is that the ideas are typically cast in the form of vague generalizations that prompt the confused reader to ask marginally: “In every case?”  “Exactly how large?” “Why?”  “But how many?”  Stylistically, the “C” paper has other shortcomings as well: the opening paragraph does little to draw the reader in; the final paragraph offers only a perfunctory wrap-up; the transitions between paragraphs are often bumpy; the sentences, besides being a bit choppy, tend to follow predictable (hence monotonous) subject-verb-object patterns; and the diction is marred by repetitions, redundancy, and imprecision.  Sources are documented in MLA format but are presented in a stylistically uncertain manner.  The “C” paper, then, while it gets the job done, lacks both imagination and intellectual rigor. 

“D-F” Papers/Portfolios

Papers that do not reflect a passing level of effort or accomplishment.  The papers do not respond to the assignment, have numerous mechanical errors, and are poorly organized.  Writing seems perfunctory–not well thought out.  Sentences do not progress in a logical order or do not follow accepted sentence structures.  Student relies heavily upon clichès, slang, double-talk, or jargon.  Student did not follow conventions of punctuation, grammar, and spelling.  Paragraphs are not well developed.  Ideas are not well supported.  Student has not documented sources properly.

Portfolios that do not contain all requested elements will be assigned a zero and the student will have failed the class.  Students who do not turn in all the required projects during the course of the semester will be assigned an “F” for the semester grade.

Grading Scale

A	4.0	93-100%	1162-1250	C	2.0	73-76 %	912-961
A-	3.67	90-92%	1125-1161	C-	1.67	70-72%	875-911
B+	3.33	87-89%	1087-1124	D+	1.33	67-69%	837-874
B	3.0	83-86%	1037-1086	D	1.0	63-66%	787-836
B-	2.67	80-82%	1000-1036	D-	0.67	60-62%	750-786
C+	2.33	77-79%	962-999	E	0.00	0-59%	0-749

General Education Learning Outcomes

You must pass this course with a grade of C or better to receive credit for the 6,000-word University Writing Requirement (E6). You must turn in all papers to receive credit for writing 6,000 words. A grade of C or better satisfies the University's General Education Composition (C) requirement. You must pass with a grade of C or better if this course is to satisfy the CLAS requirement of a second course in Composition (C). If you

are not in CLAS, check the catalog or with your advisor to see if your college has other writing requirements.

COURSE POLICIES

Attendance & Tardiness

ENC 1102 is a participation-oriented, skills-based writing course, which means that you will build your skills incrementally and systematically in each class throughout the semester. Much of the learning that takes place is spontaneous and difficult to reproduce outside of class.

Please do not come late to class; arriving late disrupts the entire class. If you are more than 15 minutes late, you will be marked absent. Being tardy three times will equal one absence.

Consequently, the University Writing Program policy is that attendance is required. If you miss more than six periods during the semester, you will fail the entire course. The UWP exempts from this policy only those absences involving university-sponsored events, such as athletics and band, and religious holidays. Absences for illness or family emergencies will count toward your six allowed absences.  If you are absent, it is still your responsibility to make yourself aware of all due dates. You are still responsible for turning assignments in on time. Save your absences for when you’re really ill.

Preparation

You are expected to be prepared for every class, including completing all reading and writing assignments on time. Failure to be prepared for or to contribute to in-class activities and discussion will affect your grade. Papers and drafts are due at the beginning of class. Late work, if accepted, will incur a grade penalty.

Mode of Submission

All papers must be in 12-point Times New Roman or Calibri font and double-spaced. All final drafts will be submitted via E-Learning.  Your final drafts should be polished and presented in a professional manner. On all papers write your name, the assignment, and the word count at the top of the paper. When submitting a document, please name the file like this:  NameAssignmentDraft#.doc (or .rtf). If it is the final draft, write “Final” instead of “Draft#”.  For example, SmithRAdraft3.doc or SmithSynthFinal.rtf.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a serious violation of the Student Honor Code. The Honor Code prohibits and defines plagiarism as follows:

Plagiarism: A student shall not represent as the student’s own work all or any portion of the work of another. Plagiarism includes (but is not limited to):

a. Quoting oral or written materials, whether published or unpublished, without proper attribution.

b. Submitting a document or assignment which in whole or in part is identical or substantially identical to a document or assignment not authored by the student. (University of Florida, Student Honor Code,

15 Aug. 2007 <http://www.dso.ufl.edu/judicial/honorcode.php>)

University of Florida students are responsible for reading, understanding, and abiding by the entire Student

Honor Code.

All acts of plagiarism will result in failure of the assignment and may result in failure of the entire course. They will also be reported to the University. Plagiarism can occur even without any intention to deceive if

the student fails to know and employ proper documentation techniques. Unless otherwise indicated by the instructor for class group work, all work must be your own. Nothing written for another course will be accepted.

Academic Honesty

As a University of Florida student, your performance is governed by the UF Honor Code, available in its full form at http://www.registrar.ufl.edu/catalog/policies/students.html. The Honor Code requires Florida students to neither give nor receive unauthorized aid in completing all assignments. Violations include cheating,

plagiarism, bribery, and misrepresentation. Visit http://www.dso.ufl.edu/judicial/procedures/academicguide.php for more details. All acts of academic dishonesty will result in failure of the assignment and may result in failure of the entire course.   They will also be reported to the University.

Graded Materials

Students are responsible for maintaining duplicate copies of all work submitted in this course and retaining all returned, graded work until the semester is over. Should the need arise for a re-submission of papers or a review of graded papers, it is the student's responsibility to have and to make available this material.

Classroom Behavior

Please keep in mind that students come from diverse cultural, economic, and ethnic backgrounds. Some of the texts we will discuss and write about engage controversial topics and opinions. Diverse student backgrounds combined with provocative texts require that you demonstrate respect for ideas that may differ from your own.

Students with Disabilities

The University of Florida complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Students requesting accommodation should contact the Students with Disabilities Office, Peabody 202. That office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the instructor when requesting accommodation.

Weekly Schedule (Tentative)

Week 1—January 10^th

Tuesday— Review Syllabus, discuss “Occupy Wall Street”, Assign “Diagnostic Essay” on West’s Power

Thursday— Write Diagnostic Essay on Kanye West’s Power, allow notes

Week 2—January 17th

Tuesday—AB, Ch. 1 “Good Writing,” WR, 1-21 “Introduction”

Thursday—AB, Ch. 5, Continue discussion

Week 3—January 24^rd

Tuesday—“Deep Play”—Clifford Geertz, AB, Ch. 2 “Wallowing in Complexity”

 http://www.rochester.edu/college/psc/clarke/204/Geertz72.pdf, assign Summary/Analysis,

Thursday—Continue Geertz and AB Ch. 2

Week 4—January 31^th

Tuesday AB Ch. 3, AB Ch. 11 “Analyzing Images”,

Thursday—Peer Review Summary/Analysis; Discovery Draft of Summary/Analysis due

Week 5—February 7^th

Tuesday—AB Ch.5, “Seeing Rhetorically,” WR, 139-165 Berger—“Ways of Seeing,” Professional Draft Summary/Analysis DUE

Thursday—Continue “Ways of Seeing”

Week 6—February 14^th

Tuesday—AB, “Analyzing and Synthesizing Ideas,” WR, Foucault, “Panopticism,” 279-314, Assign Synthesis

Thursday—Continue discussion of Foucault/Synthesis,

Week 7—February 21^st

Tuesday—Reading TBA

Thursday— Discovery Draft of Synthesis DUE, peer review

Week 8—February 28^th

Tuesday— Introduce Research paper, Assign Research Prospectus

Thursday— Topic Development Workshop Professional Draft Synthesis DUE

Week 9—March 6^th    SPRING BREAK!

Week 10—March 13^th

Tuesday— Research Prospectus Presentations

Thursday—Research Prospectus Presentations (continued)

Week 11—March 20^th

Tuesday— AB Ch. 20-22, Topic Development, Assign/Introduce Annotated Bibliography

Thursday—Library day

Week 12—March 27^th

Tuesday— Assign Final Research Paper, Research Paper Examples

Thursday— Discovery Draft of Annotated Bibliography DUE; Peer Review A

Week 13—April 3^rd

Tuesday—Titles, Introductions, Conclusions; Style Lecture, Professional Draft of Annotated Bibliography DUE

Thursday—Introduce Portfolio (?) TBA. . .

Week 14—April 10^th

Tuesday—Conferences (see conference Sign up Sheet)

Thursday—Discovery Draft of Research Paper DUE; Peer Review

Week 15—April 17th

Tuesday—Final Presentations of Research Paper

Thursday- Final Presentations of Research Paper Professional Draft of Research Paper DUE

Week 16—April 24^th

Tuesday—Last class, wrap-up, evaluations, Final Portfolios DUE