English 111

Spring 2013

Corey Dressel

THIS I BELIEVE
ASSIGNMENT SHEET

W without

e are in the satisfying process of a learning end. This is us at our most

Every day acts and small acts build up over

earthbound, burdened by the weight of a core identity we sometimes regret but can't renounce any more than we can renounce breathing. (Bill Morelock What's in a Name? MPR. Jan. 16, 2012.)

time. Tiny acts build when others emulate them, which builds until the world is convulsed by change. Change comes from millions of tiny acts that seem relatively insignificant. - Desmond Tutu in I Am

ecause of lifes sporadic hurdles and the unexpected nature of our experiences, we are constantly evolving into ourselves and into an understanding of how we fit into the chaos and mess of this world. This past January, I asked you to set your preconceived ideas and beliefs aside and open yourself up to a new and different world of possibilities.

B exposed

UT BEHOLD THE SUN: You were

to documentaries, including I Am, Facing Sudan, and Hunted Like Animals. You had to read memoirs that depicted a wide variety of experiences, from creativity, beauty, and love, to suffocating and unbearable suffering that came from the very common to the most horrid and

I AM
You started this semester having just departed one part of your lifes journey and just beginning the next. Our lived experience is not meant to provide luxuries for our consumption and our disposal; but rather, it is supposed to offer a trail. We choose to get up and follow this trail not knowing where it will take us. As we trek down the trail we discover our weaknesses and our strengths. We discover inspiration and we also may trip and fall. Most of us will hurt and most of us will struggle to stay on the trail. We suffer; yet, we continue our way down the trail. This particular trailEnglish 111has come to an end. We may not be able to look back and remember relaxation or indulgences, but we can look back and acknowledge that with each challenge our lives present, we are closer to knowing ourselves and our purpose.

unthinkable. Your life melted into local experiences and distant cultures. You found yourself living in ho-bunk Wisconsin, flying over the Laotian mountains, and being dragged through the dry coarse sand of the unforgiving Ajakageer dessert. You froze at night with Craig; ached to the core of your being for love and protection with Benson, Alepho, and Benjamin; and, drowned with Yangs family in the Mekong River.

I have pushed you to write and then to write better. You have read, created, researched, and learned. I presented lessons on logic and argument. You have considered how you are persuaded and how you attempt to persuade others. And, I have challenged you to reconsider your theories and your idealsyour beliefs. Now, the semester is wrapping up and you will leave this chapter in your life behind; but, you will not walk away the same as you walked in: the experiences and personal challenges presented in this course will forever have had an impact on you. SO, NOW I ASK: Who are you? What is it that you believe? This assignment asks you to finish the prompt: This I believe with a personal and very inward response based on your experience with the contents presented in this course. This assignment is amended from the international organization, aptly named: This I Believe.

And each one there has one thing sharedThey have sweated beneath the same sunLooked up in wonder at the same moon And wept when it was all done For bein' done too soon For bein' done too soon For bein' done
(Neil Diamond, Done too soon)

THIS I BELIEVE ESSAY-WRITING GUIDELINES As your final paper/project, you will write, record, and upload an audio version of your own
statement of personal belief based off of this English 111 class. After submitting the text version of your statement, you will then upload the audio version to a discussion board on D2L. I will then upload each audio to the discussion board: Corey Dressel: This I Believe

This may be extremely challenging as it requires you to search deep inside yourself. And in
this personal intimacy, you will find the content that will mark your pages in a way that no one else could do on your behalf. HERE ARE A FEW SUGGESTIONS:

ell a story: Be specific. Take your belief out of the ether and ground it in the events of your life this semester with the content in this class. Consider moments when belief was formed or tested or changed. Think of your own experience and tell of the things you know that no one else does. Make sure your story ties to the essence of your daily life philosophy and the shaping of your beliefs this semester.

is very short. I understand that sometimes one thing is connected to another; so, it is okay to exceed one if you are linking beliefs.

B B

e positive: Please avoid preaching or editorializing. Tell of what you do believe, not what you dont believe. Avoid speaking in the editorial we. Make your essay about you; speak in the first person. e personal: Write in words and phrases that are natural to speech. I recommend you read your essay aloud to yourself several times, and each time edit it until you find the words, tone, and story that truly echo your belief and who you are. Keep in mind that this means that your message will be clear and easy to comprehend!

e brief: Your statement should be between 500 and 775 words. I will not enforce the max number of words; but, I will enforce the minimum. Try to keep it within this range if possible. ame your belief: If you cant name it in a sentence or two, your essay might not be about belief. Also, attempt to focus on one core belief, because this paper

When the Dalai Lama was asked: What should be done? He responded: Critical thinking followed by action. Each of us must do something that makes our heart sing.

~I AM