Campaign Commercials

These are some commercials for discussion--they are merely a sampling, and not meant to be fully representative of the campaigns. Also, the idea here is to watch the videos. Please don't wade into the often negative, ugly world of the "comment" sections--thanks.

Sites for C/C paper work

As discussed in class, here are some of the sites you will need for the C/C paper, and work:

To watch any of the debates in their entirety: http://www.hulu.com/spotlight/election08

Obama's official web site: http://www.barackobama.com/index.php

McCain's official web site: http://www.johnmccain.com/

Information about Turning in the First Paper

Hi Everyone:

I hope you've had a nice weekend. I would like to thank you again for your understanding about the change in plans for Thursday's class. As I mentioned at the time, it is not the norm for class to be canceled in that manner. I am very happy to see that you all met up to complete the workshop--so far, all of the feedback on the experience has been incredibly positive.

Also, I have now responded to all of the rough drafts I've received via email--I hope my comments help guide you toward a Final Draft. I am very happy with what I've seen so far--you all seem to be on the right track. If you did not (or do not) send your Rough Draft, it's OK--I was not requiring that you do so, only offering assistance as needed. You have until tomorrow morning (let's say 8 am) to do so...

So, what do you need to bring in on Tuesday? Here's a checklist:

1. The Final Draft--typed, double-spaced, in MLA paper layout format (check the Writer's Reference for information if you don't know); stapled separately from all pre-work.

2. The pre-work, stapled together separately from the Final Draft: the rough draft(s) with workshop commentary, the "building blocks" exercise from last Tuesday's class, and that "nature" exercise you completed on campus.

Please remember that, for this first paper only, you will be able to revise, should you choose to do so.

On Tuesday, we will wrap-up this unit, and dive into our next one, which will put us right in the midst of the election. Get ready!

Important Message about Thursday's Class

This was sent out in email form earlier...in case you didn't get it, please see the information below. Read carefully--thanks!


Hi Everyone:

Our next class—Thursday—is an important one. It is where you will “test drive” your rough draft with an actual audience. To do so, we will workshop the drafts, having your peers read them and offer commentary.

The initial plan, of course, was to have the workshop in our actual classroom. Instead, you will have more freedom to complete the exercise--there will be no "formal class" tomorrow. This is an approach that will require added responsibility on your part—and some extra reaching out on mine—so let’s go over the details carefully.

First, you will all be placed on a team. Please note your teammates here:

Team One: Christina, Luis, Wendy
Team Two: Yesenia, Edwin, Stephani
Team Three: Mai, Jose, Hannah
Team Four: Adriana, Lara, Liliana
Team Five: Alma, Alfredo, Anna

Come to the classroom on Thursday as normal. Find your teammates, and select a location outside of the room to meet. Once you are there, sit down, and make sure everyone has a copy of each other’s papers. Then, complete the “Workshop” exercise (this is in the course reader). Follow the directions carefully, as they are designed to maximize the potential of the experience. Then, once you are all done, go start work on revision and making it into a final draft...

Please note: if you have email addresses and/or know all of the people on your team already, you are free to set up your meeting time that way, and do not even need to come to the classroom. However, this will only work if everyone on your team is included.

On Tuesday, when you bring in your Final Draft, you will also need to bring the two copies of your Rough Draft to turn in, so I can get a sense of how the workshop went.

Now, for my part in this approach, I am going to do something I don’t normally do...but since we are approaching this differently, I am trying this out. At some point over the weekend, please email me your rough draft. I will read everyone’s draft, and send some general comments (I won’t be line-editing) by Monday morning. In the email when you send the draft, please also write a few sentences about the workshop experience.

So, to sum up—we are not having a formal class meeting on Thursday—instead, you will set up a meeting with your group. I will not be on campus tomorrow.

While we are all still just getting to know each other, I would like to take a moment to address the fact that I had to let out one class early last week, and now will be taking this unique approach to our class tomorrow. I really don’t want people to get the wrong idea—our class time is valuable, and I respect all of our sessions. It is not the norm that class is like this, so I sincerely hope you do not get the wrong idea. In the coming week, the issues that are causing me to adjust my approach a bit will be resolved, so I look forward to diving in full-force when we return next week.

In particular, our second paper is going to be an exciting opportunity to share our thoughts on not only the election, but the way elections are run. I can’t wait to read what you come up with for that one!

Please feel free to email me with any questions at all. Thank you again.

All the best,

Bob

New Schedule Reminder

...as discussed in class, here is the revised schedule for the first paper:

due this Tuesday: Read the rest of the essays in the Course Reader and all of the essays in the "Narrative" section of Starting Lines. Bring a reading response. Also, know which experience from your life you will write about for the paper. In class, we will do a "building block" exercise for the paper, as well as cover my "top ten" list for writing tips.

due this Thursday: Two copies of the rough draft of your paper. In class, we will share our drafts and workshop them.

due next Tuesday: The final draft of the paper (along with pre-work).

As always, please email me with any questions.

Brainstorming Comments

Hi Everyone:

Well, my grand online experiment had a hiccup, which you all noticed. I must say how impressed I am that, instead of just giving up, you all emailed me your assignment.

So, with that in mind, I am pasting the text of your responses here, for everyone to benefit from--as was initially the plan. If you would like to also add comments, they are NOW open. Thanks again!

I would go and run every day on Saturday with friends at Griffith
Park. It was always nice being able to go run over there because I
never knew what animals might pop out. I always enjoyed the fresh air
and the one special thing I thought was the coolest was being able to
see all of LA from the top of the mountain. The event itself is
important to me because I have always loved heights, and this is also
one of the few places in LA where one is actually surrounded by nature.

I have always liked being in the city, especially when I am in
downtown. It is always nice being in downtown because there are so
many tall buildings. Not only that but each city that I have been to
has been different. Things are structured differently and I get a
different vibe from it.
Another thing I like about being in the city are the sports. People go
crazy for sports, especially when they have good teams. I also
remember being able to see these superstars up front. One day I was at
Hollywood and Highland mall and all of the Barcelona team was there
with Kobe, it was a crazy experience I will never forget because I was
so close to these big time celebrities that are known world wide and
they were there sometimes at arms length away from me.

I guess I am a city person. Although nature is very nice I can't
picture myself away from city for to long, because it is always fun.

1. An experience I've had with nature has been when I attended science camp in sixth grate at Point Bonita, in San Fransico. As adventurous students, we were able to experience the wildlife in many different ways. We look into many different creaters in the ocean and went hiking at night all over the hills in San Fransico. This was important to me because it made me realize the beauty of nature and how one can relax from it. I would share my experience I had in science camp and my expericence up to this day in Santa Barbara.
2. I consider myself a nature person because throughout my life, I have always lived surrounded by trees, open fields, near the river, and many living creaters. As a young girl, I have always enjoyed being out in the open because my home being surrounded by natural life, is as well located on an island. I would always take long jogs around the open fields and found it a way to connect with nature as a relaxation away from stress. Being able to run into living creaters or just being able to sit on a rock right next to the river felt as an amazing feeling. Nothing can compare to such illuminating feeling that I felt when I'm sourrounded by nature.
3. I perfer the natural settigs because natural settings are a creation of peace and relaxation. One of the many memories I have recently expericence from a natural setting has been on the eighth floor in the library. The spectacular view from the eighth floor brings back many memories from home, not only because its quiet, but peaceful. For me, any place that is peaceful is a relaxation into my life that helps me forget about stress and all the problems in the world.

1) Back home, my older brothers and I would go to the mountains and swim in the rivers. We would only do this on occasion during the summer when the waters were warmer because they came from the melted ice. I always found these small excursions important because I got to be with my older brothers-just us and nature.
2)I consider myself a nature person because I grew up in, what many would consider, a small town. When visiting larger cities, such as Los Angeles, I feel almost out of place because the people there act in a much different way than me. Nature makes me feel more alive and makes me think about how the ancients lived off it and how we would not survive if just thrown into it.
3)I prefer nature but the city is my natural setting. I doubt that i would be able to survive off nature itself. When I was younger I went on a camping trip with a group similar to boy scouts. We camped in tents, swam in the lake, and had little events. When we ate, we would cook on a grill and eat food that we had bought at a store. The trip was one of the funnest I have ever had. When in nature there is always something to do and for this reason I prefer it, but I know that I still have to rely on the city for food and shelter.


1.nature: An experience I have had in nature would have to be when i went to Guatemala, and I went to the beaches down there. The sand was black the water was clear and the surroundings were amazing. The whole way there we took a dirt road that led down to the beach and you could smell the ripe mangos being pick, and the produce growing.

My nature event was important because I realize where my family was from, this was my first time going to Guatemala and my family was trying to share the full length experience of our country. Here I felt a sense of comfort and welcoming.

city: An experience I had in the city would have to be when I was in D.C., it was fun being there everything seemed so much better than it actually. Everyone was walking around, bikes were zooming by, and not to forget angry driver in minor traffic jams. The city was exciting.


my city story is important because it open up my eyes to a diverse place, my entire life i have lived in Montclair where it a semi-combination of city/ nature but being in D.C. was the full on city life plus information about the founding fathers and what not but I comprehended that there was more to just my "little city."

the significants of my events are that they have sort of open me up to a new mind frame,there is more than just what is going on me and at home. It woke me up being into complete different places.

2. I can consider myself a city person just because thats what i have grown up in, by city is very small and times maybe it should not even be consider a city but overall I am a city type of person.

3. I believe that I prefer the nature setting because it is a more relax scene. There isn't a lot of people around, and more of an open area to do what ever one pleases. In my personal opinion i would rather be in that type of environment.


1. I have lived most of my life in the hectic city of Los Angeles. People wake up really early to go to work, and they are constantly drinking coffee. This creates a stressful atmosphere for everyone living in the city. The city life can have its pros and cons. I would chose to write about my life when I was a younger, and how I viewed the world that surrounded me all the time versus the life I would experiment when I would travel to Mexico; Los Angeles being the city life, and Mexico the natural life.
2. I consider myself a nature person because I appreciate the beauty of landscapes when I travel. On my trip to Peru, I became attached to the amazing life directly connected to the natural world. Machuppichu became a magnificent sight to see and experience. Its mountains, architecture, and color illuminated a world I had never seen before. This became a rewarding experience that led to my decision of coming to UCSB. I wanted to acknowledge the amazing natural settings that are in this world.
3.Sitting by the beach on a rock staring into the horizon is one of the best feelings in my life. The peaceful solitude that one encounters in these places allows for reflection, understanding, and love. Nature settings can bring so much peace into ones life that one can hardly remember sad moments, but it can rather help you think about the future ahead of you.

1. One experience of mine that i think is significant to this topic, was when i went to san francisco to visit my brother. I have been to frisco many times throughout my life and have never cared too much for it. I come from a much smaller town so the big city is a little overwhelming to me. I vividly recall walking around downtown san francisco with the huge buildings towering over me. Every time i looked up at these buildings i got a weird feeling that they were going to fall on me. Later that day i was walking through golden gate park, which is filled with trees and ponds, and was surprised at how much more comfortable i was. Even though there were very large trees there, and also where i'm from we have huge red woods that you cannot see the top of, i never felt the panic that one may fall as i did with the buildings. 2. Clearly from the experience above i am undoubtedly more of a nature person than a city person. I come from a small city called Santa Cruz. Although Santa Cruz does have it's urban areas, every where you look you see an abundance of nature. Along the coast of Santa Cruz you have the beautiful Pacific ocean, and inland you are surrounded by vast mountains covered with redwoods, oaks, and other native trees. Although I am happy to have lived in the city of Santa Cruz as opposed to the mountains, I could not imagine growing up somewhere without such beautiful natural surroundings. 3.As i said, I am happy to have lived in the city of Santa Cruz, but i definitely prefer the natural settings. My absolute favorite part of Santa Cruz is West Cliff. West Cliff is about a five mile long strip along the coast of the west side. The cliffs that surround the beach are decorated with beautiful trees, benches, and a few statues. There are a few spots where you can climb down the cliffs to rocks that sit out on the ocean. These rocks are where me and my best friends spent almost every lunch period of senior year. When school or other things were really stressing us out or our senioritis was just kicking in, we would head to the cliffs to relieve our stress while looking out on the ocean. Nothing worked better.

In 2005, I visited my father who lives in Mississippi, for Christmas. His house is in a community that should be used for a scary movie setting. When first driving to his house all you see is tall trees,piles of leaves and raised houses. There is a store but it looks broken down, as if should have a "for sale" sign in the front of it. I was not attracted to this nature type surrounding that I was to be encamped in for the next two weeks.Visiting my father in the rural part of Mississippi helped me realize that I am not in tuned with nature and that I am a city girl, born and raised, and I love it.
In the spring of 2008, I went on a college tour and one of the colleges I visited was Howard University , in Washington, D.C. Howard University is right in the heart of D.C. It was cool for me to imagine that if I went there, sitting in a class knowing that the White House is down the street , that was quite amazing for me. Everything in D.C goes so fast. There is so much to see and do all day. we walked in and around Howard. I would have stayed there much longer if I was given the chance. I am even considering attending graduate school there.I solely consider myself to be a city person, in all senses. I love the bright lights,shops, cars on the streets all hours of the night, the fast pace of life; in the city you can always find something to do.While in D.C I wanted to go into every clothing store or any store that I passed, I wanted to see everything, but time didn't allow.
On the same college tour I visited another university, in Raleigh, North Carolina, but I cant recall the name. It was a really small school in the rural part of the state. I loved the home feel of the school and the people but there was no McDonald's, or Starbucks!How were they living ?This helped me realize that I could not live in this town, I needed to be in a city, where I could buy a a Big Mac or a frappacino, if I wanted one.

Last year i was fortunate enough to be able to travel to Hawaii to the island of Maui. Along side my teammates and coaches for a basketball tournament their. We where there for a reason and that was to play basketball but with all our other free time we where able to explore the island and see its beauty. We where able to go to some of the beaches, visit a natural rainforest where there where waterfalls that where so amazing and the environment there was so fresh and natural. The trees where so huge and there was plants there i was seeing for the first time and birds that where so beautiful in color. We where also fortunate enough to go whale watching and got to see up close the enormous blue whales which where so big but peaceful just like the island of Maui. This opened my eyes and it allowed me to see that nature is so beautiful and relaxing but me as and energetic and people person i wouldn't see myself there for such a long time. 2) I consider myself a city person for the fact that i haven't really been outside of the city other then a couple of times here and there. However even when i was enjoying myself such as in Hawaii i always had that thought in the back of my mind as to what was going on in the city and missing it more and more as time went by. The city to me is home and an environment that fits me because i like how its alive and up at all times, day and night. In general i love the city because its so alive and full of people and there is something always going on. For example Last year i was able to go to knots scary farm with a couple of my friends which was so much fun. We where there since it opened around nine and didn't leave till it closed and after we went to go eat. That day i didn't get home till around 4 in the morning which was so cool, i was having so much fun hanging out with my friends. It was a memorable moment that i wont forget. 3) I personally prefer the city because i don't see myself in a nature environment for such a long time. I've lived in the city for too long and haven't been out of it as much as others. Another story that shows that I'm a city person for example is that this year me along my whole graduating class went to Disneyland for Grad Night. As well as hundreds of other schools which was so cool, because they close down the park for us from 11 to 6 in the morning it was so cool. That was an experience that is memorable and you wouldn't be able to have in a nature environment. It was so much fun and to make it better i saw people there i hadn't seen in years and I even got to see the sunrise. Im a city boy and i don't see that changing anytime soon.

Brainstorming

1) The transition from growing up in a socio-economically disadvantaged community, surrounded constantly by gangs, teenage pregnancies, and violence, to then moving to a goal orientated community(UCSB). Itʼs an important experience because it opened my eyes to a bigger world. I no longer was confined within a close minded society. I no longer had to rely on my parents, I now was on my own, I was now free to make my own decisions.

2) I consider myself an independent person now that I have moved away from my community. I no longer need to rely on my parents as much as I did in the previous months. I no longer have to worry about the constant racial stereotypes, for the first time I left my community and left behind a mindset that said I could not achieve or even create dreams.

3) I prefer living away from a negative environment. Before moving out of my home I was so used to having things handed to me. Everyday at school, teachers would always establish a time frame for my day; I would always have something to do. However, when I had the opportunity to live on a college campus I realized that everything was different. I had control of what went on in my life, from attending class or deciding what time I had curfew. I learned that my life was based upon how I go about managing my time wisely. Since living in Santa Barbara I became conscious and acquired qualities that better improved my study habits. I established my own time frame in completing my work. The time I have so far spent here and the knowledge I have gained are invaluable to the progress Iʼve made so far and continue to use in the future.

1.
I have always been around nature. Growing up, my house was surrounded by strawberry fields and apple orchards. My nearest neighbor was two miles away. After school and on the weekends I would always manage to slip out of the house and make up imaginary worlds in the orchard, writing languages and creating worlds no one knew about but me. Middle and High school also took place in an unusual setting. I attended school on top of a mountain, hence the name Mount Madonna School. The campus is intertwined with redwood forests and wildlife is a common sight. Deer are so accustomed to the presence of students, they come within feet of their admirers.
When asked to recall a specific experience in nature, my whole childhood could qualify, but one moment in particular captures my passion for all things natural:
I was walking from the Community Building of the Yoga retreat Center that had become my second home to the upper lake.It was my second summer working for the Mount Madonna Yoga Center and I had just gotten off work in the kitchen and was headed for a dip in the lake. Suddenly I became intensly aware of the smell of sage. In the late August heat, the oils from the sage lining the path was almost steaming out of the plant. I had to stop. Like a wave, sensations of sight and sound flooded me. The flowers on both sides of the dirt path were almost illuminated and the sounds of the little bells hanging from the temple up the road had found their way into my ears. I was overwhelmed with the beauty around me.
This experience was important to me because it made me realize how lucky I was to be exactly where I happened to be.

2.
I firmly believe that I am a nature person in the sense that I am able to spend the majority of my time in nature and when I am surrounded by the natural world, I feel at peace and like I can be myself. Nature is all I have known my entire life.
At my school on the mountain, people feel at home. This is because of many factors, but it is mostly because of the atmosphere. Feeling overwhelmed? Go sit in a clearing past the trees and look over the entire Monterey Bay and just be. Nobody asks anything of you when you are in nature. All you have to do is breathe. Nobody will honk at you and yell at you for being slow, you won't have to deal with time in the same sense. You are free to let go of all responsibilities of the city.

3.
Yes, I prefer natural settings over the city, but cities are their own version of nature. Humans are animals and we have created habitats huge and loud, tall and wide, concrete and stone. No, there aren't any deer walking around on Sunset Boulevard, but there is a community in every city that can be compared to communities in nature.
Nature is an extremely broad term used to cover many different settings. From forests to oceans, from your back yard to the Sahara Desert. But all of these qualify as places I would love to see, love to experience on my own. The city is not a place where I can truly reflect on myself and my surroundings. It is just too fast for me. The city is an atmosphere that I respect and acknowledge as the preferred place of living for many people, but I know that I need space- lots of open space.

1.)While running the LA Marathon I was able to see the different
?sides? of LA. As I started the race in Studio City, I was enchanted
by the extravagant buildings and people there. I could see Universal
Studios on my way to the starting line which filled me up with
excitement.

But during the 13th mile the scenery changed drastically and I was
able to see the other side, downtown Los Angeles. I saw clothing
factories and workers overwhelmed with fatigue.

This allowed me to realize that there is a great need for help in
these communities, help I would one day like to provide.

2.)I am a city person, not because I enjoy the ?city life? but because
the city is rich in various cultures. Attending a magnet school
allowed me to meet students from throughout the city and from
different ethnic backgrounds.


3.)I enjoy natural settings but prefer being in the city. The city has
more opportunities to offer and it also allows you to contribute to
disadvantaged communities by volunteering etc.



I went to downtown for the first time when I was five it was the
earliest age I can remmember going and it was an interesting
experience and I had the best time with my parents showing me how to
get different supplies and how to enjoy the markets and shops. I also
remember all the dark alleys and I remember seeing them in movies and
news so I always tried to see what would go on in their.

I consider myself a city person because I have always lived at a major
city LA and I have also had the pleasure to live in a main street that
has the opportunity to hear all sorts of cars and I learned to love
all the cars and all the models that come by.

I prefer the city because I have had the pleasure to enjoy the people
in my city and I always tried to interact with all the people.


1. During my senior year, my senior class and our teacher took a trip to Big Bear. I had a wonderful experienced with nature when I was there. The house we stayed in was right in front of a lake, the view was amazing and breath taking. You could see the beautiful mountains, feel the fresh air blowing in you face, and actually see the stars at night compared to being in the city. This experience is very important to me due to I saw things I would never have in the city. It opened my eyes to many things that Im glad I had the chance of doing. The story I would tell is how I now have a different perception of what nature is really about and how going to this trip changed my views about it. The significance of this experience is that I learned a lot about my self and being open to new things that could be a very rewarding experience.

2. I consider myself a city person but I also enjoy nature. I love everything about the city, the people, the places, and the social life. It does have its downs though due to compared to nature, the city, is very polluted and one cannot experience seeing the stars clearly at night because of the lights. The city to me is amazing. There’s a diversity every where you go. The noise you hear all over and the hundreds of people you see and encounter when you go to the malls, restaurants, and amusement parks. I grew up in the city and thats all I have ever really known but I would’ve loved to experience the nature life. The city life also has its nature side to it, for example, we have some of the most beautiful beaches, we’re lucky compared to others who may have to drive for hours just to go to the beach, and we can experience both within minutes.

3. Now that have experienced both I think I like nature more in some ways. Nature is amazing and great for clearing your mind when you’re tired of the city life. It makes you feel great and calms you down in what ever mood you may be in. The life you experience in nature is quiet unique. Nothing can compare to the things you get to see and hear when your out in the nature.The experience I encountered with nature in Big Bear would fit great for my essay topic. I can write about many factors that made me change my mind about nature and its not what people make it out to be.


My first experience in a big city was in the summer of 2006. I went
to Santa Monica with my sister and brother in law and we toured the
city. We went to a three-story shopping mall (which I?ve never seen
before), a restaurant (Hooter?s, which I?ve only seen in movies), and
the beach (which influenced my decision on my college choice). I
think this experience is significant for the reason that I grew up in
a small town and never really experienced life outside of my town?s
bubble.

I think I am more of a nature person. When I came to visit Santa
Barbara for the first time I saw it?s natural setting. It intrigued
me, and it consequently swayed my decision into making UCSB my number
one college choice. Then you have the mountains and tall trees (and
not to mention perfect weather). I fell in love with Santa Barbara
and couldn?t help thinking that this is defiantly where I wanted to go
to college.

I prefer to be in natural settings. When I am alone at the beach I
feel like it?s the place where no one or anything can bother me. It?s
my escape. It?s where my thoughts make sense and where my worries fix
themselves. My best friend and I spent 3 days during spring break in
Santa Barbara. We spent half the time in the city and the other half
on the beach. I thought the city was too noisy and too hectic.
However, we had the best time on the beach collecting seashells,
getting in the water, and just sitting silently over seeing the waves
crash on top of one another. I?d pick the beach over the city any day.

Post Your Brainstorming Here

As discussed in class, I would like for everyone to share their brainstorming, so that it might open doors for others. Please respond to the prompts in a "comment"--click on the comments link below to do so. Also, please make sure your name (first is fine) is included. Thanks!