Aloha! Adios! AuRevoir!

My friends, you've done some good, honest (well, according to turnitin.com anyways...) and respectable work this semester and most importantly, you stuck with it when times got tough! I'm damn proud of you--Keep in touch and try not to forget everything! For this post, please share your favorite moment in class and something you learned from another student (say their name in the post). Good luck and please keep in touch--Have a wonderful summer of fun and relaxation! You deserve it!

Debate 2

Review of Lincoln-Douglas Debate Style and Value Claims

http://www.illinoiscivilwar.org/debates.html
This site  explains the begining of this style in the 1850's,    fyi

http://debate.uvm.edu/NFL/rostrumlibld.html
Lots of info on LD and cross exams on this site, you have to tool around to find the good stuff!

Remember: Each team of 2 will debate a resolution of VALUE by establish a definition or two and then exploring ill/ blame and/or a plan. Affirmative is the govt/side for the resolution/change and negative argues for the status quo. As always, the burden of proof is with the affirmative. After each 3 minute constructive speech, the other side will cross exam for about one minute in an unscripted "shoot out" or "forensic free-for-all!" Then rebuttals should take about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes to wrap up, review and end very MEMORABLY as well as restate the resolution for the audiences' benefit. No outline is required, but each side should have a good visual aid and consider dressing to "support" their argument.

Post your questions and or ideas on two topics here:

1.) Questions about the LD debates next week

2.) Suggestions and creative ideas for your final exam

SPRIIIING BREAK!!!!!!!!! Woo-hoo!

Blog right away so you can start the good times! In parli debate, we raise a point of information (ala Alex) to politely ask for additional info and suggest the other team may have been hasty or oversimplified. For this blog, raise a "P.O.I." about summer vacation, in response to this statement by me, as the govt team for the resolution: WE should all go to summer school. Assume I recognized you when you stood up to raise the P.O.I. persuasively!!!--This is good practice for the May 6th debate, on campus from 9-3. ($5.00 charge for pizza lunch and tons of extra credit if you WIN or even make finals round!). Have a fun break! I am proud of you guys!!!! S

Earth Day!!!

Hey Gang! The debates are going so well--All the evidence gathering paid off! For this blog we will focus on Earth Day --Next week CRC celebrates Earth Day with fun stuff all week long! For extra credit, join us Wed evening 4/13 on the southeast corner of the lawn out by Sociology and child development, facing the new public library on the Hwy  99 side of campus--there are some picnic tables over there and you'll see the telescopes--it runs from 815-930 pm, get 5 points for coming out and up to 15 points for writing up a report on 5 common arguments and fallacies associated with Global Warming. Don't miss the night time fun--bring a flashlight!!! For this blog, please post one complete Toulmin argument about Earth Day and the importance of ' re-use, re-new, recycle!'  (see your Toulmin Homework handout for ideas) Use a claim, modified by a qualifier and supported by evidence and then state the warranting assumption (see textbook, chpt 2 for details)--Earth FIRST!!!

Fallacies/Debates and missed class 3/29

Hi Gang! I got really sick over the weekend, sorry for the last minute class cancellation on 3/29 Tuesday--I will be in class Thursday to collect your case/brief assignments, hand out the take home exam and help teams prep for next week's debates. To review, here is the schedule for next Tuesday: First round of debate I
April 5th: Mike D, Trevor, Melissa and Mike
April 5th: Neal, Michelle, Raiza, Ying and Dimo
For this week's blog: let's work with fallacies. The most important ones to know are: Slippery slope, hasty generalization, non-sequitor, begging the question, bandwagon, ad hominem and faulty cause--These are all flaws in reasoning that you can commit or accuse your opponents of.

Slippery slope: One little action will lead to a huge landslide! ie: if you ever try pot you are sure to become a heroin addict!
hasty generalization: Taking one example and applying it to an entire group (stereotyping falls here) ie: everyone who wears baggy pants is in a gang.
Non sequitor (does not follow): Evidence is unrelated to the cause, ie: It is sure to rain today, I wore my lucky scarf!
begging the question: Claim is unsupported so claim is repeated, ie: "I can't get an F! I am an A student!!!"
bandwagon: everyone is doing it! (only evidence is compliance), ie: trends
ad hominem: attacking the person, not the argument, ie: "How will he run the country, he can't even manage his own love-life?!"
Faulty cause: Suggesting an unproven cause (mistaking a correlation for a cause), ie:  If the suspect was in the house between 8 and 9pm, and the murder took place at 830pm, the suspect must have done it!


Blog Task: Idnetify and give an example of one of the fallacies above, using your own evidence. Humorous entries are welcome! Smiels--Sandra

Make the Case!

Spring Break...4 weeks from now....You: Mired in a stack of evidence so high you need a ladder to go through it. Your teacher: She must be nuts, this is an impossible workload! After you hand in the evidence assignment, you have to make a prima facie case on the side of Gov't. (for change). Remember...Contentions 1-4....you know, stock issues? Ill, harm, blame, cost benefits...Is it coming back to you now? For this blog, splash some cold water on your face and pretend it's an ocean breeze. Walk over your unswept floor and lie to yourself...it's SAND somewhere near Santa Cruz....or Baja....do a couple sit-ups, shake out your beach towel....is it kicking in yet???? SPRINK FEVER???????!!!!!!!!!!! OK...Make a case for Spring Break....state a rsolution and four simple contentions about anything to do with spring break plans, the length of time we take break, when and where it should happen, how it should change, what one should plan/have/wear/whatever.
EX:
1. Resolution: THB Spring Break should be shorter.
2. ILL: Students are being hurt by leaving their studies for a whole week.
3. BLAME: The Los Rios School DIstrict
4. PLan:  I propose a long weekend instead: 3 days max. We can rename it: Spring Long Weekend Time. BRILLIANT!!! The communication department could be the first dept to implement this new improved spring "stall" at CRC. I mean, come on people: China doesn't offer a spring break!
5. The benfits will be improved grades and less sunburns and hang overs! This far outwieghs the cost of a few less days at the  beach or partying! Vote for me and my team of one curly-headed whack-job teacher coalition.

EXTRA CREDIT plus: Your First Publication!!! Be famous! (well...kinda...)

Are you a writer? A visual artist? Please consider contributing your creative work to the fifth annual edition of Cosumnes River College’s literary publication. We are committed to publishing emerging and established writers, including Cosumnes River College students, faculty, staff, and the rest of the world.
We want your: short stories; essays, including autobiographical narrative, criticism, interviews; mini-essays (250 words) on the theme: carpe diem; poems; art: photographs, drawings, etc. Also, please include a fifty-word bio with your submission. Please forward your contributions to: crc-ljsubmit@crc.losrios.edu
Include no more than five poems or photos per entry; limit your short stories + essays to two contributions per year. Please send MS Word attachments for writing + jpeg files for the art.

For the Spring 11 issue, e-mail crc-ljsubmit@crc.losrios.edu by March 18th.

Post questions, ideas, or a favorite quote or idea taken from your own, newly improved Advocay paper to this blog--Did you benefit from these revisions? Hope you take the time to apply for the journal!  I'll join your fan club!