Class:Section 68, ENG112/Electronic edition of Class Fanzine
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- A Collection of Papers from English Class 112, Section 68
Editorial Page
English Writing 112
Fall Semester, 2006
University of Massachusetts Amherst
This magazine was made by:
Ben Goldberg
Erin Varney
And a special thanks to
Steph Kent, an amazing English Teacher
and
Jake "Star Wars" Whitt for the cover design
An Introduction"
When we entered this class, we didn’t know what to expect,
There was just something about our teacher; but what, we couldn’t detect.
A mullet atop her head, energy that would not stop,
How could we keep up with this lady, and with her crazy mop?
We’re all TAPpers, so naturally we’re smart,
But right away we were challenged by Pink Floyd’s psychedelic art.
We got through that sans drugs, then wrote about our identity,
And learned how awesome it is to write essays with obscenities.
We held class in John Adams Tower,
Even though some kids (ahem) would stay in their room and cower.
Venturing to Goodell sometimes felt like a haul,
Just to work on the friggin’ Wiki, which forced some of us to bawl.
So much work to do with so little time,
And points for grammatical errors taken off that damn “baseline.â€
A free write journal supposed to be eighty pages long,
But basically if you have twenty done, you’re goin’ pretty strong.
So here is a selection of our genius English 112 work
Our class was great, especially with all of our combined quirks.
Thanks to Steph we can all now brag,
About our beautiful writing and this sweet-ass mag!
Contents |
I Introduction
The Pink Wall, by Ben Goldberg
"The visions that Pink had when he is daydreaming coming in school are closely intertwined with the way that I felt during UMass orientation."
Bricked In, by David Kinzler
"To me, the dominant flower symbolized how I felt alienated from others, as if the world was conspiring against me. This was reinforced by the next scene, a grim yet cartoonish depiction of monolithic towers"
A freewrite by Adam
"Jack is a slut." This was the first sentence written on the chalkboard by my teacher in the 1-1th grade"
II. Identity Essays
Shift Along, by Lincey Qi
"I always hesitate when people ask,'where are you from?' My answer would always be, it's too complicated.'"
The Life Once Led, by Julian
"The strong flavors combined with the beginnings of snowfall ushered me into a new world of possibilities yet to be unearthed."
The Many Pieces of Me, by Emily Irving
"I attribute most of my good characteristics to the fact that I have grown up in an evironment that has begged patience,sacrifice and acceptance of me."
David: What You'd Rather Not Know, by David Kinzler
"Unfortunately, this is the story of my life, or at least the last two years of it. What I would give to be normal, to be happy, words fail to describe."
David: What You'd Rather Not Know
Language and Me, by Steph Kent
"How can one speak from pain without blame? I yearned for a language I did not know."
III. First Reflection Letters
Marie Carbone
"I never considered the fact that I have a voice that can be displayed in another manner than through verbal communication."
Elise Lehotsky
"I fell in love with this essay because not only does it tell people about me, I know know more about myself."
IV. Interacting WIth Texts: Susan Bordo & Gloria Anzaldua
Cannistra on Anzaldua, By Sharon Cannistra
"Ignorance to the language and identity link is what fuels the oppression of people's language and thus, the oppression of a people's identity."
Chalek on Anzaldua, by Julian Chalek
"Next time someone trys to change your mind, instead of arguing, maybe you should relax, and take on a new perspective."
Whitt on Anzaldua, by Jake Whitt
"On the flip side, close-minded individuals should read this essay and experience what it is like to be discriminated agains for being different."
Dias on Bordo, by Neil Dias
"It is ridiculous and even deadly how far kids will go to have "the look," whether it is from developing eating disorders to using steroids or weight loss pills."
V. Adding To A Conversation
Excerpts from student advocacy letters
Responsibility, by Mike Martel
"The truth is that kids will drink whether it is illegal or not - we already know that nearly three-quarters of the population strated drinking before twenty-one years of age (2)."
VI. Second Reflection Letters
This letter asks you to describe your learnings about writing at the college level and about your own writing in particular. What:
1. Remains the same and why
2. Has been resolved and how
1.Has been newly identified, what in specific?
2.Finally, describe in detail your strategy for addressing these concerns in your final paper (Unit 4). (If you plan to do rewrites, you may include this in your strategy).
Brian Donelly
"Once you fix this idea that you don't need to proof-read multiple times you will be halfway on your journey to becoming the ultimate college writer."
Kathleen Werner
"It was a helpful way to think about what my fellow students had said, about my essay, and decide which feedback I wanted to listen and which I didn't"
"As I write this letter, I realize the usefullness in the freedom of my college assignments in relation to getting my ideas down on paper."
Nicki Bowker-Kelley
"Although I am not a bad writer, I know I am not the best. I want to continue to improve and I believe my progress is noticeable from the first paper to the third"
Andrew Reynolds
"I could call myself a stranger, lost in the words of his own mind and trying to weather the storm and possibly even coem out more educated than when I went in."
Jemma-Joy Coster
"Honstly, when we were reading essays and discussing how they depicted elements of the rhetorical situation, I did not believe this knowledge would contribute to my own writing."
VI. This I Believe
Shit Happens, by Spike Nowak
"The only thing I can do is remain optimistic; I believe in the future. If an irate asteroid is in the stars, shit happens."
Risky Living, by Steph Kent
"When I ask pedagogic questions of colleagues and supervisors, I experience a range of visceral symptoms: sweaty palms, increased heart rate, butterflies in my stomach, wobbly legs."
V. Final Self-Reflection Letter
Facing Criticism Head On, by Julia Naddeo
"I find it interesting that the paper I struggled with the most to find cohesion and relate to my audience turned out the most clear and concise of all my essays."
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