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TOPICS:

For each of the assigned essays, a topic or list of topic choices will be provided. Select one of the topics to discuss in a well-developed, coherent, and thoughtful essay. Your essay must be on one of the assigned topics for that assignment or developed in consultation with the instructor, or it will receive a grade of �F�. All essays must be submitted on or before the due date, by the beginning of the class period; late work will not be accepted.

Essays must be at least two hundred fifty to three hundred fifty (250-350) words, free of errors in mechanics, grammar, usage, spelling, and documentation; at-home essays must be typed, double-spaced, and submitted on or before the due date.

Be sure to focus carefully on the topic, and remember that these are formal essays: they must have an appropriate, original title; contain an introduction, body, and conclusion; have a clear, explicit, assertive, objectively worded thesis statement (thesis statements must be underlined); and (unless otherwise indicated) avoid use of I or you throughout. Essays should be grammatically correct, free of errors in mechanics, grammar, usage, spelling, and documentation. Please refer to the Paragraph Outline or Essay Outline and Revising and Editing Checklist for additional assistance.
 

Diagnostic Essay (Tuesday, Sept. 10):
Select one of the following topics. (Use of "I" is allowed for both choices.) Note that while the first two topics are similar, they are not identical: a moment of glory may be brief, not life-changing; a life-changing event may not be a moment of glory!

1.) Write a narrative account of a time you enjoyed a "moment of glory" other than completing high school, receiving your driver�s license, or participating in a sports- or competition-related event. Explain what happened, how you reacted, and why you reacted the way that you did. Be sure to explain both the immediate and the long-term significance of this event.

2.) Write a narrative account of a time you experienced a "life-changing event" (as above, other than completing high school, receiving your driver�s license, or participating in a sports- or competition-related event). This may be something you only later came to realize had significantly changed your life, or one that you immediately recognized as life-changing when it happened. Again, explain what happened, how you reacted, and why you reacted the way that you did, as well as both the immediate and the long-term significance of this event.

3.) Why are you here? That is, why are you attending LaGuardia Community College? What are your goals, your purpose, et cetera.

In-Class Essay 1 (Tuesday, Sept. 17):
In "Why Are Students Turned Off?" by Casey Banas*, Ellen Glanz says that students like to describe their teachers as "drips, bores, and numerous varieties of idiots." Write a description of one of your high school teachers or college instructors who either does or does not fit that description. Show, in your essay, that your teacher or instructor was weak, boring, and idiotic�or just the opposite (dynamic, creative, and bright). In either case, your focus should be on providing specific details that enable your readers to see for themselves that your thesis is valid.

*Banas, Casey. �Why Are Students Turned Off?� College Writing Skills with Readings, 7 ed. Ed. John Langan. Boston: McGraw Hill, 2005. 657-59.

In-Class Essay 2 (Thursday, Oct. 11)
Select one of the following topics to discuss in a well-developed, coherent, and thoughtful essay. Essays must be at least two hundred fifty to three hundred fifty (250-350) words. Be sure to focus carefully on the topic, and remember that these are formal essays: they must contain an introduction, body, and conclusion and be grammatically correct, free of errors in mechanics, grammar, usage, spelling, and documentation.

Each topic involves a choice between two alternatives. Be sure to make clear which alternative you favor, offering at least two good, solid reasons for your choice, and explaining your reasoning. As you assert reasons, be sure to develop explanations for each, including evidence, examples, or other supporting information. Each topic also specifies a particular audience, such as a specific college official, the mayor, et cetera. Be sure to address your response to that audience, and remember that your purpose is to persuade that audience that you have chosen the better alternative.

Prewriting for the assignment may take place in groups; however, your final essay must be your own work. You will receive more specific instructions in class.

1. Due to recent events at other schools and colleges, the government has recently given a large grant to LaGuardia Community College to increase security and improve student safety on campus. Two options have been proposed: to increase the number of security guards on campus, or to install metal detectors at each entrance. There is enough money to fund only one of these proposals, however. Write a letter to the college president, Dr. Gail Mellow, explaining which option you support and why that option would most improve the safety of students. Begin your letter, Dear President Mellow:

2. Mayor Bloomberg has recently proposed several measures to decrease traffic and congestion in New York City. The city council is debating two specific measures to effect this: the first is to offer all New York City residents a $300 voucher for public transportation; the other is to charge all rush-hour drivers within the city an additional fee of up to $10. Write a letter in support of one proposal, explaining which one will most benefit commuters and reduce congestion in New York City. Begin your letter, Dear Mr. Bloomberg:

In-Class Essay 3 (Thursday, Nov. 1)
Select one of the following topics to discuss in a well-developed, coherent, and thoughtful essay. Essays must be at least two hundred fifty to three hundred fifty (250-350) words. Be sure to focus carefully on the topic, and remember that these are formal essays: they must contain an introduction, body, and conclusion and be grammatically correct, free of errors in mechanics, grammar, usage, spelling, and documentation.

Each topic involves a choice between two alternatives. Be sure to make clear which alternative you favor, offering at least two good, solid reasons for your choice, and explaining your reasoning. As you assert reasons, be sure to develop explanations for each, including evidence, examples, or other supporting information. Each topic also specifies a particular audience, such as a specific college official, the mayor, et cetera. Be sure to address your response to that audience, and remember that your purpose is to persuade that audience that you have chosen the better alternative.

1. According to recent news reports*, New York City anticipates a huge budget shortfall over the next few years: $2.7 billion in the 2009 fiscal year, growing to $4.8 billion in 2010 and $6.5 billion in 2011. Mayor Michael Bloomberg may institute hiring freezes and/or budget cuts in city services to address this issue . Consider two essential services: the Metropolitan Transit Agency (MTA), or public transportation, and the New York City Police Department (NYPD). Obviously, both are critical to the city, and ideally neither one would suffer a cut; however, if Mayor Bloomberg were forced to cut the budget for one of these services, which one should it be? And why? Write a letter to the mayor explaining which agency�s budget should be reduced, and why. Begin your letter, Dear Mr. Bloomberg:

*Cardwell, Diane. "Tighten Belts, Bloombeg Tells Officials." New York Times 31 Oct. 2007: B1, B2.

2. Faculty in several programs have recently suggested that students are inadequately prepared to do the higher-level writing required in their advanced or upper-level courses, or to succeed in four-year institutions upon graduation from LaGuardia Community College. To help improve students� writing skills, the English Department is considering two options: adding additional tutors and hours to the Writing Lab schedule, so more students can utilize the center on a drop-in basis, or making weekly Writing Lab attendance mandatory for all writing classes, not just for Basic Writing courses. Write a letter to the chairperson of the English Department, Dr. Sandra Hanson, explaining which option you support and why that option would most benefit students. Begin your letter, Dear Dr. Hanson:

In-Class Essay 4 (Tuesday, Nov. 20)
Select one of the following topics to discuss in a well-developed, coherent, and thoughtful essay. Essays must be at least two hundred fifty to three hundred fifty (250-350) words. Be sure to focus carefully on the topic, and remember that these are formal essays: they must contain an introduction, body, and conclusion and be grammatically correct, free of errors in mechanics, grammar, usage, spelling, and documentation.

Each topic involves a choice between two alternatives. Be sure to make clear which alternative you favor, offering at least two good, solid reasons for your choice, and explaining your reasoning. As you assert reasons, be sure to develop explanations for each, including evidence, examples, or other supporting information. Each topic also specifies a particular audience, such as a specific college official, the mayor, et cetera. Be sure to address your response to that audience, and remember that your purpose is to persuade that audience that you have chosen the better alternative.

1. According to recent news reports*, due to the mortgage and foreclosure crisis, "more than one million properties are expected to enter foreclosure this year." Many of those buildings, at least one in eight, are probably rental properties, and families who are renting may therefore face eviction, even though they have made all of their rent payments on time! In New York City, where a large number of low- and middle-income residents could potentially be affected, Mayor Michael Bloomberg could in theory take one of two measures to help address this issue: He could demand a halt to bank foreclosures on rental properties, or he could insist that renters currently residing in foreclosed properties be allowed to complete the terms of their leases even after the foreclosure. Assuming Mayor Bloomberg is able to get only one of these measures to protect renters passed, which one should it be? And why? Write a letter to the mayor explaining which option you support and why that option would benefit the most renters. Begin your letter, Dear Mr. Bloomberg:

*Leland, John. "As Owners Feel Mortgage Pain, So Do Renters." New York Times 18 Nov. 2007: 1, 35.

2. Some students attending community colleges in the CUNY system have said that they feel that the four-year schools in the system get preferential treatment in staffing and funding. To help address these concerns, CUNY is considering two options. The first is to allow students who enroll in one of the community colleges to take their first-year courses at any of the CUNY schools, not just at the community college, so long as there are available seats in the classes. The other is to share faculty between the community and four-year colleges of the CUNY system, so that all faculty would teach one or two courses at a community college and the remainder of their courses at a four-year school. Write a letter to the President of CUNY, Dr. William Kelly, explaining which option you support and why that option would most benefit students. Begin your letter, Dear Dr. Kelly:

Exit Exam: Final In-Class Essay (TBA)
Instructions:  You will have two hours to write an essay of at least three hundred (300) words, on one of the topics provided. Before you begin to write, take time to plan your essay carefully. Essays should focus on the selected topic and contain a clear beginning (an introduction, with a thesis), a middle (the body paragraph or paragraphs), and end (conclusion), and use appropriate topic sentences and transitions to guide the reader.

Be sure to include evidence, examples, or other support for your assertions; the more support you include, the stronger and more convincing your essay will be. You may include your own ideas or examples, but you must include evidence from the text you are discussing, as well. Remember that you are not summarizing the essay, but responding to it in a critical manner, and do not copy directly from the textbook unless quoting.

Your essay will, as always, be evaluated in terms of Main Idea, Organization, Support, and Mechanics (Words and Sentences), using the standard Evaluation of Essays form. Therefore, make certain your essay is not only well organized and developed, but also grammatically correct, free of errors in mechanics, grammar, usage, and spelling.

You may use both your book and a dictionary during the exam.

     Topics T.B.A.

At-Home Essay 1 (Draft Due Thursday, Sept. 25; Revision Due Thursday, Oct. 4):
Exercise, p. 5: The word literacy has spawned numerous variations in recent years. Educators now speak of computer, visual, and media literacy, for example. What variations on the term literacy have you encountered? What does being literate mean in the 21^st century? Take a few moments to write your own definition of the word literate, being sure to support each point you make with an example.

At-Home Essay 2 (Draft Due Thursday, Oct. 18; Revision Due Thursday, Oct. 25  Revision Due date changed to Tuesday, October 30)
In his essay "Homeplace," Scott Russell Sanders asserts that "people who root themselves in places are likelier to know and care for those places" and also asks, "How can you value other places if you do not have one of your own?" Define the value of being (in Sanders�s terms) settled, placed, or an inhabitant. What does it mean to be each of these things, and how does one�s sense of  home affect one�s sense of self, of community, or of the world?

 At-Home Essay 3 (Draft Due Thursday, Nov. 8; Revision Due Thursday, Nov. 15)
Select one of the following topics to discuss in a well-developed, coherent, and thoughtful essay. Essays must be at least two hundred fifty to three hundred fifty (250-350) words, free of errors in mechanics, grammar, usage, spelling, and documentation. Be sure to focus carefully on the topic, and remember that these are formal essays: they must have an appropriate, original title; contain an introduction, body, and conclusion; have a clear, explicit, assertive, objectively worded thesis statement (thesis statements must be underlined); and be grammatically correct, free of errors in mechanics, grammar, usage, spelling, and documentation.

1.) According to our textbook, "More than 135 years after the abolition of slavery, and despite civil rights legislation and the increasingly prominent presence of people of color in American public life, racial and ethnic inequalities persist in virtually every dimension of American life and culture. [...] Americans have talked about racial and ethnic categories for a long time, and racial issues have been�and continue to be�serious problems in our country" (McQuade and McQuade 408). Are racial issues distinct from issues of region, class, education, or ethnicity in our country? Why or why not? Be sure to clearly define your terms and use examples to support your assertions.