Fall 2006
INTD 100: Freshperson Writing Seminar
California Dreamin’
Instructor: Dr. Rebecca Overmyer-Velázquez Office: Platner 111
Phone: 907-4200 ext. 4353 (Office) or 626-961-5453 (home––not later than 8:30pm, please)
Email: rovermyer@whittier.edu
Office Hours: Tu 1:30-2:30, W 2:00-4:00, and by appointment
Class Meetings: MWF 10-10:50
Readings
1. Little Scarlet, Walter Mosley, Warner Vision (reprint ed.)
2. Where I Was From, Joan Didion, Vintage (reprint ed.)
3. Southern California: An Island on the Land, Carey McWilliams, Gibbs Smith, 9th ed.
4. Whose Names are Unknown, Sanora Babb, University of Oklahoma
5. Murder at the Sleepy Lagoon: Zoot Suits, Race, and Riot, Eduardo Obregón Pagán, University
of North Carolina
6. A Writer’s Reference (5th ed.), Diana Hacker
7. Library Reserve – there will be several readings about writing on reserve in the library for this
section of FWS. You will need to photocopy these readings for your use in this course.
A college-level dictionary is recommended.
Course Description
California is both a dream and a nightmare. People have come for the sunshine, the gold, and
the promise of fame even as the state has long been notorious for its earthquakes, racial violence, and
weird cults. It is a place named after a hoax dreamed up in the Middle Ages that is now home to an
incredible diversity of peoples from all over the world. What is California? What has California meant
to different people in the past and what does it mean today? What are the dreams and nightmares for
the future of the state? We will explore these questions and their answers using a variety of media:
books, essays, newspaper reports, movies, popular music, and museums. It will be a collaborative
workshop open to the ideas and experiences we all will bring to the group.
Course Design and Structure
This seminar is designed to provide you with the skills necessary to (a) think and read
critically, and (b) write clearly, persuasively, and engagingly. We will work as a team to acquire these
skills. Therefore, your regular attendance is absolutely mandatory. Moreover, it is imperative that you
arrive in class prepared (this means you've done the assigned reading, writing, and thinking) and are
ready to contribute substantively to class discussion.
Films, field trips, and assigned readings will serve as the "inspiration" for the writing
assignments this semester. You will write, and rewrite, three short (4-6 page) papers. You will also
write, rewrite, and participate in a class discussion about your term paper (6-8 pages). Finally, you
will write several short assignments in class (1-2 pages) including summarizing, narrating, arguing,
and comparing and contrasting readings and other media presenting different perspectives. The goal of
these assignments is (a) to help you achieve a more thorough understanding of complex material by
engaging your mind through the act of writing, and (b) to sharpen your writing skills. This is called
"writing to learn," and you will encounter it as an integral part of most courses at Whittier College.
The following is a schedule of course readings and assignment due dates. Note that this
schedule is subject to change, so be sure to attend class regularly or call/e-mail me (or a classmate) to
learn what you missed if you must be absent. Reading assignments are due on the date listed.
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Schedule (subject to revision)
Date Topic Reading Writing
F 9/8 Introduce course In class--diagnostic
Water and Power in CA: essay
Chinatown
M 9/11 Chinatown, cont. McWilliams Chs. I&X Take notes on the film:
What connections do
you see between the film
and the McWilliams
chapter on water?
W 9/13 Chinatown, cont. Discuss film
F 9/15 Water and Power in CA:
Cadillac Desert
Sun 9/17 **Fieldtrip to see Water & Power, Be sure to get your
Mark Taper Forum 7:30pm ticket from Becky for
$6!
M 9/18 Discuss Water & Power, Chinatown, Hacker, pp. 3-9 Pre-writing:
Cadillac Desert, and McWilliams: Brainstorming
What do we know about water and
power in California?
W 9/20 Compare and contrast Library Reserve: Essay #1 prompt handed
In-class exercise on compare and Longman Reader on out
contrast Comparison-Contrast Pre-writing: Outlines
PLAGIARISM: What is it?
F 9/22 Peer review Library Reserve: Bring your essay outline
In-class exercise on description Longman Reader on to class for peer review
Visit Center for Academic Success Description and
Narration
M 9/25 Peer review First Draft of Essay #1
Due
W 9/27 Thesis statements Hacker, pp. 9-17 Developing your thesis-
Bring in your examples
F 9/29 Revising Prose Hacker, pp. 17-26 Final Draft of Essay #1
In class exercise on revising work: Due (4-6 pages)-
What did you do to revise? Hand in your letter, too
M 10/02 California: Early dreams and Library Reserve:
nightmares Polk, The Island of
California.
McWilliams Ch. II
W 10/04 Invented traditions Library Reserve:
Jackson and Kinney,
“Report on the
Condition and Needs of
the Mission Indians”.
McWilliams Chs. III
and IV
F 10/06 Invented traditions –Brainstorming McWilliams, V, VIII Essay #2 prompt out
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Date Topic Reading Writing
M 10/09 Peer review: Essay outlines Library Reserve: Bring essay outline
Exemplification
W 10/11 In class Midterm Exam Explain, with examples,
Writing under pressure what McWilliams means
(~3 pages)
F 10/13 MID-SEMESTER BREAK NO CLASS TODAY
Sat 10/14 Or Sun 10/15 Field trip TBA Stay tuned!
M 10/16 Peer review McWilliams Ch. XII First Draft of Essay #2
Discuss fieldtrip Due
W 10/18 California’s “Lost Tribes”
F 10/20 Discussion of Essay #2 Final Draft of Essay #2
Due (4-6 pgs)
M 10/23 Migration to the Promised Land, Babb, Foreword and Essay #3 prompt handed
Causes and effects Part I out
W 10/25 Migration to the Promised Land Babb, Part II
Field trip to library and bibliographic
instruction
Group work to complete initial search
F 10/27 Current issues in immigration: bring Library Reserve: In class prewriting for
your news articles! Cause-Effect Essay #3
Handout: LA Times
M 10/30 Peer review First Draft of Essay #3
Due
W 11/1 The New Los Angeles
F 11/3 Discussion of Essay #3 Final Draft of Essay #3
The Reading Journal Due (4-6 pgs)
Sat 11/4 Field trip to museum time TBA
M 11/6 Zoot Suits, Race, and Riot: Obregón Pagán, Part I Essay #4 prompt out
What’s going on? Bring your reading
journal (~2 pages)
W 11/8 Zoot Suits, Race, and Riot: Obregón Pagán, Ch. 5 Bring your reading
What are you wearing? journal (~1 page)
F 11/10 Zoot Suits, Race, and Riot Obregón Pagán, Chs. 7- Bring your reading
9, Epilogue journal (~2 pages)
Sun11/12 Field trip to museum time TBA
M 11/13 Discussion of fieldtrip Bring your reading
journal on the museum
(~1 page)
W 11/15 Race and Riot in Watts Mosley, Chs. 1-13
F 11/17 Race and Riot in Watts Mosley, Chs. 14-35
M 11/20 Race and Riot in Watts Mosley, Chs. 36 to end Pre-writing:
Brainstorming so far
W 11/22 Making sense of California Didion, Part One: Chs. Bring your reading
1-5 journal (~2 pages)
F 11/24 THANKSGIVING BREAK NO CLASS TODAY
M 11/27 Making sense of California Didion, Part Two: Bring your reading
Chs.1-5 (see next pg.) journal (~2 pages)
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Date Topic Reading Writing
M 11/27, Making sense of California Didion, Part Three,
continued Chs. 1-3
W 11/29 Peer review Library Reserve: Prewriting:
Argumentation Outlines
F 12/01 Class presentations of group ideas for
essays
M 12/04 Peer review First Draft of Essay #4
Due
W 12/06 Class presentation of essays
F 12/08 Class presentation of essays Final Draft of Essay #4
Due (6-8 pages)
Hand in reading
journals, too
Point distribution
Essay #1 = 15 points
Essays #2 and #3 = 20 points each
Essay #4 = 25 points
Midterm = 15 points
Misc. writing = 5 points
Total = 100 points
*No extra credit will be offered
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Class Policies
Attendance and Participation: Class attendance is essential to your success in this course. The
expectation is that you will attend all class meetings unless a serious illness or emergency prohibits
your attendance. Thus, I do require that you come to class regularly and on time; I will take attendance
at the beginning of each class. Students are allowed 2 "free" absences to cover illnesses and
unforeseen problems. However, be aware that once you have used up your quota of free absences,
each subsequent absence will cost you one-third step in your final grade (e.g., A- = B+). Furthermore,
class discussions and in-class exercises will be an important (and graded) component of learning in this
course. If you miss a class for ANY reason, it is your responsibility to call/e-mail me to find out
whether there were adjustments to the reading or class schedule, as well as to catch up on what you
missed. You should definitely assume that you missed something important! I do not give out copies
of my personal lecture notes.
I will not penalize anyone for absences incurred because of illness or because of activities
undertaken on behalf of Whittier College, such as games, if you play on a school team, choir events,
and so on. However, these will count toward your free absences, and you must give me written
confirmation from your doctor, coach, or other relevant authority concerning the legitimacy of your
absence; obviously you must make up whatever work you miss.
Written Assignments: Written assignments will be discussed well in advance of their due dates so
that you may take the topics into account in note taking on course readings and class discussions. I
strongly urge you to think about paper topics early, think of thesis statements, outlines, and drafts, and
show them to a consultant in the Writing Center, the peer mentor, or me before each paper is due.
Written assignments MUST BE WORD-PROCESSED. Because you will rewrite several
papers, be sure to write them on a word processor and save your files on a disk to save yourself time
when you rewrite. I also recommend that you make a hard copy of all your papers too, in case of
computer (or human) error. Unless otherwise indicated, all written work should be typed, double-
spaced, in Times New Roman 12-point font, with one-inch margins.
I recommend you make note of the time it takes you to complete Essays 2-4 (including reading
relevant materials, jotting down ideas, outlining, writing drafts, editing, revising, and proofreading the
draft you turn in for a grade). This will help you plan and structure your time for future written
assignments in this and other classes as you gain important information about your own personal pace
for writing college-level papers.
Each written assignment will be due on the date specified on the schedule or announced by me
in class. Assignments are due at the beginning of class. I personally believe that, except under very
exceptional circumstances, the motivated and well-prepared student will be able to keep to the
deadlines in the schedule. Therefore, for each 24-hour period that a paper is late, I will subtract a third
of a grade (e.g., a B+ paper will receive a B if turned in after class up to 24 hours late, a B paper will
receive a B- if turned in between 24 and 48 hours late, etc.). Late papers must be handed in to me
directly. Extensions are negotiable if you have a compelling reason, speak to me in advance, and are
willing to set up a new schedule and stick to it. Because each successive assignment builds on
previous assignments, it is vital to your own progress that you do not fall behind.
Office Hours: If you have any questions, whether about FWS, your college experience, or life, please
stop by and see me during my office hours (as listed at the top of the syllabus and posted on my door).
If you can't reach me during office hours, or they conflict with your schedule, please see me after class
and do not hesitate to e-mail or call me. Make sure you speak slowly and clearly when leaving a
message and be sure to leave a phone number where you can be reached.
The Writing Center: Before turning your written work in to me, you can and should visit the Writing
Center. There, student assistants can help you with problems you encounter in writing your papers, as
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well as instruct you in the use of computers on which you may word process your papers if you do not
own a computer of your own. The Writing Center will have regular hours, to be announced, starting
the second week of classes.
You should be aware that Writing Center assistants are neither editors nor ghostwriters. More
simply put, they won't do the work for you, but they will help you do it by answering questions,
helping you brainstorm on paper topics, reading your drafts and commenting on them, explaining
points of grammar, and so on. Be sure to bring along your assignment handout, relevant texts, and
whatever notes and drafts you have made. One cautionary note: if you show up for the first time the
night before a paper is due, the Writing Center assistants will do what they can to help you -- though
obviously they won't be as useful to you as they could have been during earlier, better planned visits, if
you had allowed more time to implement their suggestions. But late is better than never, and you may
suddenly and unexpectedly fall victim to writer's block. Let the Writing Center assistants help you
through that.
Academic Dishonesty: (a.k.a. cheating) Cheating will not be tolerated. Academic honesty is a core
value of any academic community. Because much of learning is based on building on the work of
others, it is especially important that you remain vigilant to documenting which ideas are yours, and
which are not yours. If you do not do your own work, not only are you injuring others by failing to
credit them, but you are also depriving yourself of the opportunity to learn through formulating
thoughts in your own words.
Plagiarized papers will earn a grade of F on the plagiarized assignment and may earn you an F
in the course depending on the degree and frequency of plagiarism. If you have any questions about
what plagiarism is, and how to avoid it by citing sources correctly, refer to your Whittier College
Handbook or talk to me in office hours. Be sure to ask me if you have ANY questions about this --
you will never be penalized for asking questions.
Make-up Exam: Make-up exams will only be provided in cases of serious personal illness or family
emergency. You will be required to provide documentation of such an event in order to be given a
make-up exam. Invalid reasons for missing an exam include other exams on the same day, taking a
vacation, and not being prepared.
Special Accommodations: Students who are eligible for special accommodations should confirm
with Learning Support Services that Professor Overmyer-Velázquez has received appropriate
notification. Eligible students should contact Professor Overmyer-Velázquez (via phone, email, office
hours or before/after class) to arrange for accommodations. Out of respect for students’ privacy,
Professor Overmyer-Velázquez will not contact or approach eligible students regarding special
accommodations, even after she has been notified by Learning Support Services.
Grading: Grades on written assignments will assess (a) content, logic of argumentation, and
organization of ideas, as well as (b) the fluency and grammatical correctness of your written
expression. Please be warned: papers with either a pattern of serious grammatical errors (e.g.,
disagreement of subject and verb, sentence fragments, etc.) or gross organizational and logical
problems will not earn above a D; papers with substantial errors in both categories will earn an F.
Final grades in this course will be based primarily on your written assignments (including the
midterm), although I will consider work done on in-class exercises, as well as your class participation,
if the end of the semester finds you suspended between grades. Because this is a course designed to
train you in a skill -- writing -- it would be unfair to weigh early papers designed to teach you this skill
as heavily as later papers, which, we may presume will display your growing mastery of that skill.
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Thus, your grades will be based on both performance and improvement. This means I will weigh your
later papers more heavily than your earlier papers.
Do not make the mistake of thinking this means you do not need to apply yourself during the
first half of the semester. Because each assignment is designed to build on previously learned skills,
and because this is not the kind of course for which you can cram the night before, you will find you
will not be able to earn a high grade if you do not start off the semester with the same level of energy
and commitment that you intend to apply at the end.
Some Final Important Comments: Now that you are in college, it is extremely important that you
accommodate your notion of "learning" and "performing" to your new environment. When you were
in high school, you may have been more concerned with earning good grades than with mastering
skills. This approach made sense in high school because your course work may not have been clearly
applicable to your life and you knew you needed good grades to get into college. However, this
approach may have led you to avoid challenging yourself and it may have caused you to view making
mistakes as "failing." You may have viewed challenging assignments as threats, and comments or
corrections on your work as indications of mistakes or failure on your part to perform adequately.
In college, you will be presented with opportunities to learn many important skills that are
directly applicable to your future. Therefore, making mistakes should now mean that you are
challenging yourself and you are learning something new. Comments and corrections should be
viewed as indicators that the professor honestly believes you have the ability to perform at a higher
standard. I recommend you allow yourself to make several mistakes every day as a result of
challenging yourself, and work hard to earn lots of comments and corrections on your work.
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Assignments for INTD 100: Freshmen Writing
Essay #1
Can mental health professionals distinguish between normal and abnormal behavior?
Due Dates:
In-Class Prewriting on Thursday, September 8
First Draft due in class on Tuesday, September 13
Second Draft due in class on Thursday, September 22
Final Draft due in class on Tuesday, October 4
An important aspect of the treatment of mental illness is the ability to accurately diagnose it. In
other words, one must be able to make an accurate diagnosis of a mental illness in order to effectively
treat it. After all, part of the reason that a diagnostic classification system was created was to aid in
treatment efforts. However, if mental health professionals are not capable of making accurate
diagnoses, then their treatment efforts will likely be made in vain. Additionally, inaccurate diagnoses
or labels can create significant restrictions on the misdiagnosed patients’ lives, which may seriously
restrict their freedom and lead to a lifetime of stigma. Thus, it is important to determine if mental
health professionals are capable of distinguishing abnormality from normality.
Can mental health professionals distinguish between normal and abnormal behavior? In
a three-page essay, explain why you believe mental health professionals are or are not able to
make this distinction using the arguments presented by Rosenhan and Spitzer to support your
position. You might also choose to include observations from the field trip to La Casa Mental
Health Rehabilitation Center and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest to support your argument.
You may use your textbook or lecture notes to help to define abnormality and normality.
You must organize your paper clearly into (a) an introduction that contains a thesis statement;
(b) a series of paragraphs that advance -- i.e., argue, not simply reassert -- your point of view with
relevant examples; and (c) an explicitly stated conclusion. If you find you are having difficulty with
this, or any subsequent assignment in this course, please do not hesitate to see me in office hours or e-
mail (ashaikh@whittier.edu) or call me at my campus office (X4475).
When you have finished your paper, please type me a letter (length ranging from a paragraph to
a page) telling me about how you wrote your paper, including answers to the following questions:
What was your main point? How effectively do you think you made your point? What process did you
use to write the paper (did you outline, brainstorm and/or cluster)? Did you write several drafts? Did
you do it all the night before? What came easily to you, and what, if anything, posed problems? How
long did it take you to complete the assignment and which components of the assignment took the
longest? This letter will help me understand your writing process so that I can give you more helpful
feedback when I write comments back to you.
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Essay #2
How is schizophrenia viewed from multiple perspectives?
Due Dates:
In-Class Prewriting on Thursday, October 6
First Draft due in class on Thursday, October 13
Final Draft due in class on Thursday, October 27
In the author’s note and acknowledgments of The Quiet Room, Lori Schiller explains that her
life story is told not only in her own voice, but also from the point of view of important others in her
life, including her friends, family, and therapist. Her decision to tell her story from multiple
perspectives illustrates the importance of understanding her illness from each of these points of view.
Schizophrenia, a very complex and disabling illness, can be understood and described from
various perspectives. This was highlighted in The Quiet Room, but you were also exposed to these
various perspectives through your visit to La Casa Mental Health Rehabilitation Center, and through
other readings and films, such as the case studies and A Beautiful Mind.
Write a 4-6-page comparison-contrast essay, including an introduction, thesis statement,
argument using comparison and contrast, and conclusion, focused upon the following questions:
a. How is schizophrenia viewed from multiple perspectives?
b. Which view provides the most helpful perspective in guiding the treatment of
schizophrenia?
c. How does the perception of the patient impact his or her functioning?
Avoid comparing and contrasting points merely for the sake of doing so; instead, be sure to use this
strategy of analysis and argumentation as a means of developing and supporting your thesis. Use
quotations from the written works to bolster your arguments. Don’t just write, “The patient’s
perspective was much more helpful than the therapist’s perspective.” Instead, explicitly state how it
was more objective (Through style? Through balance of presentation? Through content discussed?).
When you have finished your paper, please type me a letter (length ranging from a paragraph to
a page) telling me about how you wrote your paper, including answers to the following questions:
What was your main point? How effectively do you think you made your point? What process did you
use to write the paper (did you outline, brainstorm and/or cluster)? Did you write several drafts? Did
you do it all the night before? What came easily to you, and what, if anything, posed problems? How
long did it take you to complete the assignment and which components of the assignment took the
longest? This letter will help me understand your writing process so that I can give you more helpful
feedback when I write comments back to you.
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Essay #3
What is the connection between creativity and madness?
Due Dates:
In-Class Prewriting on Tuesday, November 1
First Draft due in class on Thursday, November 3
Final Draft due in class on Tuesday, November 15
Since the midterm exam we have been focusing on the study of mood disorders. A special
issue in the area of mood disorders is the high incidence of mood disorders within the population of
artists. There has been some controversy surrounding the connection between creativity and madness
(specifically bipolar disorder) for several decades. Your task in this assignment is to evaluate the issue
and write a cause-effect essay demonstrating the connection, if any, between creativity and madness.
In a 4-6-page essay, consider the topic question and use the strategies of cause-effect essays to
establish your case. Make sure you include an introduction, a thesis statement, an argument using
cause-effect, and a conclusion. Note the definition of creativity you are using to answer this question in
the introduction. Consider the differences between correlations and causal relationships in attempting
to answer this question. Use any pertinent material provided in the course, including readings, case
studies, and films, to make your point. Employ relevant examples from the course to illustrate any
connections that you posit.
When you have finished your paper, please type me a letter (length ranging from a paragraph to
a page) telling me about how you wrote your paper, including answers to the following questions:
What was your main point? How effectively do you think you made your point? What process did you
use to write the paper (did you outline, brainstorm and/or cluster)? Did you write several drafts? Did
you do it all the night before? What came easily to you, and what, if anything, posed problems? How
long did it take you to complete the assignment and which components of the assignment took the
longest? This letter will help me understand your writing process so that I can give you more helpful
feedback when I write comments back to you.
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Essay #4
Are antipsychotics the treatment of choice for people with psychosis?
Is ECT ethical for the treatment of mental illness?
Due Dates:
In-Class Prewriting on Tuesday, November 15
First Draft due in class on Tuesday, November 22
Final Draft due in class on Thursday, December 8
In-Class Debate on Antipsychotics on Tuesday, December 6
In-Class Debate on ECT on Thursday, December 8
Up to this point we have been considering the characteristics of mental illnesses. For the final
writing assignment, you will be assigned one of two topics relating to the treatment of mental illnesses:
antipsychotics or ECT. In a 6-9-page essay, you will address one of the following two questions: Are
antipsychotics the treatment of choice for people with psychosis? or Is ECT ethical for the
treatment of mental illness?
Start by reading Issue 10 and Issue 14 in the Course Reader. After you have read the seed
articles, you will be required to research the topic using the library and on-line resources. We will be
taking a trip to the library and you will be given bibliographic instruction in preparation for this part of
the assignment. You may work with others in your group during the research phase; however, anything
that you write should be completely independent work.
You will research your assigned topic and construct an argument based on all of the relevant
research that you have completed. The goal of the assignment is for you to carefully consider both
sides of the argument and provide enough evidence to support the position that you choose, while also
considering possible counter-arguments that could be made to weaken your argument and addressing
these.
Make sure to introduce the topic, provide a clear thesis statement, present arguments and
counter-arguments, and provide a clear conclusion. There is no right or wrong answer to these
questions; that is why they are considered controversial issues. Your task is to provide the strongest
argument in support of your position, and you will be graded on your ability to adequately support
your ideas with evidence.
You will also be required to participate in an in-class group debate on the topic. Each of you
will be placed in groups of 3-4 students, and you will be assigned one side of the debate (yes or no) for
the topic that you have been researching. You will need to work together or divide up the work so that
your group presentation is coherent and you have covered all relevant material.
Debate Format:
Yes: 15-minute presentation (each member must present something)
No: 15-minute presentation (each member must present something)
Yes: 10-minute rebuttal
No: 10-minute rebuttal
Discussion/Questions: 20-25 minutes (facilitated by members of the debate teams)
Discussion Questions:
Each debate team will be required to write a total of 3 questions to stimulate discussion. These
questions should follow from material that was covered in the readings or in your presentations. If you
would like to distribute copies of the questions to the class, I need to have them at least 2 days before
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the class meets so that they can be copied for distribution. Members of the class not participating in the
debate must be prepared to discuss issues from the assigned readings.
Audio-visuals:
I am going to STRONGLY encourage you to use audio-visual methods of presentation in conjunction
with your oral presentation (e.g., overheads, writing on the board, a very short video clip) – it is very
difficult to follow 15 minutes of students reading from their notes. Your grade will be partially
determined by how effectively you communicate your arguments.
Participation and Grading:
All members of the debate team will be required to participate in each portion of the debate. You
should be collaborating to some extent on the presentations. You may choose to divide up the work,
but I urge you to make sure that you are not presenting redundant or inconsistent material prior to
getting in front of the class. Your grade will be determined based on your in-class presentation and
rebuttal as well as your ability to work collaboratively with your debate team.
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