A Mellow Early Out Kind of Day

We missed all of you who were on the "Hamilton" field trip...I hope y'all had fun.  "I'm not gonna miss my shot!"  So true.  Anyhoo, today (those of us in class) answered 7 questions on the Cofer text.  You can find the questions below.  Please make sure you answer them and turn them in to the class tray.

1.  What is the effect of Cofer's opening paragraph? Does her anger draw you in or distance you?
2.  Note the times when Cofer explains rather than denies the basis for stereotyping.  For instance, rather than deny that Latinas prefer vivid colors, she explains that this preference reflects the bright landscape of their homelands.  Does this strategy work or do you think Cofer is playing to the stereotype?
3.  Note the sections of the text that refer to personal experience.  Does Cofer's use of personal experience weaken her argument or make it more effective?  Explain.  Would th eessay be more effective with less - or more- personal experience?  Explain your view.
4.  What do Cofer's experiences on the bus, in the hotel, and at the poetry reading have in common?  Could she have omitted any of them from her essay?  Do you find her behavior toward the man in the "very classy metropolitan hotel" unnecessarily cruel?  Explain.
5.  How does Cofer broaden the argument from her personal experience to larger concerns, including other stereotypes (or stereotypes of other communities)?
6.  Cofer ends by quoting one of her own poems.  Is this effective?  Why or why not?
7.  Who do you think is Cofer's audience for this essay?  Does it include the woman at the poetry reading who asks Cofer for a cup of coffee?

Tomorrow we have SAS so PLEASE EVERYONE BE PREPARED.  Again, ALL OF YOU SHOULD BE PREPARED.  (Sidenote: capital letters are so angry.  Wow.)

I am still working on curating the second semester reading list.  I have decided that 2 books will be mandatory and the other books you read will be of your choosing off of the list.  I will set Reading Deadlines and on those days, you will be expected to have a book read and show up to class ready and able to "chat" or write or present.

So far, to give you a heads up, the tentative deadlines will be as follows:  2/21, 3/21, 4/25, and 5/23.  And another heads up:  You will be turning in your ISJ's on Tuesday 1/16. 

Thanks for all your work today.

Love and Light,
Beltran

Today's Song: "Our Song" Taylor Swift