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WWCC ~~ Engl. 101 ~~ Winter 2016
Mondays - Fridays
9:30 - 10:20am & 1:30 – 2:20pm
Rm(s). 106, 205
Instructor: Ms. Denise Ortiz, M.A. English/Rhetoric (WSU); M.A. Literature & Grad. Cert. Women &
Gender Studies (Univ. of Colorado-Boulder); doctoral student, Servant-Leadership (Gonzaga Univ.)
Email: denise.ortiz@wwcc.edu
Office Phone: 527-4333
Office: First Floor Main Bldg. Rm. 11
Office Hours: 2:30-5:00pm Mon.-Fri. or by appt.
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Rhetoric / Composition / the Art of Persuasion =
The Search for Truth
Class Purpose & Outcomes ~
This is an Aristotelian class in the ancient art of persuasion or the various ways people use
language to persuade, influence, or please. The modern word for “rhetoric” is composition and
every college in the U.S. today requires students to master the art of persuasion as largely handed
down to us by Aristotle over 2000 years ago. Aristotle, a student of Plato (who was a student of
the great Socrates), lived in the 300s B.C.E. and so this course draws from classical roots that
also heavily influenced the American Forefathers as they attempted to establish the world’s first
modern democracy. “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom” (Aristotle). Aristotle linked
morality with good character and also believed that being a good person was crucial to moral
thinking, arguing, and writing—he claimed only a good person could write or speak well because
he/she has personal character to draw upon. How are rhetoric/composition, moral character, and
democracy all related? In this class we strive to learn how to use essays to achieve what Aristotle
said were the primary purposes of writing:
~to uphold Truth and Justice
~to inform ordinary people
~to make sure no argument escapes (multiple perspectives outside one’s own)
~to defend oneself (esp. from unjust attack)
We will endeavor to review and perfect grammar and punctuation while trying diverse ways to
write that are persuasive, rhetorically powerful, academically sound, and which command
respect for ourselves as writers and thinkers.
Aesop: “Persuasion is better than force.”
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Essay Assignments for Final Portfolio ~
1) Description of Place—Hometown USA
2) Argument/Stance
3) Song Analysis OR Free Choice Essay: either of the first two essays may be replaced with a
“This I Believe” essay of your topic choice
Class Texts ~
~ Class Worksheets Packet (WWCC Bookstore)
~ WWCC English 101 Norton Mix. Norton Custom Publishing (RED BOOK).
Other Materials Needed ~ 1 paper notebook (journal), pens or pencils
Special Notes ~
< Quality will always be more important than quantity.
> All FINAL papers typed and spell-checked please.
< Journal entries due every Monday in class (1 per week or 8 total for the quarter).
> All final papers revised at least once please.
< All paper grades can be changed upon improvement through multiple revisions.
> Class readings will include articles, audio essays, and video documentaries.
Schedule & Attendance ~ Nothing is set in stone. We will decide due dates by consensus,
by what works best for all of us. However ATTENDANCE IS KEY since lessons learned in
class contribute noticeably to better final papers. You may have 5 days of non-attendance to use
as you choose without penalty. Missing more than 10 days constitutes an automatic grade
decrease or a FAIL grade.
Classroom Etiquette ~
Please respect your classmates’ desire to learn. Distracting behavior may be recorded as an
absence (affecting final grade) or you may be asked to leave the classroom. Distractions include
~rudeness or interrupting others who are speaking in class~
~excessive lateness~
~consistently leaving class early~
~doing homework from another class~
~refusing to watch video presentations~
~texting in class~
Grading ~ The Final Portfolio: the final grade will be an average of your 3 best REVISED
papers (your portfolio), plus proof of regular class participation via the 1 journal entry you will
submit each Monday; journal entries graded as either 1 point (full credit), 1/2 point (1/2 credit),
or 0, according to quality. The instructor reserves the use of 1 “journal entry” grade for a general
participation score. That’s 75% for the portfolio and 25% for attendance and class participation.
Plagiarism (presenting someone else’s writing as your own) can result in disciplinary action
which may include an “F” grade on the assignment, an “F” grade for the course, or suspension
from the college. Please consult CANVAS to keep up with your grades.
Grading Guide . . . A = 90–100%,
B = 80–89%,
C = 70–79%,
D = 60–69%
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Life Challenges ~ To support student success, WWCC provides emergency and short-term
food supplies at the Campus Food Pantry and connections with local agencies for shelter and
other basic life needs. “Warrier Resources” is in the Professional/Technical Bldg. (Bldg. J near
Cosmetology, Room 302); please use your current ID card for access.
Disabilities ~ If you have a documented disability, please notify the instructor and Claudia
Angus at the Disability Support Office. All course materials and methods can be adapted to meet
the needs of physical, medical, or learning disability.
FREE Tutor Help ~ The college’s Writing Center on the 2nd floor Main Bldg. is available to
you for help with any paper for any class. Students who use tutor help average at least one
grade higher than without it. Please take advantage of this valuable opportunity!
Quarter Overview (11 Weeks Total)
HOLIDAYS / No class Meetings: ~Jan. 18/ Mon., MLK Day
~ Feb. 24/ Weds., Advising Day
WKS 1-3
~Feb. 15/ Mon. President’s Day
~ Finals Week / Weds.-Fri.,
Mar. 16-18
Description (Working with Detail)
Introductions, paragraphs, observation, summarizing, detail, listing & series/commas, active
verbs, specific nouns, metaphor; creativity, risk, perspective outside self / audience needs
WKS 4-6
Argument (Persuading & Making a Case)
Describing, summarizing, measuring, assessing; critical thinking; taking a stand: diff.
perspectives/new points of view (the Other), addressing & respecting opposition, empathy
WKS 7-9
Song (Analyzing & Critiquing)
Note-taking, quotations and citations (giving credit), research; critical thinking--evaluating,
questioning assumptions & status quo; digging deeper & becoming aware, reading sub-text
WK 10
Review, Revision, & The Mirror
Meta-writing (writing about writing), focus on revisions, evaluation of course & instructor;
reflection, insights, self RE-evaluation
WK 11
FINALS Week
Finals: Mar. 16-18
FINAL PORTFOLIO DUE 5:00pm, FRIDAY, Mar. 18
“The unexamined life is not worth living.” ~Socrates
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A POEM
If I had my life to live over,
I would relax more.
I wouldn’t take so many things
so seriously.
I would take more chances.
I would climb more mountains,
and swim more rivers . . .
Next time
I’d start barefooted
earlier in the spring
and stay that way
later in the fall.
I wouldn’t make such good grades
unless I enjoyed working for them.
I’d go to more dances.
I’d ride on more merry-go-rounds, and
I’d pick more daisies.
Frank Dickey, former WWCC student (untitled poem, no date).
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References for Print Readings
(APA Format)
& Works Consulted
Andrews, L. (1998). Escape of the bird women. Yakima, WA: Blue Begonia Press.
Anzaldua, G. (1987). Borderlands/La Frontera. San Francisco: Aunt Lute Books. [excerpts]
Aristotle. The Rhetoric and the Poetics of Aristotle. Corbett, P.J. (Ed.). NY: The Modern Library.
Bennett, M. (2001). An intercultural mindset and skillset for global leadership. In Conference
proceedings of leadership without borders: developing global leadership (pp. 1-15).
Adelphi, MD: National Leadership Institute & the Center for Creative Leadership,
University of Maryland University College. See esp. sections on DMSI (p. 10) and
“Developing Intercultural Sensitivity” (pp. 9-14).
Berger, J. (1977). Ways of seeing. London: British Broadcasting Corporation and Penguin
Books. [excerpts]
Braithwaite, D.O., & Braithewaite, C.A. (2003). “Which is my good leg?”: Cultural
communication of persons with disabilities. In L.A. Samovar, R.E. Porter (Eds.),
Intercultural communication, A reader (pp. 165-176). Australia: Thomson Wadsworth.
[excerpts]
Brecht, B. (1947). Lob des lernens/Praise of learning. In Hayes, H.R. (Trans.). Bertolt Brecht,
Selected poems. NY: A Harvest Book/HBJ Inc. [pp. 92-93]
Butler, J. (2004). Undoing Gender. New York: Routledge. (Originally published 1991).
Calvino, I. (1965). Cosmicomics. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Carey, J. Sinclair. (1996). The Quasimodo Complex: deformity reconsidered. In C. Donley, S.
Buckley (Eds.), The tyranny of the normal, An anthology (pp. 27-52). OH: The Kent
State University Press.
Crossen, C. (1994). Tainted truth, The manipulation of fact in America. New York: Simon &
Schuster. [chapter excerpt]
Crossley-Holland, K. (1980).The song of Rig. In The Norse myths. New York: Pantheon Books,
pp. 18-25.
Dickey, Frank. (n.d.). “I I had my life to live over…” [untitled poem]. Walla Walla Community
College, Walla Walla, Washington, USA.
Ferch, S. (2004). Servant-leadership, forgiveness, and social justice. In Spears, L.C. (Ed.),
Practicing servant-leadership, Succeeding through trust, Bravery, & forgiveness (pp.
225-239). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
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Gardner, G. (2005). Hungry for more: reengaging religious teachings on consumption. In R.
Lamm & J. Everett (Eds.), Dynamic argument (2007) (pp. 738-743). Boston: Houghton
Mifflin Co.
Heider, J. (1986). The Tao of leadership. Aldershot, Hants, England: Gower Pub. Co.
Jaggar, A. (1989). Love and knowledge: Emotion in feminist epistemology. Inquiry, 32,
151-176.
Jefferson, T., Adams, J., et al. (1776). U.S. Declaration of Independence & The Bill of Rights.
Johnson, K. (2011, Fall). Changing the scenery. Bitch Magazine, A Feminist Response to
Popular Culture, 52, 65-67.
Keillor, G. (Ed.). (2002). Good poems. NY: Penguin. [misc. modern poems]
Keillor, G. (Ed.). (2005). Good poems for hard times. New York: Penguin Books. [misc.
modern poems]
Loeb, P.R. (Ed.). (2004). The impossible will take a little while, A citizen’s guide to hope in a
time of fear. NY: Basic Books. [excerpts of essays and poems]
Lux, Thomas. (2002). The swimming pool. In Keillor, G. (Comp.), Good Poems (pp. 74-75).
New York: Penguin Books.
Meadows, D. (2008). Thinking in systems, A primer. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green
Publishing.
Nash, Roderick. (1989). The rights of nature, A history of environmental ethics. Madison:
University of Wisconsin Press. [2 graphs excerpted]
Nussbaum, Martha. (2002). Women’s capabilities and social justice. In M. Molyneux & S.
Razavi (Eds.), Gender justice, development, and rights (pp. 45-77). London: Oxford
University Press.
Paul, R., and Elder, L. (2012). The thinker’s guide to fallacies, The art of mental trickery and
manipulation. Tomales, CA: The Foundation for Critical Thinking. [orig. publ. 2006].
Prigogine, I. (1996). The end of certainty. Time, chaos, And the new laws of nature. New York:
The Free Press. [excerpt]
Raffel, B. (Trans.). (1964). Poems from the Old English. (2nd ed.). Lincoln, NE: University of
Nebraska Press. [excerpts: riddles]
Rifkin, J. (1980). The Christian world view. In T. Cooley (Ed.), The Norton sampler (3rd ed.).
NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. (1985).
Seltzer, J., ed. (2003). Conversations, readings for writing. NY: Longman. [misc. poems, essays]
Sen, A. (2009). The idea of justice. Cambridge, MA: The Belknap Press of Harvard University
Press. [excerpt]
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The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-12) in The Holy Bible (New King James Version).
Shelley, Mary. (1994). Frankenstein. NY: Dover Publications, Inc.
Singer, P. (1975/2001). Animal Liberation. New York: ECCO/HarperCollins. [excerpts].
Stoler-Miller, B., Trans. (1986). The Bhagavad-Gita, Krishna’s counsel in time of war. NY:
Bantam Books/Random House.
United Nations. (1959). The Universal Declaration on Rights of the Child.
West, C. (1993/2001). Epilogue. In Race matters (pp. 107-109). Boston: Beacon Press.
West, C. (2004). The necessary engagement with youth culture (re: Rap music). In Democracy
Matters (pp. 173-184). NY: The Penguin Press.
Wheatley, M. (1998). What is our work? In Spears, L. (Ed), Insights on leadership, service,
stewardship, spirit, & servant-leadership (pp. 340-351). NY: John Wiley and Sons.
Whitehead, A. North. (1925). Science and the modern world. New York: MacMillan Co.
Whitman, Walt. (1891-1892). “A noiseless patient spider.” [poem]
VIDEO ESSAYS
Keith, T. et al. (Dir.) The Bro Code, How Contemporary Culture Creates Sexist Men. (2011).
Media Education Foundation. DVD.
Rose, Reginald. (1957). 12 Angry Men. Dir. Sidney Lumet. DVD. [play]
Van Peebles, M. (1998). Classified X. Mark Daniels, Dir. Winstar. DVD.
AUDIO ESSAYS
Allison, J., & Gediman, D. (Eds.). This I Believe, The personal philosophies of remarkable men
and women. Foreword by Studs Terkel. Audio Renaissance Audiobook by Henry Holt
and Co. in association with National Public Radio, 2006. CD.
Disk 1: The Pizza Dude (#4), Gang Colors (Battista, #7)
Disk 2: Einstein (#5), Vagina Monologues (#6)
Disk 3: A Native American View (#3), (#9
), (Aging and a tree, #10)
Disk 4: Empathy, Huck Finn, & Tehran (#4), Poetry (#5), Bar-B-Q (#18)
Disks 5-6: Go to Funerals (#5), Tips on How to Write (#15)
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Rose, Reginald. (1957). 12 Angry Men. Dir. Sidney Lumet. DVD. [play]
Music List (IN PROGRESS) -- A Mixture of Styles, Eras, & Nationalities
African-American: negro spirituals, modern blues
Africa: traditional folk music selections
Armenia: Aram Khachaturian’s The Sabre Dance selections
Australia: “Beds Are Burning” (Midnight Oil, re: the environment)
China: “Curse of the Golden Flower” (from the movie); ZEN, Music for Balance and Relaxation
(D. May & M. Yoshizawa
France: “Douce Dame Jolie” (folk/medieval--New World Renaissance Band); “Pastourelle-The
Wizard” (folk/medieval by Cantiga);
Germany: Pachelbel’s “Canon”; Strauss’“The Blue Danube”; “Wind of Change” (The
Scorpions, re Fall of East/West German wall)
Great Britain (folk & Arthurian): “The Well of Enchantment-The Night is Past and Gone,”
(by Cantiga); Sara Brightman’s “Only an Ocean Between Us” (OPERA); “Maid in Bedlam”
(folk/medieval—New World Renaissance); My Fair Lady (BROADWAY: “Why Can’t the
English Speak?”—re class, language); The Byrds’ “Turn! Turn! Turn! To Everything There is a
Season” (folk rock); “Shout,” “Everybody Wants to Rule World” (pop--Tears for Fears); “People
are People” (pop--Depeche Mode);
Hebrew/Jewish: “Sunrise, Sunset,” “Sabbath Prayer,” “To Life” (Fiddler on the Roof—
Broadway);
India: “Kaifak Inte” (Fairuiz) and other current pop hits
Ireland: “The Star of Munster-Enchantment of the Faeries” (folk/medieval by Cantiga); Irish
Jigs (James Galway & the Irish Chieftans); Celtic Mystique (H. Baer);
Italy: Vivaldi’s Spring; “A Lieta Vita,” “Fuggi Fuggi Fuggie” (folk/medieval--New World
Renaissance Band); Madame Butterfly (OPERA) selections (re events in Japan); “Aida” (from
Carmen); Ludovico Einaudi; Sarah Brightman Greatest Hits (modern opera)
Japan: Selections from Kurokami, Traditional Music of Japan (w/Miyagi Michio):
Latin America:
Middle Eastern: Loreena McKennitt’s “Marco Polo” (Sufi melody);
Native American: Solitudes, Native Spirit (D. May & Gentle World Inc.); John Anderson’s
“Seminole Wind” (country music);
Russia: Tchaikovsky selections, Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade selections (“The Sea &
Sinbad’s Ship,” “The Kalendar Prince: Lento,” Festival at Bagdad”)
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Scandinavia: ABBA’s “It’s a Rich Man’s World,” “Fernando” (re Mexico-U.S. border);
Spain: “A La Una Yo Naci,” (folk/medieval--New World Renaissance Band); “The King’s
Quest” (Cantiga 166-Alfonso X, El Sabio, folk/medieval by Cantiga); “The Amulet” (Cantiga
153-Alfonso X, El Sabio, folk/medieval by Cantiga);
Western European Misc: Gregorian Chants; “La Romanesca/Moonlit Revels of the Gypsy
Queene” (medieval—Cantiga); Loreena McKinnet, “The Mummer’s Dance,” “Marco Polo”
Popular/Misc. Re: Peace, Tolerance, Diversity, & the Environment
ABBA’s “It’s a Rich Man’s World,” “Fernando” (re: Mexico guerilla war)
Adele, “Rolling in the Deep” (2010)
Alabama, “Song of the South,” (country: about poverty and work)
John Anderson, “Seminole Wind” (country music)
The Beatles’ “We Can Work It Out,” “Come Together”
Black Hawk, “Your Blue Might Be Gray” (country music)
The Byrds’ “Turn! Turn! Turn!,” To Everything There is a Season” (folk rock)
Christmas- Johnny Mathis, “Little Drummer Boy,” “Do You Hear What I Hear?” (re
class/poverty)
Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Fortunate Son” (re class, war, & protest)
Depeche Mode, “People are People” (pop)
Enigma, Love, Sensuality, Devotion, The Greatest Hits
The Very Best of enya (2009), Warner Music UK Ltd.
Michael Jackson, “I’m Starting with the Man in the Mirror” (pop)
Midnight Oil, “Beds Are Burning” (Australian pop)
Pink Floyd, “Money,” “The Wall”
The Scorpions, “Wind of Change” (metal ballad re: Fall of Berlin Wall)
Simon & Garfunkel, “I Am a Rock,” “Bridge over Troubled Water,” “America”
Tears for Fears, “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” & “Shout”