Congratulations! We made it through the semester and it definitely hasn’t been an easy one. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I’ve felt honored to be able to sit in class with all of you this semester. You have all approached the material, questions, and ideas within this class with such openness and enthusiasm. Every single one of you made the class what it is and should feel proud of the work you’ve done. I’ve learned a lot from all of you and I’m thankful for the time, energy, and work you gave to this class. Beyond that, I’m humbled by the vulnerability you all trusted me with as well. Sharing personal stories in class or with an instructor can seem great, radical, etc., but it is also a lot of voluntary emotional labor. While sharing personal stories greatly contributed to our class environment this semester, I want to say that the credit for that goes totally to you all. I am the instructor, but, of course, only one person and it was the nineteen of you that made this class what it was. Even though the semester is over, know that I am still here for each of you. Please don’t hesitate to reach out!
For our final class discussion, please post a brief reflection about the course. The course description is below and looking back at it might help. You do not have to answer each of these questions, but here are some options to get you started: What did you think the course would be like on the first day? Did it turn out to be what you thought it would? Different? In what activities, assignments, or readings did you see us grappling with some of the questions listed in the course description? What activities, assignments, or readings did you find most helpful? Least helpful? What was your definition of composition at the beginning of the term? Is it different now? Do you have a few takeaways or lingering questions that the course generated for you? What are they? You are not required to, but feel free to comment on each other’s posts!
Course Description:
What do we take for granted about the function of particular forms of writing? Is a research article meant to deliver “legitimate” information? Is a profile meant to sketch an image of an individual figure? Is poetry meant to express emotions rather than forward an argument? Writers like Saidiya Hartman, June Jordan, and M. NourbeSe Philip have produced work that both articulates and troubles the boundaries of these questions. This course will focus on the ways in which Black essayists, poets, visual artists, and theorists of the late twentieth and twenty-first century radically collage compositional forms in order to imagine new forms of expression. We will begin by looking at the formal collaging of Black artists working in the late twentieth century and trace these traditions to more recent work, such as Janelle Monáe’s “Dirty Computer” and Beyoncé’s “Lemonade.” While these texts may push against historical narratives in some moments, they are not ahistorical. We will contextualize our course texts by thinking through the stakes of Black artistic expression in the United States given the struggles for recognition and liberation that emerge from the violent upheavals of the transatlantic slave trade. We will also consider our expectations of how particular forms do and should work as one of “course texts.” Students will compose reading responses throughout the semester that give them opportunities to make arguments about our readings and to practice their own formal experimentation. With the additional support of group workshop, students will develop a final project over the course of the semester that will include an artist’s statement on their own formal style.
scdiversity.home.blog 
When I signed up for this course I thought it was just going to be us writing essays all the time and maybe discussing a couple readings here and there. The class turned out to be a lot better than I expected by having class discussions everyday, getting into small groups and having workshops. I loved how every piece we read were all somehow connected to one another and I also loved how we got to analyze videos and art work. I also liked how we worked on the final project throughout the whole semester and not just at the very end. I also liked how we got to discuss our projects with our group-mates and got to see what other peoples ideas were. I enjoyed giving and getting feedback from other class mates. Overall I really enjoyed this class. Thank you so much for a great semester!
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I had very little expectations going into this class. It was a last minute panic choice because it was the only class that fit into the time-constrained schedule I wanted, and it fulfilled a Gen-Ed. What I walked out with, however, is invaluable. This class made me feel more comfortable sharing my thoughts with other classmates and also let me see how similar we all were despite first appearances or our diverse backgrounds. Additionally, I was given the opportunity to read and reflect on many talented artists that I otherwise wouldn’t have sought out myself. The final even, opened my eyes to the actual freedom we have in education and how to look outside of what we’ve been conditioned to expect our whole lives (within the classroom and out). I believe that is actually the main thing I learned from this class: learning to recognize and then push structures built around us and our society. Thank you!
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Going into this course I expected it to be really writing-intensive and focus a lot on improving our writing. I was surprised to see that we spent more time learning about different writing styles and ways that conventional genre rules can be broken. I really enjoyed that the class was more focused on the discussion of texts rather than super writing heavy, I think this helped me to more deeply understand the pieces we studied. However, when we did have assignments I thought that they were really helpful and often fun to complete. I also enjoyed how the final project was a way for us to apply what we had learned in any way we liked, and I think it was really nice that we could use the project as a way to express ourselves because the guidelines were so open.
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I really enjoyed the course, mostly being that it was discussion based. It had the perfect mixture of the addition of writing into it too. I like that not all of the content we read was out of some old poetry textbook. I really liked in that you added contemporary material to the course. I was not sure what to expect with this course either. I wanted to learn much more about diversity and hear others stories because in my hometown, there really wasn’t much diversity at all.
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Yasmine thank you for everything!
I chose a writing composition course because it was required for freshmen, but I chose this course specifically because of what you put in your description. I thought that I would relate to the works you chose for us and I was excited that a teacher wanted to highlight and celebrate differences.
My favorite thing about the class was the freedom you afforded us in the assignments that allowed and encouraged us to be honest with you through our writing.
You opened our eyes to how DJing and artwork can be a form of composition. In my opinion, you succeeded in broadening our horizons because you gave us a new framework to consider things outside of the normal conventions.
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Going into this course, I was SUPER nervous that I’d be overwhelmed with hundreds of essays and difficult readings that would add to my load of stress. When I thought of a college seminar class at first, I also had the mindset that it would be mandatory at all times to contribute and talk or else I’d end up with a failing grade. However, I was completely wrong. The first day of class was so open and comfortable which I’ve never felt before in an English composition class. As the semester started, I literally loved how free the discussions were and the fact that you never made us feel overwhelmed or pressured with the work nor the seminars. My favorite assignments were the readings in general, as well as the artistic statements. These readings and assignments have definitely broadened my mind and perspectives in literature and I can’t thank you enough for making this course so fun and enjoyable. You definitely helped me break the negative mindset of English composition classes and for that, I am so thankful!
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This course exceeded my expectations. I always heard bad things about Seminar in Comp classes and I prepared myself for the worst, however I was pleasantly surprised. This course changed the way I view composition, overall. I have come to learn that there are multiple ways to get a message across through composition. I was used to thinking that an essay was the only way to do this. Now I know that composition can me expressed through writing, art or music. I also now, pay more attention to when forms of composition are going away from the norm, or talking about something that is usually looked at as controversial. It has caused me to have a different appreciation for composition in all forms. Thank you!
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I switched into this composition class because I was looking for something different and something that would actually be interesting. This class definitely exceeded my expectations; I found it very eye-opening and informational in the best way. What I loved the most was that we were allowed to think differently, and we didn’t have to follow a strict set of rules. I found the class discussions very helpful in understanding the readings, and I liked that it was a very open discussion where we were free to speak or listen as much as we needed. My favorite assignments were those that did not only involve writing itself, I liked the inclusion of artwork and music because it showed me how composition doesn’t always have to be just writing. Overall, I am so glad I switched into this class, it really has taught me a lot, thank you so much Yasmine!
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When I first signed up for this class, I read diversity and expected global readings covering various cultures. On the first day when we received the information about how this class would be much more focused, I worried that I would not be able to relate to and discuss about the readings. But as we read the pieces and everyone participated more in dicussion, I liked how all the students with our different backgrounds were able to speak on the topics we were discussing. I ended up liking the focus of this class because it is very different from any other English classes I have taken. When we read the article about DJ-ing as a form of writing or the article which was written as poetry instead of prose, I realized how vast the form of writing is, beyond the limits most English classes force students into. I also liked how with the assignments, I was able to respond in the way that made the most sense to me. Whether it was writing poetry or paragraphs, I was able to express my responses to the readings. I also really liked the visual annotations because it is very different and allowed me to think more about the readings as I tried to piece things together while I was drawing, Overall, I truly enjoyed this course! Thank you for a great semester!
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Before I came to this class, I thought it would be hard for me, especially English is not my first language. If there is not a thing called general requirement, I would never choose the composition class. When I register for this class, I had already prepared to write tons of essays. However, this class gave me lots of surprises and I gradually fell in love with this course. It is much better than what I imagined. The one thing I love most is the freedom we have. The assignment form is not only writing, but we can also draw our reflection or put some information we found. And there is no limitation for us when choosing the final project. I really like the topic I chose and I enjoy finishing those works. I like the part that we share our energetic numbers at the beginning of the class. I love the workshop and our discussion as well. By the way, when I in our first class, I was surprised by one of the rules. I remember clearly that the instructor said if someone’s opinions make you unhappy, you can leave as you want. I never had a class like this before. However, no one ever left this semester. Our class is nice and my classmates are all friendly. This class allows me to know the composition can be more diverse. I will cherish the time I have spent with all of you. Thank you so much.
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I almost did not enroll in this course because I was afraid that my writing would not be good enough or that it would be judged harshly. I am glad that I got over my fears because this class has been such a great experience for me. I am glad that I read literature authored by black women. It was such a nice change from my previous English class curriculum.
You allowed us to explore different forms of writing. Writing is more enjoyable for me when I have the freedom to form my words as I please. I also loved how the feel of this class did not change even with the switch to virtual learning. This class is really structured around us and our interpretation of the readings. It was nice to hear about my classmates’ interpretation and get the chance to build off of each other. Thank you Yasmine for guiding this the course! I hope that my future composition and literature classes will be enjoyable for me.
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I expected a lot of essay writing coming into seminar in comp this semester. I’m glad to say that I’ll have walked out writing only one essay, but also holding so much more knowledge and insight on different forms of literature and artwork portraying black history as we know it. I think that this course was a really fun and unique way of exposing many of us, who have only learned black history from the viewpoint of white historians, to a wide variety of different stories pertaining to black and African American people. I been able to learn much more about these people and how their work has had such a large impact on others, and the overall movement of empowerment within minority groups. Additionally, I really enjoyed that we were exposed to different forms of literature – poems, freewriting, biographies, and artwork were all much more engaging to me, as the audience, to dissect and gave me room to make some of my own conclusions about what the author intended while creating the piece. I really enjoyed how this class gave us the freedom to also relate these pieces, which really mostly related to black culture and its people, and draw our own connections to other aspects of our lives that we were more familiar with. Thank you for setting up this eye-opening, informative and inspiring course!
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I had a good feeling coming into the class when I read the course description! Overall it was one of the first classes that I really enjoyed that was more open-ended than the rest of the classes I was taking, I liked how it was very much what the students wanted to discuss and it was open ended with assignments but there was still helpful guidance.The focus was mostly on the Black experience and I think including more experiences within the content we work with would be great! I liked all of our writing assignments especially the dedication because it made me think a lot deeper than I thought I would. I appreciated all the artwork, the poems, the stories, and the music from this course and I definitely want to keep on going and learning about diversity in composition and applying it to my own writing and work. I really enjoyed this class and everything it had to offer, thank you!
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I signed up for this class with no expectations and just to fill a gen-ed. But it has honestly been one of my favorite classes so far. I thought that it was going to be filled with papers and presentations; but the discussion based setting was great as it allowed for real time conversations. We were allowed to express thoughts, opinions, and elaborate with other people. It was a very stimulating class and allowed us to think further on the relevant, diverse topics. I enjoyed expanding my reading, listening to how others interpret the literature, and relating what we read to our own experiences. I also appreciated the policy of leaving if you feel uncomfortable and you weren’t graded based on if you spoke; these rules created a relaxed and comfortable environment. I really appreciated you allowing us to take the conversation where we wanted and you made every comment feel like it was important. Thank you for a great semester!
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