Includes Summer and Fall
English 102 Classes and Themes
Summer Quarter 2017
Gary Newlin
102 Sec OL1 (Online)
Freedom of Speech and Press. The First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution states
that “Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press . . .
.” That’s it. Big ideas; no explanation. So what do these fourteen words mean? In this
class we will explore the origin of these fundamental rights, their role within the context
of the U.S. Constitution and American society, and how these rights have been interpreted
over time by the U. S. Supreme Court. You will then exercise your own right to free
speech as you research and write about a contemporary issue related to free speech
and/or press. You’ll practice academic research and writing skills as you “speak out” in an
articulate and persuasive manner on a significant issue of your choice.
Andrea Wells-Edwards
102D (Diversity Section) Sec OL2 (Online)
Contemporary American Issues. Through selected course readings and the media (film,
TV, radio, magazines, and newspapers), we will examine the portrayal and treatment of
those "others" outside the mainstream. Topics include family, education, media, and
gender, to name a few. Fiction, non-fiction, and current events will inform our study, with
the end result being an original, multiple-source research paper.
Diane E. Ripper
102 Sec OL3 (Online)
Self and Society. What can you teach us about your life experiences? After learning the
fundamental techniques of research writing, you will write a personal narrative research
paper on a topic that has impacted your life - positively or negatively. You will combine
personal details substantiated with research to support your point. For the second
research paper, you will write an argument paper on a topic on which you are an authority
figure. What opinions do you have about society that you would like others to learn
through your own personal experiences?
Josh Searle
102 Sec A (MTWTh 9:00 am – 10:20 am)
What’s your question? Following an initial inquiry stage, students in this class will select
their own topic and conduct a quarter-long investigation of what is known and what is not
yet known about that topic. This class will explore elements and aspects of research
across disciplines as we work through the process of conducting thorough background
research as well as the process of composing a review of research that is relevant,
significant, current, and authoritative.
(over)
Cobi Seslar
102 Sec B (TTh 10:30 am – 1:20 pm)
Land Use, Natural Resource Management & Sustainability. Closed Forest Service
roads, BLM lands, Tribal rights to rivers, Wilderness designations, and Parks: Who has the
right to use these lands? This class will explore these regional land designations by going
on field trips to interview land managers and wilderness stewards. This class participates
in service projects where students get hands-on experience in the vocations of these land
designations. This class will explore user groups, resources, regulations, and a land’s
various uses and competing interest groups. This experience in the field will guide an
extensive research paper. Students will walk away with a broad perspective of regional
land uses, including resources, corporate users, government entities and public
interest. Three required field trips: July 11th, 18th & 25th (8+ hour days).
This course has the option for a Service Learning credit (more work will be required
to earn this credit). Participants should be physically ready to hike 2 miles while carrying
a loaded day pack. Hiking Boots are REQUIRED!
Charles Fischer
102 Sec C (MTWTh 12:00 pm – 1:20 pm)
Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice: Love, Money, and Marriage. In addition to reading
a Jane Austen novel, this course will be devoted to writing a thesis driven research paper.
To write the paper, we will learn a number of different skills—such as learning how to
construct a critical reading of the text using outside sources, doing research in the library
and on the Internet. We will also learn how to collect useful and legitimate sources in a
working bibliography, write a helpful rough draft, deploy the MLA style, and finally, revise,
edit, and proofread a final draft.
English 102 Classes and Themes
Fall Quarter 2017
Gary Newlin
102 Sec OL1 (Online)
102 Sec H (11:10 am - 12:10 pm MTWTh)
Freedom of Speech and Press. The First Amendment to the U. S. Constitution states that
―Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press . . . .‖ That’s
it. Big ideas; no explanation. So what do these fourteen words mean? In this class we will
explore the origin of these fundamental rights, their role within the context of the U.S.
Constitution and American society, and how these rights have been interpreted over time by the
U. S. Supreme Court. You will then exercise your own right to free speech as you research and
write about a contemporary issue related to free speech and/or press. You’ll practice academic
research and writing skills as you ―speak out‖ in an articulate and persuasive manner on a
significant issue of your choice.
Diane E. Ripper
102 Sec OL2 (Online)
102 Sec OL3 (Online)
Self and Society. What can you teach us about your life experiences? After learning the
fundamental techniques of research writing, you will write a personal narrative research paper
on a topic that has impacted your life - positively or negatively. You will combine personal
details substantiated with research to support your point. For the second research paper, you
will write an argument paper on a topic on which you are an authority figure. What opinions do
you have about society that you would like others to learn through your own personal
experiences?
Diane Houston
102D (Diversity Section) Sec OL4 (Online)
102D (Diversity Section) Sec OL5 (Online)
102D (Diversity Section) Sec G (10:00 am – 12:10 pm TTh)
Ethnicity and Gender in Today's United States. What unexamined assumptions do many of
us share about the roles ethnicity and gender play in American culture today? We will read a
variety of controversial pieces on topics including religious discrimination, racial profiling,
immigration, and popular media portrayal of gender roles and race. You’ll be free to travel the
ethnicity- or gender-based cultural avenues you feel moved to explore while learning to write a
compelling multiple-source research paper using MLA style.
Phil Hurst
102 Sec A (8:50 am - 9:50 am MTWTh)
102 Sec E (10:00 am - 11:00 am MTWTh)
The Travelogue: What do those writers with a zest for travel have to tell us about our world?
Does the writing a certain locale produces better reflect its nature and character, or the
character of the guy or gal who writes about it? What patterns do we see? What concessions or
prejudices? We will read primary and secondary texts with an emphasis on close reading and
critical thinking skills aimed at effective argumentation and the production of original writing.
Steven Tobias
102 Sec B (8:50 am - 9:50 am MTWTh)
102 Sec C (10:00 am - 11:00 am MTWTh)
Slavery: Past, Present, and Future. Many people associate slavery solely with the antebellum
South, and assume that it ended after the U.S. Civil War. In reality, there are 27 million slaves in
the world today—more than during any other era. This interdisciplinary, research-based writing
course explores slavery’s long, geographically complex, and still evolving history. We will begin
by examining how Atlantic slavery and the products slaves produced (sugar, salt, coffee, rice,
and tobacco, among others) influenced the culture, politics, and landscape of the modern world.
We will then research how slavery has persisted to the present day, and is linked with many
goods and services we regularly consume.
Holly Hill
102 Sec F (10:00 am - 12:10 pm MW)
Wilderness. We are currently experiencing Earth’s sixth great mass extinction event of plants
and animals since our planet was formed. This has happened with astonishing rapidity in the
―Anthropocene‖ or since the Industrial Revolution. What has been the fate of wilderness in that
time, and how do different cultures place value on ―wild‖ places? In this course we look at the
role of national parks, indigenous cultures, and the survival of disparate species as part of
examining what wilderness means for us. Students will write two essays (MLA) and an 8+ page
research paper (APA) on wilderness issues, as well as complete short writes, exercises,
quizzes on library and information literacy, documentation, critically evaluating source material.
A fair amount of outside-of-class reading and some group work required.
Marla Hyder
102 Sec I (12:20 pm - 1:20 pm MTWTh)
Inquiring minds want to know! So what do YOU want to know? In this class, you’ll cultivate
your curiosity, asking questions you want to know the answer to—questions about your life,
about what’s happening in the world right now, and about ―wicked problems‖ related to your
future career. At the end of the quarter, you’ll publish your research findings online in a visually
captivating ―story cascade‖ that enhances text with images and videos. Your published work will
have the opportunity to reach viewers and make a real difference.
Aaron Barrell
102 Sec J (12:20 pm - 1:20 pm MTWTh)
The Art of Conversation. Socrates is known to have performed his philosophical lessons in
conversation with students, and to have prioritized the asking of questions over the forming of
answers. In this class, our reading and writing will be shaped by questions such as: Is
conversation a lost or dying art? What are the qualities of a good conversation? What personal
or cultural values are inherent in those qualities, for a citizen or a student? When was the last
time you heard a politician really listen to an opponent in a debate? In independent and
assigned reading, and in your own in-depth writing and research, you will take a critical attitude
toward the art of conversation, as well as how it shapes and is shaped by cultural attitudes.
Kevin Craft
102 Sec HN (Honors Section) (12:20 pm - 2:30 pm TTh)
Adventures in Travel Writing. Why do people travel? Is it to ―get away from it all‖ – a means
of escapism, however temporary? Or is it something more profound we are looking for on the
road—a pilgrim’s devotion, an adventurer’s zest, a philosopher’s insight? We’ll examine the
hows and whys of travel through the ages, and students will be able to choose their research
topics to suit their own geographical or historical interests. Two short and one long (term) paper,
covering MLA and APA styles. Honors section-- priority admission for students seeking
Honors credit, or by instructor permission.
Steven Arntson
102 Sec S (5:00 pm - 7:10 pm TTh)
Changing Minds. What makes someone believe something? What makes someone alter what
they believe? This quarter we'll read, discuss, and write about questions both personal and
cultural with reference to the changeability of opinions and beliefs. The class will begin with
shorter research and writing assignments, and culminate with a paper examining a long-term
cultural trend.