Gather Ye Rosebuds

Colleges uneasy about Harvard's deal on tuition

Posted on Sun, Jan. 20, 2008

By Kathy Boccella

Inquirer Staff Writer

Two words to students hoping to get a break on college tuition now that Harvard and a handful of rivals have increased financial aid to middle-class students:

Fat chance.

Most colleges say they aren't loosening the purse strings just yet, although as financial-aid season approaches they are under intense pressure from parents to offer Harvard-style deals.

Ursinus College's enrollment director, Richard DiFeliciantonio, said a parent already had called him to ask: "'If Harvard can do this for their kids, why can't you?' "

The answer is obvious: Ursinus, like most colleges, isn't as filthy rich as Harvard, whose endowment of $35 billion is the largest in the nation.

"Maybe 30 colleges in the country can even think about doing what Harvard is doing," said DiFeliciantonio, whose school has $150 million in its coffers.

Last month, Harvard rocked the college landscape when it guaranteed that families earning between $120,000 and $180,000 would pay only 10 percent of their income for a year's tuition, room and board, which is about $46,000.

The surprising move comes at a time of record applications, rising college costs, and concern over increased student debt.

The ripple spread to other selective colleges, including the University of Pennsylvania, Yale, Swarthmore and Haverford, which pledged to reduce or eliminate student loans. Others say they are looking at awarding fewer merit scholarships and giving more aid to those in financial need.

But the vast majority of institutions say Harvard's move puts them at a disadvantage, forcing them to raise prices so they can afford to dispense more financial aid.

"Where are these other institutions that don't have the endowments of Harvard or Yale going to get the money to offer more financial aid?" asked William Durden, president of Dickinson College. "Raise tuition."

"Dickinson is not an unwealthy institution, but only the super wealthy can even think of this, and I think that's somewhat troubling," he said.

Schools say they are well aware that skyrocketing tuition continues to outpace inflation, and that students are borrowing more to pay for it.

The cost of college rose more than 6 percent this year, with tuition, room and board costing an average of $13,589 for public schools and $32,307 for private schools, according to the College Board.

To pay for that, students are going deeper into debt. The average student loan for graduating seniors more than doubled between 1993 and 2006, from $9,250 to $19,646, according to the Project on Student Debt, an advocacy organization.

Nearly two-thirds of students at four-year colleges borrowed money, compared with fewer than half a decade ago, the group said.

Jonathan Avidan of Langhorne pays $700 a month on $94,000 in private and federal student loans that he needed to pay for his last two years at Boston University after his father's business collapsed. Now working for a financial investment company, he said the "impact of these loans has completely changed my life."

"If I didn't have these exorbitant student loans, my wife and I would be able to afford a house rather than a one-bedroom apartment. I'd have money to put away for retirement," said Avidan, 25, who testified before a Senate committee on private lenders in June.

College affordability has become a big issue in Congress, with Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R., Iowa), a member of the Senate Finance Committee, pushing for colleges to be required to spend more of their endowments to keep their tax-exempt status. And a House Education and Labor Committee-approved bill would make the public aware of colleges that raise tuition significantly.

"Most people can't afford to pay for a four-year education without borrowing, and there is no guaranteed pot of gold at the end," said Lauren Asher, associate director of the Project on Student Debt.

Colleges that can't afford to cut their sticker price say they risk losing students to wealthier competitors.

"If a family is being asked to pay $18,000 for Harvard, why would they pay more to go anyplace else?" DiFeliciantonio asked.

Joan McDonald, vice president of enrollment for Drexel University, said only a small percentage of applicants were in a position to dicker for more money.

"We'll look at how desirable the student is to the university, and there may be something we can do to increase scholarship assistance," she said.

Bryn Mawr College is waiting to see this year's "yield," or the percentage of students who accept its offer of enrollment, before making any changes to financial-aid policies, said Jenny Rickard, dean of admissions and financial aid.

"The irony is a higher percentage of students at Bryn Mawr receive need-based financial aid than at Harvard and Yale," she said.

She said she hoped students' "affinity" for the small, personal school would offset any cost differential.

If schools divert money from programs for poor students to help out the middle class, it will reduce access for those who truly need it, Rickard said.

Small private schools such as Rosemont College will have a tough time attracting high-achieving students if they don't offer more financial aid, said R. Lizzie Wahab, vice president for enrollment for the 400-student school. And if they do, they'll have to raise tuition.

James Boyle, president of College Parents of America, said the move by Harvard was a step in the right direction toward reining in costs.

"It exerts pressure on other colleges, which need to figure out ways to keep costs down because the market leader is doing that," he said.

Saying they aren't as rich as Harvard "is a convenient excuse. They can make more targeted use of their resources to hold down costs," he said.

Schools need to operate more like businesses, he said, and look at both revenues and expenses. Areas where they might control costs include salaries for tenured faculty and administrative functions, such as Internet services.

Dickinson's Durden agreed that colleges should adopt more businesslike practices.

"There needs to be an admission that the current business model is not working," he said.

If colleges want to cut costs and lower tuition, they could eliminate research or become for-profit institutions and cut out all but academic programs, he said.

If Harvard had used its influence to address the issue of rising costs, "that would have been real leadership," Durden said.

Asher said schools could start by making the financial-aid process more transparent.

"What each person pays is very different. It's like buying a car," she said.

Finding new ways to cut costs probably won't happen right away, not as long as schools feel the need to build sports palaces and new technology centers to snare top students.

At Bryn Mawr, said Rickard, the very personal, customized education that students receive is worth the high sticker price.

"It's a very transformational experience," she said.

---

Contact staff writer Kathy Boccella at or 610-313-8123 or kboccella@phillynews.com.

Related Articles:

Big student loans may dog economy

Shakespeare's Macbeth

Full Text of the play available HERE.

Celebrating MLK Day: Revisiting I Have a Dream

Click Here to see the Video

"It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice."

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

Write your Own Sonnet

Your Turn! . Lesson Questions for Today: What are the features of a sonnet? What steps are necessary in writing our own sonnets? You've learned about what a sonnet consists of, and you've read some examples of sonnets from Shakespeare. Now, it's time to put that knowledge to use. You are going to write your own (piece of a) sonnet! Don't worry-- it's not as hard as it seems! We are surrounded by poetry every day. Music is poetry. For inspiration for your sonnet, think of your favorite song. You might brainstorm a few songs that you really like. See which one you think will work best, because your assignment is to turn the song you chose into a Shakespearean sonnet! You'll change words and add or subtract words where necessary. You'll move it all around and use your creativity to transform one form of poetry (songs) into another (a sonnet)! Remember, a Shakespearean sonnet has: Three quatrains and one couplet An abab, cdcd, efef, gg rhyme scheme 14 lines of iambic pentameter. Don't start freaking out! :) You don't have to do all of those things. You will be creating a PIECE of a sonnet. Here are your requirements: ONE quatrain and one couplet An abab, cc rhyme scheme Iambic pentameter. Here is the outline for how your poem should look, and an example that I did based on the song "You're Beautiful" by James Blunt. Quatrain: Line 1: ................................................. (A) Line 2: ................................................. (B) Line 3: ................................................. (A) Line 4: ................................................. (B) Briefly, I saw your smile in a crowd The glance we shared will last until the end But then my hopeful smile turned to a frown I don't know if I'll see your face again Couplet: Line 5: ................................................. (C) Line 6: ................................................. (C) I am forlorn and know not what to do Because, in life, I'll never be with you. Notice, in my example, crowd and frown rhyme. End and again rhyme as well. In the couplet, do and you rhyme. Each of my lines has 5 feet (10 syllables). Assignment: If you can answer "yes" to all of the following questions, you're done: My poem is based on a song. I have a quatrain (4 lines) I have a couplet (2 lines at the end) In my quatrain, the first and third lines rhyme with each other, and the second and fourth lines rhyme with each other. The two lines in my couplet rhyme with each other. All of the lines are 10 syllables, and can be read with a beat of daDUM daDUM daDUM daDUM daDUM (Try counting on your fingers!) If you have answered YES to those questions, please share your poem in the free response box. Also, write the title and artist of the song it is based on. Have fun with this assignment, and make Shakespeare proud!! Extra Credit: Create an entire sonnet with three quatrains and one couplet, following the abab, cdcd, efef, gg rhyme scheme

Introduction to Sonnets

Lesson Questions for Today: What is a sonnet? What are the features of a sonnet? To begin our study of the Renaissance, we will be reading some sonnets by Shakespeare. Before we start reading the sonnets, let's take a look at what exactly a sonnet is, and what it consists of. The word sonnet is derived from the Italian word sonetto, meaning "little sound; song.A sonnet is a fourteen-line lyric poem that conforms to strict patterns of rhythm and rhyme. In the English sonnet form known as the Shakespearean sonnet, the requirements are: Fourteen iambic pentameter lines Three quatrains and a couplet, The rhyme scheme abab cdcd efef gg Let's break down each of those requirements a little more. What is iambic pentameter? Iambic pentameter is a rhythmical pattern of syllables. The "iambic" part means that the rhythm goes from an unstressed syllable to a stressed one, as happens in words like diVINE, caRESS, biZARRE, and deLIGHT. It sounds sort of like a heartbeat: daDUM, daDUM, daDUM. Each iambic unit is called a foot. The "pentameter" part means that each line has 5 feet. Here is an example of iambic pentameter: Shall I compare thee to a summer day? [Shall I ] [compare] [thee to] [a sum] [mer day]? Each of the five feet has brackets around it. Within each foot, the first syllable is unstressed and the second syllable is stressed. What is a quatrain? What are couplets? Does anybody have a quarter? What's a quarter have to do with this type of poetry? Well, a quarter is 1/4 of a dollar. The word quatrain comes from Latin and French words meaning "four." See the connection? A quatrain is a group of four lines. You know a couple means two. So a couplet is a pair of lines of poetry that are usually rhymed. In sonnets, the last two lines are a couplet. They are separate from the other lines. Here is an example of a quatrain: The sense of danger must not disappear: The way is certainly both short and steep, However gradual it looks from here; Look if you like, but you will have to leap. Here is an example of a couplet: Wave after wave in hills each other crowds, As if the deeps resolved to storm the clouds. What is a rhyme scheme? To figure out a rhyme scheme, mark the ends of lines of poetry with letters of the alphabet. Ending sounds that rhyme should all be given the same letter. Here is an example of you would would label a rhyme scheme: Tyger! Tyger! Burning bright a In the forests of the night, a What immortal hand or eye b Could frame thy fearful symmetry? b In what distant deeps or skies c Burnt the fire of thine eyes? c On what wings dare he aspire? d What the hand dare seize the fire? d The rhyme scheme in the above poem is aabb, ccdd. In a sonnet, the rhyme scheme is abab, cdcd, efef, gg our textbook states: "[Shakespeare's] sonnet ridicules the fashionable, exaggerated metaphors some of Shakespeare’s fellow poets were using to describe the women they loved: Your eyes are suns that set me on fire, your cheeks are roses, your breasts are white as snow. Such metaphors, known as conceits, are traceable to Petrarch, but by 1600 they had become, through overuse, tiresome or laughable." You may also read the poem in your online textbook on page 284. If you click on the bullhorn icon, you can listen to the poem be read. My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damask'd, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound; I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground: And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare. Assignment: Answer the following questions in the free response box below. 1. Do you think the speaker's loved one in the poem is actually unattractive? Why or why not? 2. In the sonnet, what are at least three examples of metaphors that make fun of love poems? 3. Why is the couplet absolutely necessary to keep Shakespeare's Sonnet 130 from being misunderstood? 4. Copy the poem into the free response box and label the rhyme scheme for the sonnet.

Response*

I am heroic couplets; most precise And fond of order. Planned and structured. Nice. I know, of course, just what I want; I know, As well, what I will do to make it so. This doesn't mean that I attempt to shun Excitement, entertainment, pleasure, fun; But they must keep their place, like all the rest; They might be good, but ordered life is best. What Poetry Form Are You?

Who was Mona Lisa?

German Experts Solve Mona Lisa Mystery Once and For All

Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Who is she, and why is she smiling?

Probably one of the most famous portraits in the world, Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa has long baffled the art critics -- not least the question: Who is she? German academics think they've just found the answer.

She might be around 500 years old, but she's as beguiling as ever. And now, we apparently know for a fact who she is. An academic at Heidelberg University is confident that the centuries-old mystery surrounding the identity of Mona Lisa has been solved. According to Veit Probst, director of the Heidelberg University Library, she is "undoubtedly" Lisa Gherardini.

The wife of wealthy Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo has long been seen as the most likely model -- the painting dating back to the early 16th century is also known as "La Gioconda" -- but art historians have often debated whether the smiling woman might have been da Vinci's lover, his mother or even the artist himself. Over the years, other potential sitters for the portrait have included Isabella of Aragon and Constanza d'Avalos, duchess of Francavilla, a patron of Leonardo and mistress of Giuliano de Medici.

Definitive confirmation

But Probst has now revealed that dated notes scribbled in the margins of a book at Heidelberg University library by its owner in October 1503, first found by Armin Schlechter, a manuscript expert, confirm once and for all that Lisa del Giocondo was indeed the model, and her husband most likely the man who commissioned the portrait.

Nonetheless, the couple never owned the painting themselves. In 1506, Leonardo took it with him to France, where he sold it to King Francois I, who kept it at Fontainebleau, where it remained until given to Louis XIV.

Reuters reported that the notes were made by a Florentine city official, Agostino Vespucci, an acquaintance of the artist, in a collection of letters by the Roman orator Cicero. The comments compare Leonardo to the ancient Greek artist Apelles and say he was working on three paintings at the time, one of them a portrait of Lisa del Giocondo.

A breakthrough

Art experts have hailed the Heidelberg discovery as a breakthrough and the earliest mention linking the merchant's wife to the portrait, which hangs in the Louvre in Paris.

"There is no reason for any lingering doubts that this is another woman," Leipzig University art historian Frank Zöllner told a German radio station. "One could even say that books written about all this in the past few years were unnecessary."

The Heidelberg notes were actually discovered by Armin Schlechter over two years ago in the library, a spokeswoman said. Although the findings had been printed in the library's public catalog they had not been widely publicized and had received little attention until a German broadcaster decided to do some recording at the library, she said.

Funny Essay

ESSAY TOPIC:

IN ORDER FOR THE ADMISSIONS STAFF OF OUR COLLEGE

TO GET TO KNOW YOU, THE APPLICANT, BETTER, WE ASK

THAT YOU ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION:  ARE

THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT EXPERIENCES YOU HAVE HAD,

OR ACCOMPLISHMENTS YOU HAVE REALIZED, THAT HAVE

HELPED DEFINE YOU AS A PERSON?

I am a dynamic figure, often seen scaling walls and crushing ice.  I have been known to remodel train stations on my lunch breaks, making them more efficient in the area of heat retention. I translate ethnic slurs for Cuban refugees, I write award winning operas, I manage time efficiently.  Occasionally, I tread water for three days in a row.

I woo women with my sensuous and godlike trombone playing, I can pilot bicycles up severe inclines with unflagging speed, and I can cook Thirty-Minute Brownies in twenty minutes.  I am an expert in stucco, a veteran in love, and an outlaw in Peru.

Using only a hoe and a large glass of water, I once single-handedly defended a small village in the Amazon Basin from a horde of ferocious army ants.  I play bluegrass cello, I was scouted by the Mets.  I am the subject of numerous documentaries. When I'm bored, I build large suspension bridges in my yard.  I enjoy urban hang gliding.  On Wednesdays, after school, I repair electrical appliances free of charge.

I am an abstract artist, a concrete analyst, and a ruthless bookie.  Critics worldwide swoon over my original line of corduroy evening wear.  I don't perspire.  I am a private citizen, yet I receive fan mail.  I have been caller number nine and have won the weekend passes.  Last summer I toured New Jersey with a traveling centrifugal-force demonstration.  I bat .400.  My deft

floral arrangements have earned me fame in international circles. Children trust me.

I can hurl tennis rackets at small moving objects with deadly accuracy.  I once read Paradise Lost, Moby Dick, and David Copperfield in one day and still had time to refurbish an entire dining room that evening.  I know the exact location of every food item in the supermarket.  I have performed covert operations for the CIA.  I sleep once a week; when I do sleep, I sleep in a chair.  While on vacation in Canada, I successfully negotiated with a group of terrorists who had seized a small bakery.  The laws of physics do not apply to me.

I balance, I weave, I dodge, I frolic, and my bills are all paid.  On weekends, to let off steam, I participate in full-contact origami.  Years ago I discovered the meaning of life, but forgot to write it down.  I have made extraordinary four-course meals using only a Mouli and a toaster oven.  I breed prize-winning clams.  I have won bullfights in San Juan, cliff diving competitions in Sri Lanka, and spelling bees at the Kremlin.  I have played Hamlet, I

have performed open-heart surgery, and I have spoken with Elvis.

But I have not yet gone to college.

This essay appeared in the May issue of Literary Cavalcade, a magazine of contemporary fiction and student writing published by Scholastic in New York City.  Gallagher, who is eighteen, grew up in Newtown Square,

Pennsylvania, and will attend New York University this fall.

Class Notes January 15

English 12January 15, 2008 Today’s Objectives: Review sample Essay Revising and Publishing Personal Statements Read Collection Two Summative Review Poem Personal Statement Assignment Requires you to write a 4-5 paragraph essay introducing your personal strengths and individual abilities to a prospective school or employer. Due: January 18th Rubric in Assignment. Must be error free! Drafting Your essay will be in three basic parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction gives your reader an idea of your essay's content. It can shrink when you need to be concise. One vivid sentence might do: "The favorite science project was a complete failure." The body presents the evidence that supports your main idea. Use narration and incident to show rather than tell. The conclusion can be brief as well, a few sentences to nail down the meaning of the events and incidents you've described. Revisinng the esaay Does the opening paragraph grab your attention? Is the statement interesting or does it put you to sleep? Is it a positive portrayal? Is it upbeat and confident? Is it an honest portrayal? Have you answered all the questions thoroughly? Has anything relevant been omitted? Work or academic experience? Does the statement provide insight into your character? Is it well-written? Is the grammar, tone, and verb agreement perfect? Are there any typos? Revising Who can help you revise your essay? Who said this?? I always pass on good advice. It is the only thing to do with it. It is never of any use to oneself. It is through art, and through art only, that we can realize our perfection. It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it. There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all. Genius lasts longer than beauty. We all are lying in the gutter, but some of us looking at the stars. Who is Oscar Wilde? Famous Irish Author Most Famous for Plays: Lady Windermere's Fan A Woman of No Importance An Ideal Husband The Importance of Being Earnest Wrote one Novel: The Picture of Dorian Gray Characteristics of Ballads A song or songlike poem Call and Answer Format Sensational or tragic subject matter Omitted details Supernatural events A refrain (a repeated word, line, or group of lines) Ballad of Margueritetranslated by Oscar Wilde I am weary of lying within the chase When the knights are meeting in the market-place. Nay, go not thou to the red-roofed town Lest the hoofs of the war-horse tread thee down. But I would not go where the Squires ride, I would only walk by my Lady’s side. Alack, and alack, thou art overbold, A Forester’s son may not eat of gold. Ballad of Marguerite page 2 Will she love me the less that my Father is seen Each Martinmas day in a doublet green? Perchance she is sewing at tapestries; Spindle and loom are not meet for thee. Ah, if she is working the arras bright I might ravel the threads by the fire-light. Perchance she is hunting of the deer, How could you follow o’er hill and mere? Ah, if she is riding with the court, I might run beside her and wind the morte. Ballad of Marguerite page 3 Perchance she is kneeling in St. Denis, (On her soul may our Lady have gramercy). Ah, if she is praying in lone chapelle, I might swing the censer and ring the bell. Come in, my son, for you look sae pale, The father shall fill thee a stoop of ale. But who are these knights in bright array? Is it a pageant the rich folks play? ’Tis the king of England from over the sea, Who has come unto visit our fair countrie. Ballad of Marguerite page 4 But why does the curfew toll sae low? And why do the mourners walk a-row? A’tis Hugh of Amiens, my sister’s son, Who is lying stark, for his day is done. Nay, nay, for I see white lilies clear; It is no strong man who lies on the bier. O ’tis old Dame Jeannette that kept the hall, I knew she would die at the autumn fall. Dame Jeannette has not that gold-brown hair, Old Jeannette was not a maiden fair. Ballad of Marguerite page 5 O ’tis none of our kith and none of our kin, (Her soul may our Lady assoil from sin). But I hear the boy’s voice chaunting sweet, “Elle est morte, la Marguerite.” Come in, my son, and lie on the bed, And let the dead folk bury their dead. O mother, you know I loved her true: O mother, hath one grave room for two? KWL Chart

Model Personal Statement from Penn State

PennState:

Discuss an event in your life and how a piece of liturature that you have read relates.

The women stood in the doors looking out at their husbands, who were talking to the landowners. The children gathered behind them, one bare foot on top of the other. They all watched tensely as the negotiation dragged on; their lives hung in the balance. Some of the owners were kind, because they hated what they had to do, and some were angry because they hated to be cruel. But the decision was the same. These families, like their neighbors and friends before them, would be forced to move off the land, to head west to an unknown fate. While this scene from The Grapes of Wrath takes place during the dustbowl drought of 1938 in Oklahoma, the situation is all too familiar to the millions of Americans today who live in poverty. The rich keep getting richer while the poor are getting poorer. The rich unintentionally keep the underprivileged that way by making the road to success a bumpy one, filled with detours. In The Grapes of Wrath, the Joads encounter rich people all along their journey west. Some want to exterminate the Joads; others wish to assist them in their journey to a better life. But the issue both then and now is that the wealth gap is an unjust one. Those of us who are better off must do everything in our power to pave the way for others to live well, too.

The poverty gap I see around me is getting larger everyday. My nearest city, Philadelphia is a prime example. In the affluent sections of the city there are million dollar houses and branches of Fifth Avenue boutiques. Just blocks away from these neighborhoods, everything changes: there is violence, drugs and poverty and many of the residents live on welfare. Like the Joads, many of the residents of North Philadelphia try to improve their situation and move their families to a better life, but unfortunately the outside world makes it difficult for them to move down that road. Philadelphia schools struggle to provide even basic education skills to the children of the poor. If city residents cannot read on a sixth grade level it is impossible for them to be successful. On the other side of the gap where I live, the streets of Newtown, thirty minutes outside the city, are clean, safe and filled with the sights and sounds of small-town America. The Council Rock school systems spend several times as much money on each student as Philadelphia, and 95% of the students go on to college.

In this world, full of rich and poor, I attempt to bridge this gap in whatever small ways I can. Whether I am painting a homeless shelter or donating clothes, I attempt to clear the path for people who are down on their luck and smooth the way for them to get back onto their feet. I also participate in Aid for Friends that takes unused dining room food, places it in meal containers and delivers it to homebound residents and poverty-stricken residents of our local community, because as the Joads knew, it's impossible to go forward with an empty stomach.

In college I would like to expand my commitment to community service. I truly enjoy the feeling I get when I help others. I know I will become involved with many different service organizations. Whether it is traveling abroad for a semester to Ghana where I can study and help children in an AIDS orphanage or joining a club that helps the community around campus, I want to contribute to making a better, fairer world. When I help those down on their luck, I feel good. I know that with a bit of help, modern day families like the Joads could one day soon rise through the ranks and find themselves on the road to success.

Cover Letter Format

YOUR ADDRESS (Do not put your name here)
TODAY'S DATE

Mr./Ms. EMPLOYER'S NAME (If you don't have one, get one!)
TITLE
COMPANY'S NAME
ADDRESS

DEAR Mr./Ms. EMPLOYER:

FIRST PARAGRAPH: This is the "why I'm writing to you" paragraph which
immediately tells the employer the position you want to be considered
for. This is short - usually 2-3 sentences. Points to cover:

* Why you are writing and which position you are applying for.
* How you heard about the position is irrelevant unless it is a
mutual contact or recruiting program. Do not write, "I learned of this
opportunity through the Career Services Office."
* Show from your research why you are interested in this position
or organization. The goal is to make a connection - do this Briefly
and Specifically or leave it out; sweeping statements will not work.

SECOND/THIRD PARAGRAPH: This is the "why I'm qualified" paragraph.
Highlight some of your most relevant experiences and qualities as they
relate to the position for which you are applying. Choose 2 - 3 points
you want to make about Specific experiences/accomplishments or about
general qualities you have exhibited, and provide Specific examples
to support those points. This paragraph will change according to the
job/employer for which you are applying. This is usually the longest
paragraph of the letter. You may break this paragraph into two if it
looks too lengthy or if your points work best in separate paragraphs.
Points to ponder:

* The first sentence should be a hard-hitting opener. It is a
quick introduction, which is accomplishment-oriented and directed at
the skills and qualifications needed for the job/industry.
* The body of the paragraph should provide evidence to back up
what you've just claimed. Cite specific
jobs/internships/activities/projects and accomplishments associated
with those experiences. Use your resume to come up with some
specifics, but NEVER reiterate passages from your resume word for
word. Discuss why what you did is to the employer- relate the facts to
the job. Strong examples are important!
* The final sentence is a summary of what you've discussed above.
It's a good idea to mention the position title and company name to
bring the reader back to the specific job in question.

FINAL PARAGRAPH: This is a short 2-4 sentences paragraph. You should
refer to the enclosed resume, request an interview and let the reader
know what will happen next (Contact them within specific period of
time unless it is a recruiting program). It is vital that you thank
the reader for his/her time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Your Signature

Your Name

Brainstorming Personal Strength

Lesson Questions for Today: What is a personal statement? How can we use personal statements in our lives? It is time for a change of pace! Before we move onto the Renaissance, we are going to take a break to concentrate on writing. I racked my brain for a writing unit that would be very helpful for each of you. Most often, personal statements are used for college admission essays. An admissions essay is written by a potential student as part of some college admissions processes in order to get to know more about the student. Many colleges ask for an essay that boils down to, "Tell us about yourself." The school just wants to know you better and see how you will introduce yourself. For example: · Please complete a one-page personal statement and submit it with your application. · How would you describe yourself as a human being? What quality do you like best in yourself and what do you like least? Personal statements aren't just for college; Some employment applications ask for personal statements, too. Whether or not you plan on attending college or applying for a job, a personal statement will help you to explore your personality and give a sense of yourself to others for any number of reasons. At the same time, you will be refining your writing skills. Step one of the personal statement process: Step 1: Think about yourself. Answer each of the following questions: 1. What are at least three of your strengths? 2. What is at least one weakness you have? 3. What are your best qualities? Make a list of at least five ways you can describe yourself. You might have some of the same answers you used for "strengths" (examples: intellectual, creative, curious, passionate, determined, etc.) Put a lot of thought into this! We will be using your answers for these questions for the next steps in the writing unit. After you have listed several of your personality traits in preparation to write a personal statement. We are still in the brainstorming stage, but now it's time to look a little deeper! Next Step: · Pick the three positive personality traits from you previous activity that you feel most strongly about. You should also feel confident giving explanations of why you think those personality traits describe you. · PROVE why those personality traits describe you. I want you to give example of specific situations in your life or personal beliefs that support those personality traits. For the three personality traits that you chose, please share three pieces of evidence from your life -- things you've been or done -- that prove your point. Be specific! Often times, the more specific you are, the more interesting the personal statement will be. This graphic organizer might be helpful! You can write the personality trait on the line on the left, and then write proof of that personality trait on the lines on the right. For instance, you might put "adventurous" on the left line. On the right, you could put things like "I went sky diving last summer," "I will try any food once," and, "I drove across country by myself." In the free response box, list your chosen personality traits and proof. You proof for each trait must include at least five pieces of evidence.

Response*

Great Quotes from Collection Two

"He who accepts his poverty unhurt, I'd say is rich although he lacked a shirt"
(Wife of Bath 361)

Personal Statement Assignment

Lesson Questions for Today: · What is a personal statement? · How can we use personal statements in our lives?

It is time for a change of pace! Before we move onto the Renaissance, we are going to take a break to concentrate on writing. I racked my brain for a writing unit that would be very helpful for each of you. Most often, personal statements are used for college admission essays. An admissions essay is written by a potential student as part of some college admissions processes in order to get to know more about the student. Many colleges ask for an essay that boils down to, "Tell us about yourself." The school just wants to know you better and see how you will introduce yourself. For example: · Please complete a one-page personal statement and submit it with your application. · How would you describe yourself as a human being? What quality do you like best in yourself and what do you like least? Personal statements aren't just for college; Some employment applications ask for personal statements, too. Whether or not you plan on attending college or applying for a job, a personal statement will help you to explore your personality and give a sense of yourself to others for any number of reasons. At the same time, you will be refining your writing skills. Step one of the personal statement process: Step 1: Think about yourself. Answer each of the following questions: 1. What are at least three of your strengths? 2. What is at least one weakness you have? 3. What are your best qualities? Make a list of at least five ways you can describe yourself. You might have some of the same answers you used for "strengths" (examples: intellectual, creative, curious, passionate, determined, etc.) Put a lot of thought into this! We will be using your answers for these questions for the next steps in the writing unit.

After you have listed several of your personality traits in preparation to write a personal statement. We are still in the brainstorming stage, but now it's time to look a little deeper!

Next Step: · Pick the three positive personality traits from you previous activity that you feel most strongly about. You should also feel confident giving explanations of why you think those personality traits describe you. · PROVE why those personality traits describe you. I want you to give example of specific situations in your life or personal beliefs that support those personality traits. For the three personality traits that you chose, please share three pieces of evidence from your life -- things you've been or done -- that prove your point. Be specific! Often times, the more specific you are, the more interesting the personal statement will be. This graphic organizer might be helpful! You can write the personality trait on the line on the left, and then write proof of that personality trait on the lines on the right. For instance, you might put "adventurous" on the left line. On the right, you could put things like "I went sky diving last summer," "I will try any food once," and, "I drove across country by myself." In the free response box, list your chosen personality traits and proof. You proof for each trait must include at least five pieces of evidence.

Lesson Questions for Today: · What is the next step in the writing process? · What are the three parts of a personal statement? · What is one technique for writing a draft?

In the last lesson, you brainstormed about your strengths and weaknesses, and then looked a little deeper into your strengths to show how others might perceive that you have those characteristics. This was important, because in our personal statements, we are sharing at least one of our character traits with the audience, and giving at least one example of that character trait. We are finished with the brainstorming stage. Now, it's time to write a draft of your personal statement! First, you'll need to choose which of your strengths to write about. For which of your character traits do you feel most strongly? Which of your strengths do you want your audience to learn about? Remember the examples (proof) of each trait you wrote? Which one do you think would make the best, most interesting story? Drafting Now it's time to get down to the actual writing. Eventually, your essay will be in three basic parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. · The introduction gives your reader an idea of your essay's content. It can shrink when you need to be concise. One vivid sentence might do: "The favorite science project was a complete failure." · The body presents the evidence that supports your main idea. Use narration and incident to show rather than tell. · The conclusion can be brief as well, a few sentences to nail down the meaning of the events and incidents you've described. Here are some great examples of personal statements. Check them out for an idea of how you might write about one of your personality traits! This student writes about an experience that led him to become a good problem-solver and risk taker. This student writes about an experience that proves that she is curious about life. This student writes about how she found her "quiet" confidence. This student writes about an activity that proves she is passionate. This student writes about how she has learned to be accepting of herself.

Lesson Questions for Today: · What is the next step in the writing process? · Revising a rough draft in order to create a final draft.

After you have written your rough draft be sure to revise your personal statement. In this version of your personal statement, · Check for spelling, grammar, and punctuation. · Include an introduction paragraph, main paragraph, and conclusion paragraph. Your paper should be about 400-500 words. · Use the suggestions that I or a friend or family member can giveyou. Revise anything you would like to revise, also. You may have some of this already done from doing your rough draft.

This is your final personal statement! Please use all of the recommendations you have been given to revise your paper one last time. This assignment is weighted (3). After you write your paper, look at all the descriptions under superior in the rubric, below. If all of those descriptions fit your paper, you can be pretty sure you will receive an A!

	Emergent	Fair	Good	Superior
Content	The writing lacks a central idea or purpose. No character trait is evident.	The reader can understand the main character trait, although it may be overly broad or simplistic, and the results may not be effective. Supporting detail is often limited, insubstantial, overly general, or occasionally slightly off-topic.	The writing is clear and focused. The reader can easily understand the main character trait. Support is present, although it may be limited or rather general.	The writing is clear, focused and interesting. It holds the reader’s attention. A main character trait is evident and developed by supporting details suitable to audience and purpose.
Organization	The writing lacks coherence; organization seems haphazard and disjointed. Even after rereading, the reader remains confused.	An attempt has been made to organize the writing; however, the overall structure is inconsistent or skeletal.	Organization is clear and coherent. Order and structure are present, but may seem formulaic.	The organization enhances the central idea(s) and its development. The order and structure are compelling and move the reader through the text easily.
Conventions	Numerous errors in usage, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation repeatedly distract the reader and make the text difficult to read. In fact, the severity and frequency of errors are so overwhelming that the reader finds it difficult to focus on the message and must reread for meaning.	The writing demonstrates limited control of standard writing conventions (e.g., punctuation, spelling, capitalization, paragraph breaks, grammar and usage). Errors begin to impede readability.	The writing demonstrates control of standard writing conventions (e.g., punctuation, spelling, capitalization, paragraph breaks, grammar and usage). Minor errors, while perhaps noticeable, do not impede readability.	The writing demonstrates strong control of standard writing conventions (e.g., punctuation, spelling, capitalization, paragraph breaks, grammar and usage) and uses them effectively to enhance communication. Errors are so few and so minor that the reader can easily skim right over them unless specifically searching for them.

Class Notes January 8

English 12 January 8, 2008
Today’s Objectives:
Reflect on Federigo’s Falcon
Examine Personal Statements and Cover letters
Brainstorm for Personal Statement
Irony in the Decameron
What is ironic twist in the story?



Does this story have a happy ending?
Reflection Questions
Courtly Love and Chivalry
Women had no political rights in a system that was primarily military. A woman was always subservient to a man, whether husband, father, or brother.

Chivalry was a system of ideals and social codes governing the behavior of knights and gentlewomen. In addition, adoring a particular lady (not necessarily one’s wife) was seen as a means of self-improvement.
Reflection Questions
5. What influences of the medieval period help to shape the plots, characters, and themes from The Canterbury Tales and the Decameron?

Reflection
Looking Ahead
What are your long term goals?
What do you plan to do after graduation?

Attend College
Trade/Professional School
Start/continue Working


Personal Statement Assignment
Requires you to write a 4-5 paragraph essay introducing your personal strengths and individual abilities.

For extra help:
The Owl Writing Lab at Perdue
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/642/01/

Class Notes January 4

—English 12
January 4, 2007

—Today’s Objectives:

—Introduction to Boccaccio

—Preview of Boccaccio's Decameron and Fredrico’s Falcon

—History of Frame Stories

—Evaluating Historical Context

—Relations between men and women in the Middle Ages were shaped by the social, economic, and ethical realities of the era.

—Medieval women could not marry without the permission of their male relatives, and family money was usually passed down from male to male.

—The values of the courtly love tradition required women to be virtuous and withholding, yet capable of inspiring devoted service in a noble man.

—

—Frame Narrative

—
The plague is ravaging the city of Florence and people are dying in great numbers. All social order, customs, and traditions are undermined. Fear leads to a breakdown of social relations and to the neglect of both the living and the dying.

—Ten young people flee from the city and seek refuge in a countryside estate where they pass the time telling stories and enjoying each other's company.

—

—Each member of the group tells one story each day for ten days (hence the "decameron" or ten days).

—Situational Irony

—This type of Irony occurs when what actually happens is the opposite of what is expected or appropriate.

—One Example

—In Greek mythology, the story of King Midas is loaded with situational irony.

—Midas, who values wealth above all else, is granted the power to turn anything he touches into gold, but he soon discovers that his touch also turns food, drink, and even his beloved daughter to gold. Thus, far from making him happy, as he expected, Midas’s golden touch makes him miserable.

—Situational irony always produces an unexpected turn of events.

—

—Plot Diagram

—Most Short Stories follow a classic pattern.

—

—Fredrico’s Falcon follows this model exactly.

—

—

—Questions for the Decameron

—

—In the story, the main character has a big decision to make...can you relate?

—Have you ever had a possession that you prized so much that you could not imagine giving it up under any circumstances? How did you get the possession? Why did/do you treasure it so much? Do you still have it? If not, what became of it?

—

—Comprehension Questions

—

—1. How does the young Federigo try to win Monna Giovanna's love? What are the results of his efforts?

—2. What does Monna Giovanna do when she learns what Federigo has made for supper?

—3. When her brothers urge her to remarry, what does Monna Giovanna remember?

—

—Reflection Questions

—

—4. Explain how Monna Giovanna fits the image of the virtuous woman in the medieval courtly ove tradition. How does Federigo fit the image of the chivalrous lover? Are there any ways in which these characters depart from the conventional images?

—5. What influences of the medieval period help to shape the plots, characters, and themes from The Canterbury Tales and the Decameron?

—

—The text

—There was once in Florence a young man named Federigo, the son of Messer1 Filippo Alberighi, renowned above all other men in Tuscany for his prowess in arms and for his courtliness. As often happens to most gentlemen, he fell in love with a lady named Monna2 Giovanna, in her day considered to be one of the most beautiful and one of the most charming women that ever there was in Florence; and in order to win her love, he participated in jousts and tournaments, organized and gave feasts, and spent his money without restraint; but she, no less virtuous than beautiful, cared little for these things done on her behalf, nor did she care for him who did them.

—Now, as Federigo was spending far beyond his means and was taking nothing in, as easily happens he lost his wealth and became poor, with nothing but his little farm to his name (from whose revenues he lived very meagerly) and one falcon which was among the best in the world.More in love than ever, but knowing that he would never be able to live the way he wished to in the city, he went to live at Campi,3 where his farm was.

—There he passed his time hawking whenever he could, asked nothing of anyone, and endured his poverty patiently. Now, during the time that Federigo was reduced to dire need, it happened that the husband of Monna Giovanna fell ill, and realizing death was near, he made his last will. He was very rich, and he made his son, who was growing up, his heir, and, since he had loved Monna Giovanna very much, he made her his heir should his son die without a legitimate heir; and then he died.

—The text page two

—Monna Giovanna was now a widow, and as is the custom among our women, she went to the country with her son to spend a year on one of her possessions very close by to Federigo’s farm, and it happened that this young boy became friends with Federigo and began to enjoy birds and hunting dogs; and after he had seen Federigo’s falcon fly many times, it pleased him so much that he very much wished it were his own, but he did not dare to ask for it, for he could see how dear it was to Federigo. And during this time, it happened that the young boy took ill, and his mother was much grieved, for he was her only child and she loved him enormously. She would spend the entire day by his side, never ceasing to comfort him, and often asking him if there was anything he desired, begging him to tell her what it might be, for if it were possible to obtain it, she would certainly do everything possible to get it. After the young boy had heard her make this offer many times, he said:“Mother, if you can arrange for me to have Federigo’s falcon, I think I would be well very soon.”

—When the lady heard this, she was taken aback for a moment, and she began to think what she should do. She knew that Federigo had loved her for a long while, in spite of the fact that he never received a single glance from her, and so, she said to herself:

—“How can I send or go and ask for this falcon of his which is, as I have heard tell, the best that ever flew, and besides this, his only means of support? And how can I be so insensitive as to wish to take away from this gentleman the only pleasure which is left to him?”

—The text page three

—And involved in these thoughts, knowing that she was certain to have the bird if she asked for it, but not knowing what to say to her son, she stood there without answering him. Finally the love she bore her son persuaded her that she should make him happy, and no matter what the consequences might be, she would not send for the bird, but rather go herself for it and bring it back to him; so she answered her son:“My son, take comfort and think only of getting well, for I promise you that the first thing I shall do tomorrow morning is to go for it and bring it back to you.”

—The child was so happy that he showed some improvement that very day. The following morning, the lady, accompanied by another woman, as if going for a stroll, went to Federigo’s modest house and asked for him. Since it was not the season for it, Federigo had not been hawking for some days and was in his orchard, attending to certain tasks. When he heard that Monna Giovanna was asking for him at the door, he was very surprised and happy to run there. As she saw him coming, she greeted him with feminine charm, and once Federigo had welcomed her courteously, she said:

—“Greetings, Federigo!” Then she continued: “I have come to compensate you for the harm you have suffered on my account by loving me more than you needed to; and the compensation is this: I, along with this companion of mine, intend to dine with you—a simple meal—this very day.”

—

—The text page four

—To this Federigo humbly replied: “Madonna, I never remember having suffered any harm because of you. On the contrary, so much good have I received from you that if ever I have been worth anything, it has been because of your merit and the love I bore for you; and your generous visit is certainly so dear to me that I would spend all over again that which I spent in the past; but you have come to a poor host.”

— And having said this, he received her into his home humbly, and from there he led her into his garden, and since he had no one there to keep her company, he said:“My lady, since there is no one else, this good woman here, the wife of this workman, will keep you company while I go to set the table.”

—

—The text page five

Though he was very poor, Federigo, until now, had never before realized to what extent he had wasted his wealth; but this morning, the fact that he found nothing with which he could honor the lady for the love of whom he had once entertained countless men in the past gave him cause to reflect. In great anguish, he cursed himself and his fortune and, like a man beside himself, he started running here and there, but could find neither money nor a pawnable4 object.

The hour was late and his desire to honor the gracious lady was great, but not wishing to turn for help to others (not even to his own workman), he set his eyes upon his good falcon, perched in a small room; and since he had nowhere else to turn, he took the bird, and finding it plump, he decided that it would be a worthy food for such a lady. So, without further thought, he wrung its neck and quickly gave it to his servant girl to pluck, prepare, and place on a spit to be roasted with care; and when he had set the table with the whitest of tablecloths (a few of which he still had left), he returned, with a cheerful face, to the lady in his garden, saying that the meal he was able to prepare for her was ready.

—The text page six

—The lady and her companion rose, went to the table together with Federigo, who waited upon them with the greatest devotion, and they ate the good falcon without knowing what it was they were eating.

—And having left the table and spent some time in pleasant conversation, the lady thought it time now to say what she had come to say, and so she spoke these kind words to Federigo:“Federigo, if you recall your past life and my virtue, which you perhaps mistook for harshness and cruelty, I do not doubt at all that you will be amazed by my presumption when you hear what my main reason for coming here is; but if you had children, through whom you might have experienced the power of parental love, it seems certain to me that you would, at least in part, forgive me. But, just as you have no child, I do have one, and I cannot escape the common laws of other mothers; the force of such laws compels me to follow them, against my own will and against good manners and duty, and to ask of you a gift which I know is most precious to you; and it is naturally so, since your extreme condition has left you no other delight, no other pleasure, no other consolation; and this gift is your falcon, which my son is so taken by that if I do not bring it to him, I fear his sickness will grow so much worse that I may lose him. And therefore I beg you, not because of the love that you bear for me, which does not oblige you in the least, but because of your own nobility, which you have shown to be greater than that of all others in practicing courtliness, that you be pleased to give it to me, so that I may say that I have saved the life of my son by means of this gift, and because of it I have placed him in your debt forever.”

—Reflection

—

—Did you find it disappointing that Monna Giovanna "would have preferred to remain a widow" after her husband died instead of marrying Federigo immediately? Explain.

—

— How do the ideals of love expressed in this story differ from current notions of romantic love

—