Welcome to the Course!

Welcome to the Course! In this section of Freshman Composition 2, we'll work on making you a more confident reader AND writer through a loose theme of 'science fact and fiction,' which will help you explore many of the BIG conversations of the 21st century. Even if you don't care about space, aliens, superheroes, or robots, this class is really about US, and our moment in time right now. Thinking about the future is always a way to look at the present, and better understand the past, since we're never "in" the future--it's always the present. That's what makes stories about the worlds to come so interesting. They're always speculative, meaning they're always a way to ask "what if," or maybe, "why did this happen?" The essays, stories, and books in this class are designed to make you question yourself and your society, and become a better reader and writer in the process. 

BE SURE TO BUY THE TWO BOOKS FOR THE COURSE! They should be in the bookstore by now, and are both pretty cheap. I'll also give you several handouts/links of readings throughout the semester, but these books are mandatory reading for the class. 

Guiding Quote for the Class: “It is called the Overview Effect. It’s not a single epiphany, but rather a series of them, all triggered by the simple act of staring at the world from space…The orbital view is harsh and matter-of-fact. There is beauty below, but humans are everywhere, their cities and suburbs filling the most livable spaces, the indelible signs of industry stitched across the others. This is your final epiphany: It’s not a big world at all. It’s smaller than you can possibly describe” (Sofge, “The Early Adopter’s Guide to Space Travel”).