COMPOSITION 1 / The Research Paper (ENG 101/103)
Department of English
LaGuardia Community College, City University of New York
Fall Semester 2011
Dr. Noam Scheindlin
Office hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 11:45-12:45 (M119G, Tel: 6091)
nscheindlin@lagcc.cuny.edu
INTRODUCTION
To write means to give shape to your thoughts and feelings; to turn your thoughts and feelings into objects so that they can be experienced by others.
To make a shape, to make an object, is to make something whole.
Writing involves a relationship between you and your reader, even if your reader is yourself: writing means making an object that the reader can use, making a shape that the reader can see.
Thoughts are invisible; writing is visible.
This is equally the case for a love letter as it is for an instruction manual.
We write to communicate, to send a message from here, to all the way over there (where you, where the other one is).
But what is it that we are communicating? In order to communicate, we first have to know what we are expressing, what it is we want to bring from the inside to the outside. When we write, we represent ourselves to the world. When we write, we use the things of the world to represent ourselves.
Some things we do in writing:
-describe (representing space)
-narrate (representing time)
-synthesize others’ ideas into our own language
-create theories and try to understand the world and where we are in it
-convince and seduce others to think like we are thinking
To write well, you have to ask yourself: “What am I thinking?” and “What am I feeling?” You have to ask yourself: “What is the best way to represent what I am thinking or feeling?” You must ask, “What is it that I want to say?” Often, however, the act of writing will change your original answer to this question. A really good piece of writing will show you thoughts and feelings that you never knew that you had.
In this course we will spend a lot of time practicing. We will write and rewrite; we will share our work with our colleagues. By the end of the semester, you will have created a portfolio of many different kinds of writing. If you take the challenge seriously, you will have said something that has never been said before, that only you can say.
ASSOCIATED COURSES:
This class is part of a liberal arts cluster of three courses, focused on the exploration of the notion of divinity. In this cluster, students will read and discuss texts from various religions of the world; read critical and philosophical essays pertaining to these texts and religions; view and discuss visual art pertaining to the representation of divinity, In this course, students will focus on reading source texts pertaining to five religious belief systems: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
Questions we will ask include:
~ What is the conception of the divine in the major world religions?
~ How is the divine is artistically represented in various cultures?
~ How do religious texts structure the relation between humans and the divine?
~ How do religious texts structure the relation between humans and human?
~ How does our understanding of the art of the divine influence how we think of ourselves?
~ How does our view of ourselves influence the art of the divine?
~ How do we relate to the divine via art?
~ What is the role of society in understanding the divine and art?
REQUIRED WORK:
In this course, you will write short experiential essays every week, as well as three formal essays, in addition to an in-class midterm and final. You will be asked to come to class prepared the required readings in advance. In order to pass the class, each of the following course components must be adequately completed.
-2 pages of experiential writing per week, which you will post on the course website, https://sites.google.com/site/divinitycluster.
-2 out-of-class essays of 800–1000 words each (you will be given at least one week to complete each one).
Due dates:
1) Oct 10
2) Nov 7
-Final research paper of 1500 words—submitted in drafts.
See the handout, “The Research Paper from Start to Finish” for schedule of completion dates.
-In class writing.
-Completion of all assignments including assigned place-visits.
-Attendance and participation in class, both individually and in group work.
COURSE MATERIALS:
The following are required books for this class that must be purchased:
Scriptures of the World’s Religions, (eds. Fieser and Powers)
Course Packet (available at Neko Printing, B building)
Additional texts, as indicated on the course schedule, will be distributed.
Students are responsible for bringing all texts to class.
Dictionary: please bring a portable paper-and-ink dictionary to every class. During the midterm and final, electronic dictionaries will not be permitted.
Please bring a journal with a folder to class, where you can keep your course writing and material. Please bring this to every class, along with a pen or pencil.
GRADING:
ENG 101
The grade that you receive from this class will be based on all your course work including your journal work, your in-class and out-of-class essays, your revisions, and your participation in class. Your grade will be calculated as follows:
-Two essays: 50%
-In class writing: 10%
-Experiential writing (posted weekly): 25%
-Participation in class: 15%
ENG 103
The grade that you receive from this class will be based on your research paper, and the work that builds up to it.
-Prospectus 5%
-Map 5%
-Annotated bibliography / Source list 5%
-Drafts 30%
-Final paper 50%
-Abstract 5%
Note that excessive absence, lateness, or late submission of work will result in a lowered grade.
ATTENDANCE:
You are permitted no more than 4 hours of unexcused absences. Excessive absences that approach this limit will result in a lowered grade. Please make every effort not to miss any classes. Your attendance is very important for your ability to succeed in this course.
OFFICE HOURS:
You are invited to visit me in my office if you have questions, would like additional help, or simply wish to try out an idea on me. Please feel free to come and see me.
A STATEMENT REGARDING ACADEMIC HONESTY:
The point of this class is for you to become a better writer. Obviously, then, the work that you submit must be of your own making. When students plagiarize, they undermine the very foundation of the academic community. As such, the college takes this very seriously: any act of plagiarism will result in failure in the course, and may lead to additional disciplinary action by the college.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Please read the English Department’s “Introduction to ENG 101” sheet for other policies and for additional information on the course, including information about the Writing Center.
Schedule
Week 1 (Sept 8-16): Introduction and Indigenous Religions
Reading: “Indigenous Religions of the West” in Scriptures of the World’s Religions
Week 2 (Sept. 19-23): Hinduism
Readings: Scriptures, 1-12, 15-16, 22-25, 28, 31-38
Week 3 (Sept. 26-30): Hinduism / Buddhism
Reading: Scriptures, 42-47, 50-59. Course packet: Molloy “Hinduism and the Arts”; Sen “Vedic-Upanisadic Concept of Brahman”; Shankara “Everything has its Self in Brahman”; Shankara “Brahman, Creation, Evil”
No class on Sept. 29.
Week 4 (Oct 3-7): Buddhism
Reading: Scriptures ,77-92, 94-98 104-106, 109, 112-116, 117-118, 119,
131-132 + Readings TBD
Week 5 (Oct 10-14): Buddhism
Reading: Course pack: Ives “Emptiness in Mahayana Buddhism”; Nagarjuna “An
Analysis of Nirvana”; Anon “What is Reborn isNeither the Same nor Another”; Molloy “Buddhism and Japanese Arts”
No class on Oct. 10
Week 6 (Oct. 17-21): Buddhism/Judaism
Reading: Course Packet: Genesis 1-11
Week 7 (Oct. 24-28): Judaism
Reading: Course Packet Genesis: 17-34 + readings TBD
Week 8 (Oct. 31-Nov.4): Judaism
Reading: TBD
Week 9 (Nov. 7-Nov. 11): Christianity
Reading: Course Packet: Gospel of Luke 1-12
No class on November 8.
Week 10 (Nov. 14-18): Christianity
Reading: Course Packet: Gospel of Luke 12-24 + TBD
Week 11 (Nov. 21-25): Islam
Readings: Scriptures, 437-454 + TBD
No class on Nov. 24.
Week 12 (Nov. 28-Dec. 2): Islam and Sufism
Readings: Scriptures 454 – 481 + TBD
Week 13 (Dec. 5-9): Islam
