The assignment requires that in your essay you refer to Ellen Goodman’s article “Remanufacturing Athletes” and one of the other readings that we have read on the question of performance enhancement in sports. For Friday, decide on a thesis, a statement of your position on the fairness question presented in the assignment. Write a list of reasons why you take this position. Then decide which article you want to include as support for your point of view and print it out. Bring this document, along with your thesis statement and list of reasons/points to class on Friday. You will use these materials to begin writing a draft during our class period.
Published on November 2, 2009 in h. Week Nine. Closed
My apologies for the class cancellation today due to a sudden family emergency. The library hasn’t scheduled us yet, so as of now we will meet in our regular class on Wednesday. I will update you on the library visit.
On Wednesday we will discuss the details of the essay that will be due next Monday (Nov. 9th). To prepare for this assignment, refresh your memory on the important issues relating to performance enhancement, and think seriously about your position on the question of what is fair and what isn’t.
FOR MONDAY: Read Eric Adelson’s article, “Let ‘Em Play,” (see the link below) from ESPN Magazine. On Monday you will be asked to discuss Adelson’s vision of the future regarding disabled athletes. To prepare for this discussion, write a short paragraph explaining this vision and bring this to class with you.
Read the New York Times Blog post by John Tierney, “What’s Natural About Olympic Athletes?” and the New York Times article by Jeré Longman, “An Amputee Sprinter: Is He Disabled or Too-Abled?”
After reading these two pieces very carefully, respond to both of the following prompts. Post your response by Sunday at 10 pm.
Tierney: Respond thoughtfully and in detail to one of the questions that Tierney raises in his blog post.
Longman: Based on Longman’s article, do you think that there is a good reason for the fears that have been raised about what might happen if Pistorius or others like him are allowed to compete in the Olympics? Explain why or why not. Which concerns, if any, seem fair and which do not?
Published on October 12, 2009 in e. Week Five. Closed
If you were wondering about the blog post that was in the syllabus, STOP worrying! I forgot to announce at the end of Friday’s class that this post would not be required this weekend.
“Driven to Distraction: Utah Gets Tough with Texting Drivers” and “Who’s Driving Twitter’s Popularity? Not Teens.” These are both available at the links below.
Read both of these articles and complete the reading response assignment provided in class. A copy of this assignment will be available on the course documents page. There will be no blog post due this week. Instead, write out your response and bring it to class on Monday.
After completing the reading by David Quammen (pages 218-223) and the related reading on pages 230-231, respond to the first and last bullet points listed on page 230. These ask you to compare the two readings, focusing on specific elements of comparison. Your post should be two short paragraphs long, one in response to each of the two bullet points. This post is due by Tuesday, September 29th, at 10:00 PM.
Please respond to the following two prompts by Sunday at 10 pm. Read your classmates’ posts. Feel free to respond to them in the blog. We will discuss these readings in more detail on Monday.
After reading “Black Men and Public Space,” consider Brent Staples’ technique for drawing the reader into his point of view. Describe this technique, as you see it. Was he effective in getting you to see the world through his eyes? Explain why or why not.
Look again at “Comes a Turtle, Comes the World.” Find one sentence that you think captures a particularly important point that Carl Safina is making, and explain why you think it is important. What does this sentence reveal about the author, his perspective, his purpose in writing this essay?
After reading “Soup” and “I’m Not Leaving Until I Eat This Thing,” watch the YouTube video clip from Seinfeld below.
Then respond to the following two prompts:
1. Comparing the New Yorker profile of Albert Yeganeh and the clips from the Seinfeld episodes, do you think the Seinfeld “soup Nazi” character is a fair representation of the person described in the article? Why or why not? Be specific.
2. Choose two elements of the essay by John Edge that you found most engaging. These could be descriptive style, word choice, use of figurative language (see pages 172, 617-618), the topic described, or the writer’s chosen role (see page 99). Explain what it was that caught your attention and how you responded to those elements as a reader.
When you are finished and have posted your comments, read some of your classmates’ posts and respond thoughtfully to two of them. Come back and check the blog to read any comments on your post.
