Migration News
Hey, everyone. Welcome to the course. (Our first order of business is to come up with a cool name for me to call you all. "Migrants" is a bit off, and "Migrationnarrativeanalyzers" is a bit dumb. Extra credit to someone who can come up with a better tag.) I'll be putting announcements on this page having to do with course requirements, changes in these web pages, and other matters. Between this page and the schedule of assignments pages for Section 3 and Section 7, you should get a good sense of what's new and upcoming in the course. So I recommend checking out those pages every time you visit the course web site--at least once a week.
12/18/00 (updated 12/20)
You all should have received three emails from me over the past few days: one went over end-of-semester logistics, the second listed my office hours during finals week; and the latest announced a new link on the course web site--to a listing of student web authoring projects for the Family/Community Migration Narrative Project. Check out that page when you get a chance--the three projects listed there are pretty cool!
Here's an update of what I wrote in the first and second emails, in case you didn't receive them over email:
11/28/00
The library has purchased access on a trial basis to a service called Ethnic NewsWatch. It's a more specific version of Lexis-Nexis that gives us access to sources not available through Lexis-Nexis. Here's the link to it; for the ID and password to use once you've gotten there, please see the email I sent you all today, or email me for it.
11/27/00
There's going to be an extra-credit opportunity next week: the panel discussion, "Forced Migration: Kinzua Dam and the Allegany Senecas," will be held on Monday, December 4, at 6:30 pm, in S-104 Williams Center. The panel will consist of George Heron, Seneca president at the time of the dam's construction; DuWayne Bowen, Seneca writer and author of One More Story and A Few More Stories; Pamela Bowen, librarian at the Seneca Nation Museum, who will speak to the experiences of those born after the forced migration; and Joy Bilharz, professor of anthropology here at SUNY Fredonia and author of The Allegany Senecas and Kinzua Dam: Forced Relocation through Two Generations (U Nebraska P, 1998). We envision this to be an informal, participatory event, so please come with questions! The panel should run roughly an hour, but could go longer if audience interest demands it. The panel is made possible through the generosity of Dean Schwartz and Title III; refreshments will be provided courtesy of Wendy Huff and the Native American Consortium. Hope to see you there! Those who attend and send a brief email to their section's listserv relating the panel discussion to themes and issues in the course will receive an extra-credit bonus of either one additional reading response or one fewer absence.
11/20/00
I've put a new book on reserve that may be useful for many on their photo research/creative writing projects. It's by Nicholas Van Hear, and it's called New Diasporas. It gives an overview of recent mass migrations and so might be a good place to get the basics on the migration you're focusing on; also, you should look to his citations for his sources: some may well be useful to you. See the reserves page for a list of all the works on reserve for this course at Reed Library.
You should also be aware that you can still do your research from off campus. If you know your Fredonia email ID and password, you can access any of the on-line databases that are available off the Reed Library web site. All Fredonia students are given as account, along with a standard ID and password, when they arrive on campus--even if they never use it. For details on how to find out your Fredonia email ID and password, click here.
Finally, if you have any questions as you're doing your research, you should be aware that there are several professors on this campus who may be able to help you out. Professor Najia Aarim in History is an expert on immigration issues, and has volunteered to answer research questions. Her email address is aarim@fredonia.edu. Look here for more names of people with whom you might want to schedule an appointment to discuss your research and story (in addition to reference librarians and myself).
Well, hope you're enjoying your break. See you next week. Happy Thanksgiving!
11/17/00
Please see the assignment sheet for the family/community migration narrative project for an important modification of the assignment--a listing of two, instead of one, approved alternatives to doing it.
11/16/00
I've made some improvements to the advice on drafting and revising essays page and to the assignment sheet for the comparative essay.
Don't miss the library research session at 4 pm today--we'll meet at the entrance to Reed Library and leave a note at the Circulation Desk saying where we've gone, so that people who come late can find us. I will have to leave at 4:25 pm, but Barbara Kittle will be there for longer (see 11/15 for more).
11/15/00
IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: Tomorrow (Thursday) at 4 pm, Barbara Kittle and I will be running a research workshop. We will meet with you at the entrance to Reed Library. Topics to be covered include: (1) finding information sources in Reed Library specifically on the region in which your photo is set; (2) using the on-line databases and inter-library loan; and (3) evaluating the reliability of information presented on web sites. Even if you have already met with me to discuss your topic, this presentation will have something for you. I encourage everyone to attend this session. Ms. Kittle also asked me to announce that she is available for individual conferences on Monday evenings, as well as during regular working hours when she is "on call." She also asked me to remind you of deadlines for submitting inter-library loan requests: November 28 for book requests and December 8 for article requests.
We will not be having a film series this semester. For a list of approved films from which you may choose one to compare with one of the migration narratives in the course, see the assignment sheet for the comparative essay. Print-outs of the assignment sheet are available outside my office door and will be distributed the last day of class before break. Even if you do not want to exercise this option for the comparative essay, you can still get extra credit for viewing a migration-related film and sending a thoughtful two-three paragraph essay to your section's list in which you identify what's distinctive about the film's approach to migration or the telling of a migration narrative, and compare some aspect of the film to some aspect of the course. The value of this extra-credit project is roughly equivalent to other extra-credit options already discussed on the course listserv (in an email sent 10/25/00). See me for details.
Here's a quick "to do" list for the next week and a half: (1) you MUST turn in your "re-vision" of the analytical essay before you leave for break if you want the grade to replace the original (it's ok if you break the "10-day rule," in other words); (2) you MUST give me a printout or send me an email before our first post-break class meets (and preferably before you leave for break) which includes your annotated bibliography for the photo project along with a few possible focuses for your story suggested by the photo you've chosen and the research you're doing and any questions not covered by the frequently asked questions page; (3) you MUST give me a printout or send me an email before our first post-break class meets (and preferably before you leave for break) that gives me your best sense of your progress in and plans for the family project and asks any questions not answered by the frequently asked questions page; (4) you MUST send me an email before our first post-break class meets in which you propose and justify a topic for your comparative essay. Sorry for the length of the list, but the sooner and clearer you are about what needs to be done now and remains to be done post-break, the better off you'll be at the end of the semester!
11/14/00
I thought there was a website devoted to Salgado's photography--thanks to Kristen Bonn for finding it! To get to it, click here, or go to the newly-revised projects page and frequently asked questions on the projects page for links. The site Kristen found doesn't include all the photos in the book, but you might just get lucky and find yours there. I've also received more copies from the booklet, which cover pages 22-31 and 118-133 in Salgado's book. If your photo is from this page span, come see me for a copy. That brings our "covered" page spans to pp. 22-47, 62-73, 118-172, 263-275, 294-309, 365-375.... It's your responsibility to see me if your photo falls within these pages, and to check the above Salgado site if it doesn't. If neither of these leads work out, make an appointment to see me before the break!
Please be aware that I expect that you will have read the revisions of the above pages devoted to the two projects before coming to our next class meeting. I've also tweaked the assignment sheet for the comparative essay and updated the schedule of assignments for Section 3 and Section 7, so if you've printed out earlier versions of those pages, it's in your best interest to note any changes on your copy (or print off a new copy if the changes are extensive enough). Thank you.
11/13/00
I've revised the essays, advice on drafting and revising, and projects pages in light of your questions. I'm working on a frequently asked questions page to answer the most common questions you've raised over email and in class about the projects in the course. This link should be active by the early evening.
11/9/00
New batch of pages from Salgado's book on which I have information from the booklet just came in: pp. 62-73, 155-172. See me if your photo falls in this page span and I can get you the info. from the booklet! For more pages, see 11/7/00 and 11/8/00.
11/8/00
More pages from Salgado's book on which I have information from the booklet: pp. 294-309. See me if your photo falls in this page span and I can get you the info. from the booklet! For more pages, see 11/7/00.
11/7/00
Hey everyone, if you're old enough, and registered, don't forget to vote today!
As you're working on revisions on the analytical essay, please consult the advice on revisions page.
Finally, please be advised that if your photo from the Salgado book falls within the following page spans and you don't have the information from the missing booklet--33-47, 134-151, 263-275, 365-375--you're in luck. People have turned back their photos with pages from the booklet that cover these page spans. If you haven't yet done your "close reading" of your chosen photo (the second stage of the photo research project), please do it and return a copy of your photograph to me--this is especially urgent if you included a copy from the booklet with your photo. Thanks.
11/1/00
I've made some significant revisions to the essays page--I've added a link to advice on the drafting and revision process (particularly relevant for those who plan to rewrite their analytical essay), I've put more options and explanations for the comparative essay, I've changed its due date, and more. So definitely check out the essays page at your earliest convenience. It's never too early to start thinking about what mode of comparative analysis you want to pursue and which texts you want to focus on.
10/31/00
Happy Halloween! Please don't forget to get me the mid-term course evaluation if you haven't already. I've made some small but significant changes to the projects page. Please refer back to this page often as you work on your projects. Remember, this Friday is the due date for the second submission on the photo research/creative writing project--see the page for details, and look ahead to the next deadline; it's a mere two weeks away, so if you haven't yet started serious research on the photo, now's the time to begin...
Also, don't forget to get in your responses to the mid-term course evaluation below.
10/26/00
Please recall that students in section 7 can attend section 3's class today at 11 am in Fenton 158 for extra credit; Professor Carine Mardorossian from UB will be leading that class. And everyone is invited to Professor Mardorossian's talk at 4:30 Friday in McEwen G26. You will receive extra credit for attending the talk when you send an email to your class's listserv in which you discuss at least one thing you learned from the talk and one question that came up for you upon hearing it.
Please click here to get to the Mid-Semester Course Evaluation Form. Please follow the directions on the page and turn it in to me as soon as possible. Thanks. Your feedback will help improve the course!
10/24/00
Due to committee obligations, I will have to curtail my office hours this week. Today (Tuesday), I can only be in the office from 2-3 pm (although I will be available between 12:30 and 2 to meet with you, as well). On Thursday, my office hours will be from 2-3:30. Wednesday hours are the same as usual, 2-3. If you have any questions about your mid-term grade or want advice on how to improve your standing in the course, please stop by during these hours or make an appointment to meet with me outside them.
Also, please see the revisions of the projects page, for further advice on doing your long-term projects.
10/20/00
I have updated the projects page in response to your questions about the projects, as well as the schedule of assignments for each section to reflect changes on the "projects" page. I have added some advice on the photograph research project that fleshes out the process you might consider using to complete this project, as well as a few words of advice about the family/community migration narrative project. I will be fleshing out this page over the coming weeks in light of your questions and suggestions, so if you ever have any questions or need advice, don't hesitate to send me an email or set up an appointment to meet with me in my office hours (or outside them, if need be).
10/18/00
For next class, please read Agnes Sam's "Maths" along with the other stories assigned for your section. Focusing on the parent's perspective, it relates nicely to the first two stories in the collection, just as the last two stories in the collection tie in closely with the introduction. This will help us draw some connections and contrasts between the way Sam and Ghosh deal with issues of migration and religion in their works--don't forget to bring In an Antique Land to next class so we can refer to specific passages....
10/16/00
Hey, everyone. Hope you had a good break. I just want to announce that Professor Carine Mardorossian of the English department at UB will be on campus on Friday, October 27, 2000, to give a public lecture, "From Literature of Exile to Migrant Literature." The talk will begin at 4:30 pm and will take place in McEwen G26. Feel free to bring a friend to the talk, and come ready to ask questions afterwards. You will receive extra credit for attending this talk if you send a note to your section's listserv containing one observation and one question about the issues Professor Mardorossian raises. I can forward questions you have to her, so ask questions to which you really want to hear answers. Click here to get access to her course, "Migrant Literature," which she taught at UB in Fall 1999.
I've also updated the links page to include some contextual links for Agnes Sam's book of short stories, Jesus Is Indian, and put links to that page up on the "schedule of assignments" for each author we're reading in the class. This should make it easier to use the web site--if you are looking at the schedule of assignments to remind yourself what you are reading for a given class and realize you need background on a historical or cultural question, you can click easily to the segment of the links page focused on that work and that author.
In fact, I can't encourage you strongly enough to make use of the links page as you're doing the reading for class, as you're working on your observations and discussion questions, and as you're preparing and revising your essays and projects. There is a wealth of information that you can make use of to help you better understand the literature we're reading, answer factual and contextual questions that arise as you read or do research for your projects, and provide sparks for your own analyses of migrations and migration narratives.
9/28/00
The rough draft of the assignment sheet for the Analytical Essay (rough draft due last day of class next week; final draft due Monday, October 9, 2000, by 5 pm) is finally complete. Please take a look at it and ask me over email whatever questions come to mind--it needs a lot more work, but at least all the options are up there now. I'm going to work on tightening up the language and clarifying the expectations and requirements for each option between now and 9 am Friday. If you're going to find it difficult to have web access over the weekend, I recommend dropping by my office for a printout after 10 am Friday.
Announcement about office hours: for the next two Thursdays, I will have to cut short my office hours at 3:30 pm (instead of ending at the usual 4 pm time). I'm chairing the English department's Curriculum Committee this semester, and 3:30 Thursday is the only time we can meet as a group. Sorry! I'll give more advance notice the next time we have committee meetings scheduled at 3:30 on Thursday.
9/21/00
I've updated the list of reserve readings to reflect recently-ordered books that have arrived and are available for your use. What's especially significant about the latest crop to arrive is that Sebastiao Salgado's Migrations is among them. This is particularly significant, as you must choose by 10/11/00 which photo you want to make the basis for your Photograph Research/Creative Writing Project and email me about it. For more on this project, go to the projects page, which is now active and which explains in much more detail than the main page and the schedule of assignments pages what's expected of you for the two large-scale, long-term projects you are expected to work on over the semester (both of which are due at the end of it).
I guess it's strangely fitting that I get all this done on the first day of fall. I realize this time of year can be pretty depressing, as you realize all the work you've gotten yourself into for the semester, and come to terms with the true end of summer. You may have missed some classes, or fallen behind in the reading, or not turned in some observations/discussion questions, as well, which adds to the stress. Well, I'm here to tell you not to stress out. You can do this and do it well if you put your minds to it and manage your time wisely. If you have any questions about any of the assignments in the course, or are worried about how you're doing in the course, please make an appointment to stop by my office hours next week and talk things over with me. The way I see it, it's my job to help you reach, expand, and exceed your potential--and to put meaningful challenges in your way in the process. So anything I can do to help you improve your reading, writing, and research skills I'm happy to devote time to. I also want to recommend the Learning center (now on the 4th floor of the library) as another campus resource devoted to helping you do your best in the few years you have at this college. Summer's over, and we'll miss it, but it's time to move on!
9/20/00
OK, a very rough and incomplete essays assignment/advice page is now up. Options for the first essay are not yet included on it, but I thought it was important to give you a general sense of what the analytical essay's about, given that I expect you to begin working on it early, so that you're not rushing to get it in before the deadline (10/6/00 at 5 pm).
9/19/00
The problem that came up last Friday and that continued through Monday has now been fixed. Unfortunately, whatever messages were sent to the list during that period are locked up and won't be distributed until the listserv manager returns to campus next week, if then. So you will have to resend your messages (look in your "sent-mail" folder if you have one--many email programs automatically save all messages you send) or reconstructed. Sorry!
I've also revised the observations and discussion questions page to make my expectations clearer--please read it carefully if you haven't yet done so, and look over the revised "do"s and "don't"s if you already have. Starting next week, posts to the class listserv that don't meet those expectations will not be counted toward your total, and will also hurt your class participation/preparation grade. I'm trying to find ways to "up the ante" on your readings and your emailed responses to them, so that you don't give in to the understandable but regrettable inclination to fall behind on them or not give them the time or attention they deserve. As this is a discussion-centered course, everything depends on the care with which you read. Don't fall into bad habits early in the semester--you won't like the consequences late in the semester!
9/18/00
There appears to be some sort of serious problem with the class listserv. I've contacted the help desk and others to notify them of the problem, and they are looking into it. I'll put a notice up here when I hear back from them. If you have been receiving messages from the listserv, please notify me. Thanks! If worse comes to worse, I'll allow late postings....
Also, please be sure to get back to me about your preference for movie and speaker times: Thursday or Friday, late afternoon or early evening....
I'll put up an announcement once I've finished the first draft for the assignment sheet for your first essay due in the class. Check back here for it!
9/4/00
I've expanded the links page greatly, especially in the "On Migrations and Migration Narratives" section. Check it out when you get a chance; I can't emphasize how useful it can be as you're reading, preparing for class, or working on observations/discussion questions, papers, or projects!
Also, we have our first submission for what I should be calling you all here. Vince Armella writes, "My first suggestion is Trackers. We are, after all, tracking migrations, both-large-scale and small. The word brings to mind an active role, like chasing something (in this case, a story). Another one that hit me when I saw the post was Observers. This seems more passive than the other, but no less true. We're observing people's stories of their journeys, after all." What do you all think? Can you come up with other names and rationales for them?
9/2/00
Well, the links and reserves pages are now up and running. I think you'll find them useful. I encourage you to explore the links on the links page before, during, and after your reading of a particular work.
9/1/00
Very general advice on generating observations and discussion questions is now up and running; you can get to it off the main page, or by clicking here. I hope it answers many of your questions. Please don't hesitate to contact me directly if you have further questions after reading the advice. Your questions help give me a sense of what I need to explain better. Thanks, and don't forget to send me the sequel to the in-class questionnaire below....
8/31/00
Hey all! More and more of the web pages are coming up. I got the main page up yesterday, and am now making links on it active as fast as I can. So far what's up is this page (obviously) and the instructions for joining the listserv page. More to come.
This weekend, please take the time to tell me a little bit more about yourself by responding in an email (addressed to me at bruce.simon@fredonia.edu) to the following....
....On-Line Questionnaire
Probably the simplest way to respond is to copy the above questions off the web browser you're using, paste them into an email addressed to me, fill in your answers after the questions, and send it off. Thanks for taking the time to do this!
EN 209: Novels and Tales, Fall 2000
Created: 8/31/00, 5:02 pm
Last modified: 12/20/00, 5:50 pm