Help me write a college essay!

[Fixated]

This will be my college essay (for now it's an English paper based on the question from George Washington's essay question).

The question is "design a monument." Basically a monument to any person, event, etc. that would deserve national recognition. Any ideas? I'm thinking Paul Wellstone at this point. Any different ideas would be greatly appreciated. Try to avoid obvious things like thw WTC victims, and don't get too liberal on me (I'm trying to win over someone who I have to assume is moderate). Thanks DUers!

[VaLabor]

1. Wellstone good...and...

Paul Wellstone is a great idea.

Another person deserving of recognition is Rachel Corrie, the young American woman who went to the Occupied Territories as a peace activist and was run over by a bulldozer will trying to protect a Palestinian home.

[HereSince1628]

2. Group work sucks

Do each of us get full credit or are the points going to be divided among all those that contribute?

[wryter2000]

3. An idea

To add to the creativity, I suggest you do someone not highly visible. In fact, you might want to make a monument to an unknown, in the sense of the Unknown Soldier. Maybe a monument to the unknown labor organizers who, literally, put their lives on the line so that American workers might get a fair shake. Or freedom riders. Work on a Fanfare for the Common Man (sic) theme.

[Fixated]

4. .....

I was thinking about something like that. I need to make it someone or something whom no one else will write about.

[LearnedHand]

5. Sorry, no can do -- HELP you write it, that is

I teach college English (essay writing), and I emphasize over and over that critical thinking (i.e., thinking for yourself) is the number one skill employers are looking for. This is the time to get a few ideas from the folks here, but write the essay on your own. And if you'll check your English handbook, there's a way (MLA style) to CITE YOUR SOURCES for online BBS-type posting.

Good luck with your essay, but WRITE IT YOURSELF!!! It's an integrity issue.

On edit: Oooh. Sorry for the Ms. Thistlebottom tone. Two of my students plagiarized their papers during the summer, and I'm feeling a bit burned by the experience.

[LearnedHand]

6. Fixated, please PM me...

...if you'd like to run some some ideas by me for brainstorming.

:pals:

[ScrewyRabbit]

7. How about a monument to civil liberties?

Seems like they could use one in the age of the Patriot Act.

[grytpype]

8. Do your own homework.

Or you'll wind up as dumb as Duhbya!

[Fixated]

9. ....

Bite me. I didn't ask for the essay, just more ideas for a topic. I don't think Dubya had my 1490 SATs.

[HereSince1628]

10. 1490 SATs...then use yer gears dude.

You are the one whose thread is titled "help me write an essay."

As a prof of many years, I think an SAT of 1490 ought to be able to do some creative thinking for his/herself.

I'm not knocking people who want to jump into your thread, but your English instructor gave you an opportunity to think for yourself and you turned it over to a committee.

You should consider a carreer in politics, you can hire staff to generate ideas and speeches and take all the credit...

[Fixated]

11. ....

The reason I want some creative insight is that this could go to a college. Christ, I'm surprised everyone here jumps on me like I'm cheating.

[HereSince1628]

12. No. We jump on you like you are LAZY,

Sorry to be so impolitic about it. But a brain especially one associated with a 1490 SAT is a terrible thing to let rot on the vine.

[Fixated]

13. ....

Oh please, I've spent all day drafting up ideas. The second I ask someone else, I'm lazy. I'm not letting my brain rot. You don't know jack shit about what I do with my brain.

[HereSince1628]

14. So then it would have been better to just run your ideas past us.

I'm sure they would have received reasonable consideration, very likely even encouragement.

[Fixated]

15. ....

Like the Wellstone one you didn't read? That's the one I plan on doing, anyway, so you can pretend I didn't ask for suggestions.

[HereSince1628]

18. Harumph!

..."Oh please, I've spent all day drafting up ideas."

"Wellstone"= one, solitiary, uno, singular, less than two but more than zero.

I mean this in the very most positive possible way. Your education is THE most important thing that you will do in your life with one very important exception. That exception is that the most important thing you will do with your life is take control of it and do with it what you choose.

If you want to abdicate that to the approval of others, fine. If you search around you will find people who will support you.

But, if you really do think of Paul Wellstone as someone to commemorate, perhaps emulate, you need to find the courage to take a stand on your own, even if its shakey. Get comfortable standing alone for the things you believe in and you won't be searching for the support of others, they will be searching for YOU.

[Fixated]

20. ...

Wellstone is the one I was considering most heavily. Of the ideas I'd created, I'd surely go with that. So I had more, naturally.

Believe it or not, I have control of my life. I thought "where could I fish out people who would have the same basic belief structure as I do?" and thought of DU. While I didn't expect irritating replies like "do your own homework, I did and look at me now!" I see what you're trying to say. But look. I'm not looking to rip someone's ideas, I'm looking for suggestions, or for inspiration. If someone said "slaves" I might think "Nat Turner." With all due respect, end this here, professor. Between you and Little Miss DidAllMyWorkInCollege, I've gotten quite the moral shout-down.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

26. He is asking for ideas..granted the phrasing was incorrect but I certainly

wasn't led to believe he was asking me to do his work for him...lay off.

[HereSince1628]

28. Really? Check out his post in #19

He implies the exercise is unworthy of him. He says in his own words that everything after the idea is BS. But he is asking us for the _IDEA_! That implies that he is asking us to do the one thing he values. It seems to me there is something wrong with that...

Nothingshocks'...maybe you have taught more college and university students than I have, but in my experience, that began as a graduate assistant in 1983, doing the course work is what builds a student's understanding and skill. Practice, even for the gifted, is a necessary evil.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

30. He asked for ideas as he continued to do in post 19

despite his other less than accurate rants about the value of writing.

Agin, I think people were a bit quick on the trigger. He made it pretty clear in the first post that he was looking for ideas.

Asking others to assist with ideas indicates a willingness to consider the ideas of others. In my book, that is a good thing. It breaks him out of his box. TO me that's not a bad place to be freed from.

Again, the manner in which he phrased himself in the opening post was lacking but I clearly got he was not looking for me to do the work for him.

PS, I have never taught college students but I have taught academicians in the past.

[HereSince1628]

31. Sorry, I guess we'll agree to disagree on this case.

Kid gloves are useful in some cases and a swift kick in the pants in others.

With a 1490 SAT, this kid has all the necessary horsepower and the gears to do great things, independently. One of the most important "across the curriculum" skills exercised in writing classes is critical thinking. Thinking is something that, although influenced by the ideas of others, must be done alone.

[notadmblnd]

24. Take the opportunity and think for yourself..

while its still allowed.:think:

[Journeyman]

16. Bite yourself. . .

I did all my college work by myself, especially the initial ideas, and I took full delight in all my grades. What are you going to be left with? "Some people gave me some good ideas and other people suggested how to flesh 'em out, but I did all the typing." Wow. Maybe you can tattoo those SAT scores on your forehead so everyone will know in an instant how smart you are.

Why don't you come up with the idea, do some initial research and write your thesis, then present that to this board for feedback and advice. At the least, the idea and the conception will remain yours alone.

[Fixated]

19. .....

You realize what a college essay is, right? You must, because you somehow got into one. A college essay is an idea followed by pure, unadulterated BS. So as proud as I am that you made it through college without ever taking any suggestions ::cough::bullshit::cough::, perhaps you should realize exactly what I'd be writing.

[HereSince1628]

21. You got no respect, kid

"A college essay is an idea followed by pure, unadulterated BS."

Is all you see busy work that you are looking for a way to unload?
Having a big engine (1490 SAT) doesn't mean sh*t if you don't have the savvy to realize that learning how to drive it takes practice.

[Journeyman]

22. Much as I'm tempted to respond. . .

I'll quietly leave you to your illusions.

[Fixated]

23. ....

That sounded like a response to me. Just not an intelligent one.

[The Lone Liberal]

17. I would design a monument to the “Every person”

To those who came to this continent either in chains or indentured slavery. Those people who history does not know. Nameless people, who build the cities, went deep into the earth to mine the minerals, who tilled the soil, who faced starvation and depredations. Who struggled to find some happiness in life. Those millions and millions who were beaten down, starved, overlooked and yet survived. Those women who gave birth to children only to see them shortly die. Those men who had lost eyes, legs, arms and their lives in the name of enriching others. Yes, I would build a monument to all of those who are never mentioned in the history books, but without whom there would be no history.

[roguevalley]

25. how about a monument to your parents, going to work at

probably sucky jobs everyday, taking care of you, and putting you where you are? If that applies, honey. I would build one to my parents if I could. And my grandparents. How about something for the uncommonly common man/woman?

Good luck.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

27. I would suggest a monument to organized labor

It deserves national recognition because without it there would be NO middle class. There is LOTS on the net about it for you to glean ideas. It is something for which we may one day need a monument.

[HalfManHalfBiscuit]

29. Jessica Lynch

Just make sure that her monument is designed with huge tits.

[newyawker99]

32. Congrats HalfManHalfBiscuit!! 400 posts

:toast: