The Articulate Citizen

Our Founding Fathers considered a well-informed citizenry crucial to the survival of our republic.  In this course, we will critically evaluate some of the most important essays, speeches, and other documents from American history and use them as models for our own writing.  We will read texts in various genres and intended for distinct audiences to help us learn how to deliver our own messages more effectively.  We will explore some of the ways that our own predispositions may affect our writing, as well as the impact of bias on the way information is presented to us.  We will practice by emulating some of the most inspiring American voices to make our own writing more nuanced and persuasive. 

Our reading list is traditional by design.  In this class, you’ll get a chance to read and critique some of the foundational primary sources of our democracy, such as the Declaration of Independence, the Seneca Falls Declarations of Sentiments and Resolutions, and speeches and essays by George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Herbert Hoover, Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., and Lyndon Johnson.  Other authors we’ll consider include Andrew Carnegie, Walter Lippmann, Edward R. Murrow, and Potter Stewart, and E.B. White, among others (such as Jonathan Swift and George Orwell, who were not Americans).  We will also look at media portrayal of current events and issues in order to understand the relationship between audience and slant, a skill that will be useful to you both as a scholar and as a citizen.  Consistent attendance and active participation are required.  Students will be expected to keep a reading journal which will form the basis for a series of short reaction papers.  There will be five brief exercises and three short analytical essays, the last of which you will expand into your term paper.

THE MOST UP TO DATE TIMELINE
PLEASE CHECK FREQUENTLY AS I WILL ADJUST THE SCHEDULE ACCORDING TO YOUR NEEDS

Monday, January 15: NO CLASS: Martin Luther King Day

Wednesday, January 17: Introduction (HOMEWORK TO DO TODAY: download my MLA template linked here in Microsoft Word installed locally to your computer, which you can get by logging into your UNM Outlook webmail page and following these instructions. Find the matrix of nine dots in the upper left corner of your webmail screen (technically known as the “waffle iron”), which pulls up a list of a bunch of the webapps that UNM licenses from Microsoft. Those aren’t the versions of the apps you need, but that waffle iron is the key to installing the actual software to your computer. At the top of that popup menu (to the right of the waffle iron and well above the list of apps) there’s a link with an arrow that says “Office” which takes you to office.com logged in as a UNM user.  At the right top of that page is a big button that says “Install Office.”  Click that button and follow the instructions, and you should be able to install a copy to your computer.)

Monday, January 22: Read the syllabus, Strunk and White’s The Elements of Style and Dr. Obenauf’s Guide to Writing and Reasoning Like a Scholar (in your coursepack)

Wednesday, January 24: Continued discussion of The Elements of Style and Dr. Obenauf’s Guide to Writing; short exercise #1 is due today (a 2-3 page restaurant review to practice using MLA style and anticipating your readers’ needs and questions — you can review La Posada Dining Hall, a food truck, a drive-through, a sit-down, something delivered, or anything in between, but you can’t do it from memory. You must actually have the thing you review. Think about what your reader would need to know.)

Monday, January 29: Selections from Aristotle’s On Rhetoric (in coursepack)

Wednesday, January 31: Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” (selection in Heffner); Thomas Jefferson’s “The Declaration of Independence” (in coursepack–not the version in Heffner)

Monday, February 5: George Washington’s “Farewell Address”; short exercise #2 is NOW OPTIONAL and you can submit it anytime before the end of the semester in place of one reaction paper (see the instructions below if you didn’t catch them in class)

Wednesday, February 7: Seneca Falls “Declarations of Sentiments” and “Resolutions” (in Heffner); H.L. Mencken’s “The Declaration of Independence in American” (in coursepack)

Monday, February 12: We will go over my Revision Triage Checklist, a tool you can use to revise your own work. Everyone gets an extension until 2/19/24 on the First Analytical Paper with the understanding that you will use this time to revise your paper.

Wednesday, February 14: Abraham Lincoln’s “First Inaugural Address,” “The Emancipation Proclamation,” “The Gettysburg Address,” and “Second Inaugural Address” (all in Heffner)

Monday, February 19: E.B. White’s “Bedfellows”; Robert Leonard, “Why Rural America Voted for Trump”; George Lakoff, “Metaphor, Morality, and Politics” (all in coursepack); THE REVISED FIRST ANALYTICAL PAPER IS DUE TODAY!

Wednesday, February 21: Continued discussion of Lakoff and Leonard; Andrew Carnegie’s “On Wealth”; Teddy Roosevelt’s “The New Nationalism”; Woodrow Wilson’s “The Old Order Changeth”; and Herbert Hoover’s “Rugged Individualism” (all in Heffner)

Monday, February 26: Continued discussion of bias in Carnegie, Roosevelt, Wilson, and Hoover; short exercise #3 is NOW due today (a one-paragraph essay explaining the meaningful difference between bias and writing for a specific audience)

Wednesday, February 28: Continued discussion of bias in Carnegie, Roosevelt, Wilson, and Hoover and any questions you have about your second paper

Monday, March 4: Continued discussion of bias in Roosevelt, Wilson, and Hoover; FDR’s “First Inaugural Address,” “A Rendezvous with Destiny,” “Quarantine,” and “Four Freedoms” speeches (all in Heffner); SECOND ANALYTICAL PAPER IS DUE TODAY!

Wednesday, March 6: Continued discussion of bias in Hoover; FDR’s “First Inaugural Address,” “A Rendezvous with Destiny,” “Quarantine,” and “Four Freedoms” speeches (all in Heffner); Eisenhower’s “Farewell” address (in Heffner) and Oliver Jensen’s parody of “The Gettysburg Address in Eisenhowese” (in coursepack)

Monday, March 11: NO CLASS: Spring Break

Wednesday, March 13: NO CLASS: Spring Break

Monday, March 18: FDR’s “First Inaugural Address,” “A Rendezvous with Destiny,” “Quarantine,” and “Four Freedoms” speeches (all in Heffner); Eisenhower’s “Farewell” address (in Heffner) and Oliver Jensen’s parody of “The Gettysburg Address in Eisenhowese” (in coursepack); JFK’s “Inaugural Address,” “Strategy of Peace,” and “Civil Rights” speeches; LBJ’s “Great Society” speech (all in Heffner); AT LEAST TWO THREE OF YOUR FIVE SIX REACTION PAPERS ARE DUE AFTER BEFORE SPRING BREAK (i.e., today!)

Wednesday, March 20: FDR’s “First Inaugural Address,” “A Rendezvous with Destiny,” “Quarantine,” and “Four Freedoms” speeches (all in Heffner); Eisenhower’s “Farewell” address (in Heffner) and Oliver Jensen’s parody of “The Gettysburg Address in Eisenhowese” (in coursepack); JFK’s “Inaugural Address,” “Strategy of Peace,” and “Civil Rights” speeches; LBJ’s “Great Society” speech (all in Heffner); MLK’s “Unwise and Untimely” letter (from the Birmingham Jail) and “I Have a Dream” speech (both in Heffner); SELF GUIDED LIBRARY TOUR THIS WEEK AND EMAIL ME YOUR CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

Monday, March 25: Library instruction to help you prepare for your Third Analytical Paper. We will gather in the Waters Room today.

Wednesday, March 27: Library instruction to help you prepare for your Third Analytical Paper

Monday, April 1: No new reading:  discussion of research strategies, respect for the reader, and continued discussion of FDR, DDE, JFK, LBJ, and MLK speeches.

Wednesday, April 3: Continued discussion of JFK, LBJ, and MLK speeches; ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR THIRD ANALYTICAL PAPER IS DUE TODAY (extension till Monday 4/8/24 without special request is OK)

Monday, April 8: Continued discussion of JFK, LBJ, and MLK speeches

Wednesday, April 10: Continued discussion of JFK, LBJ, and MLK speeches ; THIRD ANALYTICAL PAPER IS DUE TODAY with this checklist as your cover sheet (with extension till Monday 4/15/24 without special request is OK)

Monday, April 15: Continued discussion of JFK, LBJ, and MLK speeches

Wednesday, April 17: MLK and LBJ speeches

Monday, April 22: LBJ “Great Society” speech; Teddy Roosevelt’s essay “Lincoln and Free Speech” (in coursepack); LBJ’s “Power of the Media” speech; Walter Lippmann’s “Public Opinion”; Edward R. Murrow’s “Chicago Speech to Radio and Television News Directors Association” and “Guildhall Speech on Television and Politics”; Spiro Agnew’s “The Importance of Television News” speech; and Potter Stewart’s  speech on “Freedom of the Press, Yale Law School, 1974” (all in Heffner);

Wednesday, April 24: Continued discussion of the media readings by TR, LBJ, Lippmann, Murrow, Agnew, and Stewart

Monday, April 29: Carl Sagan, “The Fine Art of Baloney Detection” (in coursepack)

Wednesday, May 1: George Orwell’s “Politics and the English Language” (in coursepack); Course summary and final remarks. All outstanding work is due today, including reaction papers, exercises, and your final project. Congratulations! You made it!!

IMPORTANT COURSE DOCUMENTS

  • The Articulate Citizen Syllabus, Spring 2024.  This is the same document I circulated by email and discussed the first day of class.  Most of the information is reproduced below on this website.  The timeline, above, will always be up-to-date.
  • Sample MLA Document (template) for you to download and use as the basis for all your written work in this class. I last updated this on 3/3/23 and consider it a work in progress. If you use this document, your margins, typeface, line spacing, etc. are likely to be correct.  It is crucial that you follow the conventions of style and formatting, and this document will put you in a strong position to make sure your paper is 12pt Times New Roman, double spaced, 24 lines per page, with margins that print at 1″.  You should not change the settings unless you know what you are doing and have good reason to do so.  You can get a copy of Microsoft Word through your UNM Webmail (Google Documents, Apple Pages, etc. will not produce a proper MLA-formatted document).
  • Dr. Obenauf’s Guide to Writing and Reasoning Like a Scholar.  I consider this essential to your success in this course.  This is the same version as in your coursepack.  I will likely refer you to specific sections of it in my comments on your papers.  Read it carefully and ask if you have any questions about the advice in it.
  • Instructions for the First Analytical Paper, due in hard copy in class on 2/12/24, with an extension until 2/19/24 so you can revise your paper with the Revision Triage Checklist (below). I circulated and went over these instructions on 1/29/24.
  • Instructions for the Second Analytical Paper, due in hard copy in class on 3/4/24, later than the syllabus initially stated. We spent the last few minutes of class on 2/19/24 going over the expectations.
  • Instructions for the Third Analytical Paper, due on 4/3/24 (Annotated Bibliography) and 4/10/24 (Polished Draft). Please request an extension rather than turn in something that doesn’t represent your full abilities. I want to make sure my feedback responds to issues that you are unable to resolve on your own. We spent the entire day on 3/18/24 going over this document.
  • Third Essay Checklist to attach as a cover sheet when you turn in your paper.
  • Instructions for the Term Paper, due on 5/1/24 or later by request (email for an extension). We went over these instructions on 4/22/24.
  • Reduced Requirements for the Reaction Papers and Exercises 4 & 5, all due by the last class (email for an extension)
  • My famous Revision Triage Checklist, which you should seriously consider using to hold yourself accountable in all of your college writing.

LINKS AND RECOMMENDING READING
(I WILL UPDATE THIS LIST FREQUENTLY THROUGHOUT THE SEMESTER)

  • Editorial: Journalism’s Problematic Love Affair with Objectivity in the Daily Lobo, June 26, 2020, a powerful essay confronting the shameful practices in the Lobo‘s past and staking out a policy of honesty about its journalists’ opinions and “intentionally creating a platform for those who have historically been oppressed.”
  • “Why ‘Both Sides’ of a Story Aren’t Enough” by Cory Collins, at the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “Teaching Tolerance” program intended for high school teachers to use in their classrooms.  I see a lot of material you could quote here, or follow his sources, as you explore questions of media bias.
  • The Pleasures and Perils of the Passive by Constance Hale, an old essay she wrote for the New York Times in 2012 that you may enjoy reading, especially if you are prone to using the passive voice in your writing.
  • “How To Avoid Swallowing War Propaganda” by Nathan J. Robinson is one of the sharpest pieces I’ve ever read on propaganda, an area I’m somewhat of an expert in.
  • “Our Consensus Reality Has Shattered” by J.M. Berger in The Atlantic, 9 October 2020, asks basic questions about how we know what is true and how to live in a society where truth is under assault.
  • “How the Suffrage Movement Betrayed Black Women” by Brent Staples in the New York Times, 28 July 2018, attacks some of the figures involved at the Seneca Falls Convention for reasons we did in class, but with far more authority. I hope you’ll read it.
  • “Most Republicans See Democrats Not as Political Opponents But as Enemies” by the Washington Post‘s Philip Bump, February 10, 2021, which I offer as supplemental reading for Lakoff. On February 24, he followed up with another piece showing sharp pessimism on America’s political right.
  • “Seeing Red and Feeling Blue: America’s Rotten National Mood” by Lance Morrow, a famous American essayist, in the Wall Street Journal, 20 February 2021. In this vapid essay, Morrow equivocates and draws false comparisons and gives the appearance of evenhandedness and highmindedness while not apparently writing in good faith. This could be a fun test case when we get to Carl Sagan’s “Baloney Detection Kit” and its list of rhetorical fallacies late in the semester. In any case, the piece is relevant to the themes of our class due to its emphasis on media echo chambers and partisan division and its references to Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address (and subsequent attack on liberals who dare criticize Lincoln!). The piece is not overtly conservative, yet each time I read it, it somehow takes on more of a partisan slant. Whatever your outlook, I hope you can read it without rolling your eyes too much. I list it here because it would be the sort of thing one could quote from the WSJ opinion pages and still be respectful about. If you use it in one of your papers, you should be nicer about it (and Morrow) than I have been here.
  • Here are three articles from the beginning of the Biden administration about information literacy and critical thinking and radicalization of interest to our class. Charlie Warzel, an opinion writer at the New York Times (who George Lakoff has been known to retweet, by the way) wrote on 18 February 2021 a piece entitled “Don’t Go Down the Rabbit Hole” in which he argues that “critical thinking, as we’re taught to do it, isn’t helping in the fight against misinformation” while nonetheless outlining some strategies for avoiding getting sucked into lies and propaganda. Also on 18 February 2021, Barbara Fister of The Atlantic published a long article “The Librarian War Against QAnon” in which she points out that as “doing the research” has become a rallying cry for conspiracy theorists, classical information literacy is no longer enough for people to know truth from propaganda. And in January, USA Today prepared a practical column on what you should know if someone you care about has been radicalized that explains what to do when someone you love “accepts or believes in ideas that are considered extreme or outside the status quo,” especially if they have become “so committed to their extreme beliefs that they can’t accept the fact that other people believe different things. “
  • “This Rural Liberal Set Out to Talk to His Pro-Trump Neighbors: It Didn’t Go Well — Until It Did,” in the Washington Post Magazine, 24 February 2021, one recent example in genre of pieces by liberals attempting to understand what motivates their rural conservative counterparts that’s become so popular since 2016. I have yet to see the opposite, where a conservative attempts to understand liberals. I may add other examples to this bullet point. The genre has become sort of a running joke.
  • “The Words That Are In and Out With the Biden Administration” in the New York Times, 25 February 2021, explores some of the deliberate ways the new President has reframed the discussion. This is the sort of thing Lakoff complains that liberals are so bad at. Interesting stuff.
  • “The Founders Were Wrong About Democracy” by the conservative writer for The Atlantic David Frum, 15 February 2021, a long essay that touches on many of our class themes and that explores ideas from Federalist No. 10 in particular.
  • “Maxine Cheshire, Post Reporter and Columnist with ‘the Guts of a Cat Burglar,’ Dies at 90,” an obituary from January for a journalist who led quite an amazing life. It’s always interesting to read about the people who wrote the articles you’re analyzing in your own research, and by looking them up you can write more competently about them.
  • “Learning Caution From a Late Columnist” by Charles Blow in the New York Times, 25 April 2021, about Tom Wicker, Arthur Krock, and other legendary writers at the Times, and racism, and a lot of other things connected to our class. I hope you’ll read this excellent essay.
  • “Joe Biden Wants to Return the Democratic Party to What It Has Been Afraid to Be for Decades” from Charlie Pierce’s blog at Esquire, citing LBJ’s “Great Society Speech” for those writing on that address for their final papers.

HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF THIS CLASS

You will be staring at a lot of screens this spring.  It is my sincere hope that you use this course as an analog oasis.  I hope you will make a point of writing in your journal in longhand before each reading and that you will savor our readings in their printed versions.  Now more than ever, you have an opportunity not only to practice focusing on a single task for extended periods of times—but to use this unplugged time as an escape from some of the other pressures of the present.  If you don’t already own a decent dictionary, you should consider buying one.  A print dictionary will allow you to look up unfamiliar words without getting sucked into your phone.

CLOSE READING GUIDE FOR HISTORICAL TEXTS

  1. Resolve any questions of comprehension.
  2. What are the main points?  (aim for three or five or so)
  3. What is it ABOUT–in one word?
  4. Can you find one sentence in it that’s more or less the thesis?
  5. Summarize the text in one sentence.
  6. Summarize the text in three sentences.
  7. Who is the intended audience?  How can you tell?
  8. What is the speaker’s bias?  How can you tell?
  9. What are the key images?  Are there any memorable “sound bites” that stand out to you?  What does this language suggest?
  10. Who or what is the author responding to in this work?  How do you know?
  11. Is there anything else that strikes you about the text?
  12. Taken together, what does all this suggest about the world at the time?

YOUR GRADE

There are many ways to assess student learning.  In this class, the main form of assessment will be the feedback you get on your writing.  The comments on your papers are for your benefit.  You should read my notes and ask questions so that you can follow up on each piece of advice as you work on each subsequent essay.

In addition to the handwritten and typed notes, I will assign letter grades to your formal writing (i.e., the four major papers) and grade the reaction papers and exercises on a pass/fail basis.  These grades are a necessary evil:  the grade you earn on each assignment is far less important than the feedback you receive and the progress you make over the course of the semester.  You should not fixate on the grades.  Just keep doing your best and strive to do even better next time.

25% Participation
75% Written work:
15% Response papers and exercises
15% First short analytical paper
15% Second short analytical paper
15% Third short analytical paper
15% Term paper (an expansion of the third analytical paper)

Your semester grade will follow the Honors College’s unique grading system according to these criteria:

  • A semester grade of A+, A, or A– will be recorded on your university transcript as an A.  An “A” signifies exemplary work that fully meets Honors expectations and will compute into your academic GPA.
  • A semester grade of B+ through C+ will be recorded on your university transcript as “CR.”  A grade of Credit in this course signals that you participated meaningfully in class discussion and that you made an earnest attempt to meet the basic norms of scholarly writing even if your work did not consistently meet Honors-level expectations for writing and rigor.  You will receive credit towards graduation for your satisfactory work in this class, but your grade will not factor into your academic GPA.
  • A semester grade of C or below will be recorded on your university transcript as “NC.”  A grade of No Credit signals a failure to meet basic conventions of scholarly work, such as respect for deadlines, formatting, grammar, accuracy in citations and bibliographies, and/or significant problems in attendance and participation.  Even if your points add up to a passing grade, it is not possible to pass this course if your final project is incoherent or lacks appropriate citations or an accurate bibliography.  Thus, a grade of NC indicates unacceptable work and is not computed into your GPA or counted towards graduation.

I believe that every student enrolled in this seminar is capable of earning an A for the semester in “The Articulate Citizen.”  Because I do not grade on a curve, nothing would delight me more than to turn in all As in May.

CLASS PARTICIPATION

Attendance:  We all benefit from hearing your perspectives in class discussion.  Officially, I may lower your participation grade for each unexcused absence.  Your consistent attendance and contribution to class discussion are crucial to the success of this small seminar.  And although I expect you to be ready to begin on time, it’s better to be late than not to come at all.  Consistent tardiness will affect your participation grade in proportion to the consistency of your disruption.  Please keep in touch with me if you must miss class.  If you are experiencing physical or academic barriers, or concerns related to mental health, physical health and/or COVID-19, please consult with me after class, via email, or during office hours.  I want to help you succeed in this class, and I will do everything within my power to shepherd you through to May.  We will work together on a case-by-case basis as issues arise.

Book policy:  Bring the book we’re reading to every class session.  We will need to cite evidence for every claim we make.  To practice quoting the text extensively during class discussion in preparation for your papers, we will all (literally) need to be on the same page.  I have prepared a photocopied coursepack of shorter readings and ordered the most inexpensive editions I could find of longer books to make sure that you can afford the materials for this class, and you are expected to use these physical printed materials, in the exact editions I have requested.  Our classroom is both a NO-B.S. ZONE and a safe space to try out new ideas; the best ideas are anchored in concrete evidence; without your book, you cannot cite evidence for your claims, and therefore you cannot participate meaningfully in discussion.  Since you may be dismissed from class and marked “absent” for the day if you do not have your book with you, if you realize you’ve forgotten your book, you should tell your instructor immediately and ask permission to share with a classmate or to use an electronic version for that day only.

Electronics use:  The emphasis in a seminar is on conversation.  In order to be fully engaged in our discussions, you should put away your electronic devices when you are in class so that you can devote your total attention to what your classmates are saying and to what you can contribute.  I again ask that you use PRINT editions of the texts we will be discussing so that you can leave your phones, computers, tablets, e-readers, and other distractions in your bags.  Pen and paper should do fine for your note taking in Honors.  If you must use electronics during class, you will need to resist the temptation to check social media or work on other projects.

Participation and preparation:  Honors seminars are neither lectures nor bull sessions; active attendance is a part of participation, but your presence alone does not guarantee participation points.  You are encouraged to contribute when you have something thoughtful to say…which means coming to class thoroughly prepared to discuss the day’s readings with an open mind.  The best way to prepare is to read the course materials attentively, looking up unfamiliar words and concepts, and generally considering the major issues of the works before we begin our discussions.

Reading journal:  In addition to your normal class notes, you should purchase a separate notebook—a reading journal—to use for reflection throughout the semester.  For each reading, I will announce some reflection questions for you to consider in your private reading journal.  I recommend tackling the questions before attacking the reading so that you can see how your ideas compare with those of the text.  This will take approximately one to two hours per text and it is a significant part of this course.  You will draw on your personal responses in your short reflection papers, and your observations about the readings will help you prepare for class discussion.  This reading journal is strictly confidential—you will never, ever be required to share its contents with me or with any of your classmates.  You are expected to keep up with it.

Following up by email:  Although Honors expects all students to contribute to our daily seminar discussion, you may not be able to express every idea that you would like to explore in our limited time.  I encourage you to email me with your observations, questions, or even links to relevant articles.  Past students have found it helpful to articulate an idea by explaining it in an email to me, and this is one way introverted students in particular can show that they are truly engaged in the course.

Keeping up with the news:  You should make a strong effort to keep up with current events while you are in this class (and hopefully for the rest of your life).  I suggest following such sources as The Albuquerque Journal, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and USA Today.  The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal offer special discounts for students; Amazon Prime subscribers qualify for other discounts for The Washington Post.  On Facebook, you should consider following Dan Rather, ProPublica, and the Columbia Journalism Review.  You don’t have to read every newspaper every day, but you should at least keep up with the headlines in major print outlets.

Extra credit:  I would like to offer extra credit to any student who independently discovers a typo in a major newspaper (e.g., The Albuquerque Journal, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, or USA Today).  I will add ¼ point to your final grade for each mistake you detect in an online article, and ½ point for each mistake you detect in the print version.  Typos include misspellings, punctuation errors, formatting problems, and other editing mistakes.  In order to claim your bonus points, you must email me within 24 hours of publication with a screenshot of the relevant passage in the digital article (plus a link to it) or a scan or photograph of a printed page.  In order to claim the points, you must also write a brief paragraph describing the typo, hypothesizing what may have caused it, and explaining what the error signals about the way the article was written or the how newspaper is produced.

WRITTEN WORK

Consistent and thoughtful class participation is crucial to your education (and hence your grade), and yet the slow, careful work of a scholar is largely a solitary activity.  Moreover, in contrast to in-class participation, written work is much more objectively assessed and improved over time.  Besides, this is a writing class!  For these reasons, your written work accounts for the bulk of your grade in “The Articulate Citizen.”  I will provide ample feedback on your papers, including marginal annotations and typed comments, so that you can continue to improve your writing, no matter how well you write at the start of the term.  You should review my notes carefully.

I can only help you identify your strengths and weaknesses if the work you submit reflects your actual abilities.  You will not be permitted to rewrite any of your papers in this class.  It is important that you do your best the first time so that I can respond with advice that will help you take your writing and thinking to the next level.

I will spend significant time responding to your work, and so I have some specific requests about how you format your documents so that I can streamline my grading.  I would much rather spend my time commenting on your ideas and argumentation than on your formatting and grammar.  You don’t need me to tell you things you already know—if you rush through your drafts and skip the revision process, my feedback will be less helpful to you than if I am able to respond to your strongest effort.  Since you will not be permitted to rewrite any of your papers in this class, I urge you to do a good job the first time and request guidance and extensions if necessary.

I take it as a given that you will use the MLA template I have provided on the course website so that you can focus your energy on your writing and argumentation and I can focus my energy on responding to your writing and argumentation.  I have also provided a Guide to Writing and Reasoning Like a Scholar in the coursepack for this class to help you produce the sort of writing we are looking for in Honors, regardless of what writing classes you may (or may not) have had in high school or college.

For this class you will need to install Microsoft Word to your computer (and NOT just use the online version, or Google Docs, or Pages, etc.).  You can get it for free as a UNM student through your webmail page.  Look for the matrix of nine dots in the upper left corner (technically known as the “waffle iron”), and click it to reveal a list of various webapps.  You don’t want those webapps, but above that list is a link with an arrow that says “Office.”  Click that and you’ll go to office.com but logged in with your UNM credentials.  At the top right of that page there’s a big button that says “Install Office.”  Click the button and follow the instructions.  Once you have Word on your computer, you’ll be ready to download my MLA template from the course website that will enable you to produce properly formatted MLA documents.

Since you will not be permitted to rewrite any of your papers in this class, I urge you to do a good job the first time and request guidance and extensions if necessary.  That said, you have the tools to get full credit for all of your work.  I would much rather spend my time commenting on your ideas and argumentation than on your formatting and grammar.  You don’t need me to tell you things you already know—if you rush through your drafts and skip the revision process, my feedback will be less helpful to you than if I am able to respond to your strongest effort.  To help nudge you towards using the course materials sooner rather than later, this semester there will be a penalty of one letter grade for each significant formatting or proofreading issue.  I look forward to seeing what you come up with!

To reiterate, I have provided you with a thorough guide to writing and reasoning like a scholar in your coursepack, which will help you teach yourself how to meet the expectations of the formal analytical writing in this class, including the analytical portions of your term paper.  You must proofread your work carefully before you turn it in.  There will be numerous other handouts and tools provided to you this semester to help you succeed in this class.  You should use these tools to hold yourself accountable and to help yourself develop writing and critical thinking skills that will serve you for the rest of your life.  Please ask for help if you are struggling to meet these expectations.

You are expected to follow the latest MLA style guide and to document your sources meticulously.  This is Honors!  For example, all work should be exactly double-spaced in a 12-pt. Times New Roman typeface, rendered with 1” margins, and therefore 24 lines of text per page; the page number and your name must appear in the upper right corner of each and every page.  Please print all documents single sided.  You must neatly staple or paperclip your pages together:  loose or crimped pages will not be accepted.  I will not grade any paper that fails to meet the minimum expectations for length, formatting, proofreading, or rigor of citations and bibliographies.  A template is available on this website.  For additional examples, consult your MLA Handbook and see http://style.mla.org.

As you write, you should consult references like The Elements of Style, a good dictionary, your MLA Handbook, and Dr. Obenauf’s Guide to Writing and Reasoning Like a Scholar.  I expect your very best.  As a rule of thumb,

  • A papers open with an introduction that gives sufficient context without overwhelming the reader with irrelevant information and offer a concrete thesis statement at the end of the introduction.  The body of an A paper is meticulously organized and well polished, taking a serious tone as it persuasively guides the reader through rigorously cited evidence and careful original analysis.  Its conclusion takes the analysis a step further and considers the broader implications of the project’s analysis, avoiding recapping or simply summarizing what has already been said.  The bibliography is accurate.  In short, an A paper follows the conventions of style and formatting described in the MLA Handbook and in Dr. Obenauf’s Guide to Writing and Reasoning Like a Scholar.
  • B papers make an earnest attempt at all of the traits of an A paper, but do not fully meet these expectations.
  • C papers struggle to meet these basic expectations but show a sincere attempt at intellectual honesty and rigor.
  • D papers make reasonable use of evidence but are too incoherent to build a persuasive argument.
  • F papers are intellectually dishonest or otherwise fail to meet the most basic expectations of college writing as described in Dr. Obenauf’s Guide to Writing and Reasoning Like a Scholar.  Coherent papers may be returned with an F if they do not conform to the norms of formatting, if they do not present sufficient evidence to build a persuasive argument, or if they do not respond to the paper prompt as assigned.  Papers below the minimum length requirement cannot answer the assignment as described and so they will be returned with an F.

All work must be submitted in hard copy at the beginning of class on the day it is due.  I am reasonable about extensions, but you must talk to me—or e-mail me—ahead of time if you think you will need an exception.  Otherwise, late work will be penalized one letter grade for each day it is late.

There are three main kinds of papers you will submit in “The Articulate Citizen”:

  • There are five short exercises due throughout the semester.  I will announce the assignments ahead of time, and you should follow the instructions carefully.  Since they will be graded on a pass/fail basis, as a general rule they will not be accepted late.  I will comment on these lightly.  A pattern of especially good or especially sloppy work will affect your grade. Though these exercises are subject to change, this is what they’ve been in past years and will be this year unless I tell you otherwise:

    Short exercise #1 is a restaurant review of approximately three pages, double spaced, following MLA style

    Short exercise #2 is The second exercise is now optional, and you can turn it in in place of one reaction paper anytime before the end of the semester.  It’s to write emails to your roommate, a professor you need a positive letter of recommendation from, the dean of your college (something you’ll need to look up), and your parents, tailoring your message that you are dropping out of school to each of these audiences.

    Short exercise #3 is a one-paragraph essay explaining the meaningful difference between bias and writing for a specific audience.

    Short exercise #4 is a two-page document on any topic that contains quotations from at least three different kinds of sources, and at least one block quote, submitted in APA, Chicago, and MLA styles.  This means that you will be submitting three separate documents at the same time.  At the top of each document, be sure to note in pen or pencil which style you are using.  Since each style guide specifies different rules for headers, running headers, title pages, margins, citation format and style, bibliographies, and other parameters, you will need to follow each style guide precisely.

    Short exercise #5 is a brief letter to the editor of a newspaper such as The Albuquerque Journal, The New York Times, or The Wall Street Journal based on your term paper.  You should condense the main idea of your term paper into an editorial of 100-200 words; this is distinct from writing an abstract or summary of your project because you must respond to a recent op-ed or news item and very quickly explain where the author is wrong and show why you think so, providing many details succinctly. According to the New York Times, “Letters should preferably be 150 to 175 words, should refer to an article that has appeared within the last seven days, and must include the writer’s address and phone numbers.” In at least three separate articles, the Times have offered additional advice and insight into the process of selecting the letters they will print. In a 2003 note “To the Reader” and in a 2004 essay “Our Compact, Updated,” the Letters Editor, Thomas Feyer, offered a pair of columns addressing the topic. Stephen Hiltner has more recently explored the mystique in a “Times Insider” column entitled “‘To the Editor’: What Happens When Readers Write Back?”. You will want to read all three of these—along with several days’ worth of opinion pages of whatever newspaper you decide to respond to—in order to get a sense of the task. Please note the word count somewhere in your document.
  • Your six short response papers should be no less than one full page but no more than two full pages of text, double spaced, plus an accurate Work (or Works) Cited page.  You may submit them at any time, but you must submit at least three of them before Spring Break.  These short reflection essays are likely to expand on topics you first explored in your private reading journal, but there is no assigned topic:  they merely need to relate to the class themes or readings.

    While these essays are likely to be personal and reflective in nature, you must argue them with concrete evidence.  Part of the challenge is to strike a balance of personal and analytical commentary, writing neither an entirely personal essay nor an entirely analytical paper.  A personal anecdote drawn from your life would make a suitable opening; you might then comment on how one or more of our recent readings deals with a similar issue; to conclude, return to your opening comments.  In discussing course materials, you should not consult any outside sources, summaries, or commentaries, or using AI tools such as ChatGPT.

    Although these essays should be personal and reflective in nature, you must argue them with concrete evidence.  Part of the challenge is to strike a balance of personal and analytical commentary, writing neither an entirely personal essay nor an entirely analytical paper.  A personal anecdote drawn from your life would make a suitable opening; you should then comment on how the reading deals with a similar issue, using rigorously-cited quotations from course readings or other materials you encounter; to conclude, you could return to your opening comments or even quote or paraphrase your initial response in your reading journal that provoked you to write on the particular topic.

    In order to avoid the pitfalls of arguing too broadly (such as by attempting to make sweeping suggestions about “society” or “human nature”), you should argue with concrete examples, which can include personal anecdotes and quotes from your journal.  Anecdotes from your own experience can make a useful point of comparison for understanding how other people in other times and places dealt with similar situations.

    You are encouraged to write on political themes, and you should not worry about my political sensibilities.  I am interested in hearing your stance and giving you the opportunity to articulate your understanding of philosophy in light of current events.  In order to avoid the pitfalls of arguing too broadly (such as by attempting to make sweeping suggestions about “society” or “human nature”), you might focus your commentary by briefly citing a relevant article from a newspaper of record (such as The Albuquerque Journal, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, or The Washington Post).

    I will comment on these lightly.  Since they will be graded on a pass/fail basis, as a general rule they will not be accepted late.  A pattern of especially good or especially sloppy work will affect your grade.
  • The four analytical papers will be due throughout the semester and represent 60% of your grade in this course.  I will announce the assignments ahead of time, and you should follow the instructions carefully, following the conventions of MLA style and good, clear writing.  I expect to see your writing improve from each paper to the next, and the feedback you receive on each essay will help you write more cleanly and organize your ideas more usefully for your reader.

A NOTE ON CITING SOURCES ACCURATELY

Through these assignments, you will get lots of practice citing your sources.  Your Works Cited page is perhaps the most important element of college writing because it shows your reader how to check the citations in your paper.  You should plan ahead to create the bibliographic entries based on the sources you cite, and then painstakingly double- and triple-check them for accuracy.  For reasons I explain in greater detail in my Guide to Writing and Reasoning Like a Scholar in your coursepack, it is very important that your Works Cited pages be accurate.

Bibliographies allow your reader to confirm that what you have said is true; inaccurate entries cast doubt on the entirety of your argument, and so they are anything but busy-work.  You must devote as much attention to detail at the end of your project as at the beginning.  A meticulous bibliography is part of a gestalt of rigor and intellectual honesty expected in Honors that signals your devotion to truthfulness and openness in your work.

Any student who lists an edition other than the exact version cited in that student’s paper will receive no higher than a D on the assignment.  I am sorry that it has come to this.  Too many past students have committed academic dishonesty by failing to represent their sources accurately.  I do not think it is unreasonable to expect Honors students to cite their work accurately.  You will not be permitted to revise or resubmit your project because accurate bibliographies are not difficult to produce and I wish to discourage you from taking hazardous shortcuts.  DO NOT CHEAT BY USING AN ONLINE CITATION GENERATOR.  YOUR ENTRIES WILL ALMOST CERTAINLY BE WRONG.  IT IS NOT WORTH THE RISK!!  Instead, you should refer to my sample MLA template, your MLA Handbook, and other reputable guides and produce the entries yourself.  If you have any doubts, you should ask your professor for guidance.

WHAT SORT OF HELP IS OK?

You may seek help with all stages of the writing process, but you must be the sole author of all work you submit in this course.  Submitting material as your own work that has been generated on a website, in a publication, by an artificial intelligence algorithm, by another person, or by breaking the rules of an assignment constitutes academic dishonesty.  It is a student code of conduct violation that can lead to a disciplinary procedure.  It should go without saying that learning the course material depends on completing and submitting your own work.

Off-campus paper writing services, problem-checkers and services, websites, and AIs can produce incorrect or misleading results.  Indeed, consulting outside sources is likely to derail your thought process, as is the use of AI tools such as ChatGPT.

Instead, I urge you to enlist your friends and family to help you proofread your papers—and to read your own prose out loud.

You may wish to reach out to our Honors librarian over at Zimmerman Library, Adrienne Warner by email at adriennew@unm.edu or by scheduling an appointment through her faculty page, https://ulls.unm.edu/people/directory/w/warner-adrienne.php

Also, the Center for Academic Program Support (CAPS), located both on campus and at http://caps.unm.edu, offers resources to help you improve your writing, including one-on-one tutoring, walk-in writing labs, and on-line writing assistance.  You are encouraged to visit CAPS for help with all stages of the writing process.

HOW WE WILL HANDLE PROVOCATIVE AND OFFENSIVE MATERIAL

This semester we will be examining cultural and historical legacies that span hundreds of years—some of them quite wonderful and others utterly horrifying—to better understand our own society and our place within it.  The syllabus for this course is packed with works chosen for their literary, philosophical, political, historical, and aesthetic significance.  No historical artifact or document can capture the entire essence of the lived experience of a particular time or place; we will read these works for what they reveal about the broad expectations of their first audiences.  For example, we will be encountering material that exposes the long shadow of racism, sexism, xenophobia, and other forms of coercion.  But rather than judging the past by our standards, our time is best spent uncovering what old books suggest by thinking as historians, literary scholars, and anthropologists.  For example, we will trace the roots of various kinds of bigotry—as well as pushback against injustice.  I sincerely hope you use this information to build a more just world.

While I hope you find something of personal interest in our reading list, when you disagree with a perspective I encourage you to grapple with the seeming contradictions and internal inconsistencies within works and among various texts as a way to discover the forces that motivated people who held view different from your own.  Indeed, we will be reading, discussing, and writing about ideas that will make you uncomfortable.

Considering concepts in their historical contexts should not be construed as endorsement of those memes.  Our aim is not to litigate the truth or morality of the texts on our syllabus; our goal is to understand these works on their own terms for what they suggest about how other people lived and what they thought.  To that end, as a general rule we will not be censoring our works.  We acknowledge that when we analyze primary literary works within their historical contexts, the words and concepts belong to the author rather than to the scholar who is quoting part of a text that is germane to the topic at hand.  In your papers, you should reproduce quotations precisely, though you may paraphrase words and passages in your subsequent discussion to avoid using epithets in your own prose.  In our seminar sessions, at times your instructor may take the reins and read certain passages out loud so that no student is forced to read them in class, though, again, we recognize that the words and ideas belong to the author and not to the person reciting them.

Per Section 2220 of UNM’s Student Handbook, The Pathfinder, “As an institution that exists for the express purposes of education, research, and public service, the University is dependent upon the unfettered flow of ideas, not only in the classroom and the laboratory, but also in all University activities. As such, protecting freedom of expression is of central importance to the University. The exchange of diverse viewpoints may expose people to ideas some find offensive, even abhorrent. The way that ideas are expressed may cause discomfort to those who disagree with them. The appropriate response to such speech is speech expressing opposing ideas and continued dialogue, not curtailment of speech. The University also recognizes that the exercise of free expression must be balanced with the rights of others to learn, work, and conduct business. Speech activity that unduly interferes with the rights of others or the ability of the University to carry out its mission is not protected by the First Amendment and violates this policy.”

While I would never pressure any student to say something simply because it’s what you think I would want to hear, I encourage you to speak up when you have something relevant to say.  Respectful debate and free inquiry are cornerstones of Honors seminars, so long as our discourse is germane to the seminar and the topic at hand.  You do not have the right to derail class discussion.

Finally, at times this semester we may be discussing passages that could be disturbing, even traumatizing, to some students.  If you ever feel the need to step out during one of these discussions, either for a short time or for the rest of the class session, you may always do so without penalty.  You will, however, be responsible for any material you miss and should make arrangements to review notes with one or your classmates or to see me during office hours.

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES

This “Rhetoric and Discourse” course fulfills UNM Core Curriculum Area 1 (Writing and Speaking).  Once students successfully complete “The Articulate Citizen,” they will be able to:

  • Critically evaluate a variety of written and spoken messages drawn from American history as well as contemporary coverage of current events in order to make informed decisions, such as by analyzing shifting portrayals of historical events and by comparing the bias in different media portrayals of current events;
  • Organize their thinking to express their viewpoints clearly, concisely, and effectively, primarily through the five short exercises and four analytical papers, which I will respond to thoroughly and expect to see improvement with each subsequent essay;
  • Select and use the best means to deliver a particular message to a particular audience (rhetorical strategies include but are not limited to modes, genres, media and technology, and graphics), for example by deducing the intended audiences of historical texts such as the Declaration of Independence and Federalist No. 10 by analyzing their rhetorical strategies, and by crafting a variety of documents intended for different audiences (e.g., an email to four different audiences conveying the same information; a document formatted according to different style guides);
  • Gather legitimate information to support their ideas without plagiarizing, misinforming, or distorting, such as by analyzing the bias of various sources (both popular and scholarly), by learning practical research techniques during a week of instruction at Zimmerman Library, and by learning to identify and avoid common rhetorical fallacies; and
  • Engage in reasoned civic discourse to accomplish their goals and to function as responsible citizens, for example by writing a letter to the editor of a newspaper which ties the student’s historical research to current events.

MORE FINE PRINT

Assessment of Learning Outcomes:  The University and the Honors College assess student work in several ways to demonstrate that students are learning the things we say that you are learning.  Independently of my grade and comments to you on the final project, I may rate a random sampling of essays according to standardized rubrics or submit anonymous, random, or aggregate data on your class’s performance.  I may ask you to provide an additional copy of your project which may be reviewed and/or archived anonymously.  This assessment is not related to your grade except that I may penalize you for not submitting an electronic copy of your essay in a timely manner.  Thank you for your cooperation.

Academic Integrity:  Each student is expected to maintain the highest standards of honesty and integrity in academic and professional matters.  UNM reserves the right to take disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal, against any student who is found guilty of academic dishonesty or otherwise fails to meet the standards.  Per UNM policy, any student judged to have engaged in academic dishonesty in course work may receive a reduced or failing grade for the work in question and/or for the course.  Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, dishonesty in quizzes, tests, or assignments; claiming credit for work not done or done by others, including the use of AI such as ChatGPT; hindering the academic work of other students; misrepresenting academic or professional qualifications within or without UNM; and nondisclosure or misrepresentation in filling out applications or other records. Plagiarism is a grave offense that will result in a grade of “F” for the assignment and that could lead to dismissal from the Honors College or expulsion from the university.  Any student who submits a paper substantially written by someone else—including by ChatGPT or other generative AI models—will receive a grade of “Incomplete” which will convert to an “F” when the offender is unable to complete the requirements of the course.  Unintentional plagiarism (forgetting to put exact language into quotation marks or forgetting to cite a source in a paper that is otherwise original, for example) will result in a grade no higher than a D for the paper.  For additional information on plagiarism and other university policies, please consult UNM’s Student Handbook, The Pathfinder, at http://pathfinder.unm.edu/.

Accommodations:  UNM is committed to providing equitable access to learning opportunities for students with documented disabilities.  As your instructor, it is my objective to facilitate an inclusive classroom setting, in which students have full access and opportunity to participate.  To engage in a confidential conversation about the process for requesting reasonable accommodations for this class and/or program, please contact Accessibility Resource Center at arcsrvs@unm.edu or by phone at 505-277-3506.  It is imperative that you take the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor’s attention, as I am not legally permitted to inquire.  Students who may require assistance in emergency evacuations should contact the instructor as to the most appropriate procedures to follow.  If you are experiencing physical or academic barriers, or concerns related to mental health, physical health and/or COVID-19, please consult with me after class, via email/phone or during office hours.

Credit Hour Statement:  This is a three credit-hour course.  Class meets for two 75-minute sessions of direct instruction for fifteen weeks during the Spring 2024 semester.  According to federal guidelines, students are expected to complete a minimum of six hours of out-of-class work (including homework, study, assignment, completion, and class preparation) each week.  Honors courses generally demand more than six hours per week outside of class.  You should budget at least ten hours a week for your reading and writing in this course.

Electronic Backups:  You are required to keep electronic backups of all work you produce for this class that you can immediately provide upon my request.

Land Acknowledgment: Founded in 1889, the University of New Mexico sits on the traditional homelands of the Pueblo of Sandia.  The original peoples of New Mexico Pueblo, Navajo, and Apache since time immemorial, have deep connections to the land and have made significant contributions to the broader community statewide.  We honor the land itself and those who remain stewards of this land throughout the generations and also acknowledge our committed relationship to Indigenous peoples.  We gratefully recognize our history.

Citizenship and/or Immigration Status: All students are welcome in this class regardless of citizenship, residency, or immigration status.  I will respect your privacy if you choose to disclose your status.  I support your right to an education free from fear of deportation.  I pledge that I will not disclose the immigration status of any student who shares this information with me unless required by a judicial warrant, and I will work with students who require immigration-related accommodations.  As for all students in the class, family emergency-related absences are normally excused with reasonable notice to the professor, as noted in the attendance guidelines above.  UNM as an institution has made a core commitment to the success of all our students, including members of our undocumented community.  The Administration’s welcome is found on the website:  http://undocumented.unm.edu/.

Connecting to Campus and Finding Support: Students who ask for help are successful students.  UNM has many resources and centers to help you thrive, including opportunities to get involved, mental health resources, academic support including tutoring, resource centers for people like you, free food at Lobo Food Pantry, and jobs on campus. Your advisor, staff at the resource centers and Dean of Students, and I can help you find the right opportunities for you.

Title IX Statement: Title IX prohibitions on sex discrimination include various forms of sexual misconduct, such as sexual assault, rape, sexual harassment, domestic and dating violence, and stalking.  Current UNM policy designates instructors as required reporters, which means that if instructors are notified (outside of classroom activities) about any Title IX violations, they must report this information to the Title IX coordinator.  However, the American Association of University Professors’ (AAUP) “Statement on Professional Ethics” requires that Professors protect students’ academic freedom and “respect[s] the confidential nature of the relationship between professor and student.”  Therefore, as a Professor I have pledged to honor student confidentiality and will strive to respect your wishes regarding reporting; I will only report with your consent.  If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted and would like to receive support and academic advocacy, there are numerous confidential routes available to you.  For example, you can contact the Women’s Resource Center, the LGBTQ Resource Center, Student Health and Counseling (SHAC), or LoboRESPECT. LoboRESPECT can be contacted on their 24-hour crisis line, (505) 277-2911 and online at loborespect@unm.edu. You can receive non-confidential support and learn more about Title IX through the Title IX Coordinator at (505) 277-5251 and http://oeo.unm.edu/title-ix/.  Reports to law enforcement can be made to UNM Police Department at (505) 277-2241. 

UNM Email Confidentiality Notice:  Students often use email to inquire about protected and sensitive matters, including grades and class progress, and faculty often use email to individually report such protected and sensitive matters.  Unless students opt out, in writing, to the Honors College, the Honors College and Honors Faculty will assume that all email sent individually to students via their official UNM email addresses (generally their @unm.edu address) is private and confidential and that the student assumes all risk of inappropriate interception of email transmissions.  If students opt out of this policy, they are agreeing to receive such information only in person (and they may be required to show identification before information is shared with them) or through regular mail to the student’s official address on file with UNM.

Covid-19 Health and Awareness: UNM is a mask friendly, but not a mask required, community.  If you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, please do not come to class.  If you do need to stay home, please communicate with me at obenauf@unm.edu; I can work with you to provide alternatives for course participation and completion.  Let me, an advisor, or another UNM staff member know that you need support so that we can connect you to the right resources.  Please be aware that UNM will publish information on websites and email about any changes to our public health status and community response.  If you are having active respiratory symptoms (e.g., fever, cough, sore throat, etc.) AND need testing for COVID-19, OR if you recently tested positive and may need oral treatment, call Student Health and Counseling (SHAC) at (505) 277-3136.

READING LIST

Reading List:  I have prepared a coursepack of readings, available for a nominal fee at the UNM Copy Center in Dane Smith Hall (currently $17.00 as of Spring 2024). 

You will also need to purchase the following books in these specific editions:

  • A Documentary History of the United States, edited by Richard D. Heffner and Alexander Heffner, 9th Edition (2013) OR 10th Edition (2018) (or a newer edition if there is one)
  • The Elements of Style by William Strunk and E.B. White, 4th Edition (1999)
  • The MLA Handbook, 9th Edition (2021)
  • A good dictionary so that you can look up words without getting sucked into your phone

Other course materials may be distributed throughout the semester, either by email or on this class website.  Students are responsible for obtaining these texts and bringing them to class:  again, you should come to class prepared to discuss the readings in their entirety on the day they appear on the syllabus, even if we have fallen behind schedule.

This syllabus is subject to change, as I may announce changes in readings and adjust deadlines, ahead of time, in class, by email, or on this course website.  It is very likely that we will drop some readings so that we can focus on the things that most interest us as a class.  Check this website frequently for the most up-to-date schedule.

GOOD LUCK AND HAVE FUN!!