Brainstorming and Structuring Your Essay

Paper Possibilities

• Initiation Story:
  • Examples: Headhunter story, "The Man on the Internet".
  • Possible topic: Baptisms (funny or serious accounts).
    • Example: Woman's paper "Baptized Before My Time" about a sunken baptismal.
    • Example: Musician accidentally joining a black church.
• "Calling Home": Character does the wrong thing and faces consequences.
• Sports:
  • Winning a championship might not work due to space constraints.
  • Bad injury/illness and recovery can be viable.
    • Diagnosis of a disease and learning to cope.
• General: Any situation where a lesson was learned.

Essay Structure and Introduction

• Outline: Avoid only five paragraphs. Use as many as needed.
• Introduction: Thesis statement as the last sentence.
  • Example Introduction:
    • Growing up without pets, only family cats and a dog named Kenzie.
    • Discovering Hattiesburg is the "feral cat capital of Mississippi."
    • Encountering a feral cat (Joe Junior) on the porch.
    • Joe Junior's persistence and eventual integration into the family.

Personal Anecdote: Joe Junior, the Cat

• Joe Junior's integration:
  • The speaker found a black and white cat on his porch, named him "Joe Junior".
  • Joe Junior's persistent presence led to him becoming a member of the family.
  • Kenzie, the dog, didn't see Joe Junior as a threat.
• Joe Junior's personality:
  • Affectionate and dog-like behavior, typical of tuxedo cats.
  • Slept on the speaker's chest and only showed affection to him, much to his wife's amusement.
  • Brought "presents" (mostly dead snakes) to the speaker.
• The Squirrel Incident:
  • Joe Junior brought a live squirrel into the utility room.
  • The speaker avoided dealing with the situation until he left for school.
• Moving with Joe Junior:
  • In Goodman, Joe would scratch furniture to signal he wanted to go outside.
  • In Lake Norman, loose dog packs made it dangerous for Joe to go outside.
  • The speaker felt it was cruel to keep Joe, an indoor/outdoor cat, inside permanently.
• Joe Junior's Disappearance:
  • One night, frustrated with Joe's disruptive behavior, the speaker pushed him outside and never saw him again.
  • The speaker was secretly upset but tried to hide it.

Other Paper Topics

• Non-traditional student experience:
  • Fears of being the oldest student.

Draft and Submission Details

• First Draft: Bring to class for peer editing; bring computer, print, or hand write the draft.
• Submission:
  • Upload file or paste into a text box.
  • Do not use OneDrive.
  • Accepted formats: DOCX, RTF, or DOC.
• Content: Memorable event where a lesson was learned or a moment that altered your perspective.
• Final Draft: A revision of the first draft.