ENG 1101 (D382) Comp 1, fall 2017

Hi Class,

Our final exam is in N 1007 on the 18th. Students have the full period to finish the exam (one hour and 15 minutes). There is no lab.

• I will bring the dictionary.

• Pens or pencils are fine, but please write as neatly as possible.

• Please no food or drink or phones.

• Arrive five minutes early.

Rest well, and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Prof. Scanlan

Hi Class,

Essay 3 is due at the beginning of class on Wednesday. Make sure to print out both the Annotated Bibliography and the Essay.

In a paper folder, include:

1. Final Draft of Essay 3 and Annotated Bibliography
2. All prior drafts
3. All peer reviews (3)
4. Photocopies/printouts of quotation sources

Please proofread your work with care, and please do not allow technology to be an excuse.

No late essays will be accepted.

-Prof. Scanlan

Hi Class,

Remember that we have a research day on Wednesday, December 6th–so do not meet in class. Here is a copy of the homework:

research homework

A full draft of Essay 3 is due on December 11. Try to bring in at least 4 pages of written prose. And also bring in an updated, revised, and editing annotated bibliography.

Email any questions.

Prof. Scanlan

Hi Class,

Just added:

Here is the peer review sheet for the Annotated Bibliography:

Essay3-AnnotBib-PeerReview

Jokes!

1. Question: Which word becomes shorter when you add two letters to it?

 Answer: Short

2. A teacher pointed to Jim and asked “quick, Jim, name two pronouns.”

Jim answered “who, me?”

3. Question: What should you say in order to comfort a ruffled grammar fanatic?

Answer: “There, their, they’re.”

4. Question:  what’s the difference between a cat and a comma?

Answer: One has claws at the end of its paws. The other has a pause at the end of a clause.

For Monday, bring in a draft of Essay 3–at least one page. Make sure to spend considerable time crafting the introduction, thesis, and method. Make sure the thesis is an argument.

Also, prepare for Quiz 3, which will cover: citation unscrambling; If-then sentences, and Russell Shorto’s “Henry Hudson” article on page 232.

Best,

Prof. Scanlan

Homework Due Wednesday: The Freewrite Portfolio

* Step one: read through your notebook and select three freewrites that you like.

* Step two: Make a copy of these three freewrites (retype or photocopy)

* Step three: write a 300 word reflection on these three freewrites and how freewriting can help you in the future. You can also write about how you might change the ways that you use freewriting.

* Turn in the freewrite copies and the 300 word reflection on Wednesday.

-Prof. Scanlan

Below, I’ve included information below pertaining to recording your own interview.

Obtaining information by direct questions is a form of primary source material, so you may want to conduct a short interview with a person connected to your topic/site. You may conduct the interview in person, by email, or by phone.

Conducting an Interview:

1. Determine your purpose, and be sure it relates to your research question and perhaps even your hypothesis.

2. Set up the interview well in advance. Introduce yourself cordially and professionally. State who you are and why you want to conduct an interview.  Specify how long it will take, and if you wish to record the session–always ask permission to record or photograph.

3. Prepare a written list of factual and open-ended questions. Brainstorming or freewriting can help you come up with questions. Leave plenty of space for notes after each question. If the interview proceeds in a new or different direction, don’t panic, let the person speak. Do not feel that you have to be prepared for every question or response.

4. Record the subject, date, time, and place of the interview.

5. Thank the person that you interview (in person or by email). Be professional in all interactions.

6. Very important: right after the interview, sit down and rewrite your notes and reflect on the interview. If you do not do this now, you will forget vital information. Do this while it is fresh.

Cheers,

Sean

Abrar Shameem

Essay 2: The Photo Essay: Describing, Comparing, and Storytelling

English 1101

Nov 1, 2017

Open to Interpretation

Every day we walk passed things that hold so much value and potential to be looked through. Many times we stop and admire, and many times we don’t want to appreciate what took so much creativity and time to conjure up. But when people actually take just a minute out of their day and admire, their eyes open to a whole new world they never stopped to consider before. And the best part is, everyone holds a different opinion on what’s good and what’s bad about a subject; which in my opinion makes the subject universal in some aspect. Seeing something with your own eyes is great, but stopping to capture the moment erases the thought of a fleeting moment being just that, a fleeting moment. That photo will live on as a remnant of lost time, and through the ages becomes open to interpretation on what the owner was feeling in that moment. Susan Sontag in On Photography says that pictures of people, distant lands and faraway cities invoke strong emotion and lead people to ponder (539). I agree. In this essay I want to talk about photos—in general and two of my own, to talk about how I consider photography to be an art because of how it’s open to opinion and interpretation.

My first photo was taken just as me and my family were leaving Six Flags on the night of October 21, 2017 at exactly 10:58pm. The sky was very gloomy and dark, ironically, because Six Flags had a Halloween theme going on called Fright Fest. There was a crescent moon, sky filled with clouds that looked like they were ready to drop rain any second, and the parks smoke machines acted as if they were on overdrive. Complementing the dark sky was an array of vibrant lights set up all across the park. So much so that the pairing of them with the fake smoke caused us to literally not be able to see more than about twenty-five feet ahead of us—I can safely say that was one of the scarier experiences I had there. The studium of the picture is what seems to be a statue of a demonic creature with a pumpkin head and a cane. Surrounding him is a pool of water that’s lit up with bright red lights to simulate blood, and lastly there are tombstones and skeletons around the edges. Also visible is some of the fake smoke I was talking about earlier, with an eatery and some rides in the background. Seeing the contrast between the light and dark I remembered that it would be a great opportunity to capture a photo before we would leave. Which reminded me of when Sontag said: “The one who wears a different expression holds a camera to his eye; he seems self-possessed, is almost smiling… only he has mastered the situation. What do these people see? We don’t know” (535). What she said here perfectly matches my take on photography. What’s being photographed is totally in your hands; you’re in control. Your take on the subject can be different than anyone else’s. Everything in the subject can be looked from seemingly infinite perspectives with stories lined up to be told in the future.

My second photo was taken at exactly 1:20pm on the 5^th of July. Let me provide some backstory: I drove to wok that day and my heart was racing. I didn’t know what to expect; I worked daycare so the whole time I was wondering if I would get along with the kids or not, or if I’d get along with my coworkers and my boss. But luckily everything I went smooth. I was on break and since I worked at Queensbridge, I decided to snap a quick shot of the Queensboro Bridge. The sun was shining and the waters were calm. You can of course see the bridge itself, along with the Manhattan skyline in the background, clear skies and a calm vibe. The bridge didn’t seem that busy, which at the time I contributed to the fact that many people were probably on vacation. The trees were greener than ever, and I’d just finished my break. But what gets me every time I see this picture is the punctum. This was the first day of my first job ever. Every single day I would see this bridge, whether it would be on my way to work, taking the kids to the park, or actually using the bridge to go on field trips. Sontag mentions later on that pictures are “A way of certifying experience” (534). To everyone else who sees the bridge, they might not think anything of it; or they might have something else to contribute about it through their perspective. But etched in my mind are everything I remember from working there whenever I see the bridge.

In sum, photos will continue to evolve and engage with people for the years to come. And I hope people will be as open minded now about particular subjects then. I know photos have a lot more meaning than what most think. I learned to interpret pictures in a plethora of ways. The studium, which is the basic subject is fine and all, but it’s better to look a little into everything. Not everyone will be looking at the same thing; something insignificant to you can be someone else’s highlight, and emotions will be scattered through everyone’s minds.

Works Cited Page

Sontag, Susan. “On Photography”. Essays of the 1960’s & 70’s. pp. 534

Sontag, Susan. “On Photography”. Essays of the 1960’s & 70’s. pp. 535

Sontag, Susan. “On Photography”. Essays of the 1960’s & 70’s. pp.  539

Hi Class,

For Wednesday: Journal 7

This journal is a make-up journal. If you have turned in all six journals then the points for completing this assignment will be awarded to your participation/homework grade. Directions: Write a 300 word journal in which you summarize your research project/place and then pose and try to begin answering five research questions. See the Research Process handout for more information on research questions.

Research Process: Research Project Process

Also:

Students may still hand in the homework that was due today (Monday 11/20). This was essentially a draft of the annotated bibliography: five bibliographic entries and an annotation for each entry. This document should look a lot like the student sample that we read through today, just shorter. The more work students do on their annotated bibliography, the better the essay will be.

Best,

Prof. Scanlan

Hi Class,

Under the “Readings” menu tab, please find the Annotated Bibliography and the Essay about 5 Pointz. It is not perfect, but it displays the main goal of the assignment: to weave quotations together.

Best,

Prof. Scanlan

Hi Class,

Please throw away your weekly schedule and refer to the revised the end of semester due dates.

Best,
Prof. Scanlan