Julie’s Freshman Seminar

• This paper has two main parts — figuring out what sources you chose to use in your previous two position papers and why. So you would have to look at the bias of your sources and talk about how that affects the arguments in your paper and whether or not their bias ruins their credibility. Think back to our discussion on this from Monday’s class. Once you think critically about your sources, consider whether or not your original position – the one you first wrote about — is changed or strengthened in any way.
• The second part is where you examine whether or not you think that the different sides of your issue really are interested in debate and discussion with each other. Do the sides have any dialogue? Are people set in their opinions or are they willing to change their minds? Why or why not? Do you think that the “information” that people have, as Lasch defines “information” helps or hinders them in having a real understanding of their issue? Use Lasch to support your arguments here.
• You can just the personal pronoun I, especially when talking about what sources you chose and why. But don’t fill your paper with statements such as “I think” or “I feel” unless you can back them up with facts.
• Be critical of your sources — don’t just say “I chose this website because it has a lot of good information on abortion.” You have to have a more critical reason than that. Why, out of the thousands of abortion websites, did you choose the one you cited? And really, think critically about your role in your research. If you really chose the site because it was the first one that came up on Google, what would Lasch have to say about that?
• There is no “right answer” to this paper — it is a reflective paper, a chance for you to think back on what you did and why.
• Make sure to work on your papers on your own. At this level, writing together or sharing work is not acceptable, even if this is something you were used to doing in high school.

Check out the Online Writing Lab at Purdue University for more citation tips. Remember that we are using APA (American Psychological Association) format and that incorrect citations will affect your grade.
To find APA information, click on the APA link above and scroll to the bottom of the page.

Article From a Database

Smyth, A. M., Parker, A. L., & Pease, D. L. (2002). A study of enjoyment of peas. Journal of Abnormal Eating, 8(3). 120-125.

Newspaper Article

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Title of Newspaper. Retrieved from http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/

Parker-Pope, T. (2008, May 6). Psychiatry handbook linked to drug industry. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com

Nonperiodical Web Document, Web Page, or Report

List as much of the following information as possible (you sometimes have to hunt around to find the information; don’t be lazy. If there is a page like http://www.somesite.com/somepage.htm, and somepage.htm doesn’t have the information you’re looking for, move up the URL to http://www.somesite.com/):

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of document. Retrieved from http://Web address

Electronic Sources

If possible, cite an electronic document the same as any other document by using the author-date style.

Kenneth (2000) explained… “vvvvvvvv” (p. 125).

Sources Without Page Numbers

When an electronic source lacks page numbers, you should try to include information that will help readers find the passage being cited. When an electronic document has numbered paragraphs, use the ¶ symbol, or the abbreviation “para.” followed by the paragraph number (Hall, 2001, ¶ 5) or (Hall, 2001, para. 5). If the paragraphs are not numbered and the document includes headings, provide the appropriate heading and specify the paragraph under that heading. Note that in some electronic sources, like Web pages, people can use the Find function in their browser to locate any passages you cite.

According to Smith (1997), … (Mind over Matter section, para. 6).

Week 7

Monday, October 12: Sontag/Pulitzer discussion

Wednesday, October 14: Turn in Pulitzer Assignment
In class writing
Begin issues discussion
Receive Position Paper assignment

Friday, October 16: Meet in the Mansfield Library SLC for source workshop

Week 8

Monday, October 19: Continue issues discussion

Wednesday, October 21: Turn in Position Paper 1
In class writing
Read and Discuss Christopher Lasch, “Lost Art of Argument”

Friday, October 23: Meet in the Mansfield Library SLC for source workshop

Week 9

Monday, October 26: Continue issues/Lasch discussion

Wednesday, October 28: Turn in Position Paper 2
Discussion of Position Papers
Assign Source Paper

Friday, October 30: Meet in the Mansfield Library SLC for source sleuthing

Week 10

Monday, November 2: Discuss source paper

Wednesday, November 4: Turn in Source Paper
Discuss Source paper and Position papers

Friday, November 6: Last day of class/Wrap up

Don’t miss two opportunities — on Wednesday, October 21 — to meet and listen to Andrew Sean Greer, MFA ’96, author of this year’s First-Year Experience book, The Confessions of Max Tivoli. First-year students are invited to attend an informal seminar with the author at 2:10 p.m. in the UC Theater; then, later that evening, all are invited to attend his public lecture/reading, “How to Live Backwards,” at 7:30 p.m. in the University Theater.  Greer is not only an internationally acclaimed author, but also a charismatic speaker and a former UM student with fond memories of this campus.

• “A public opinion poll is no substitute for thought.”   Warren Buffet
• “Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”  John. F. Kennedy
• “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not to their own facts.”  Daniel Patrick Moynihan
• “The majority have no other reason for their opinions other than that they are in fashion.”  Samuel Johnson
• “Opinion is the exercise of the human will which helps us to make a decision without information.”  John Erskine
• “It is no crime to be ignorant of economics, which is, after all, a specialized discipline and one that most people consider to be a ‘dismal science.’  But it is totally irresponsible to have a loud and vociferous opinions on economic subjects while remaining in this state of ignorance.”  Murray Rothbard

Our class on Friday will be in our regular classroom NOT in the Library. See you in GBB 202. Please bring your print ads.

Your first paper is due on Monday in class. Here are some structural things that you will need to keep in mind.
* At the top right of your paper you should have the following information
Your Name
My Name
Advertising Assignment
September 21, 2009

* You need to have at least 4 full pages

* Font should be Times New Roman

* Paper should be double spaced

* Margins should be one inch all around

* Have an original title — you can’t call your paper “Hunger as Ideology” because Bordo already used that!

Some general writing tips:

* This paper is analyzing two ads to see if they support or refute Bordo’s arguments.

* Have a thesis clearly stated in your introductory paragraph. You thesis must focus on whether the ads you have agree with Bordo, disagree with Bordo, or complicate her arguments.

* Use Bordo to support your arguments to use her text to show where she has a weak argument. Make sure that you use direct quotes and properly cite the page numbers.

* For example: your paper might read According to Bordo (1991), “men eat, women prepare” (p. 156). You’d then go on to explain why you used this quote and how it fits in to your paper’s argument.

* You should have a page of citations that looks like this:

Bordo, S. (1991). “Hunger as Ideology.” in David Bartholomae and Anthony Petrosky (Eds.), Ways of Reading: An Anthology for Writers (138-171). Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.

Below are  links to the food commercials we watched in class on Friday. Check them out as you read the Bordo article and prepare for your first writing assignment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NurSfj6xhnw  grilling 3:30
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cFhzVMfXaXE&feature=related  http://www.errolmorris.com/commercials/miller/miller_bacon.html

http://www.errolmorris.com/commercials/miller/miller_fullcart.html

http://www.errolmorris.com/commercials/miller/miller_salad.html

http://www.errolmorris.com/commercials/miller/miller_sally.html

These are the dates associated with the Day of Dialogue pre-events this year. . .be sure to check them out. If you’ve never seen a sand mandala before, it is incredible! And remember that the Day of Dialogue is on October 29 – all day in the UC.

September 29th- Mississippi Queen Film and Discussion 7-9p.m. UC Theater

Growing up a good Baptist girl, Paige learned to love God, first, then her family. However, her senior year in high school would lead to a relationship with a girl, and all of that would turn on its head. Over ten years later, she attempts to find balance in her marriage and commitment to a woman and the fact that her parents run Mississippi’s only ex-gay ministry

October 21-23rd- Sand Mandala UC Atrium, Discussion 22nd UC Theater 4-5:30p.m.

From all the artistic traditions of Tantric Buddhism, that of painting with colored sand
ranks as one of the most unique and exquisite. In Tibetan, this art is called dul-tson-kyilkhor,
which literally means “mandala of colored powders.” Millions of grains of sand are
painstakingly laid into place on a flat platform over a period of days or weeks.
The most common substance used in the creation of dul-tson-kyil-khor is colored sands.
In ancient times powdered precious and semi precious gems were also used. Thus
lapis-lazuli would be used for the blues, rubies for the reds and so forth.
Formed of a traditional prescribed iconography that includes geometric shapes and a
multitude of ancient spiritual symbols, the sand-painted mandala is used as a tool for reconsecrating
the earth and its inhabitants.

October 26-28th- Tunnel of Oppression UC Ballroom Tours 11-1:30 and 4-7p.m.

I hate to say it, but summer is starting to wrap up – at least for me. Pretty soon it will be Fall semester, new and returning students will be back on campus, and we’ll be ready to jump into Freshman Seminar. You probably aren’t all as excited as I am for our class to begin, but I hope that you are looking forward to starting your college experience here at UM. And if you have any questions at all about life here at UM (living in the dorms, eating at the Food Zoo, class life, whatever) don’t be afraid to ask — I was a freshman here in the 90s, and I’m happy to answer any questions you have. A link to my email is on the main blog page.

Keep an eye on this blog — bookmark it on your computer or keep the address somewhere. It will be one of the main ways I communicate with you throughout the semester.

I’m a big fan of random questions as a way of getting to know each other. . .through the semester I’ll probably be posting several questions on the blog that you can respond to in your comments. . .I’ll start with one now. . .

In the comments, tell us what your ideal vacation is and why. I’ll start with my answer: right now my ideal vacation is to Italy, because I’ve always wanted to see where 2/3 of my family is from. Lucky me — I’ve got a conference there right before school starts! Lucky you — I’ll be relaxed and happy when class begins, though probably still dreaming of Italian food and beaches!