Oh boy! I had my seniors writing a series of essay in the classical sense of the term, ala Montaigne. I gave them a series of ideas for two essays on concrete subjects (cats, dogs, phones, computers . . .) and then a series of ideas for two more essays on abstract subjects (love, drama, loneliness, frustration . . .).
For the most part I have been reading them with delight. I read a wonderful essay yesterday about a student’s crazy family traditions. I read another about a student’s hatred of all the drama that goes on in school. He saved his sharpest commentary for the middle school drama of his neighbor.
I gave them very little direction in how to write the essay. I just told them they were free to explore their ideas on whatever subjects they chose. So far I’ve gotten plenty of great narratives and a few exploratory essays.
But just now I am reading this -- (here is the first paragraph) “I’ll be talking about texting, and why it’s annoying to me. My key points will be on why people text, texting in school, why girls text more than guys, why guys even text at all, and why they just don’t stop texting.” That, in short, is all that is wrong with teaching the thesis-statement form of writing predominantly in any composition class.
*****
Top quotes of the year --
Someone out there devised a top ten list of the years most memorable quotes --
1. “Don’t Tase Me, Bro” - from the dude who tried to disrupt John Kerry’s speech at the University of Florida.
2. (I couldn’t make this one up if I tried) - some beauty pagaent contestant’s response to the observation that one out of five Americans supposedly can’t find the United States on a map, “I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don’t have maps and I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and Iraw and everywhere like such as and I believe that they should our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S. or should help South Africa and should help Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future for us.” I promise I’m not making that up.
3. This one is from the President of Iran - “In Iran we don’t have homosexuals like in your country.”
4. The idiot of the year, Don Imus, and his remark about the Rutgers women’s basketball team: “That’s some nappy-headed hos there.”
Others that I liked from the list --
6. Sen. Jospeh Biden refering to Giuliani, “There’s only three things he mentions in a sentence, a noun and a verb and 9/11!”
8. “I have a wide stance when going to the bathroom.” No more is necessary.
10. (And my personal favorite) - Jimmy Carter referring to Busch’s administraiton, “I think as far as the adverse impact on the nation around the world, this administration has been the worst in history.” Double HA!
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