Looking Back on Your Semester
Begin by reading:
The writing assignment:
Select one of these two Chapel Addresses given by Washington at Tuskegee Institute. (Do not do both of
them.)
The assignment is to take Washington’s advice and bring it down to the present time and
place.
How, specifically, would you apply his words to your life at Ashland University at the end of the year
2026? As you look forward to 2027, what, if anything, would you change about yourself? Why?
Advice:
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Stick close to Washington. Do not go wandering away; imagine him speaking or writing directly to
you. Treat this as a response essay.
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Be specific. If you have been slacking off and using Artificial Intelligence to write papers, what
will you do to become a better student? If you routinely sleep in class rather than paying
attention, what will you do to actually get something from your lectures? If you usually show up
late for class, how will you change? (“I’ll do better” is not an answer. Come up
with something that is more than a vague hope.)
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Don’t get stuck on minor examples. Yes, I know that Washington gives a lot of space to a
discussion of tooth-brushing in the second talk, but do not make your essay a four-page discussion
of tooth-brushing. There certainly must be some larger issue behind his comments, and the
tooth-brushing might point to a larger issue in your own life.
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This all feels very negative. If you look at your life and can say, “I really do follow his
advice, and I see myself growing here and here,” celebrate that. Write about how you think
your behavior really fulfills Washington’s dream. And be specific about it.
Mechanical details:
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The final product will be typed and double-spaced according to
MLA format.
- The essay will be at least 1300 words long. (That’s about 4 pages in standard format.)
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If the paper does not meet the minimum length requirement, it will be penalized. If you can’t
think up enough material for 4 pages, ask for help! Go to the
Writing Center! Ask the
instructor for advice!
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The final copy of the paper will be submitted through the Blackboard drop box. You will find the
drop box in the “Course Essentials” folder inside the “Course Essentials and
Help” module at the top of our Blackboard page.
Due dates:
- Monday, December 7: Analyzing your draft. Bring your rough draft of Essay #5 to class.
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Wednesday, December 9: Bring TWO printed copies of your rough draft for peer editing.
To get credit for this part of the assignment:
- Show up in person with your rough draft.
- Bring a paper copy of your rough draft, not a flash drive or a file on a laptop.
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Bring a substantial rough draft—at least 75% of the assigned length. A sentence or two
about what you might write at midnight Sunday isn’t enough.
- Bring your own pen or pencil.
- Friday, December 11: Final copy of essay #5 is DUE!
This essay is worth 100 points.