Paper #1 Assignment: Why Are You Here? (due Friday, Sep.2nd)

NOTE: The reading/questions for Tuesday are in the post BELOW this one...

Paper #1: Why Am I Here?

The first three essays from BATW 2021 are about people traveling for very different reasons, though each one realizes that where they go is less important than what it reveals about the world around them (and inside them). Common to each one is the personal connection that we lost during COVID-19, and why travel can help us see ways to connect with other humans beings even in a pandemic. However, like Meg Berhnard says at the end of "Water or Sky?", "For the first time in a long time, I didn't need to walk away. I didn't need to move. There was nowhere else to be" (163).

For your FIRST ESSAY, I want you to answer the simple question, "why are you here?" Here means college, of course, but also at this stage in your life: why have you made the choices you have to get here? Are you already making other plans for the future? Is this a step towards those plans, or do you feel you're on the wrong track? Who helped you make this decision? Are personal connections important to you as you make these life decisions? Or do you feel too isolated and unable to rely on those around you? In short, reflect upon why you've traveled here, if this journey feels 'right,' and where you want to end up at the end of it.

REQUIREMENTS: You must use at least ONE of the essays from class in your paper, though you can use more. By "using" them, I mean you have to quote a significant passage that helps your reader understand something about your own situation. So ask yourself, which essay do I most connect to? Where is a passage or an idea that relates to my own life/journey? Help the reader understand your experience by having a 'conversation' with someone else's. 

Your paper should be at least 2-3 pages double spaced at a MINIMUM; you can do much more if you want. And remember, you can REVISE this paper after you turn it in, so don't worry about turning in perfection. Instead, do the best you can in the time you have, but turn in a complete or near-complete paper (don't turn in a paragraph and say, "it's the best I could do!"). 

Think about the ideas we've discussed in class and use them in your essay when they help you. Also, examine how each essay begins and structures their own story. In short, TELL A STORY, and don't simply write an essay. 

DUE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 2nd BY 5pm (in my box or via e-mail).