"Love" Assignment due 2/15 or 2/16
English Assignment for Week of February 13-17
"Love"

"Sanskrit has ninety-six words for love; ancient Persian has eighty; Greek three; and English simply one." -probably from Robert Johnson.

This sounds cool, but it is not really true. In English we have many words for kinds of love: lust, desire, affection, adore, longing, family, respect, admiration. We will say, "I adore him," or "I am hot for her," or "I totally respect you," or "I am fond of you," or "You are like family to me."

Yeow! No wonder we are confused about love. Think about all the kinds of love you have known.

This quote is all over the web, and I haven't sourced it yet.

It's not quite true, though.


From Swamp Donkey, a blog: All you need is love?
Friday October 07th 2005, 11:18 pm
Filed under: thoughtful inklings, Philosophy


The writing assignment is to research the term “love”. Look at the three types of love: agape, eros and philia. Which do you think is the most valuable? Do you think love is the most effective weapon against hate?

Is there a role for romantic love in the world, or is this a western concept which is highly overrated? Are greeting card businesses and the candy stores a means to exploit the insecurities of the public?

Am I being too cynical?

What’s wrong with flowers and candy on Valentine’s Day? What would the world be like without Cupid, Hallmark, KKSF, candlelight and special delivery?

After reading about the different expressions of love, and the three linguistic interpretations of the word “love,” choose one aspect of the word to support or deny its virtues. Remember, after you determine your angle on the topic, complete the essay planning sheet, and perhaps develop an outline (Hacker, Ch. 1).

Be certain to use a variety of support for your claim or thesis: examples, analogies, definitions, expert opinion, statistics, anecdotes, etc. Be prepared to present your argument to class on Wednesday, Feb. 15/Thursday, Feb. 16.

Week of February 6-February 10
Greetings Students:

I hope the month is going well for you. I'm
not seeing many of you at my office hours on Wednesdays, 3-5, L-236, or on Fridays, L-236, 2-4.
Remember I do have a floating hour; if you need to meet with me on another day, we can arrange it.

I will be out this Friday, so call (510) 748-2131 or e-mail me if you have any questions. Don't forget to leave a phone number.

Blessings,

WS

PS Don't forget to set your dial for all the great PBS (Channel 9) programming. Also there's some great theatre at: Berkeley Rep: Nine Parts of Desire (about women in Iraq), Walkin' Talkin' Bill Hawkins at the Marsh-Gaia Center, Berkeley (about a man who never knew his dad, a famous DJ in Cleveland), Gem of the Ocean at ACT (first chronologically in August Wilson's 10-play series on Black American history). Visit www.sfbayview.com "Wanda's Picks" for all the news.

Week of January 30-February 4
Assignments: Tuesday, January 31, watch President Bush's State of the Union Address. Below I have copied a preview piece about what he might cover in his address.

In a narrative essay response: analyze the speech. Consider: What is his thesis? What are Bush's key points? What evidence supports these claims? Are you convinced? Why or why not?

Media savvy student take into consideration the president's's motives: Is his aim altruistic or selfish? What are his motives, what does he have to gain or lose from each issue he proposes?

All level classes respond in 250-500 words. The essay is due for 201 students on Wednesday. For English 1A students at the next class meeting.

If you have immediate comments, please post them here for peer response.

WS

Greetings and welcome to the site!
Topic: CoA Spring '06
This blog is an opportunity for Sabir's English classes this semester to develop a cyber-writing community. Please feel free to ask questions about assignments and make comment regarding posts by others.

Indicate which class you are in, so appropriate students can respond, e.g., English 1A or English 201.

Keep your comments professional and courteous and strictly business.

Happy Writing,

WS