Freshmen - EC - IQ2 - Are men finished?

As per our classroom discussions about the gender roles presented in The Taming of the Shrew, we began to wonder if such gender roles continue to exist in modern day America.

Are women becoming less submissive in the workplace?  Are men becoming more accepting of gender equality?  Are woman becoming the dominant gender?  Please listen to the first four speakers of this intelligence squared debate and comment on the argument being presented, your individual thoughts, and any questions you might have about this particular discussion.

You can find the debate here.

I encourage you all to participate in the discussion while commenting on what others are saying.  It is important that you engage one another in meaningful debate.

And remember, when we debate, we should not trying to convince someone that we are right and they are wrong.  We should only try to understand those who we debate with. 

Boredom Cure

Hey Stuy.

I'm sure none of you are ever bored with all the work we teachers give you.

But let me share a resource with you that I tend to use when I'm a bit bored ...

TheCreator'sProject

A collection of the newest musicians, artists, fashion designers, DJs, graphic designers, and all around innovators.  It is truly a wonderful site to lose yourself in.  Creative minds from Brazil, UK, South Korea, Brazil and on and on and on ...


Here's a few links to get started:
Door #1
Door #2
Door #3
Door #4
Door #5

Recommendations are appreciated ...

Juniors David Foster Wallace Speech

As per Lisa's minutes gift, I wanted to present this David Foster Wallace commencement speech he gave to a graduating class at Kenyon College.  Please comment juniors, on the message of this particular speech, whether or not you agree, why, and some questions you might want to pose to others.

Transcript: here.

Work for the week of Dec. 19th - Juniors

Due Monday Dec. 19th, 2011
Read the author’s note, chapters one and two of Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild.

SAT Words: Reclusive, Iconoclast
Minutes: Ivy Liu, Lisa Ng, William Han

Due Tuesday Dec. 20th, 2011
Please read Jack London's short story, "To Build a Fire" found here.  Please note direct comparisons to Into the Wild as well as analyzing how London portrays nature and the wilderness in this story.  Is this similar to Krakuer's depictions of nature and the wilderness in Into the Wild?  I expect to see written work for homework.  Please write a minimum of six sentences.

SAT Words: Tranquil, Omnipotent
Minutes: Soulin Haque, Amy Lin, Jahwa Hossain

Due Wednesday Dec. 21st, 2011
Read chapters three and four of Into the Wild.

SAT Words: Exacerbate, Traverse
Minutes: John Horario, Zawar Ahmed, John O'Donnell


Due Thursday Dec. 22nd, 2011
Please read chapters I and II of Emerson's "Nature" essay (nature, commodity).  You can find this here.
Please note direct comparisons to Into the Wild.  I expect to see written work for homework.  Please write a minimum of six sentences.

SAT Words: Prosaic, Circumspect
Minutes: Aaron Lee, John Li, Zuzanna Rybicka

Due Friday Dec. 23rd, 2011
Please read III of Emerson's "Nature" essay (beauty).  You can find this here.
Please try to explain why Alex abandons his promising life and goes off into the wild.  I expect to see written work for homework.  Please write a minimum of five sentences.


SAT Words: Inexpedient, Discursiveness
Minutes: Brandon Lee, Charles Pan, Vlad Shumakovich

Happy non-denominational Winter solstice.

Work for the week of Dec. 19th - Freshmen

Due Monday Dec. 19th, 2011
Read Induction Scene II
Please summarize the plot using quotations as evidence. Signify which line supports your
argument. Students are expected to bring in written work, five sentences minimum, as
homework.



Minutes: Fawn Wong, Edward Shen

Due Tuesday Dec. 20th, 2011
Please complete the thesis statement/topic sentence umbrella graphic from class today.


Minutes: Victor Wu, Elvin Shoyfer

Due Wednesday Dec. 21st, 2011
Continue working on your perfect paragraphs.

Minutes: Thomas Lin, Max Su

Due Thursday Dec. 22nd, 2011
Read Act I Scene I
Who of Baptista, Bianca, and Katherine has the most power? The least? Who is in the middle?
Please explain why. Please provide quotations to support your argument. Students are expected
to bring in written work, five sentences minimum, as homework.


Minutes: Kemraj Sobhai, Brian Tran

Due Friday Dec. 23rd, 2011
Dystopian Thesis and Two* Perfect Paragraphs due today.


Minutes: Joanne Yang, George Triantafillou

Happy non-denominational Winter solstice break.

Extra Credit - Juniors

I know I promised an article about compulsive Guinness Book of World Records breakers, but it isn't available to me yet and so I'm continuing our ongoing discussion of the American justice system.

This week, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the self-proclaimed "toughest sheriff in the United States" faced  backlash from the Justice Department, perhaps for being too "tough."  After finishing a three year investigation, the Justice Department determined that Arpaio's department unfaily targetted Latino Americans, an issue that is all too familiar in Arizona which as of lately, has been a lightning rod of attention in how individual states deal with the "immigration problem," especially since the passing of the stringent anti-immigration law SB-1070. 

The New Yorker, two years ago, released a profile on Sheriff Arpaio and his questionable practices, perhaps foreshadowing the events of this past week.  It is brilliant insight into this man's questionable practices, but also into how our nation, a nation of immigrants, struggles to accept its newest inhabitants.  Please comment your thoughts, impressions, ideas, concerns, devil's advocacy, and so on.

The article can be found here.

Work for the week of Dec. 12th - Freshmen

Due Monday Dec. 12th, 2011
Hope you enjoyed your weekend.  Back to work.  You'll be getting your assignment today.

Minutes: Ali Saad, Shadman Nazmuddin

Due Tuesday Dec. 13th, 2011
Please answer the following question:
Why do we read Shakespeare?  Please respond in AT LEAST six sentences.
When you're done.  Print and read this article.  It is a speech by a Shakespearean professor given to the freshmen class of 2008 at the Catholic University of America.  Bring it in for discussion in class.

Minutes: Tommy Parker

Due Wednesday Dec. 14th, 2011

Minutes: Sadie Solomon, Mindy Qiu

Line by line translation and interpretation of Hamlet Act V, Scene V "Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow" soliloquy

Due Thursday Dec. 15th, 2011
Minutes: Dionis Wang, Tiffani Ren

Please read the "Shakespeare's Theatre" preface of The Taming of the Shrew and answer the following questions:
Why did the original Globe theater burn down?  How did this influence the structure of the new Globe?
Who were groundlings?  What was their experience at the Globe like?
Where did nobles sit in the audience?
How did the audience typically behave?
Describe the gender perculiarities of the performers.
Describe the basement and "heavens" of the Globe theatre.



Due Friday Dec. 16th, 2011
Minutes: Fawn Wong, Edward Shen

Please read Induction Scene I.  Utilize No Fear Shakespeare if necessary.