Hello Everybody,
One of your classmates made a reasonable argument that it's really hard to complete a 5-7 page paper in the next two weeks. I agree, and I'm thankful for the student who pointed this out to me. I have decided to change the page requirement to at least three full or nearly full pages of double-spaced text plus a Works Cited page. Those of you who need more room to build a nuanced argument can stay with the 5-7 page guideline, but there's no advantage to writing a longer paper rather than a shorter one. In other words, you will not receive a higher grade for a paper that is longer just because it's longer.
In my over 30 years (yikes) of experience teaching college writing courses, I've learned that 90% of essays with a 5-7 page requirement, conclude at the mid-point of the 5th page (which is essentially four and a half pages). So, this revision to the assignment will result in about a 33% reduction in word count. However, the rest of the assignment remains the same.
Please keep in mind that your paper will still need an introduction, conclusion, and citations. The body of it will be radically shorter. That's the major difference.
Steady On, Casey
PS: I hope everybody having a good day. Gorgeous weather in Wilmington, but a little chilly for mid-April. Maybe by the time you read this there will still be time to go out for some fresh air.
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