Missives from the teacher

We've got mail

First off, I've been getting e-mail from people whose addys are not in my list. Subject line always says "TEST" and so far, only English 11 people will have enough reasons to put that in the subject line. But as I've said, I won't be accepting e-mailed submissions to the take home exam. If you didn't hand in your blue books during class time, then sorry, I'll have to mark them late.

So if you are the owner of these addresses, or if you know them, own up and tell me about it, ok?

parmelees[at]aol[dot]com
xavierbrucer[at]yahoo[dot]com

I'm not opening them, so own up.

Classwork updates

English 11. The Rashomon screening will be on February 2, Monday. You will write a comparative analysis on the film and Ryunosuke Akutawa's "In a Grove." The mini-essay to be submitted on February 5. On Thursday, we will discuss the story and how pov is important in the telling of the story.

On other matters, there are still some of you who have not submitted their take home exams. Please take note that those will be marked late, with subsequent deductions.

Eng10, both MHX and TFY. Text for discussion will be Conrado de Quiros's essay on Quiapo. Please check blog archives for the link to the essay. But a hardcopy will also be available at the 2nd floor xerox place starting tomorrow. Please get it and read.

Also, I'll be expecting your revised sentence outlines later this week. No sketchy and vague topic outlines hastily scrapped together on notepads. There is no excuse. I want to see those full sentence outlines. If you still have no idea what to write about, then you better think about it, and fast.

Eng1. Homework on describing a room due Friday. Just one page, double spaced. We'll finish Stephen King's notes on description and the excerpt from "The Virgin Suicides." Also, a dossier on description will be available. Please check with the xerox place.

Habol

To those people from Eng10 tfx who signed up for consultation tomorrow morning, Monday 26 January, please be adviced that we'll continue consultations on Tuesday instead. Thanks.

Poems by Angela Manalang-Gloria

Old Maid Walking on a City Street
(1950)

She had a way of walking through concupiscence
And past the graces her fingers never twirled:
Because her mind refused the heavy burden,
Her broad feet shovelled up the world.


Querida
(1940)

The door is closed, the curtains drawn within
One room, a brilliant question mark of light ...
Outside her gate an empty limousine
Waits in the brimming emptiness of night.

This is for people in English 11 MHY. Manalang Gloria's poems can be found in "Man of Earth" and some women-centered anthologies. However, since I had left all my books and copies of the poems in my office, and as these particular poems by Manalang-Gloria aren't easily searchable and available online, you are very lucky that I found copies of the poem.

"Richard Cory" and "Ode to a Dead Millionaire" can be found in Prism.

quickies, because it's been a very long day.

for english 11 people: midterm exam questions have been posted in the egroups. there's also a copy outside FC 1080. due in class on monday, 26 january. write answers in your blue books. up next will be the introduction to fiction part, and also read "in a grove" by ryonusuke akutagawa.

for english 10 mhx: informal reports due in the incoming week. also, we'll be holding in class consultations on monday.

for english 10 tfx: i'm sorry i wasn't able to accomodate all of you. but we'll continue everything on tuesday.

english 1: results probably in next week. hopefully.

that's it. have a good weekend all of you. if you have questions, you know how to reach me. thanks.

Announcements

1. English 10 TFX. We will have in class consultations today. Please proceed to FC 1080 so I can discuss your sentence outlines with each of you personally.

2. English 1. Midterms today. Please bring blue books.

3. English 11. Midterms exam set also today. Please check your email later.

New Readings Set Vol. 1

E-mail question # 034:

maam, where can we get the readings? thank you!

There's a new set of readings for English 10, which you may get from the xerox girl at the 2nd floor of the Faculty Center. It includes:

1. The God-makers of Pampanga
2. A Genuine Imitation?
3. Bonnie and Clyde
4. Strunk and White's Elements of Style*** (i.e., if you still don't have your copy yet)

The last one is necessary since we are reviewing grammar and style. There will be additions to the set as soon as I have collated them.

For English 11, the readings for the Formalism lecture is in the envelope outside my door. Please read up on it, plus Gwendolyn Brooks' "We Real Cool."

Linky dinks

Just found this while browsing. Anyone else writing interesting stuff outside class? :)

Consultations

I will be available for all of you guys in the English 10 classes for consultation. 12 noon, FC 1080, if you have any questions as to your reports.

I have already checked most of your film reviews, and I'll return them come class time. There are some things I noticed in your papers that will be discussed in class.

As for you journals, I have only just begun.

For the English 11 MHY class, we'll be taking up Neruda.
See you all. :)

Format for papers

From our e-mail of the day:

"Mam...what font should we use and is it supposed to be double spaced?

This goes out for everyone who ever has to submit a paper in my class. Please use:

*Font 12 Times New Roman
*One inch margins on all sides
*Double space all text
*Also, this should appear at the top of the page:

YOUR NAME CLASS and SECTION
STUDENT NUMBER DATE/ REQUIREMENT**

**What it is you are submitting (ie, Film review, narrative essay,etc.)

I hope you all get this clear. I will not accept handwritten papers, no matter how legible your handwriting--unless you really have a valid reason. Thanks.

Quick updates

English 11 MHY: Please read up on Shakespeare, Dylan Thomas, Neruda's odes and Formalism. To be discussed on Thursday.

English 10 classes:
Will be around the office starting Monday afternoon. So if you need to consult your topics, just drop by FC 1080. Also, journals are due when classes start. Some of you have still not picked up your index cards and journals. Please read up on Pauline Kael and Bonnie and Clyde. Film reviews also due soon.

English 1: Journals due when we meet up on Tuesday. I'm also expecting your essays on narration soon.

That's all. Looks like we're back to regular programming this week.

Answers to your questions:

1. Hi ma'am!!happy new year! I just want to ask how long the paper we're gonna
make??How many pages??

Your paper --I am assuming this is for the film review and the report--should be less than 5 pages long.

2. mam, can i change my topic about backmasking? im having a hard time beginning with my paperwork about prostitution because the time frame isn't enough for the research.

First of all, which is your topic really? The backmasking or prostitution. If you ask me, prostitution, as the world’s oldest profession, is also the world’s most abused research paper topic, along with abortion and other moral issues. While backmasking itself is a more fun topic, it also touches on morality at some point. That would be fine if you’re writing a position paper. But this is a report, make it fun. Enjoy yourself. What do you want to find out about backmasking. Make that topic your own, and focus on just a particular aspect, a certain group of musicians…But it really depends on the slant/how you write that report. Research time is not a problem.

3. ma'am, I've watched Crying Ladies. Shall I make a reaction regarding that movie? Where am I going to place it? When is the deadline?

To all English 10 classes, it’s your pick of movie. So whether you watched Monsters Inc, a Chinese love story, or Crying Ladies or all the participating films in the 2003 MMFF, you decide. Although the filmfest films would be preferable so we could discuss them in class, individualists and dissenters are also welcome. But be warned that you might feel out of place when classes start and the Kris Aquino discussion begins.  Film reviews should be less than 5 pages long and due this coming week, depending on your class schedule, should be on 8-9 January, Thur-Friday. Don’t sweat it. Anyone can write a decent film review.

4. I e-mail you last Dec.29 ( I guess) . Just wanna ask why didn't you reply. I badly need your reply ma'am. Please please reply as soon as possible.

This is the soonest possible reply. Please bear in mind that it’s the holidays, and your teacher also has a life and she’s probably someplace with no internet nor phone connections.

5. Ma'am, I would like to change my topic for the paper. Sorry if it took me so long to think about it. I would like to make a research about illegitimate children, the effects of having separated parents on them, emotional, psychological, etc. Another topic would be on abortion and its social and moral effects on people.
Please make a comment on these topics and send it to me ASAP. I would like to know if it is approved.

As for abortion, please see answer to question #2.
As for the topic of illegitimate children, please submit an outline first so we can see what specific areas, what particular effects you wish to explore. It’s still very broad and you will have to deal with vast amounts of research on that topic. Emotional and psychological effects are intertwined, but this requires making case studies, or at least a survey of several children who are in such a state. Ask yourself these questions: Why would I want to spend hours reading up on illegitimate children? What good would it do me and the people who will read that paper if ever I finish it?
You may proceed with that topic, but you’ve been warned.

6. I've submitted my index card to you on the day you told us to so so. My topic was "Causes of suicide in the modern years and its prevention." I've changed my title and revised it according to what you suggested so I arrived at "Causes of suicide among adolescents and its prevention".

I just wanna ask if my topic is okay. I have collected my resources and it came out that all of them were researches among USA's teenagers. Should I make my title "Causes of suicide among America's adolescents and its prevention"?

Is all good, the title. But ask yourself: why should we care if America’s adolescents are killing themselves? There are enough Pinoy kids trying to kill themselves and don’t you think that merits your special attention even more? Dig up some more data and I’m sure you can find some dirt on Pinoy kids killing themselves. Go to the UP Population Research Institute if they have some recent studies on Pinoy youth and suicide.

This goes for everyone: Universality is well and good. But first think of the universe in which you live. A topic such as “prostitution” or “suicide” is almost surely present in all cultures, but what we are interested in the most is what is happening in our own backyard—your neighbor’s, the next baranggay’s, your own city and country. Deal with your own area first before making a broader study of other people’s psychological matters.

7. P.S. Can I write anything on my journal, I mean, writing my experiences this vacation? Outline must be submitted on the 1st week of Jan. right?

Yes, you may write anything on your journal, even your laundry list if you wish.
Yes, outlines are due 1st week of January as well.

8. Will we be having class on monday?
>
> no class on monday, 5 jan 2004. regular classes resume on 8
january, thursday. but be sure to have your readings by then and we
will have a short lecture on formalism.

So I suppose you should all enjoy the rest of the holiday weekend and I will see you all on Tuesday.