English 102-1006
Instructor: Darren Jenkins
Email: djenkins2112@gmail.com
W 9-11:45 a.m.
Location: Cedar 108
Office Hours: By appt.
Course Description
Welcome to English 102! In this class, you will have an opportunity to develop mature
skills in writing, reading, and critical thinking, with an emphasis on expository and
argumentative prose. The course will not only explore a variety of themes such as love, betrayal,
identity, (in)humanity, honor, morality, mortality and others, but will also expose you to the
major elements of fiction such as character, setting, and plot through some of the greatest short
stories ever written. Many of these stories are familiar to us through films, such as Blade
Runner. The stories will be the basis for our reading responses and essays in order to build
communicative and critical thinking skills.
While you’re improving your writing skills and thinking about writing, I also hope you
learn to like to read and write. The writing assignments will allow you the freedom of choosing
your own direction and how you approach the readings and your ideas. In this way, I hope that
you will feel free to combine academic and creative writing and come to find that writing is fun.
And the course aims to encourage you to work collaboratively with your classmates,
teachers, and other college resources, not only this quarter but throughout your college years.
Along with good reading, writing and critical thinking skills, the process of collaboration is a
technique that will help you succeed here at WNC and in your professional lives.
Required Text:
 The Story and Its Writer: An Introduction to Short Fiction, Compact 8th Ed. Ann Charters,
editor.
 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Phillip K. Dick
Other Materials:
 College-level English dictionary (highly recommended) and thesaurus (to use at home).
 A computer disk compatible with your own computer and/or with campus computers.
 A notebook for taking notes and a folder for keeping all your work.
 A stapler, pens, PLENTY of paper.
Student Outcomes:
To successfully complete the course, ENG 102 students will:
 Write essays that examine, analyze, criticize, and evaluate specific topics and literary themes
in response to a text.
 Define literary terms.
 Critique the written assignments of fellow students.
 Demonstrate mastery of a basic structure of grammar and mechanics.
 Produce writing that has a beginning, middle, and end developed with relevant details and
examples.
 Make assertions that are supported by evidence gathered from their experience, their reading,
their observations, or their conversations with others, and the nature of these assertions and
evidence is appropriate to the particular genre in which they are writing (e.g. narrative,

argument, etc.).
Identify and utilize revision strategies for rethinking ideas and organization to move from
writer-based prose to reader-based prose
Course Readings:
All assignments must be read prior to the dates listed in the syllabus.
Suggestions for success:
To keep better track of your work and progress, keep a folder, portfolio, or notebook of
everything you do and bring it to class for handy reference.
Write out by hand all of your work first, then type it. Ever spend hours on something
only to lose it in the nether-regions of the computer?
Ask questions, either in class or privately—there are never, ever any “dumb” questions!
Here are a few pearls of wisdom I’ve learned the hard way over the years, and the sooner
you learn them, the better off everyone will be:
 You are not the center of the universe and the world does not stop and start at your
request—one must learn and apply the meaning of the word “accountability”.
 Begin working immediately on your assignments; if you do not, then you will truly
understand the negative connotations of the word “accountability”.
 Lack of preparation on your part does not constitute an emergency on my (or your peers’)
part
 A closed mind is like a locked door: you can’t see through it until you realize that maybe
you have the key, or perhaps someone else has the key, or perhaps you have to knock
loudly enough to be let in.
You will need:


A folder or portfolio for exercises, handouts, assignments and lecture
notes
To label and date each topic discussed so that later you will know what is
what
Email Policy:
I try to respond to all emails in a timely manner, especially because it is the best and only way to
contact me. If you don’t receive a response, do not take it personally—sometimes things happen
in life. Remember to use some common sense because I am not plugged into the Matrix and
have made a very conscious decision not to be: if I receive an email at 11:50 p.m. on a Saturday
night, there’s a 100% chance that I will not respond to it until sometime Monday morning. If
you’re in doubt, refer to the pearls of wisdom I have listed above.
Email Etiquette:
“Yo, I’m in your class on Tuesdays. What was our homework again?”
herbsmoker69@yahoo.com
Where do I start? If you don’t know how to format a traditional letter, I suggest you learn and
learn quickly. Furthermore, I meet roughly 150-200 new students every year. Just because you
dropped me an email doesn’t mean I’m going to know who you are, what class of mine you’re
in, or what you even really want. Nor do I really care or want to know what you may or may not
do on your free time. Remember: If that’s the email address you send out to potential
employers, well….
Basic Principles:
 Everyone writes, every day.
 Everyone masters the composing process and basic editing skills.
 Everyone will work through several drafts of each writing project.
 Final responsibility for any piece of writing remains with the author.
Grading:





3 Formal Essays
Reading Responses
Grammar Detective/Midterm
Right Brain Project
Class participation/attendance
Total
300 points
160
100
140
300
1000 points
To successfully pass the class, you will need to have earned 700 points, which equals a grade of
C. As a general rule, I will not discuss your grades with you after class. If you’d like to talk to
me about your grade on an assignment, please schedule an appointment. Furthermore, knowing
what your grade is in my class is your responsibility—all of your assignments have points on
them, you should be able to input them below and figure it out. If you cannot figure it out,
please ask; I will be more than happy to explain.
RRs
Essays
Midterm
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Total:
1.
1.
2.
3.
Midterm
subtotal
X/Y
X=your
points
earned.
Y=Total
possible
points to
date.
Right
Brain
Project
1.
Attendance/ Total
Participation
Grade
Grade
Total:
Grade Computation and Signing of Paperwork
If you play sports or are required to have me sign paperwork that verifies your
grade/attendance/etc. for this class, then it is your responsibility to plan ahead and schedule a
time with me, either before or after class, so that we can comfortably walk through your grades.
Do not hand me paperwork at the end of class, expecting me to sign it because it is due
“tomorrow.” Your time is valuable; so is mine.
Requirements/Policies:
 Essays- Complete three formal essays of at least 4-5 pages. Essays will consist of a Literary
Analysis, a Comparison and Contrast, and a Research essay.
 Reading Responses- Write approximately eight two-page, double-spaced critical response
papers based on readings from the text.
 Grammar Detective/Midterm-On day two of class, you will be given a multiple choice test
of Standard Written English. You will then have until the day of our midterm to submit to
me a three (3) page analysis/narrative of the challenges you faced when taking the test, what
issues with grammar that you usually have, what resources you tracked down (be the
detective!) to help you solve your issues, how re-taking the test after studying helped (if at
all), and how you can overcome these issues in the future. Have fun with this!
 Right Brain Project- This will be a creative project based on a topic of your choice from our
readings. As a creative interpretation, you may choose to do a painting, drawing, model,
sculpture, costume, song, woodcarving, performance, etc. that illustrates your take on the
textbook readings that discuss your topic. You will write a one-two page essay linking your
project to the readings, and present both to the class.
 Homework- Be prepared to spend 10-12 hours a week outside of class on reading and
writing assignments.
 Email account.
 Flash Drive to store your writing (Just because your computer crashed does not make you
exempt from your assignments)
 Deadlines- Assignments and paper drafts, as well as reading assignments, are due at the
beginning of the class period on the assigned date. No writing will be read or commented
upon if not submitted to me by the deadline.
Essay Guidelines and Format:
All outside of class written assignments, no matter how brief, should be typed, double
spaced (unless otherwise noted), and stapled prior to class. Use a font size of 12-point and font
style of Times New Roman with 1” margins and an adherence to the MLA style (we will discuss
this in class). All work (whether typed or handwritten) must be dated and identified (which
specific assignment). Be sure to include a title that relates to the piece you have written and is
centered near the top of the page.
Please note:
 Late work on “final” drafts (i.e. drafts that have been work-shopped) will
not be accepted unless prior arrangements have been made. I reserve the
right to reduce your score on that assignment by 10% for each session that
it is late from its original due date. Furthermore, when drafts are due for
workshop, I reserve the right to decrease your score on your essay by 3%
if you are not ready with your essay, or are not prepared (this will be
subtracted from your assignment grade). In short, be prepared always
 You will not be able to pass the class unless at least a rough draft of
each essay is completed
 Work missed due to illness must be handed in the first week of return to
class
 Papers sent via email will not be accepted
Attendance and Participation
Attendance will be taken every class period and is 30% of your grade! You are allowed 1
absence (whether or not it is “excused,” it is still an absence). If you miss 2 classes, your
attendance and participation grade will automatically drop to a C. If you miss 3 classes, you will
be unable to pass the class. If you have any extenuating circumstances, please see me. It is your
responsibility early in the semester to find at least two students in the class you can contact
to find out what happened in the class during the time you were absent. I will not accept
emails asking, “What did I miss?”
Tardiness happens, but excessive tardiness will not be accepted. Excessive to me means
more than once. If your work schedule does not allow you to make it to class on time,
you may have to rearrange your schedule. If you are 10 minutes late for class, especially
on a consistent basis, I reserve the right to mark you absent for that class. However, if
you are ill, please email me to keep me posted.
Weekly Reading Responses:
Eight (8) reflections/responses to the weekly reading (roughly 600 words). Identify at the
top of the page what you’re responding to, i.e.: RR #1 “The Necklace”. You will print out a
copy to turn in to me each week. All reading responses will be double-spaced with one-inch
margins (just like this paragraph).
Assessment Policy:
All essay assignments will receive feedback from the instructor. I will be responding
electronically to your papers via email with a .WAV file attachment. Your formal essays will
have a grade on it, but all comments will have to be heard on your computer. .WAV files should
be the simplest audio files out there and should be played in any player, i.e. Windows Media
Player, Winamp, QuickTime, etc. This is an experiment and will be modified according to
student needs.
The first two (2) reading responses will also receive written feedback. After that, you
will receive only points.
Cell Phones, Entertainment Devices, et al. :
Absolutely no video games, computer usage, phone usage, texting, SMS-ing, M&M-ing,
or tweety-birding in class. If I see any of these devices in class being used for anything other
than what is directly related to the class, then I reserve the right to dismiss you from class and
you will receive an absence for that class. Cell phones and etc. truly are a big part of my pet
peeves, and if you really can’t spend X-amount of time in class without them, then you’ve got
some serious questions you need to be asking yourself. You’ve been warned.
Plagiarism:
Plagiarism is the practice of passing off someone else’s work as your own, whether this is
in the form of unacknowledged quotations or ideas. It also occurs when someone else writes any
part of your paper. In other words, all work you do for this class must be your own. Though we
won’t be using many outside sources in this class, you must correctly cite and document always
your sources, be it library book, class textbook, scientific/technical or other article, Internet site,
lecture, personal interview, etc. Plagiarism is not to be confused with receiving and responding
to suggestions from others in draft workshops. I will not accept any papers that do not clearly
and accurately show their sources. If you plagiarize, you may receive a grade of “F” for this
course and be subject to further disciplinary action.
Classroom Community:
Because college course work requires focused study and open exchange of ideas, the
classroom and all correspondence are expected to be spaces of courteous interaction. The
demonstration of mutual respect between teachers and students includes arriving and leaving
class at the designated times, participating in classroom activities, and adapting to new and
varied learning styles and tasks. Academic communication requires that all of us listen carefully
to each other (whether we agree or not) and to state our positions with clarity and our
disagreements with tact. This class or campus is not to be considered as “High School with
Cigarettes,” “High School Part II,” or “The 13th Grade”—look around you and you will find a
vast number of people very different from you. However, the most glaring similarity you will all
share is that this class cost money. Whether or not you care to be here is your choice, but you
must always know: your choices always have consequences. Just remember: Be excellent to
each other.
Pet Peeves:
Cell phones. Yes, I said it already, and I’ll say it again: turn them off and put them
away.
Comments like (and similar to): “That’s so gay!”
Side chatter: Side chatter is when you’re carrying on a conversation with a classmate
while others in class are speaking. This situation is sometimes a thorny issue because our
class thrives on communication, and I guarantee you, the more we talk, the more fun we
can have. Problems arise, however, when you spend more time chatting with someone
and not paying attention to the class discussion as a whole (and we have them every
class), so please be mindful of this.
End-of-class-book/paper-shuffling: Classroom discussion can never be predicted. If
we have a lively class, class plans on the syllabus will have to be rearranged as needed.
However, you have to be aware that the last ten minutes of class are usually the most
important (in any class), and if you’re shuffling your books, ready to leave while I or
another student are still talking, woe to you.
Language:
Be advised: adult language/content will be spoken, written, or read.
Humor:
Despite the fact that I have a very dark, very cynical sense of humor in which I crack
many jokes for multiple reasons, I’m still very serious about this class, about your
education, and about everything that’s been stated in this syllabus. Words have power,
but we can never know to what extent until they are uttered, written, or read. If we have
any problems whatsoever, we must communicate with one another in order to learn and
grow.
Students with Disabilities:
If you have a disability for which you will need to request accommodations, please
contact the Disability Support Services office (Bristlecone building, Room 103) at 4453266 or 445-3275 as soon as possible to arrange for appropriate accommodations.
Note:
The syllabus and/or schedule may be revised at any time due to circumstances or time
constraints. All changes will be announced in class.
Any class cancellations, etc. posted on the door outside the room must be on official
WNC letterheads.
Disruptive students can be asked to leave at any time.
Week One
Wed. Jan 22
In class:
Introductions; go over syllabus.
Email list.
Quickie introduction to the elements of fiction and the difference
between fiction and non-fiction.
Double-Entry Journal—what is it and how do I do it? Wolff inclass sample.
Assign/discuss reading responses—how to do it using the
guidelines for critique.
HW:
Listen to sample .WAV file and troubleshoot any issues.
Read John Cheever’s “The Swimmer” pp. 179-187 and
“Why I Write Short Stories” pp. 917-919
Guy de Maupassant’s “The Necklace” pp. 553-559 and
Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried” pp. 636-649
Write Reading Response #1 to one of the selections (O’Brien,
Cheever “The Swimmer” only, or Maupassant) Begin using MLA
format.
Week Two
Wed. Jan. 29 Due:
1 response (RR #1).
In class:
Diagnostic Test of Standard Written English.
Grammar Detective/Midterm assigned
Discuss readings.
Assign Essay #1, Literary Analysis
HW:
Read Appendix 2, “The Elements of Fiction” pp. 1082-1097
Ernest Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elephants” pp. 367-371
Russell Banks’ “Black Man and White Woman in Dark Green
Rowboat” pp. 66-72.
Write Reading Response #2 to either Hemingway or Banks.
Week Three
Feb 5
Due:
Week Four
Feb 12
Week Five
Feb 19
1 response (RR #2)
In class:
Discuss readings/responses. The question always asked: “What’s
at Stake?”
Thesis statement handout.
Workshop practice. Read “The Gift of the Magi.” Show model
essay, “The Price of Love”; discuss.
HW:
Read Anton Chekhov’s “The Darling” pp. 188-197
“Chekhov’s Intent in ‘The Darling’” pp. 991-994
Shirley Jackson’s “The Lottery” pp. 387-393
Write Reading Response #3 to either Chekhov or Jackson.
Due:
1 response (RR #3)
First draft of essay #1 w/copies for group members and for me
In class:
Discuss readings/responses.
Discuss introductions/leads. Workshop essay #1.
1. Read it silent/mark discussion points (5-10 minutes
maximum)—see Workshop Guidelines handout and the
actual assignment sheet: is the writer following the
assignment?
2. Writer reads it aloud (take your time)
Peer discussion (20-30 minutes/person)
HW:
Revise Essay #1 according to your peer’s suggestions
Read Richard Wright’s “The Man Who was Almost a Man” pp.
877-887
Appendix 4, “Writing About Short Stories” pp. 1108-1113
Write Reading Response #4 to one of the selections.
Due:
Essay #1.
RR #4
Discuss readings.
In class:
HW:
Read Flannery O’Connor’s “Everything That Rises Must
Converge” pp. 650-662
Raymond Carver’s “What We Talk About When We Talk About
Love” pp. 122, 150-159
Write (RR #5)
Week Six
Feb 26
Due:
1 response (RR #5)
In class:
Discuss readings.
Assign Essay #2 Comparison/Contrast
Show model Compare/Contrast essays—discuss.
Freewriting/brainstorming for essay #2.
Read Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Cask of Amontillado” pp. 721-727
and “The Tell-Tale Heart” pp. 727-731
Write RR #6
HW:
Week Seven
March 5
Due:
1 Reading Response (RR #6)
In class:
Discuss readings, responses
Achievement Test of Standard Written English/Midterm
Discuss experiences with midterm and “tests”
Comparison/Contrast exercise
Connections to readings?
Roundtable discussion of topics—brainstorm defining a “focus”
for essays.
HW:
Continue Grammar Detective/Midterm Assignment
Week Eight
March 12
Due:
Grammar Detective/Midterm Assignment
Draft 1 of Essay #2—bring copies for group members and for me
In class:
Workshop draft 1 of Essay #2. Have assignment sheet handy.
1. Read it silent/mark discussion points (5-10 minutes
max)
2. Writer reads it aloud (take your time)
3. Peer discussion (20-25 minutes max)
HW:
Complete Essay #2
Spring Break! March 17-21
Week Nine
March 26
Due:
Essay #2
In class:
Assign Essay #3
Introduction to Phillip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric
Sheep? Thematic elements, etc.
Read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? pp. vii-83
Write RR #7
HW:
Week Ten
Apr 2
Due:
1 response (RR #7).
In class:
Discuss readings, responses.
Return to thesis statements, thematic elements
Connections?
Commercial analysis.
HW:
Continue Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? pp. 84-165
Write RR #8
Begin writing Draft 1 of Essay #3
Begin finding sources
Week Eleven
Apr 9
Due:
RR #8
In class:
Assign Right Brain Project
“More Human Than Human”
Discuss Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? pp. 84-165
HW:
Finish Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Week Twelve
Apr 16
In class:
HW:
Week Thirteen
Apr 23
Due:
Final discussion of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
View Ridley Scott’s Director’s Cut of Blade Runner
Read McNamara’s essay “Blade Runner’s Post-Individual
Worldspace” pp. 425-443 (10 points extra credit for a one-page,
double-spaced response/exploration/questioning of a quote or
section found in McNamara’s piece that can also serve as a
discussion point for next class).
Write first draft of Essay #3
Draft 1 of essay #3—copies for group members and for me.
In class:
Discuss McNamara’s essay and differences between film and
book.
Workshop draft 1 of essay. Doing research—library and Internet.
Discuss writing from sources.
HW:
Complete Essay #3
Write first draft of Right Brain Project Essay
Week Fourteen
Apr 30
Due:
Essay #3.
In class:
Discuss/brainstorm ideas, connections, etc. between text, readings,
images, and project. Group brainstorm handout on themes.
Workshop RBP Essay.
Housekeeping.
HW:
Work on Right Brain Project—begin work on short essay (rough
draft).
Week Fifteen
May 7
Due:
In Class:
All RBP Essays
RBP Presentations
Week Sixteen
May 14
Final Class: RBP Presentations
You must be present!
Potluck?