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ENGLISH 1110:
REPRESENTATIONS OF FOOD IN CULTURE

Instructor: Jacinta Yanders | Enarson 206 | MWF,12:40-1:35pm

Email: yanders.1@osu.edu | Office Hours: MWF, 10:30am-12:00pm, Denney 569

Accessibility
Your success in this class is
important to me. As an
instructor, I try to be as
proactive as possible in
ensuring that everyone has
the necessary access and
support to participate and
learn. If there’s ever a time in
which you feel like your access
could be better supported,
please do let me know.

Student Life Disability “I want to see you on a plate”

Services contact info:
slds.osu.edu; slds@osu.edu;
614-292-3307; 098 Baker Hall,
113 W. 12th Avenue.
Core Principles of
this Class
• Read critically
“We all should be proactive in learning about marginalized communities
of which we are not a part”-April Reign
Why do we eat? Is the answer as simple as our biological need to
live? Or is there more to it? Some might say that we eat because
food tastes good, but is there something more embedded in our
attachment to food beyond biology and taste?

• Write consciously If you’re a watcher of cooking competition shows, you might be

familiar with the phrase quoted in the title of this section. Judges
• Speak clearly who say it to contestants do not literally want to see the
competitors on a plate. But what do they actually want to see?
• Tell your truth.
What might a plate of food be able to represent?
-Clint Smith III
This question will be one of many that we’ll tackle this semester.
More food for thought: What do our food choices say about the
communities we’re part of, the identities we hold dear, and the
lifestyles we’re currently living? How and why do food

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Inclusive Language
Language is important, and how
we address one another conveys
respect (or lack thereof). In
addition to abstaining from
using slurs and other forms of
derogatory language, in this
class, everyone should be
referred to by the correct name,
with the correct pronunciation,
and with the correct pronouns.
Content & Comfort
“I strive to set up my classes as safe
spaces. This doesn't mean creating
spaces where *no student will ever feel
uncomfortable.* It means creating
spaces where students feel safe to BE
uncomfortable. Discomfort is part of
learning and, with that, compassion
must be part of teaching.”-Dr. Jen
Mustapha
Some content in this class might
make you uncomfortable and/or
be contrary to your opinions and
experiences. To grow and learn, we
need open minds and to engage
with material generously. If you’re
concerned about specific content
preventing you from engaging
healthily, please speak with me.
advertisements, and other mediated representations of food,
attempt to capitalize on our cultural connections? What happens
when capitalist systems co-opt the cuisines of marginalized
communities without demonstrating any care for and/or
compensation toward those communities?
We will seek answers to these questions (and many more) by way
of close reading, critical thinking, and analytical writing. We will
explore a range of texts, from personal essays to academic articles
to commercials, as we consider how food is intertwined with
various facets of culture and identity, such as race, class, and
gender.
Community
“As a classroom community, our capacity to generate excitement is deeply
affected by our interest in one another, in hearing one another’s voices, in
recognizing one another’s presence.” - bell hooks
Given the variety of backgrounds and life experiences we all bring
to this class, it’s important to cultivate an atmosphere that
respects and appreciates what each of us has to offer. Doing so
will not only allow us to better learn from one another, but it will,
on the most fundamental level, make being in this class a more
enjoyable experience. Additionally, you’ll often be assigned
collaborative tasks in class. It’s more than worthwhile to get to
know one another. Be respectful, support one another, and have
fun!
P.S. The devil does not need an advocate.
Curriculum Goals and Objectives
GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE GENERAL
EDUCATION CURRICULUM
Writing and Communication
Students are skilled in written communication and expression,
reading, critical thinking, oral expression, and visual expression
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Level One (1110)

Expected Learning Outcomes:

1. Students communicate using the conventions of academic discourse.

2. Students can read critically and analytically.

“Don't write [like] me. Write like you. Nobody else can do that”-JK Rowling

Required Materials
• Writing Commons (writingcommons.org) is a free, open access textbook

• Additional readings posted to Carmen. You should have access to the readings in class.

• Bring laptops/tablets to class if available. We’ll sometimes use them for in-class work.

• It’s always a good idea to have paper and pens/pencils on hand.

Assignments & Assessment

• Office Hours Visit (5%) • Secondary Source Analysis (25%)

• Food Memoir (10%) • Secondary Source Roulette (source

evaluations & presentation)
• Primary Source Summaries
(10%) • Secondary Source Listicle

• Primary Source Analysis (20%) • Analytical Research Paper (30%)

• PSA Draft • ARP Draft

• Writing Conference #1 • Writing Conference #2

• PSA Peer Review • ARP Peer Review

• PSA Revision Memo • ARP Revision Memo

• PSA Workshop • ARP Workshop

• Final PSA • Final ARP

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Feedback and Grades: I’m well aware of how the American educational system promotes the notion
that letter grades are evidence of learning.

However, writing isn’t about a grade. It’s a process. And you’re less likely to commit to that process if
you’re hyperfocused on/distracted by grades. To that end, my primary focus in assessing your work in this
class centers on providing you with feedback that, if you choose to engage with it fully, will push forward
your growth as writers. In most instances, you will receive feedback on submissions first, and letter grades
will be posted in a staggered fashion throughout the semester. I don’t do this to confuse you or to cause
you undue stress, but rather because I believe that writing in the interest of getting an “A” is misguided
and contributes to ongoing disdain for, and anxiety about, the act of writing.

When I do disseminate grades, they will be in accordance with the standard scale:

A (93-100) A- (90-92) B+ (87-89) B (83-86) B- (80-82)

C+ (77-79) C (73-76) C- (70-72) D+ (67-69) D (60-66)

Technology
Technology has a lot to offer us academically. Our Carmen site serves as a hub via which you can access
important information about the class, submit assignments, and a method via which you can contact your
classmates and myself. Note: Be sure to regularly check your Carmen inbox or have messages forwarded
to your email address.

It may also be the case that you want to use technology for notetaking. We’ll talk more about this in class,
but I personally recommend incorporating OneNote, Scrivener, and Zotero into your academic lives.

100% undivided attention is not only unattainable, but it’s also not something I seek. What I do ask is
that you’re thoughtful about when and how you use technology in class. Let it support your learning,
rather than hinder it. And be intentional about what you contribute to the classroom community.

P.S. I’ve created a GroupMe to serve as a backchannel for the class. This is a space in which you can ask
quick questions, share resources, etc. I will add each of you to the GroupMe via your email addresses, and
you will be able to access our chat via both the desktop and mobile versions of GroupMe.

Office Hours
Students tend to think they should only go to office hours if they have a problem or a question, but in
actuality, office hours also provide an opportunity to get to know your professors and for them to get to
know you. This is particularly useful in the instance that you might need a recommendation for
something one day. You’ll notice that I’m requiring you to come to Office Hours (or another agreed upon
time) early in this semester, and that’s expressly because I want to know you. Hopefully, you’ll find
occasion to come back.

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Student Work
Essays should be posted to Carmen by the assigned due date and in accordance with the guidelines
described on the prompts.

Pro-tip: Save early, save often, and keep at least two separate copies of your work. Hard drives don’t care
about your feelings.

Timeliness and Grace

“Grace Days” are extensions you can request on submission due dates. You get three Grace Days for the
semester. You may choose to use all three days at once, divide them as needed, or not use them at all.
Simply shoot me an email to let me know if you
wish to use them. Grace Days cannot be used for
assignments that require your physical presence,
such as conferences, workshop, and peer review.

If you turn in an assignment late after your Grace

Days are gone, there will be a deduction of 1/3 of a
letter grade for each day late. I operate in the realm
of reality, and thus, I realize that there can be
numerous circumstances that might interfere with
the submission of an assignment. At the same time,
it’s important to understand that turning in work
late not only delays my ability to provide you with
useful feedback, but it also limits your ability to be
able to move on to the next assignment in a timely
fashion. As such, I encourage you to turn in your
work on time and to only make use of these
extensions when absolutely necessary.

To Cite or Not to Cite?

We will spend time in this class discussing how and why we cite sources in our writing. I will also provide
resources that you can access outside of the classroom as you begin to incorporate secondary source
material into your writing. It can sometimes be challenging to determine when it’s necessary to include
citations, especially given the prevalence in our lives of digital writing modes that are less intently focused
on citation. That being said, the act of citation is a powerful practice that you will ideally come away
feeling well-versed in at the end of the semester.

Plagiarism is the unauthorized use of the words or ideas of another person. It is a serious academic
offense that can result in referral to the Committee on Academic Misconduct and failure for the course.
Faculty Rule 3335-5-487 states, “It is the responsibility of the Committee on Academic Misconduct to
investigate or establish procedures for the investigation of all reported cases of student academic

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misconduct. The term ‘academic misconduct’ includes all forms of student academic misconduct
wherever committed; illustrated by, but not limited to, cases of plagiarism and dishonest practices in
connection with examinations. Instructors shall report all instances of alleged academic misconduct to
the committee.” In addition, it is a violation of the student code of conduct to submit without the
permission of the instructors work for one course that has also been submitted in fulfillment of the
requirements of another course.
For additional information, see “I don't write easily or rapidly. My first draft usually has only a few elements
the Code of Student Conduct worth keeping. I have to find what those are and build from them and throw
(http://studentaffairs.osu.edu/ out what doesn't work, or what simply is not alive”-Susan Sontag
resources/).

Attendance
Attendance is important to your development as a writer. Therefore, each unexcused absence after three
will result in the lowering of your final grade by a third of a grade. Excused absences, such as those for
illness, family tragedy, religious observance, or travel for inter-collegiate athletics, will not affect your
grade. Please contact me as soon as possible if you need to miss a class. It is program policy that nine
unexcused absences will automatically result in failure for the course.

Class Cancellation
If class is cancelled due to emergency, I will contact you via email and request that a note be placed on the
door. In addition, I will contact you as soon as possible following the cancellation to let you know what
will be expected of you for our next class meeting.

Schedule

“We go to college to be given one more chance to learn to read in case we haven’t learned in high school. Once we have
learned to read the rest can be trusted to add itself unto us”-Robert Frost

Date For Class Assignments

Week 1: Monday, This class is about…?

January 8

How do we Wednesday, Read: “Reading Games: Strategies for Reading Scholarly

start? January 10 Sources” (Rosenberg)

Friday, Read: “Why Write?” (Moxley); “Food and Memory” (Allen)

January 12

Week 2: Monday, NO CLASS, MLK DAY

January 15

What does Wednesday, Read: Excerpt from “The Gastronomical Me” (Fisher);“A
food mean? January 17 Short Essay on Being” (Boully)

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Date For Class Assignments

Friday, Read: “To the Man Who Shouted ‘I Like Pork Fried Rice’ at
January 19 Me on the Street” (Choi); “If You are What You Eat, then
What am I?” (Kothari); “The Health Food Diner” (Angelou);
“‘Ain’t So/Is Not’ Academic Writing Doesn’t Always Mean
Setting Aside Your Own Voice” (Graff and Birkenstein)

Week 3: Monday, Read: “Rhetoric and Popular Culture” (Brummett); Due: Food
January 22 “Backpacks vs. Briefcases: Steps Toward Rhetorical Memoir
Analysis” (Carroll)

How and why Wednesday, Read: “Breaking Down an Image” (Sheffield); “Ad
do we analyze January 24 Analysis” (McKee); “By Gender” (Eward-Mangione, Brown,
this stuff? & Taylor); “By Race” (Eberhard, Corbett, & Taylor); “By
Socioeconomic Status” (Taylor & Madden);

Friday, PSA Brainstorming

January 26

Week 4: Monday, Read: “Reminder: Poor People Don’t Eat More Fast
January 29 Food” (Thieme); “A Seat at the Bar: Issues of Race and
Class in the World of Specialty Coffee” (Cotter &
Valentinsson); “The White Lies of Craft Culture” (Jackson)

How do space Wednesday, Read: “How Black Chefs Paved the Way for American Due: Office
& place shape January 31 Cuisine” (Twitty); “When Soul Became Southern: The Hours Visit
our connection Gentrification & Rebranding of African American
to food? Food” (Harris)

Friday, Read: “Rhetorical Appeals”; “Ethos” (McKee & McIntyre); Due: Primary
February 2 “Pathos” (Gayle, McKee, & McIntyre); “Logos” (Lane, McKee, Source
& McIntyre); “Kairos” (Pantelides, McKee, & McIntyre) Summaries

Week 5: Monday, Read: “Hot Sauce in Her Bag” (Kendall); "True

February 5 Grits" (Bilger); “America’s Most Political Food” (Collins)

Who holds the Wednesday, Read: “Eating the Other” (hooks); “Just Eat It: A Comic
power in food February 7 About Food and Cultural Appropriation” (Khor); “Craving
culture? the Other” (Ho)

Friday, Read: “What Distinguishes Cultural Exchange from

February 9 Cultural Appropriation?” (Galchen & Holmes); “We’re
Having the Wrong Conversation About Food and Cultural
Appropriation” (Kim); “Burned Out” (Stafford)

Week 6: Monday, Read: “Shitty First Drafts” (Lamott)

February 12

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Date For Class Assignments

What do I Wednesday, Read: “Consider Your Purpose” (Moxley); “Consider Your Due: PSA
need to know February 14 Audience” (Moxley); “Consider Your Context” (Moxley) Draft
about writing?

Friday, Read: “The First Person” (DeBoer); “Using First Person in an

February 16 Academic Essay: When is it Okay?” (Sheffield)

Week 7: Monday, NO CLASS, WRITING CONFERENCE #1

February 19

How can I Wednesday, Read: “How to Write an Engaging

improve my February 21 Introduction” (Janechek); “Employing Narrative in an
writing? Essay” (Wise)

Friday, PSA Peer Review

February 23 Read: “Writers on Revising” (Moxley)

Week 8: Monday, Read: “The Campaign to Make You Eat Kimchi” (Scharf); Due: PSA
February 26 “How it Feels When White People Shame Your Culture’s Revision
Food—Then Make it Trendy” (Tam); “Cuisines Mastered as Memo
Acquired Tastes” (Lam)

What about Wednesday, Read: “Where is Your Topic Sentence?”; “What is the Point
flow? February 28 of this Paragraph?”; “Paragraph Transitions” (Photinos)

Friday, PSA Workshop

March 2

Week 9: Monday, Read: “The Struggles of Writing about Chinese Food as a

March 5 Chinese Person” (Wei); “What Happens When a Brown
Chef Cooks White Food?” (Shah)

How does Wednesday, Secondary Source Brainstorming Due: Final

food culture March 7 PSA
limit us?

Friday, Read: “The Unhealthy Truth Behind ‘Wellness’ and ‘Clean

March 9 Eating’” (Tandoh); “Seattle Seahawks Eddie Lacy Opens
About His Public Struggle with Weight” (Valkenburg)

Week 10: March NO CLASS, SPRING BREAK

12-16
Have fun!

Week 11: Monday, Read: “The Radical Origins of Free Breakfast for
March 19 Children” (Milkman); “Restaurants can be a Lifeline for the
Formerly Incarcerated–and Vice Versa” (Burton); “Glori-
Fried and Glori-Fied” (Randall)

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Date For Class Assignments

How are Wednesday, Read: “Restaurants Haven’t Lived Up to the Promise of the Due:
politics & our March 21 Americans with Disabilities Act” (Perry); Why Food Has Secondary
daily lives tied Become a New Target for Nationalists” (Danovich); “Mario Source
to food? Batali Steps Away From Restaurant Empire Following Evaluations
Sexual Misconduct Allegations” (Plagianos & Greenwald)

Friday, Read: “How the Web is Changing the Way We

March 23 Eat” (Breselor); “The Westernization of Emoji” (Lafrance)

Week 12: Monday, Secondary Source Roulette Presentations

March 26

What do I do Wednesday, Read: “Synthesizing Your Research Findings” (Photinos);

with this March 28 “MLA Updates for 8th Edition” (Paquette)
research?

Friday, ARP Brainstorming Due:

March 30 Secondary
Source
Listicle

Week 13: Monday, Read: “The Thesis” (McIntyre); “Formulating a

April 2 Thesis” (Scott); “Weak Thesis”

How do I make Wednesday, Read: “When to Quote and When to Paraphrase” (Jerman);
& support April 4 “Summarizing” (Moxley)
arguments?

Friday, April Read: “Analyzing Evidence” (Janecheck); “Formatting In-

6 Text Citations” (Yirinec & Cutlip); “Follow MLA Guidelines
for Block Quotations”; “Omitting Words from a Direct
Quotation” (Lewis)

Week 14: Monday, Read: “Avoiding Plagiarism” (Janechek); “Understand Due: ARP
April 9 When Citations Are Necessary” (Moxley); "Canada’s Ex- Draft
Poet Laureate Stole From Tupac and Maya Angelou in the
Greatest Cultural Appropriation of All Time" (Harriot)

What’s Wednesday, Read: “Annoying Ways People Use Sources” (Stedman)

powerful April 11
about citation?

Friday, April NO CLASS, WRITING CONFERENCE #2

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Week 15: Monday, ARP Peer Review

April 16

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Date For Class Assignments

Can I pull all of Wednesday, Read: “How to Write a Compelling Conclusion” (Yirinec); Due: ARP
this together? April 18 "Concluding the Journal Article" (Thomson) Revision
Memo

Friday, April ARP Workshop

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Week 16: Monday, Wrapping Up; Evaluations

April 23

How do we Tuesday, NO CLASS Due: Final

end? May 1 ARP

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