Grant T. Smith, Ph. D.
Associate Professor of English
MC 536
Phone: 3485
E-mail: gtsmith@viterbo.edu
Course
Description:
The Symposium
is organized to proved the English majors and faculty an opportunity to
share
experiences
and explore literary/cultural interests.
Course
Requirements:
Beginning with
the student's second absence each semester, each unexcused absence
will result
in the reduction of the student's grade
by a half letter. (See the Student Handbook for the
definition of
absences.) Students will be asked to write one two-to-three
page response to any of the
presentations
during the fall semester.
The students will be asked to write one two-to-three page
response to
any of the presentations during the spring semester, and one two-to-three
page response
to one
of the senior theses. Click here
for the senior thesis worksheet. Click here
for last year's
winning essay.
Click here
for the winning thesis in 1999. Attendance at the annual spring breakfast
is
required
and will count as a class session.
Click here
for English Department Web Page.
Click here
for several hypertexts by noted world authors.
Click here
for a helpful "how to study" site that includes documentation tips.
Click herefor
a guide to writing research papers.
Click here
for one of the best "help list" web sites I've ever seen
Click here
for a Viterbo library web site on evaluating internet sources
and citing sources.
Fall Calendar and Events
September 6
Introduction
of English Faculty and English Majors
Objectives,
Requirements, and Activities for the year
Club Officers
(Elections?)
English Department
Opening Social
Quiz
September 13
Lyon Evans,
Ph. D., Professor of English
"Lyon's Great
China Adventure"
September 30
Opening Social
at Professor Ruppel's home (see announcements below)
October 18
Amy Lane
from Career Services
October 24
Poetry Reading
featuring Dr. William Stobb
8 p.m. in
the Union
November 2
Grant T. Smith -- "Who Cares? Teaching
With an Ethic of Care in the Classroom"
Ethics in Leadership Institute,
7:30 p.m., FAC Recital Hall
November 3
Alumni Social and Job Fair
Room 502 MC, 3:10 p.m.
November 8
Building
Bridges Presentation
Susan Rush,
Associate Professor of Theatre Arts
Room 502
MC, 3:10 p.m.
November 15
Faculty Presentations
Room 502
MC, 3:10 p.m.
November 29
Presentation by members of English
Education Majors who attended the NCTE Conference in
Milwaukee
Room 502 MC, 3:10 p.m.
Fall Announcements:
Opening Social: September 30, 5 p.m. at
Dick and Kathy Ruppel's home, 411 N 22nd Street.
Bring a dish to pass.
Poetry Reading by Dr. Willliam Stobb, 8 p.m. in the Union, October 24.
Young Adult Literature Reading Group (See
Professor Smith for details)
September 14, MC 402,
7-8:30 p.m. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
October 12, MC 402, 7-8:30
p.m. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
November 9, La Crosse
Public Library, 7-8:30 p.m., When Zachary Beaver Came to Town
by Kimberly Willis Holt
Call for Papers for the 16th Annual National
Undergraduate Literature Conference, April 5-7, 2001 at Weber
State University in Ogden, Utah. See Grant
T. Smith for details.
Spring Calendar and Events
Course
Requirements:
Beginning with the student's second absence each semester, each unexcused absence will result in the reduction of the student's grade by a half letter. (See the Student Handbook for the definition of absences.) Attendance at the annual spring breakfast is required and will count as a class session.The required text the second semester is What Is English? by Peter Elbow. All students should have a copy of the text. It is available at the college bookstore. Each student should respond to one of the discussion questions during the three weeks we discuss What Is English? All 327 students and every 427 student who is not writing a thesis, should read and respond to one of the seven senior theses. These senior projects will be placed on the web, and hard copies will also be placed on reserve in the library. Click here for the senior thesis worksheet. Click here for last year's winning essay. Click here for the winning thesis in 1999. All 127 and 227 students should read and respond to two of the seven abstracts of senior theses. The abstracts will be on reserve at the circulation desk in the library.
Spring Class Meetings (Mandatory):
Wednesday, January 17
Introductions and Announcements
Assignments: Position Paper, "What can we do to make the English
Department stronger?"
Read Chapters One through Four of What Is English?
Click here
for a good web site on Peter Elbow with several helpful links to become
a
a better writer.
Click here
for a vocabulary list from What
Is English?
Click here for
a list of the discussion questions for Chapters One through Four
of What Is English?
Wednesday, January 24
Discussion
of Chapters One through Four of What Is English?
Assignments:
Read Chapters Five through Eight of What Is English? Click
here for
the
discussion questions on these chapters.
Wednesday, January 31
Discussion
of Chapters Five through Eight of What Is English?
Assignments:
Read Chapters Nine through Twelve of What Is English?
Click here
for the discussion questions for these chapters.
Wednesday, February 7
Discussion
of Chapters Nine through Twelve of What Is English?
All essays
on What Is English? are due.
Concluding
thoughts on Peter Elbow
Tuesday, February 13
Visiting poet, Claudia
Keelan, reads from her award-winning volume Utopic. 7 p.m. at the
FAC
Recital Hall. Afternoon discussion, 3:30 p.m. in MC 420. (Attendance
optional)
Tuesday, March 20
Open Microphone Poetry Reading
Rober's Conference Room
7:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 11
Alternate
Class Session: Graduate School at Winona State University
Wednesday, April 18
Defense of
Senior Theses
Click
here to
read Hillary Laurent's senior thesis: "A Woman
with Wings: Female
Individuation
in Terry Tempest Williams's Refuge"
Click here
to read Susan Lundquist's senior thesis: "Living
at Home: Female
Empowerment
in Uncle Tom's Cabin"
Room
change to MC 408
Wednesday, April 25
Defense of
Senior Theses
Click here
to read Carney Lentz's senior thesis: "The Golden Calf" and Three
Other Food Stories
Click here
to read Sue Fisher's senior thesis: "Fortune Favors the Available Man:
Corruption of the
American
Dream in The House Behind the Cedars.
Room change
to MC 408
Friday, April 27
Jacqueline
Woodson
FAC Recital
Hall, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, May 2
Defense of
Senior Theses
Click here
to read Darcie Vacek's senior thesis: "I Got a Tree on My Back and
a Hant in My
House: The
Influence of Dwelling on Being in Toni Morrison's Beloved."
Click
here to
read Eric Slette's senior thesis: "John Walden: American Dreamer"
Click here
to read Chris Linton's senior thesis: "Tackling the Tough Issues
in Middle
and High
School English Classes"
Room
change to MC 408
All essays
on Senior Theses are due.
Monday, May 7
English Department
Breakfast and Awards, 8 a.m.
Spring Announcements and Alternative Attendance and Writing Opportunities