Class Assignment: Imitation Exercise

I think the title is pretty self-explanatory. I'm imitating things. This assignment was a little difficult for me ~ probably because my creative juices are still curled up fast asleep in their warm bed in the morning kinda like the rest of me wants to be. These are some simpler sentences that I was able to imitate/complete to my satisfaction.

Sentence: London was hideous, vicious, cruel, and above all overwhelming. ~ Henry James
Me: The wizard was malicious, vengeful, evil, and above all power hungry.

Sentence: He remembered much of his stay in the womb. While there, he began to be aware of sounds and tastes... Yet he was not afraid. The changes were right. It was time for them. His body was ready. ~ Octavia Butler
Me: He remembered what it was like to live in fear. It was what had shaped him into the man he was, wary and alert and always at the ready... yet he knew there was something more. Rebellion was in the air. The city was ripe for it. His time had come.

Sentence: Writing, reading, thinking, imagining, speculating. These are luxury activities, so I am reminded, permitted to a privileged few, whose idle hours of the day can be viewed otherwise than as a bowl of rice or a loaf of bread less to share with the family. ~ Trinh T. Ninh-ha
Me: Laughing, eating, cooing, sleeping, wriggling. What kind of life is there like that of a baby, who spends two-thirds of his day sleeping and the rest in seemingly deep contemplation of his tiny universe, completely oblivious to common concerns like where the next rent payment is coming from or wondering how many boxes of ramen noodles it would take to mummify your insides.

Class Assignment: Encomium **warning** [somewhat] lengthy post ahead

Assignment: Write an invective/encomium about the following topic: "the value of a humanities education." The paper that you write should be 600-900 words in length. Show off your rhetorical abilities to make a strong appeal to your audience.

    So this is it—your baby's about to head off to college, they're still debating what they want to do with that four plus years of their life, and you're sweating bullets. Time to to do a little time travel, folks. Fire up that flux capacitor and take a ride back to your senior year of high school—what do you see?

    A few of you have your degree choices or maybe even your whole life mapped out at this point. Props to you, but you're in the minority here. To be perfectly honest, most of you are excited and hyped to the nines, but you're also scared silly. I mean, just these four years could decide what the rest of your life is going to look like, and you have more control over that destiny now than even you care to admit. But there is so much for you to choose from, and perhaps your desires are tugging you in a direction not quite aligned with that of your parents...

    Now, regardless of your decision or what your parents thought of it, and with the benefit of hindsight, what are you going to say to your child? You want them to have a career that is highly beneficial to them in the long run. But you want them to do something that they love. And sometimes it just doesn't look like the two can mix. Can't let them go and take a deep breath as they plunge into the future that awaits them—whether it be nuclear scientist or starving author? Maybe I can help.

    Try to imagine a bird without its feathers. A flower without its petals. A tree without its leaves. Sure, they would all function in essentially the same way. But the bird would not catch your eye as it flitted past; it would be hopping around, mournfully earthbound, looking wistfully at the sky. Flowers would no longer be bought for sweethearts on Valentines Day, and the bare skeletons of trees would make you think ever of winter even during the blissful balminess of spring. They would all be in essence what they were before—so why would we miss their feathers, petals, and leaves so dreadfully? Because they were what endeared these things to us, gave them their vibrancy, lifted them about the mere dreariness of basic functionality.

    Now consider this: science, math, engineering—all those promising paths that ensure almost certain career success—these are the basic structure, the skeleton, the building blocks on which society is built. But the humanities—language, religion, the arts, philosophy; those uncertain, almost tainted career paths in today's culture—these are the feathers, the petals, the leaves which make the human life more vibrant, more attractive, more colorful. They add a certain unexplainable life and depth to the basic structure of everyday-ness and seem to breath a new dimension into the strict orderliness demanded by science.

    The science professor didn't learn to teach in his science courses. Those taught him what to teach. His language professor taught him how. Those cathedrals in Europe you swooned over during last year's vacation? Someone had to know some fairly precise mathematical equations to be able to build them, but they also depended on the expertise of many others to make them the majestic buildings that inspire awe in art historians to this day.

    My point? You could make a cake with just the flour, the salt, and the baking powder. It would be a cake. But it just wouldn't taste the same without the vanilla, the sugar, and the cocoa. Don't try to force your child into making what you think would be the best decision for them. Not because your parents did and you swore you'd never make the same mistake with your own kids. But because you know that in the end, it takes all kinds to make the world what it is today—and you'll be bragging about them to your friends regardless.

Class Assignment: Enthymemes

Assignment: Some popular slogans are conclusions or premises of enthymemes. The statement that "Elvis has left the building" is part of a long enthymematic argument whose other premises are never stated. Think of three popular phrases or slogans and articulate their other premises.

Milk is good for you.
Famous people drink milk.
Got milk?

Think you know what is possible?
AT&T will help you think again.
Re-think possible.

Tastes good.
It's cheap.
I'm lovin' it ;-)

p.s. "Beginnings of a Project" has been updated ;-)

Class Assignment: Passage in a paratactical style

Assignment: Write a 200-word descriptive passage in a paratactical style.

I had just come home from school and it was dark outside. I walked down the driveway toward the house and the lights came on. There was a crack that I did not see and I tripped and stumbled onto the grass beside the concrete. The cat was sitting in front of the door. The garage smelled musty and was full of boxes and bicycles and coats and shoes lay scattered about leaving almost no surface clear. There was light coming from under the door and I could hear laughing and rattling dishes. I opened the door and set down my backpack beside the garbage can. My little sister ran to me and I gave her a hug. Bread was baking in the oven and my parents were playing cards and two sisters washed and dried the dishes, chattering and arguing faster than they scrubbed. The dog was at the door barking at the invisible intruder behind it. I picked up my baby brother, he laughed and I shuffled over to the couch and sat down and sighed happily. It was good to be home.

Class Assignment: Passages in a verbal style

Assignment: Develop two 200-word passages in a verbal style; one for conjectural stasis, the other for the definitional.

Conjectural: My big toe glows a bright red, throbs with a gentle pulse, slowly oozes fluid. Sparks of pain scramble up my leg and take a passing stab at my knee. I swallow tears of pain; it wouldn't do to cry after biting back my initial yelp. Clutching my foot for a moment or two while hopping along, I decide it would be faster (although I'll probably regret the pain) to drop it and hobble back to my room. Tossing a fierce glare backwards at the offending bench, I limp a few more steps before I sink pathetically down on the grass lining the walkway and moan a couple times. So what if I'm fishing for some sympathy. I deserve it. Ripping off my flip flops and tossing them several feet away and resolving to take revenge on the genius who stuck a bench where I could so easily injure myself, I have just about reached the end of my rope. Then my bag chirps. I discover delightedly that I have received a text, and, typing furiously, strive to get back into the groove of my conversation - the one that had just been so rudely interrupted.

Definitional: Time to assess the damages. The first shock is past, I am firmly and comfortably settled beside the bustling walkway (and yes, plenty of people are staring); this toe needs some attention. Peering closer, I shudder to discover copious amounts of shredded skin that's lined with crunchy gravel, and those nasty little bits are gnawing at the raw pinkness underneath. I poke gingerly at a not-quite-so-pink spot and wince, squeak, and peer around to see if that got me any attention. Attempt one: failed. This is gonna hurt. Pulling out my water bottle and a tissue, I make the necessary preparations for my invasion of raw, pink, squeal-inducing territory, then dab cautiously at the wound's edge. Squeal two: successful. On a stubbed-toe scale of one to ten, this one is definitely a twelve. But I still have a war to win. I squirt more water onto the soggy tissue, close my eyes, and steel myself for the painfully inevitable. And then I take a swipe.

Class Assignment: Bumper Stickers

Assignment: Find a large parking lot. Copy down the bumper stickers (vanity plates count too) that you see on the vehicles parked there ~ each of these commonplaces makes an argument and implies an ideologic. Try to figure out the arguments and ideologics that underlie bumper stickers you have seen.

I found a LOT of bumper stickers. Here are a select and [hopefully] varied few.

REDCOAT (vanity plate): This one is definitely making a political statement. Exactly what it is, I'm not entirely sure. Just a proud Brit? We should never have split with the British empire in the first place? All for big government? All of the above?

∑ AΩ : Or in other words [English], Sigma Alpha Omega. Did you know there was a Christian sorority? Neither did I, until I looked these characters up. The first mind picture this conjures up for me is a cross between a Bible thumper and a  party girl. hahaha yeahhh... no. Their slogan is "One in Christ through unity in sisterhood," and after looking up the chapter at NCState I was only slightly more reconciled to the whole idea. Which is... to get together a group of girls from all kinds of Christian backgrounds who (after paying an arm and a leg) do fun things and service projects while still holding true to their biblical values. I'm guessing this person just really, really wanted somewhere to belong, had the money to blow and was therefore willing to pay $210/semester to get together with a group of likeminded girls (and do things that likeminded girls would probably do anyway) under an official title. Draw your own conclusions, but it looks kinda fishy to me.

Fire District #13: Probably the most straightforward (and I know I'm stereotyping here, but that's kinda the point :-P) one here. Firefighter ~ patriotic. Service-oriented. In shape.  Probably conservative. Cute (*winkwink*). Courageous. Selfless. 

Don't Litter ~ Spay and Neuter: Obviously against overpopulation, although they'd probably argue it's only in the case of animals. Pet owner/lover. Probably a member of PETA and/or ASPCA. Liberal.

(Please, feel free to disagree with and voice your disagreement on any or all of these, or just throw in your two cents. I'd love to hear some more sides.)

Class Assignment: Confirmation & Refutation

Assignment: Select a debatable question from history and write a confirmation and refutation on the question. Matters of fact are not suitable for this exercise since they need not be confirmed, nor can they be refuted.

Question: Was the Civil War fought over slavery?
Assertion to be confirmed: Slavery was a factor in the Civil War, but was not its main cause.

Certainty: Slavery had already been in place for a long time before the Civil War started; the war actually began soon after states started seceding from the Union.
Possibility: It is a possibility that President Lincoln would have allowed slavery to stay in place had that been the way to keep the Union together.
Convenience: Tariffs imposed by the North were not enough of an issue to get everyone excited. Slavery was an easy thing to invoke to get people involved, since the South was dependent on slave labor for its economic well being.

Refutation:
Uncertainty: It has never been clear why the South wanted to secede from the Union, but it's logical to think it was slavery. After all, the southern states did depend on it and tempers were starting to rise over it at that time.
Impossibility: The North was wrong and overstepping its boundaries to impose itself on the South; it was impossible for the South not to react in some way.
Inconvenience: The imposition of taxes and opposition of slavery was decidedly inconvenient for the South, and an obvious reason it would want to rebel.

Class Assignment: Argument Analysis

Assignment: Find a compelling letter or op-ed piece. Write a brief analysis of the argument: what is the issue? at what stasis does the argument seem to lie? can you determine what position(s) the author is attacking? can he achieve stasis with his opponents given the way he has stated the issue and the ground upon which he has taken his stand?
The article: An Amendment Heedless of History, from the Sunday 1/30/11 edition of the N&O.


In this article the author is discussing a proposed amendment to the Constitution that would "allow the dis-enactment of 'any provision of law or regulation'" passed by Congress "upon the vote of two-thirds of the state legislatures." However, the purpose of the article is less a discussion of the potential consequences of this amendment than an attempt to discover why Representative Rob Bishop of Utah proposed it. As a result, the argument seems to be resting at stasis poiotes, or the stasis of quality, since the author seems to be questioning whether or not this is something serious enough to deserve attention/action. It is rather apparent that he is against the proposed amendment, however, I don't think he has achieved stasis yet. The amendment has already been proposed and therefore needs to be and has already been acted upon, putting it at the level of stasis metalepsis, or the stasis of policy/jurisdiction. The author, instead of merely citing history, needs to have a strong argument as to why, here and now, this amendment should not be added.

Class Assignment: the Tale

It was a quiet bedtime ritual he had come to look forward to as much as his children: reading a book out loud. Tonight was no different; little Rose and Freddie sat rapt on cushions before him on the floor as they followed Almanzo Wilder of Farmer Boy out to his father's barn and to the forbidden pen where the young colts were kept, then crouched in fear beside him after he lifted the latch and they flooded out the gate, threatening to trample him. His voice galloping along with the 'thundering hooves' of the colts, he had to check himself as he was interrupted by a small voice: “Um, Daddy?” “Yes, honey.” “Thundering hooves?” “Well sweetie, that's the kind of sound their feet made on the ground while they were running.” “Ohhh, thunder--no lightning.” Wow, did this three-year-old just say what he thought she said? He was feeling pretty impressed with himself and the child he had produced, that she had made that kind of connection. What a kid. Having finished his explanation, he settled back into his chair with a smug smile and prepared to continue the story. “Dad?” It was five-year-old Freddie this time—but now he was prepared. Placing the book on his knee, he looked affectionately down at the little boy and asked, “What's up, son?” With a beaming grin on his face, Freddie declared to his expectant father: “I like cake.”

Class Assignment: the Fable

Once there was a scruffy dog who was fed his owner's leftovers, had a rug in the corner, and was occasionally forgotten outside at night. He was, however, allowed to roam wherever he pleased, and he believed that he led a happy life. One afternoon, he happened upon a well-fed dog on a leash who told him of a home where they were fed three square meals a day, never forgotten outside, and slept on cushions beside the fireplace. The scruffy dog, curious as always, decided to see this wonderful house for himself. He discovered while watching it that the small yard was surrounded by a high fence, dogs who did not come inside immediately were switched, and very few of the cushions were near enough the fireplace to feel its warmth. He discovered the truth that “those who trade their freedom for security deserve neither freedom nor security.”

First class assignment - Part 1

Assignment: 1. Make a list of current issues/hot topics. Pick one or two and just write about them for at least 15 minutes. Let the writing sit for a couple hours or days, then come back and read them again. 2. Find your position on the issue(s), where you stand in relation on it/them to those in authority and to your peers, and the stance taken by those who disagree. How would people respond to your opinions? 3. Now pick your favorite topic and write about it for 15 minutes again. 4. Give your writing to someone you trust; discuss it with them, take careful note of their opinions, and revise it if your opinion changes.

Consider what there is to say; before whom, in whose defence, against whom, at what time and place, under what circumstances; what is the popular opinion on the subject; and what the prepossessions of the judges are likely to be; and finally of what we should express our deprecation or desire.

~ Quintilian

gun control

civil rights

the economy

global warming

health care

Internet control bill

For this one, I think I have to go with gun control. After the shooting in Tucson and the most recent one at a high school (in California, I think?), everyone I hear talking about them brings up the issue of gun control, and unfortunately it seems that most people are in favor of it. It sounded good to me at first, but the collected wisdom of several people I respect quickly helped me to see that it's not really the solution. It brings to mind that quote “Those who sacrifice their freedom for security deserve neither freedom nor security.” Let's face it, our nation is getting lazier and lazier. Instead of people taking initiative and wanting to deal with their own problems, they blame the government for everything and expect it to take care of whatever they don't want to deal with. Roads? Gov.'s problem. Elderly parents? Let the government take care of 'em. Gosh sakes people, they're YOUR family! Poverty? We can't be the generous ones, it has to be the government. There doesn't seem to be a concept of community anymore, much less family. We can't take responsibility for the things we see our children being taught or the video games they play or the religions they might choose to dabble in; when one happens to go psycho, who do we blame? The gun. Yeah, this spoon is making me fat. Get real. We all know that freedom isn't free; we should be willing to take a little risk, let responsible citizens have guns, and when a loopy guy gets thrown into the mix it won't be just people screaming and running for cover. Someone will take initiative and stand up and defend their fellow citizens, and loopy guy goes the hospital, the insane asylum or the prison. It frustrates me to see that people are so willing to just give up control to a government that hasn't really been able to handle things that well in the first place. I'd say it all boils down to laziness. Freedom isn't free. Be willing to give some security up to know that you've earned your right to be called an American citizen.