Revision of HW#2

After examining your submissions for HW#2 - Let's Argue About Flash Mobs, it appears that a large number of students failed to meet the requirements of the assignment. Therefore, I am offering everyone the chance to revise their original submission by this upcoming Tuesday, 2/26.

Please review the terms of the assignment, provided for your convenience below. Importantly, when reviewing your original submission, be sure that you labeled each paragraph to identify which rhetorical device is being employed, and that you used at least one direct reference from the course texts to support your argument.

Should you revise this homework, you can simply reply to your original comment with the revision.

Again, this revision is due before class this upcoming Tuesday, 2/26.

This assignment will require two developed paragraphs to complete your answer. In the first, argue in favor of flash mobs. That is, identify the "positive" qualities and results of flash mobbing. In the second, argue against flash mobs. That is, identify the "negative" qualities and results of flash mobbing and mobs in general. Each argumentative statement should constitute the topic sentence of these paragraphs.

Vitally, you should employ one distinct pattern of organization, or rhetorical device, in each paragraph. Be sure to head each paragraph with a label that identifies which pattern or device you are using to argue your point. See Hacker's textbook, pages 32-45, for information regarding patterns of organization and rhetorical devices.

Be sure that you include at least one direct reference (i.e., quotation) from one of the course texts in each paragraph. These references should be parenthetically cited according to APA or MLA format and thoroughly explained so as to best support the paragraphs' topic sentences.

Paper One Peer-Edit

This is a reminder that you are required to bring two extra copies of your first formal paper to class tomorrow. We will be performing a peer-edit for the first portion of the meeting period. I would recommend glancing at pages 20-22 in the Writer's Reference for some helpful information regarding the revision and peer-editing process.

Good luck in your writing! See you all tomorrow.
s.

Flash Mob Mayhem

Please see this recent CBS news article from 2/4/13 regarding flash mobs here in New York City by following the link here:Flash Mob Mayhem: Violent Groups of Teens Leave NYC Businesses in Ruins. I have included the video from the original news report for your convenience below.

Thanks to Joyce for submitting this!

Syllabus (v.3) Update

The course syllabus has been updated in order to conform to Department and College-wide standards. While the language of the course description and attendance policy has been changed to reflect these standards, the essential content and your responsibilities have not been altered. I encourage you to download the latest version, syllabus v.3, and examine these changes so that you remain current.

Notes on Wasik

Recall that we will review Wasik's text "My Crowd" this upcoming Tuesday. Please reread the article and pay attention to the following notes and questions. These do not need to be answered formally. We will use them to guide our discussion of the text in class.

Also, note that there is a typo on the Rubric for Paper One, which misspells Wasik incorrectly as Watsik. There is no letter "t" in this author's last name.

• What is the concept of deindividuation and how does it apply to groups, mobs, and the loss of individual identity?
• Explain why Wasik chooses the hipster generation as a "mercurial" example of this concept of deindividuation.
• Which MOB was your personal favorite? Why. 
• Explain what the significance is behind Bill's claim that his occupation is within the culture industry.
• Why is boredom a principle trait of mobsters, especially in the media's portrayal of them?
• Describe the social experiments and artistic theories of Stanley Milgram. How are his ideas important to contemporary flash mobs? 
• How and why did the flash mob "die" when it was co-opted by consumer capitalism?  
• At the heart of Milgram's and Wasik's experiments is the question of conformity, control, and the malleable freedom of human nature. Examine your own sense of conformity. What do you conform to? How and why or why not?

(#2) Let's Argue About Flash Mobs

This assignment will require two developed paragraphs to complete your answer. In the first, argue in favor of flash mobs. That is, identify the "positive" qualities and results of flash mobbing. In the second, argue against flash mobs. That is, identify the "negative" qualities and results of flash mobbing and mobs in general. Each argumentative statement should constitute the topic sentence of these paragraphs.

Vitally, you should employ one distinct pattern of organization, or rhetorical device, in each paragraph. Be sure to head each paragraph with a label that identifies which pattern or device you are using to argue your point. See Hacker's textbook, pages 32-45, for information regarding patterns of organization and rhetorical devices.

Be sure that you include at least one direct reference (i.e., quotation) from one of the course texts in each paragraph. These references should be parenthetically cited according to APA or MLA format and thoroughly explained so as to best support the paragraphs' topic sentences.

Please post your answer to this prompt below as a comment. (Due before class meets on Tue, 2/19)

Rubric for Paper One Posted

The rubric for the first formal writing assignment is now posted on the Schedule, Readings, and Rubrics page. I distributed a hardcopy of this document in class today, yet should you need to retrieve another copy you can do so by clicking on the link on the aforementioned page.

(#1) Are There No More Pirate Islands?

For Thursday, please answer the following prompt in two fully developed paragraphs in a typed document. You do not need to comment on this post. Direct citation from course texts is not required; however, it is encouraged should you wish to offer support to your writing. Bring this homework to class in hardcopy, properly formatted as indicated on the syllabus, so that it may be turned in.

First, describe an experience in your life where you may have witnessed a TAZ taking place. When and where was this event? What was happening? Were you a participant or an observer? What thoughts and feelings did you experience? While it may be difficult at first to identify and name a past experience as a TAZ, think hard about the definitions and descriptions Bey provides of such "pirate" spaces. Also, consider the subtext titled "Train Parties" by Sheena Bizarre and the "Reclaim the Streets" event narrated by Stephen Duncombe to help inform your answer.

Second, imagine then creating your own TAZ. What would happen? Where would it take place? Who would be involved? Who would be the audience? Why would you be creating and performing your TAZ? What would your "message" be? How would your “message” be conveyed? What would be your desired result? 

Learn How to Join and Contribute

As a member of our WRIT 303 course it is your responsibility to join this e-journal blog and, crucially, to participate when asked throughout the semester.

Importantly, this site will also serve as a message board from me to you and you to me. I will most likely have to pass on important information regarding class meeting times, assignment deadlines, changes in the syllabus, etc. throughout the term. Therefore, be sure to check this site frequently, especially on days before and after we meet for class, to be sure you are current with the goings-on of the course.

Okay, so what's next?

Below I am going to detail how to join this blog and how to contribute. If you are unfamiliar with using blogs have no fear, Blogger is quite user-friendly and you should catch on quick. Remember, you can always email me with questions. What you should do is email me immediately if you are having trouble with the site, for journal entries may be submitted via email and handed in hard copy the day they are due if such internet hiccups arise.

How to Join

Via email you'll receive a link allowing you to gain authorial access to this blog. Follow the link and you'll have the opportunity to create a new Google username and password and officially join Blogger and the course e-journal. If you already use Gmail, you can use your existing account log-in information without having to create anything new. Please use your complete last name as your username!

From now on you'll use that username and password you select or create to log into this blog before you add a comment or a post. So write it down or email it to yourself so you do not forget this information!

How to Comment and Post

First, you must log in. Go to the top of the site and at the right of your email address/username on the navbar you'll see a link titled "Sign In". This is your ticket.

To offer a comment to any post click on the post's title or on the ## Comments link at the bottom of the post. You can also click on the post's title found under the archived posts on the right side of the site. At the bottom of the post you'll find an editable text box. Think of it like a word document screen and you'll catch on quickly. Here you should offer your response to the main post thread or writing prompt. You can also reply directly to a comment written by another student. If the debate gets intense enough then I may decide to move the discussion into a new thread (i.e., post) all its own.

I highly recommend composing your e-journal responses in a word processor such as MS Word first, rather than typing your response directly into the comment box. The webpage may crash or timeout, causing you to lose your information. Therefore, to avoid losing your written work, compose your response in a separate program, save the document, then copy and paste your response into the comment box on the course blog.

More Editing and a Vital Disclaimer

If you happen to know HTML and/or java scripts you can use these to edit your posts to a greater degree---adding images, video, links, and more.

If a you should choose to add media to a post, keep in mind that inappropriate material, language, and slander will be subject to immediate removal. Depending on the level and degree of inappropriateness, the student faces disciplinary action such as receiving a zero on the assignment (minimum) or being reported to the Dean of Student Affairs (maximum). Please see the CUNY Computer User Responsibilities webpage for information concerning such disciplinary processes.

In Closing...

Be sure to bookmark this site on your personal computer so that you can check the blog frequently. As I recommended above, nearly once a day you should be visiting our e-journal. While you are required to only submit one writing per e-journal assignment, you may write as much at you wish on this blog. Contributing more with extra effort certainly weighs positively on your overall class participation!

Remember, the point of this blog is not only for me to impart important class announcement nor for you to just submit a weekly journal entry; rather, it serves as a birthplace for written ideas. The things discussed and argued here will undoubtedly come up in class, and should, so feel free to verbally reference the blog's content while we are in the classroom. Paper topics and sites of argumentation will also present themselves here. This is a vital component and goal of this site: for as we test and share ideas with one another, we further understanding of specific subject matter, thereby developing and deepening our ability to discuss the course's texts and topics to a greater degree.

I hope you join as soon as possible so that you can begin adding to your classroom e-community by contributing commentary and content to what is now our new WRIT 303 course blog!

Accessing Library Databases When Off-Campus

Here is the York College webpage that details how to gain Remote Access to Databases. It states the following transcribed below:

• To access York's licensed databases off-campus, you must be a currently enrolled student or a faculty/staff member with an active ID in the York library system. Check at the York Library circulation desk to make sure your ID is active. See CUNY's FAQ for more information about remote access to licensed resources.
• You then need to enter the 14-digit Library I.D. (barcode) number from the back of your York I.D. card.
• Users can also access all of the licensed resources after logging into York's VPN (Virtual Private Network): use these links to connect to the Faculty/Staff VPN or the Student VPN. Contact Academic Computing's helpdesk (ext. 5300) for more information about VPN.
• AOL users may need to launch Internet Explorer in order to access online databases.
• Several New York State Library databases now offer remote access using your New York State DMV Driver License or Non-Driver Photo ID Number.
• You can also access CUNY-wide E-journals and Reference Databases off campus by logging into the CUNY Portal. Logon to the Portal and click on: E-Journals and Reference Databases.
• See information on using Find It!

Still have problems/questions connecting to the library databases remotely? Send e-mail to: reference@york.cuny.edu.

Include your name, barcode number (i.e., Library I.D. #), name of the database you were trying to access, and the time of day you attempted access. Also include the error message, if any.

You can also try calling the CUNY Computing Center Help Desk at 212.541.0981 or 212.541.0982.   Have problems/questions concerning the York College Library website? Send e-mail to: reference@york.cuny.edu.