English 099: Fundamentals of Composition
M.F.A.
MW 1:15-3:20 pm Mid Col 103 (#1164)
MW 4:35-6:40 pm Home Ec 114 (#0629)
Fall 2007
Instructor: Oceana Callum, M.A.,
Office Hours: by appointment only
email: oceana9@hotmail.com
voicemail: (714) 432-0202 ext. 22834
*I check voicemail Mon. and Weds.
ONLY
“What is it that teaching kills? The juice, the sap, the substance of revelation: by making
even the insoluble questions and multiple possible answers take on the granite assured
stance of dogma.” —Sylvia Plath, Journals
“Like a poem, a genuine essay is made out of language and character and mood and
temperament and pluck and chance.”—Cynthia Ozick
About English 099 “Fundamentals of Composition”
It is useful to think of the study and craft of writing as akin to the study and craft of
architecture, with the “final” draft of a piece of writing correspondent to the architect's
completed building, to which additions, improvements, and repairs may still be made.
To learn how to build a sturdy, useful and beautiful building, it is necessary to do three
things: study the buildings of others, learn how to best use the basic elements of building
(wood, stone, glass, etc.), and practice the craft of building by creating different types of
structures, from barns to museums. Therefore, in this course, we will look closely at the
diverse work of master writers, practice careful reading and textual analysis, and foster
critical thinking skills. We will engage in intensive practice using the tools and raw
materials of writing: grammar, sentence structure, pre-compositional techniques for
organizing ideas, and paragraph development. And finally, we will apply our study and
intensive practice to the complex art of essay construction, building rustic barns and
urban museums with style.
Required Texts
 Robert Keith Miller, ed., Motives for Writing, 5th edition
 McDonald and Salomone, eds., The Writer's Response, 4th edition
 Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild (available online from sites such as amazon.com,
powells.com, alibris.com. You may also be able to find it at local libraries or
bookstores. We will be using it during the second half of the course; order it in the
next week or so.)
Highly Recommended Texts
College Dictionary (get a good one like Webster's)
Thesaurus (often included in word processing programs such as Microsoft Word [under
tools])
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Attendance & Participation
 I sometimes take roll through short, in-class writing exercises or quizzes at the
beginning of each class. These are informal and easy exercises designed to get you
thinking about the topic(s) for the day. If you are late enough to miss one of these
exercises or arrive after I take roll, you will be marked absent for that day. Four
“absences”— which include being tardy—are permitted for any reason. It is up to you
to manage and keep track of your absences. After the fourth absence, each missed
class or tardy will lower your final grade in the course by a letter grade.

I take roll TWICE for each class meeting; once at the beginning of class and once
after the break. If you miss one of these roll-calls, you will be marked absent for
that day. If you disappear during class, you will be marked absent for that day. If
you leave class early, you will be marked absent for that day.

If you are absent, you must contact another student or me to find out what you missed.
You are responsible for having someone turn in work for you on the day it is due if
you cannot come to class. If you are absent the first two weeks of class, I may drop
you and give your space to petitioners. After that time, it is your responsibility to drop
the course; I will not do it for you.

Further components of your participation grade are: having assigned material with
you (i.e., bring your book(s) to class), participating in discussion, and being
attentive. Failure to comply with these requests will lower your participation grade.
College Classroom Behavior & Academic Expectations
It is important to remember that this class is comprised of adults who are attending
college by choice, and many of you are spending your own hard-earned money to put
yourselves through school. Because the behavior of a few can easily destroy the
expensive and valued experience of many, behavior inappropriate for a college classroom
will simply not be tolerated. Rude or disruptive behavior such as talking while I or one of
your classmates is speaking, habitually leaving class early, working on other assignments
or inattention during class, or otherwise interfering with the teaching and learning
processes are examples of behavior that will earn you a quick exit from the class. After
an initial warning, you will be asked to leave class and will be marked absent for that
day. If the behavior continues, I will report you to the Dean of Students, who may choose
to expel you.
I also expect your full commitment as a student. The purpose of this course is to
challenge you, stimulate your mind, and help you become a confident, comfortable, and
clear writer. These goals are impossible for any teacher to accomplish without your full
dedication to the course. Actively engaging with all materials presented throughout the
course is imperative for your success as a writer and a college student.
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Other Policies
Late papers: my policy on late papers is extremely simple: I do not accept them. If you
have doubts about your ability to get a paper in on time, contact me beforehand. I will
make exceptions only in the case of documented emergencies.
Homework: I do not accept late homework. All homework must be TYPED.
Email: I do not accept papers or other assignments via email. The reasons for this are
threefold: 1) I do not open email attachments because of the potential for computer
viruses 2) in the process of emailing and downloading an attachment, the document is
often reformatted. Adherence to my specifications for paper length, font, margins, etc. are
very important for the presentation of your work and thus for your grade; in other words,
the email process can jeopardize your grade. 3) As we have all experienced, computers
and printers can be temperamental. I would not want the whims of my machines to be the
reason I do not receive your work.
Plagiarism: Presenting someone else's ideas or words as your own will result in an 'F' in
the course and a meeting with college authorities. I have many resources at my disposal
to apprehend plagiarists; if you are ever unsure as to what constitutes plagiarism, ask me
before turning in the assignment.
Paper format:
 Essays must be submitted on 8.5 x 11 white paper, double-spaced, and using one-inch
margins and a legible, standard, 12-pt. font in black ink such as Times or Times New
Roman.
 On the first page of the essay, no page number is necessary. In the top left-hand
corner, provide the following information, double spaced:
Your name
Name of Course and Section #
Essay #
Date
 After this information, skip one line and center the title of your essay. All essays must
have a title! Skip one more line and begin the essay.
 Number the subsequent pages of your essay in the top right-hand corner using a
header with your last name. (Example: Callum 2, Callum 3, etc.)
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Grading
ESSAY #1 (3 pages)
POINTS)
A Remembered Person
ESSAY #2 (3 pages)
POINTS)
Arguing a Position on Your Debate Topic
ESSAY #3 (3 pages)
POINTS)
Proposing a Solution
FINAL ESSAY (4 pages)
POINTS)
Profile
DEBATE
POINTS)
TESTS, QUIZZES & IN-CLASS WORK
POINTS)
HOMEWORK (Writer's Response, discussion questions, etc.)
POINTS)
10% (50
15% (75
15% (75
20% (100
5% (25
5% (25
5% (25
TOTAL
100% (375
Debates:
You
will
be
required
to
team
with
two
or
three
classmates
to debate an issue of
POINTS)
controversy with another team. Debate format will be as follows:
Brief intro. and Pro #1:
Brief intro. and Pro #2:
Brief intro. and Pro #3:
(Brief intro. and Pro #4:
6 minutes
6 minutes
6 minutes
6 minutes)
Brief intro. and Con #1:
Brief intro. and Con #2:
Brief intro. and Con #3:
(Brief intro. and Con #4:
6 minutes
6 minutes
6 minutes
6 minutes)
Group Rebuttal Pro Team:
Group Rebuttal Con Team:
6 minutes
6 minutes
Closing Pro Argument:
Closing Con Argument:
3 minutes
3 minutes
Discussion:
Class Written Evaluation:
20 minutes
10 minutes
5
A three-page essay arguing the position you choose for your debate will be the second
essay you write for this course. Selected members of the class will be required to
respond thoughtfully in a one-page response to the information presented by the debaters.
These responses will be due at the beginning of the next class meeting.
During week four, I will require you to meet with me individually during class to discuss
your second essay. I look forward to these meetings as a chance to answer questions,
touch base, and get to know you. Please contact me to schedule additional office
meetings as necessary throughout the semester; these individual meetings are a valuable
resource to maximize learning and minimize frustration in this intense, demanding and
exhilarating course!
COURSE SCHEDULE
*note: reading is assigned to be completed before the date next to which it is listed.
*this course schedule is not a contract and will most likely be revised during the course.
For this reason, it is imperative that you attend class and/or keep in contact with me if
you miss class.
Week I.
“It's Not Poetry and It's Not Fiction”: The Diversity of Essays
M 8/27 Introduction to the course and to each other
Review syllabus
Diagnostic in-class writing
W 8/29Motives For Writing (MW) 71-75 “Life With Father” by Itabari Njeri
Remembering People
Receive & discuss prompt for Essay #1: A Remembered Person
Film clip
Week II.
M 9/3
Our Architects: Remembering People
Labor Day holiday—campus closed
W 9/5
Motives For Writing (MW)
Writer's Response (WR)
47-54 “Writing to Understand Experience”
15-17 & do exercise 1.1 on page 17
39-42 & do exercise 2.1 on page 42
42-44
Rough draft of Essay #1 due (a minimum of one page.) Bring four copies.
Draft workshop.
Week III.
Writing To Persuade Others
M 9/10 Essay #1 due: A Remembered Person. Attach one copy of rough draft and
all peer editing forms.
MW 451-465 “Writing to Persuade Others”
Sign up for debate topic
Receive debate guidelines/ discuss debates
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Topic Sentences & Thesis Statements
In class: stem cell exercise
W 9/12 MW 476-480 “Racial Profiling: The Liberals Are Right” & prepare
answers to discussion questions. Also write a sentence that briefly
summarizes the central idea of the essay.
Exam #1: Topic Sentences and Thesis Statements
Week IV.
Arguing A Position
M 9/17 Discuss & practice MLA format for citation of research
Debate teams, topics and dates assigned
Irresistible Introductions
W 9/19Bring typewritten thesis for Essay #2. Meetings with Oceana.
Week V.
Documenting Sources
M 9/24 Library Instruction Session **meet in library, NOT CLASSROOM**
W 9/26
Rough draft of essay #2 due. Bring four copies. Draft workshop.
Week VI.
“A Shimmering Sphere of Human Potential”
M 10/1 Exam #2: MLA format for citation
Debate workshop
W10/3
Debate #1: Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Essay #2 due. Attach one copy of rough draft and all peer editing forms
Week VII.
Stem Cells to Fat Cells
M 10/8 WR 321-323 & do exercise 10.1 on pages 323
MW read 125-134 “The American Flavor Industry” by Eric
Schlosser & prepare answers to discussion questions.
W 10/10
Debate #2: Is the Fast Food Industry Responsible for Obesity?
Week VIII.
M 10/15
All's Fair?
WR 325-327 & do exercise 11.1 on pages 327-328
WR 329-331 & do exercise 12.1 on page 331
W 10/17
MW read 372-377 “The Pentagon's Secret Stash ” by Matt Welch &
prepare answers to discussion questions.
Debate #3: American Presence in Iraq
Week IX.
M 10/22
All's Fair? War to Love
Tantalizing Transitions. Transition workshop.
WR 337-340 & do exercise 13.1 on pages 340-341
W 10/24
MW read 221-238 “Same Sex Sexuality” by Joan Roughgarden & prepare
answers to discussion questions.
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Debate #4:Legalization of Gay & Lesbian Marriages
Week X.
M 10/29
Let Them Be Eaten? Proposing a Solution
Receive Swift handout
Receive prompt for Essay #3: Proposing a Solution
W 10/31
Read handout by Jonathan Swift
Rough draft of essay #3 due. Bring four copies. Draft workshop.
Week XI.
Genius or Madman?
M 11/5 Grizzly Man
W 11/7Grizzly Man
Week XII.
M 11/12
Proposing a Solution
Veteran's Day holiday—campus closed
W 11/14
Receive prompt for final essay
Discuss profile w/ “Soup”
Week XIII.
M 11/19
“Being Footloose Has Always Exhilarated Us”
Krakauer, Into the Wild 1-60 (or chapters 1-6)
Essay #3 due: Proposing a Solution. Attach one copy of rough draft and
all peer editing forms.
W 11/21
Krakauer, 61-85 (or chapters 7-8)
Week XIV.
M 11/26
Instructor at conference—no class
W 11/28
Instructor at conference—no class
Week XV.
“I Would Prefer Anything to an Anticlimax”
M 12/3 Krakauer, 86-102 (or chapters 9-12)
Rough draft of final essay due
W 12/5Krakauer, 103-156 (or chapters 13-15)
Week XVI.
M 12/10
W 12/12
Na na na na, na na na na, hey hey hey...
Krakauer, 157-203 (finish book)
In-class essay on Into the Wild
Final essay due. Attach one copy of rough draft and all peer
editing forms.
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