Essay 5 Contested Territory

1500 words--Expository-Argumentative Personal essay--Essay #5

This final and longest essay combines elements from previous assignments. It should begin and possibly end with a substantial description of a place, either on campus or in the local area. That description should locate the place and provide pertinent facts about it (Essay #1), include a vivid account of the landscape itself, and of your response to it (Essay #2), describe and explain activities that take place there (Essay #3), and discuss an issue—a topic that has been or could be argued--related to that place (Essay #4). Sources of information about the arguments should come from conversations with individuals and from Internet and print sources, and should be cited as endnotes in your paper. The essay should include an evaluation of one or more of the arguments, analyzing its appeals to reason, emotion and the credibility of its source. If you have come to a decision about which side of the argument you support, your essay should state that and try to persuade the reader to agree.

Some examples we discussed in class:

Place: Swine or Dairy or Poultry Unit or Abbatoir
Issues: Are animals being treated humanely? Should we kill animals for our consumption? Is use of Bovine Growth Hormone on Dairy Cows a good idea?

Place: Shell beach surfing spots
Issue: Should Armoring of Cliffs to preserve or allow development be permitted?

Place: Student Housing North Site—now the Bull Test Facility
Issue: How should the planned development of residences here deal with sensitive Creek Habitat?

Place: Student Experimental Farm
Issue: Should Cal Poly College of Agriculture be more or less involved in promoting organic farming?

Place: Poly Canyon Trails
Issue: problems of erosion, fencing and gates—Should Mountain Biking be permitted on Cal Poly Land

Examples of the kinds of essay you’ll be writing:

• "Priesthoods and Power," Steven Marx
• English 134 papers from Autumn 2004

Possible topics

Use of Bovine Growth Hormone at Dairy

Is organic agriculture just a fad?

Should state University Land be devoted to growing grapes for private wineries or avocado producers?

Should some Cal Poly vineyards be organic?

Animal rights and the Poultry facility

Pesticides and Fertilizers and water in Campus landscaping

Green Buildings at Poly

Student Housing North--Parking and Roads

Dalidio Marketplace

Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant--should it be converted to Gas powered?
Editorial

Styrofoam on Campus--Another side of the issue. See "Polystyrene and the Environment."