You may be wondering why I haven’t posted to this site in such a long time. Well, as you can guess, the answer has everything to do with my schoolwork. More accurately, I’m drowning in a sea of work relating to my writing English 102 class, “Reasoning, Research, and Writing.” 50% of my grade for this class will be based on my final writing project, on a “holistic curve,” whatever that means. My completed writing assignment is supposed to be presented in a paper folder with pockets, and must be written in the form of a position paper, a solution paper, or an evaluation paper of nine to twelve pages length, and must include a cover page, a bibliography, and all of my research notes. This really wouldn’t be a problem, but the guidance I’ve received from my instructor has effectively led me down a primrose path. My current, unfinished research paper has ballooned out to over twenty pages so far. I’m in big trouble.
When I first decided to take this class, which I’m not obligated to take, I thought I’d like to address the USA PATRIOT Act. Of course, I’ve never taken this kind of class before, so I knew that I might need to change my mind if I found myself over my head. As the quarter progressed and I saw how involved the research and writing process could get I did change my mind. The PATRIOT Act is an enormous document that legions of scholars are having a difficult time evaluating.
The first part of my paper came due a few weeks ago, and I’d already decided to abandon my original concept. Instead, I decided to write a position paper on two bills that have recently been introduced, HJM 4006 and SJM 8020. Since these bills only express the public’s concern about the PATRIOT Act, I knew that I would be able to meet the requirements of the class. Unfortunately, after my instructor evaluated my outline, she estimated that there wasn’t much opposition to my position, and then encouraged me to write it as a solution paper instead.
Shifting gear like that turned out to be a real mind-bender; I wasn’t prepared for it. My head still was chewing on all of the bill/resolution stuff, and there was evidence that those bills were advancing through the legal system. Trying to make up time, I focused on the “solution” part of my paper. I got stuck on a few basic questions: How are these bills and the grassroots community efforts I know about a