David Raikow on Sudan

David Raikow will be speaking at the First Parish Church in Arlington at 7.00p on Monday, October 13th on "Conflict in Context: the Recent History of War in Sudan, and the Role of the International Community."

Extra credit (and extra karma) is available for anyone who would like to attend and report back to the class!

Tutorial on Quotation Marks

We talked briefly in class about quotation marks but many of you would benefit from a little more review.

I highly recommend this handout on quotation marks prepared by the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University.

Check your comprehension by trying this online exercise and then check yourself against the answers.

Facial Tissues

Are a beautiful thing to have in cold and flu season, don't you think?

Enrichment Opportunities

There are several exciting opportunities this month to enrich yourself (and if you come back and share it with us, possibly your grade!).

• Thursday, October 16th, 7p, Robbins Library: From War to Hope. A presentation on Arlington's sister city in El Salvador. Free and open to the public. Visit their website and see the brochure on my bulletin board for more information.
  
• Sunday, October 19th, 3p, Southern Sudanese Community Center in Arlington: Francis Bok. The author of Escape From Slavery (an amazing memoir!) is speaking right here in Arlington. I'm hoping we'll get to read his book this spring ... don't miss the chance to see him in person.
  
• Thursday, November 6th, Robbins Library: Lion's Club Speech Contest. Prepare a five minute speech to earn fame and extra credit. You need to sign up with Ms. Walsh in advance ... let me know and I can pass on the word, or see her directly over in Downs House.

Lots of cool happenings ... there won't be many more opportunities for extra credit this fall so take advantage while you can. And as always, if there's an event in the community you think we should know about ... share the word.

Speaker Preparation

In order to prepare for our speaker on Wednesday, please review the following documents:

• The Genocide Convention, which you are already familiar with
  
• The U.N.'s page on frequently asked questions about the International Criminal Court
  
• For more on the Criminal Court, see the I.C.C.'s own information page
  
• Read about the Nuremberg Principles that evolved out of the Nuremberg Trials following WWII

We'll be joining Mr. McCarthy's class. You don't need to commit these documents to memory, but do prepare yourself mentally to ask a question or two!

Class Calendar: October 6th to October 14th

Monday, October 6th (T)
• No class today.

Tuesday, October 7th (W)
• Due: Congratulations on surviving the SATs one more (hopefully last) time!
• Class: Housekeeping. Understanding the Executive Order.

Wednesday, October 8th (H)
• Due: Prepare for today’s speaker by reviewing documents posted to class blog.
• Class: David Raikow (and Mr. McCarthy’s class!) will be visiting us today. Be ready to ask questions and make us look good.

Thursday, October 9th (F)
• Due: Read “Evacuation Order No. 19” (p. 3-22) in When the Emperor Was Divine and take notes using the study questions as a guide.
• Class: I’ll be out of school today. Those of you who are here will be taking a closer look at civil liberties issues raised in the novel and by the historical period.

Friday, October 10th (S)
• Due: Nothing today but keep working since there’s lots to do for Tuesday.
• Class: Discussion of “Evacuation Order No. 19” and discussion of preexisting racism (“Prelude to the Evacuation: The Early Years”).

Monday, October 13th
• No school today. Enjoy the long weekend!

Tuesday, October 14th (U)
• Due: Revised college essay and read “Train” (p. 23-48) in When the Emperor Was Divine, taking notes using the study questions as a guide.
• Class: Discussion of the reading; analysis of a government video.

The Bear That Wasn't

You're not a bear! You're a silly man, who needs a shave and wears a fur coat! You know you want to watch it again ...