Iowa Select Farms Undercover Video: Mercy For Animals' Footage Shows Inside One of Nation's Largest Pork Producers (WARNING: GRAPHIC FOOTAGE)

From The Associated Press
06.29.11

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -- An animal welfare group that has used undercover videos to generate public outrage over the treatment of livestock said it now plans to use secret recordings to pressure large grocery chains to stop buying from farms that use practices it considers abusive.

The effort seemed to be working as several chains viewed the video and then either halted purchases from the targeted Iowa hog farm or expressed concern even before Chicago-based Mercy for Animals formally unveiled the recording at news conferences planned Wednesday in four cities.

Earlier this week, Mercy for Animals met with or sent letters to officials at Costco, Hy-Vee, Kroger and Safeway and provided links to its 2 1/2-minute video, then asked them to stop buying pork from Iowa Select Farms. The group said it secretly recorded its video between April and June at an Iowa Select Farms operation in the small town of Kamrar, about 50 miles north of Des Moines.

Nathan Runkle, Mercy for Animal's executive director, said his group and others have used secretly recorded videos to raise public awareness, but this was among the first major efforts to use such recordings to pressure retailers. The group previously used another video to convince Costco to change its policies dealing with veal obtained from an Ohio producer, he said.

"We are looking at grocery chains buying from this facility and asking them to implement stronger animal welfare policies," Runkle said. "They have a responsibility to make sure animals that appear on their store shelves are not mistreated."

The group planned news conferences Wednesday in Seattle, Des Moines, Cincinnati and San Francisco, which are near headquarters for the four grocery chains.

Iowa Select Farms is among the nation's largest hog producers, with dozens of operations scattered throughout the state.

Howard Hill, a veterinarian and the company's director of external affairs, said Iowa Select was looking into the video but believes the recording gave an inaccurate picture of their operation.

"We're currently in the process of investigating the whole thing," Hill said. "We do know that a lot of this video is inaccurate, that it was staged. But until we get a full investigation done, we're not going to make any specific comments about the video."

Hill added, though, that he found such undercover videos to be unfair.

"We feel that pork producers are hard-working, honest people, and they don't deserve this kind of undocumented journalism, if you want to call it journalism," Hill said "It's not innocent before you're proven guilty. You're guilty immediately because it goes on YouTube and everybody wants to believe what they see."

The new campaign comes as farmers are pushing harder to make secret videotaping of livestock illegal.

Legislators in at least four states – Florida, Minnesota, New York and Iowa – considered measures this year backed by farming groups that would have outlawed the practice, but all the proposals stalled after opposition by animal welfare groups.

In the Mercy for Animal's video, sows are shown in small cages, known as gestation crates, that limit their ability to move, and workers are shown castrating piglets and removing their tails without anesthetics. There also are images of ill hogs.

There are repeated shots of workers tossing piglets across a room. In one shot, a female employee says it doesn't hurt the piglets because they are "bouncy," and she compares it to a "rollercoaster ride" for the animals.
Runkle said Mercy for Animals was most concerned with ending the use of gestation crates.

"If there is pressure by grocery chains to phase these gestation crates out, we can eliminate animal abuse in a shorter period of time," he said. "Subjecting them to nearly a lifetime of confinement is really one of the most egregious longstanding abuses."

John Mabry, director of the Iowa Swine Industry Center at Iowa State University, hadn't seen the video, but he said gestation crates have been commonly used for years and that it's an industry standard to castrate piglets and cut off the last 3 inches of their tales without anesthetic.

Producers keep pregnant sows in gestation crates in an effort to reduce aggressive behavior by separating them from other hogs and to ease feeding of individual sows.

Male pigs are castrated because otherwise their meat develops a bad taste and has little value. The tails are clipped to keep dominant males from biting the tails of other piglets, which can cause various health problems.

Both are generally done within the first 24 hours of a pig's life because it's believed the animals feel less pain then, Mabry said.

Mabry questioned the credibility of undercover videos but said Mercy for Animals' plan to put pressure on individual companies might be effective.

"If they can impact one grocery store, they can impact a lot of consumers," Mabry said. "What they're doing is just another way, a new way to do it."

After watching the video, officials at Pleasanton, Calif.-based Safeway said they had stopped purchases from its supplier, JBS Swift, which distributes pork from the Iowa company, until an investigation into the conditions shown on the video can be completed.

"Safeway does not tolerate animal abuse of any kind and finds the images and animal handling practices contained in the Mercy for Animals video to be extremely disturbing and in violation of our animal welfare policies," spokeswoman Teena Massingill said in a statement.

Kroger spokesman Keith Dailey said his company also had asked JBS Swift to investigate the conditions shown in the video. Until that investigation is completed, Kroger has told JBS Swift to stop supplying the chain with pork from the Iowa operation.

Craig Jelinek, president of Seattle-based Costco, said company officials met with a representative of Mercy for Animals on Monday to discuss the company's animal welfare policies and would investigate the matter with its supplier.

A spokeswoman for Hy-Vee, a Midwest chain based in West Des Moines, Iowa, said the company received a letter from Mercy for Animals outlining the group's claims of animal abuse and would talk with its supplier.
Mabry said such videos would put heat on retailers but animal welfare groups won't see lasting change until they engage farmers with their concerns.

"They need to work with the production sector to do that," he said. "Grocery stores can't do that."

Reflection 4: Unwrapped—Eating Whole Foods

How long can you go without processed foods?

Since WWII, America has come to rely heavily on processed foods—those foods that have, in some way, been altered from their natural state. Low costs, ease of use, and wide availability have made processed foods convenient and popular options at every meal. However, in recent years many have begun to rethink the place of these foods in the American diet. Now, as people are again recognizing the value of whole foods, processed foods are increasingly under fire for their role in everything from obesity to malnutrition to Diabetes. How difficult would it be for you to avoid eating any prepackaged or processed foods for 48 hours? Can you abstain from eating anything that comes frozen, in a box, a can, a bag, or any type of packaging, instead eating only whole, natural foods? Which processed foods would be the most challenging for you to give up? Likewise, with which foods are you most likely to cheat? And if you must cheat, explain the circumstances. For this reflection, attempt to eat only whole foods for two full days, excluding dairy, meats, grains, coffees and teas.

Include in your discussion at least two of the following:

• "Surviving Without Processed Foods" (The Miami Herald)
• "How to Avoid Processed Foods in a Healthy Die" (CBN)
• "Package-Free, Zero-Waste Grocery Sore to Open in Austin, TX" (DigitalJournal)

Above located in the eR.

Required:

• MLA format
• 2 pages minimum

Due: Wed 7.6

The American Diet Then and Now: How Snacking Is Expanding the Country's Waistline

By Katie Moisse, ABC News
06.28.11

Americans eat roughly 570 calories more per day than they did in the 1970s, according to a new study. While supersize portions are partly to blame, steady snacking is the bigger culprit.

"We're a generation of constant eaters," said Barry Popkin, distinguished professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Popkin used surveys to probe the American diet since 1977. Americans began eating more in the '80s and '90s, but in recent years, they've begun eating and drinking more often -- like almost all the time.

"It used to be you'd have three meals a day. And if you snacked, it was unsweetened tea or coffee," said Popkin. "Nowadays, everywhere you turn there's food. If you're driving, you have a big bag of Doritos next to you while you drive."

More than one-quarter of adults in the United States are obese, according to a 2010 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- a proportion that has steadily grown over the past 30 years as Americans tend to "eat more and do less," said Dr. David Katz, director of the Yale University Prevention Research Center.

"We joke about the 'see food' diet. We see food and we eat it," said Katz, explaining how Americans have come to expect food at every turn. "People panic at the thought of spending a couple of hours somewhere where there might not be refreshments on hand."

Despite their growing obsession with food, fewer Americans are willing to sit down and enjoy it.

"We're no longer eating at a table with a knife and fork," said Keith Ayoob, director of the Rose R. Kennedy Center Nutrition Clinic at Albert Einstein College in New York City. "As a society, we think it takes too long to eat a bowl of cereal. We want a breakfast you can hold in one hand."

As a result, Americans choose foods that are loaded with flavor and calories for immediate gratification, only to feel hungry again an hour or two later.

But it's not just salty foods that are expanding the nation's waistline. Sugary drinks like soda, fruit juice and sweetened coffees pack on the pounds too.

"We're drinking ourselves to death," Popkin said. "Several hundred of these extra calories are coming just from drinks."

Popkin said he hopes the study will be an eye-opener for people who might not realize how many calories they're consuming.

"We have to focus a lot more attention on cutting down how often we eat if we're truly going to do something about this as a society," he said. But in a world where people are perpetually bombarded by food and drink advertising, it won't be easy.

"We don't need to have food every couple hours, so we need to change the environment so that we don't encounter food everywhere we go," said Katz, adding that a little willpower can go a long way.

"We kind of just have to grow up," he said. "We weigh too much and our health is on the line."

Week 04: Potato Croquets

Potato Croquets from David Rocco's Dolce Vita (Food Network, Canada)

NOTE: Starting Monday, we will be in Clark 117.

Week 4
Mon 6.27
Read: eR— “Organic Foods: Are They Safer? More Nutritious?” from The Mayo Clinic, “All You Can’t Eat” by Crystal Allen from Metro Silicon Valley, “Organic Food is No Healthier, Study Finds” by Ben Hirschler from Reuters; GDoc—“Feast of Burden” by Sara Deseren from 7x7
In-class: LITERARY ANALYSIS/SHORT ANSWER RESPONSES; Reading discussion; Presentations
Due: EXPOSITORY ESSAY
Catering: Group 1—Appetizer Course

Wed 6.29
Read: eR—“Is Local Food Really Miles Better?” by Roberta Kwok from Salon, “Organicize Me” by Michael A. Stusser from Seattle Weekly, “Don't Write Off Organic Food” by Molly Conisbee from The Daily Telegraph, “Is Organic Food Marketing Hype?” from Newsweek
In-class: Book discussion; Lecture—“Food on Film”
Due: REFLECTION 3 
 

Reflection 3: That's How We Do It—Family Food Traditions

Which foods are required at your family's gatherings?

Often, dishes tell a family's history better than anything else. Maybe it’s your grandma's favorite cookie recipe or the Thanksgiving dinner tradition no one can remember having started, either way, food plays an integral role in defining who we are as families. Is there a "must have " dish at your family's gatherings or during the holidays? What is it and who's responsible for it? What's the story behind the dish? Write about a significant dish or food-related tradition in your family or a family that you know. Whether its a Taco Tuesday tradition or Uncle Michael's to-die-for ribs, what do these foods and/or traditions say about your family, as well as the larger dynamics at play?

Include in your discussion:

• "You Gonna Eat That?" (This American Life; choose “Full Episode” to hear)
• "Christmas Food Traditions" (CHOW)

Above located in the eR.

Required:

• MLA format
• 2 pages minimum

Due:  06.29.11

So, Who Will Pick the Fruit? Kicking Out Immigrants Has a High Price

What would happen if the illegal immigrants didn’t show up?

By Tracy Warner, The News Tribune 
06.26.11

Look around and get a few hints. See Georgia, for instance, where with great fanfare the Legislature passed an immigration enforcement law that did Arizona one better.

Among many provisions, such as authorizing local police to investigate and jail illegal immigrants, it makes it a crime to use fake identification to get a job, with penalties of up to 15 years in prison and $250,000 fines.

Even before the law takes effect, there are effects. In the fields especially, where Georgia farmers are grappling with a sudden and severe shortage of harvest labor. Berries, peaches and other perishables are ripe, and it appears a good share of them will be left to rot.

“The labor shortage is potentially putting hundreds of millions of dollars in crops at risk,” said the Atlanta Journal Constitution, quoting state agriculture officials.

Gov. Nathan Deal ordered a survey. It found 11,000 harvest workers were needed now, about 14 percent of the total workforce. This is a problem. Agriculture is Georgia’s largest industry. Its farmers would hire 81,000 workers annually and the fruits of their labor support many more jobs than that.

“After enacting House Bill 87, a law designed to drive illegal immigrants out of Georgia, state officials appear shocked to discover that HB 87 is, well, driving a lot of illegal immigrants out of Georgia,” wrote Journal Constitution columnist Jay Bookman. “It might be funny if it wasn’t so sad.”

The governor suggests farmers hire out-of-work criminal probationers, as there are several thousand sitting around. Advocates for the probationers (there are always advocates) say you can’t make them take those lousy jobs. Crops will be lost.

This should give us some idea of what happens when we pursue an enforcement-only approach to immigration, without regard to the consequences. If you kick out the immigrants and leave it at that, as many want us to do, you will find out why those people were here in the first place. They came to work, inhaled by the economic vacuum to do jobs the rest of us don’t need or want. A lot of those involve harvesting the food we eat.
Blaming farmers and “big agriculture” and telling them to keep raising wages until they attract workers is excruciatingly naive.

Farmers don’t set the price for their product. Higher wages have to come out of their profits, such as they are. There are limits and most farmers are probably pretty close to the edge already.

Not even in America can we pay workers more than the economic value their labor produces, not for long anyway. Farms can go out of business, reduce the supply of the commodity and therefore raise the price for the survivors, who then could pay more attractive wages, at least in theory.

Competition from outside the country might thwart that plan quickly, but do we really want food and labor shortages and bankruptcies as part of our long-term business model?

The economic experiment may soon go national. The House is still considering a bill that would require every employer in the nation to use the federal E-Verify database, or else. The system identifies workers whose documents don’t match the legal list, and makes them unemployable. The Georgia law requires its employers to use E-Verify starting next year. The advocates of the Legal Workforce Act of 2011 say they expect it to pass, and open up millions of jobs for citizens.

“Twenty-four million Americans are unemployed or have given up looking for work,” said the bill’s sponsor Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas. “Yet according to the Pew Hispanic Center, seven million people are working in the U.S. illegally. These jobs should go to legal workers.”

Most won’t. Some of those jobs will disappear, along with their would-be employers. Which will be more evidence that immigration enforcement and closing borders without regard to the consequences will be destructive. A means to allow willing immigrants to enter the country to fill unfilled jobs, as we have always had, needs to be a priority.

Chocolate Milk is Ideal Drink to Recover from Exercise and Boost Performance, Claim Scientists

From The Daily Mail
06.23.11

After an exhausting session on the treadmill, many athletes reach for an isotonic sports drink or good old-fashioned water.

But two new studies from The University of Texas at Austin show that chocolate milk is the ideal post-workout recovery drink.

'Serious and amateur athletes alike enjoyed physical recovery benefits when they drank low-fat chocolate milk after a vigorous workout,' said lead researcher Dr John Ivy.
'The advantages for the study participants were better body composition in the form of more muscle and less fat, improved times while working out and overall better physical shape than peers who consumed sports beverages that just contained carbohydrates.'

Dr Ivy and his team compared the recovery benefits of drinking low-fat chocolate milk after exercise to the effects of a carbohydrate beverage with the same ingredients and calories as typical sports drinks as well as to a calorie-free beverage.

They asked 10 trained cyclists to ride a bike for 90 minutes at moderate intensity, then for 10 minutes of high intensity intervals.

The scientists found the athletes had significantly more power and rode faster (reduced their ride time by an average of six minutes) when they consumed low-fat chocolate milk rather than a carbohydrate sports drink or calorie-free beverage.

The team also tested 32 amateur male and female cyclists, putting them through five intense spinning sessions a week followed by one of the three beverages.

They found after four and a half weeks that chocolate milk drinkers had twice the improvement in maximal oxygen uptake compared to the others.

Maximal oxygen uptake is one indicator of an athlete's aerobic endurance and ability to perform sustained exercise.

The amateur cyclists also built more muscle and shaved off more fat during training when they drank low-fat chocolate milk.

'We don’t yet understand exactly what mechanism is causing low-fat chocolate milk to give athletes these advantages - that will take more research,' said Dr Ivy.

'But there's something in the naturally-occurring protein and carbohydrate mix that offers significant benefits.'

Dr Ivy added that a three-minute recovery window after exercise, for people of all fitness levels, was as important as the nutrition supplement.

The study was published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

Assignment: Expository Essay

Pollan traces corn's extensive reach into our daily lives.

Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma examines the ways in which we have become disconnected with the foods we eat. In fact, it is a dizzying illustration of the journeys plants and animals take their way to our dinner tables. Still, reading Pollan's book can be an overwhelming experience, one in which readers invariably examine their own eating habits—for better or worse. In a concise essay, highlight three practices offered by Pollan which consumers can adopt to help both themselves and the environment. Use specific examples from the book to support your thesis.

Requirements:

• MLA format, including parenthetical citation
• 3-page minimum

The best papers will:

• Stay within the parameters of the prompt
• Have a concise thesis
• Clearly support their thesis with solid evidence and a logical structure
• Properly cite evidence using MLA's paranthetical citation method
• Conclude with a summation of your points
• Be in proper MLA Style

Due: Monday, June 27th 

Week 03: Omelette Arnold Bennett

Omelette Arnold Bennett from Sophie Dahl's The Delicious Miss Dahl (BBC Two, UK)

Week 3
Mon 6.20
Read: OMNI—pg. 364-411; EM—“Sorry Fugu” by T.C. Boyle from T.C. Boyle Stories, “Taste” by Roald Dahl from The New Yorker, “A Piece of Pie” by Damon Runyon from Guys and Dolls: The Stories of Damon Runyon, “Last Requests” by Giles Smith from Speaking with the Angel
In-class: Reading discussion; Presentations

Wed 6.22
Read: EM—“The Second Bakery Attack” by Haruki Murakami from The Elephant Vanishes, “January: Christmas Rolls” by Laura Esquivel from Like Water for Chocolate, “A Small, Good Thing” by Raymond Carver from Where I'm Calling From: Stories, “Feast” by Diane Mason from Gluttony: Ample Tales of Epicurean Excess
In-class: Reading discussion; Presentations
Due: REFLECTION 2 
 

Reflection 2: Table for One—Eating Alone

Is this an act of bravery in America?

The Buddha is said to have once proclaimed that, “There is no joy in eating alone.” Today, that seems to be a sentiment shared by many Americans. In “Is Eating Alone an Act of Bravery?,” Ariel Leve explores the real stigma that is attached to eating on one’s own. She says, “I’ve never understood why eating alone is so disturbing. I think it’s far more depressing to see a couple sharing a meal—in silence.” For this reflection you must have one meal in public, alone.* As you do so, consider: Are you enjoying it? Are you uncomfortable? What, if anything, do you do in addition to eating? Finally, why are Americans are so averse to eating by themselves—and what makes it okay in most people's eyes?

*The meal you have alone needn't be anything extravagant. The point is simply to eat alone, be it in a cafe, food court, restaurant or cafeteria. Also, dinner is often thought be the most challenging meal to have alone.

Include in your discussion:

• "Is Eating Alone an Act of Bravery?" (The Times of London) 
• "Americans Need to Stop Multitasking While Eating Alone, Argues French Sociologist Claude Fischler" (Grist)

Above located in the eR.

Required:

• MLA format
• 2 pages minimum

Due:  06.22.11

Lady Gaga's Meat Dress Stays Fresh at Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

It's 'definitely one of the stranger pieces' on display, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame curator Jim Henke tells MTV News.

 By Jocelyn Vena, MTV News
06.16.11

Oh, that meat dress! Nearly a year after Lady Gaga wore it at the MTV Video Music Awards, the costume made of various cuts of meat that designer Franc Fernandez and stylist Nicola Formichetti put together is still making headlines.

On Thursday (June 16), that dress will join the "Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power'' exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, where it will sit on display along with Gaga's childhood piano and Armani Prive orbit gown, which she wore to the 2011 Grammys, until February 2012.

"I was talking to Lady Gaga's managers, and this is probably around November [of last year], and basically talked about different things, and we talked about the meat dress and we thought it would be great to add it to the exhibit just because of all the notoriety it has, so that's basically how it came about," RRHOF chief curator Jim Henke told MTV News. "We thought the meat dress would really be cool."

So, how will the folks at the Rock Hall keep it fresh until it wraps up its stint there? "It's going to be in a case and we are putting some canisters in there to control the humidity, and then we have this other canister that soaks up the glutens," he explained. "But it's in a sealed case and we have the gels to control the environment in there."

However, it took some work to get it to the point where it can hang around the Rock Hall along with a number of other high-profile memorabilia without seeming super-gross. Henke explained, "We went back to Franc Fernandez ... ultimately what we decided to do, we sent it to a taxidermist, they put it into a meat locker and then we started working on it and created this [chemical] solution and treated it with that.

"And then they had a body form, and when it was still wet, they put it on the body form and then it dried on there," he continued. "And then they had to do a little bit of painting to bring it back and give it a little bit more color."

Gaga hasn't been shy about making the dress into jerky or wanting to have her extensive wardrobe in a museum, as she shared on "The Graham Norton Show." "I keep everything and dream of having a museum of all my clothes. I have an archive house for all my clothes," she said. "[The dress has] been jerked. It stank. It was fabulous. I never want to talk to anyone at those big celebrity functions because I feel awkward, and it was great — because it stunk, I didn't have to talk to anyone."

Having the dress in the exhibit is quite an honor and it's an interesting piece, but Henke notes this isn't the most bizarre exhibit at the RRHOF. "Definitely one of the stranger pieces," he laughed about the dress, adding, "There are some other weird things. We actually have [pioneering radio DJ] Alan Freed's ashes."

Post-Katrina Urban Gardens

By Daniel Klein, The Huffington Post
06.14.11

This video tells the story of several different New Orleans residents who came back to the city after the storm to rebuild and start making food in the city's abandoned lots. And you can't tell a New Orleans story without music, thankfully one of our farmers happened to play in the Treme Brass Band! Special thanks to BrassRootsmovie.com for letting us tag along for their film shoot.

The Perennial Plate Episode 57: Lord, Lord, Lord from Daniel Klein on Vimeo.

Assignment: Catering Groups

Edamame and Pear Crostinis

Mon 6.27: Appetizer Course
Regina d.
Sarah S.
Johnny L.
Juan R.

Spicy Seeded Sliced Heirloom Tomato Salad

Wed 7.6: Salad Course
Bretil K.
Michael S.
Katsuya Y.
Erik d.

Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Soup

Mon 7.18: Soup Course
Igor S.
Aarize D.
Brian G.

Thyme-Smoked Four-Inch Porterhouse Steak

Mon 7.25: Main Course
Travis V.
Stephanie L.
Jennifer P.
Frank K.

Plate of French Country Cheeses 

Wed 8.3: Cheese Course
Ta'Shoun B.
Frank C.
Christina L.

Blueberry Lemon Curd Tart

Wed 8.10: Dessert Course
Rachel L.
Kendra C.
Semir R.
Natalie B.

Week 02: Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins

Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa (Food Network, USA)

Week 2
Mon 6.13
Read: OMNI—pg. 85-286; eR—“Africa's Hungry Tribe” by Alex Renton from The Observer; “The Inconvenience of Being Vegan” by Nil Zacharias from The Huffington Post, “Care for Something Saucy?” by Robert Sietsema from Salon
In-class: Reading discussion; Lecture—“Introduction to the Steps of the Writing Process”

Wed 6.15
Read: OMNI—pg. 286-363; eR—“Food Trucks in the Driver's Seat” by Kevin Pang from The Chicago Tribune, “Ignore Expiration Dates” by Nadia Arumugam from Slate
In-class: Reading discussion; Presentations
Due: REFLECTION 1  

Activists Protest Hershey in Times Square, Calling on Chocolate Giant to Stop Using Child Labor

By Tori Ackerman, New York Daily News
06.08.11

Hershey's sweet candy bars have a bitter origin in West Africa - one involving kid labor, protesters outside the chocolate giant's Times Square store charged Wednesday.

The demonstrators accused the confection king of welshing on its vow 10 years ago to eliminate using child laborers in their West African cocoa farms. Hershey's is lagging behind its competitors who have already improved regulations on workers, they said.

"I think that it's time to end all the empty promises," said Tim Newman, an activist with the International Labor Rights Forum. "Right now we know that hundreds of thousands of kids in Ghana and the Ivory Coast are still working in hazardous conditions."

Students from Public School 87, Brooklyn International High School and Benedictine Academy from Elizabeth, N.J., were among the 150 demonstrators, yelling, "Hershey's: tastes good, feels bad." The students have been studying global issues and were there as part of a field trip.

"I thought Hershey's loved kids and I thought that would never happen," said Marie Hagan, a fifth grader from Hamlin School in San Francisco, who took part in the protest. She was moved to act after watching the documentary, "The Dark Side of Chocolate."

When reached for comment, Hershey's spokesman, Kirt Saville, did not address the company's child labor practices, but said it has been committed for the past 50 years to improving the West African cocoa communities.

"We have helped develop more productive agricultural practices, build educational and community resources and eliminate exploitative labor practices," he said. "Our focus in on the ground programs that promote sustainable livelihoods in west Africa."

He added Hershey's has also partnered with several charities to help 200,000 cocoa farmers in the Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and Liberia.

But Elizabeth O'Connell, the fair-trade program coordinator from Green America, said that the chocolate company's poor record in West Africa has overshadowed the philanthropy of its founder, Milton Hershey, who started schools for orphans in Hershey, Pa.

"The way the company is run right now is not in line with his legacy," she said.

Reflection 1: Have Your Next Event Here—The Role of Restaurants in Our Lives

What better way to celebrate? Let's go out!

In “Dumped Over Dinner," Chow’s Table Manners column examines the do’s and don’ts of breaking up with someone in a restaurant. While choosing to end a relationship over dinner may seem harsh (or even inappropriate), it does illustrate the importance of restaurants in our lives. In fact, restaurants are often the preferred location for a number of occasions, such as birthdays, wakes, and marriage proposals. Explore the importance of restaurants in our traditions and customs. Why do we like restaurants to be the settings of major events in our lives, both happy and sad? Likewise, how have you used a restaurant to mark a significant occasion?

Include in your discussion:

• “Dumped Over Dinner” (Chow)

Above located in the eR.

Required:

• MLA format
• 2 pages minimum 

Due:  06.15.11

Assignment: Research Paper, Pt. I

How have American women's roles in the kitchen evolved over time?

Here are the prompts for your research paper this summer. Choose one of the following:

School Lunches:
In recent years, a spotlight has been turned on the nation’s school lunches. Many have pointed to lax dietary standards, budgetary issues, and the prevalence of processed foods, as indications that kids’ school lunches are routinely nutritionally shortchanged. Indeed, standards for student meals haven’t been updated since the Carter Administration. What is the state of the American school lunch and what is now being done to ensure the nutritional needs of our school children are being met?

Endangered Foods:
A byproduct of the climate change debate has been the emergence of so-called “endangered foods.” Due to everything from overharvesting and depleted environments to drought and disease, foods as diverse as cocoa beans, salmon, and bananas, may be threatened in the coming decades. For example, in North America, sugar maples (a major source of maple syrup) are now considered one of many threatened native species. What would be the impact of losing some of these foods? Profile three threatened foods (plant or animal), examining both the cause for their decline, as well as efforts to save them.

Food Customs and Rituals:
For many, it’s unthinkable to mark a birthday without a cake or to propose a toast without champagne. In fact, many of our country’s customs and rituals are entrenched in food. For example, what would Halloween be without candy, or tailgating without BBQ? Examine three food-based American customs or traditions, and explore how they evolved to have eating as a key component.

Food and Social Class:
French gastrome Brillat-Savarin once said, "Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you who you are." Was he right? Specifically, can the foods you eat say anything about your social standing? Can a correlation be made between the types of foods you eat and your income level, access to health care, even your education? Likewise, is it a foregone conclusion that rich people eat better than poor people? Why or why not? Illustrate the links between social class and food in America, including the effects on the society as whole.

Contemporary Food Movements:
Eating has likely never been as complicated as it is today. Today, what we eat is not only a reflection of our personal tastes, but of our philosophical and political beliefs. These days, what and how we eat makes a statement. Still, it can be difficult to follow everyone’s particular food perspectives. Therefore, it is helpful Investigate the varying points of view. Examine, in depth, three of the following current food movements:
Localism
Pescetarianism
Flexitarianism
Raw Food 
Pollotarianism
Foodies
Hydroponics
Macrobiotics
Veganism
Molecular Gastronomy
Slow Food
Urban Foraging
Freeganism

Women In (and Out) of the Kitchen:
In most cultures around the world, women have traditionally been the primary cooks in households. America is no exception. However, at around the mid-20th century, females' roles began to change. While American women today are still the primary cooks, their roles (and the expectations placed upon them) have changed dramatically. It is now substantially more acceptable for a contemporary American woman to not know the most basic of homemaking skills: how to cook. Fifty years ago, the idea of a wife or mother who did not cook for her family would’ve likely been met with scorn. Today, it's much more the norm. How did we reach this point? What cultural, technological, and economic forces have impacted the role of women as cooks?

Assignment: PowerPoint Presentations

As you know, this summer you and a classmate will be responsible for a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation and a class hand-out.

By Saturday the 11th at midnight, you and a partner should have signed-up for a topic and date. Anyone that has not chosen by this time, will automatically be assigned a partner, topic, and date. Also, there will be 1 group of 3 in each section. That grouping is determined by whoever signs up first.

Follow these steps:
1. Click on "Comments" at the end of this post.
2. In the "Post a Comment" box, leave both your and your partner's name (first and last), section, topic, and the preferred date—only one entry per pair is required.

Example: David Cortez & Will Jameson, A Brief History of Cannibalism, Monday 07.18

Dates and topics are first-come, first-served. Follow these are the guidelines for the presentation:

Requirements:

1. The work distribution is up to you and your partner, though it should be somewhat equitable
2. Must be approximately 15 minutes in length
3. Should have no less than 10 slides, including one video clip (no more than 4 minutes in length)
4. Must include a handout outlining your presentation (25 copies) 

On the day of your presentation, email both your presentation and handout to me at dhdelao@gmail.com.

The best presentations will:

• First contextualize information, then present relevant facts
• Avoid a heavy use of animation and effects, choosing instead a simpler visual style (illustrations are highly recommended)
• Engage the class through a conversational style, utilizing questions and/or activities
• Utilize multimedia, such as YouTube or Google Video
• Conclude with a summarization of the information presented 

Remember, you are responsible for providing your own laptop.

Choose from a list of topics, then dates, below:

1. The Rise of Starbucks
2. Aphrodisiacs: The Myths and Realities
3. All About Fair Foods
4. The Irish Potato Famine of 1845
5. Alice Waters and Chez Panisse
6. The Rise of Foodie Culture
7. The Science of Taste
8. The American Breakfast: Now and Then
9. Food of the Gods: Food in Religion
10. Tailgating: The Essential Guide
11. Five Fatal Foods!
12. The Six Healthiest Foods You're Not Eating
13. Frankenfoods: Understanding Genetically-Modified Food
14. The Life and Times of Julia Child
15. Dining at the White House: State Dinner Protocol
16. Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill: Basic Food Safety
17. Cooking 101: Five Techniques Everyone Should Know
18. A Brief History of Cannibalism
19. The Food of Fairytales
20. Bottled Water: What We Need to Know
21. Made in California: In-N-Out Burger, Peet's Coffee & Tea, and Jamba Juice
22. All About Food Trucks
23. Chocolate 101
24. Now on Sale: The Psychology of Supermarkets

Presentation dates:

Week 2
Wed 6.15
1.

Week 3
Mon 6.20
1. Jonathan Lam & Frank Ku: All About Food Trucks

Wed 6.22
1. Sarah Slawinski & Jennifer Pham: Five Fatal Foods!
2. Christina Leung & Semir Rocevic: The Six Healthiest Foods Your Not Eating

Week 4
Mon 6.27
1. Igor Sorokin & Erik de Austria: Bottled Water: What We Need to Know

Week 5
Wed 7.6
1. Kendra Chan & Rachel Lucero: A Brief History of Cannibalism


Week 7 
Mon 7.18
1. Bretil Karimian & Ta' Shaun Beacham: Now on Sale: The Psychology of Supermarkets

Wed 7.20
1. Stephanie Li & Frank Chan: Chocolate 101
2. Aarize Dizon & Katsuya Yuasa: Cooking 101: Five Techniques Everyone Should Know

Week 8 
Mon 7.25
1. Kristina Yager & Michael Stawarz: The Food of Fairytales
Wed 7.27
1. Regina de Cesare & Natalie Ball: The American Breakfast: Now and Then

Week 9 
Wed 8.3
1. Travis Volkmann & Juan Ruiz: Made in California: In-N-Out Burger, Peet's Coffee & Tea, and Jamba Juice

Week 10 
Mon 8.8
1. Brian Gibb: Clean, Separate, Cook, and Chill: Basic Food Safety2.

Operation Cupcake: British Spies Hack Al-Qaeda's Magazine to Replace Bombs with Cupcakes

By Jenny Wilsom, Time
06/06/11

Molotov cocktails? More like mojito cupcakes.  In a cyber-warfare operation, British spies successfully hacked al-Qaeda's English language magazine, Inspire, and replaced bombmaking instructions with a list of cupcakes. Victory has never tasted so sweet.

The magazine is published quarterly and distributed as a pdf file. But as a result of the British cyberattack, a page in last year's summer issue titled, "Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom," instead provided readers with "The Best Cupcakes in America," courtesy of the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

In addition, "pages 4 through 67 of the otherwise slick magazine, including the bomb-making instructions, were garbled," and "it took almost two weeks for al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to post a corrected version," the Washington Post reports. A British government official confirmed the hack to the AP Friday, saying his country is, "increasingly using cybertools."

According to the Washington Post, the U.S. considered targeting the extremist publication, but the CIA opposed those efforts, fearing that such a hack could "expose sources and methods and disrupt an important source of intelligence."

British intelligence, on the other hand, decided to go forward with the cyber attack, sabotaging Inspire's launch issue and removing articles by Osama bin Laden himself. Following the terrorist leader's death, news of this attack was icing on the cupcake in the fight against al-Qaeda.

Summer 2011 Syllabus

ENGLISH 1B:
FEASTING ON FOOD WRITING
Summer 2011

DH De La O,
The Department of English 
& Comparative Literature,
San José State University

Section: 1
Course Number: 30220
Time/Place: Mon/Wed 9:00 – 11:00 AM, 
Sweeney Hall 120

Office Hours: Mon 11:15 – 12:15 PM
Office: Faculty Offices 111
Phone: 408.924.5019
Email: dhdelao@gmail.com
Website: eauzone.blogspot.com
Twitter: twitter.com/ProfDLo

“The belly rules the mind.”

—Spanish Proverb

COURSE THEME
“Food, glorious food,” extols the classic number from the musical Oliver!. Indeed, humans have long sung the virtues of food, endowing it with qualities ranging from religious to artistic to sexual. Clearly, we are a species that lives to eat. But while eating is something we need and want to do, it can also be a source of great anxiety. As food has become increasingly abundant and more readily available, many Americans have developed a love/hate relationship with it, resulting in everything from obesity to eating disorders. With constant concerns about what and how much to eat—even “What should we have for dinner?” perplexes many on a daily basis—food is so complicated today that some now strive to simplify it once again. Still, one thing has not changed: food plays a vital part in how we function, and even define ourselves. This summer’s 1B course will focus on food writing. We will explore the roles food plays in our society and attempt to decipher why we are, for better or worse, a culture obsessed. 

REQUIRED MATERIALS

• The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan (ISBN: 0143038583)* 
• Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain (ISBN: 0060899220) * 
• The Norton Field Guide to Writing (Second Edition with 2009 MLA Updates) by Richard Bullock (ISBN: 0393934381) 
• One large yellow book 

*Can be purchased in electronic format (e.g. Kindle, iPad), but note that pagination will vary from print editions. 

COURSE DESCRIPTION
English 1B is the second course in SJSU’s two-semester lower-division composition sequence. Beyond providing repeated practice in planning and executing essays, and broadening and deepening students’ understanding of the genres, audiences, and purposes of college writing, English 1B differs from English 1A in its emphasis on persuasive and critical writing (with less attention paid to the personal essay), its requirement for fewer but longer essays, and its introduction to writing informed by research. Students will develop sophistication in writing analytical, argumentative, and critical essays; a mature writing style appropriate to university discourse; reading abilities that will provide an adequate foundation for upper-division work; proficiency in basic library research skills and in writing papers informed by research; and mastery of the mechanics of writing.

Prerequisites: Passage of Written Communication 1A (C or better) or approved equivalent. 

COURSE GOALS AND STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Building on the college-level proficiencies required in English 1A, students shall achieve the ability to write complete essays that demonstrate advanced proficiency in all of the following:

• Clear and effective communication of meaning.
• An identifiable focus (argumentative essays will state their thesis clearly and will show an awareness, implied or stated, of some opposing point of view).
• An appropriate voice that demonstrates an awareness of audience and purpose.
• Careful attention to review and revision.
• Effective and correct use of supporting materials, including independent research (e.g., quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing, and citing sources);
• Effective analysis, interpretation, evaluation, and synthesis of ideas encountered in multiple readings.
• Effective organization and development of ideas at paragraph and essay levels.
• Appropriate and effective sentence structure and diction.
• Command of conventional mechanics (e.g., punctuation, spelling, reference, agreement). 

Student Learning Objectives (SLO):
SLO 1: Students shall write complete essays that demonstrate the ability to refine the competencies established in Written Communication 1A.

SLO 2: Students shall write complete essays that demonstrate the ability to use (locate, analyze, and evaluate) supporting materials, including independent library research, and identify key concepts and terms that describe the information needed.

SLO 3: Students shall write complete essays that demonstrate the ability to select efficient and effective approaches for accessing information utilizing an appropriate investigative method or information retrieval system.

SLO 4: Students shall write complete essays that demonstrate the ability to synthesize ideas encountered in multiple readings.

SLO 5: Students shall write complete essays that demonstrate the ability to incorporate principles of design and communication to construct effective arguments.

SLO 6: Students shall write complete essays that demonstrate the ability to identify and discuss issues related to censorship and freedom of speech.

COURSE CONTENT
Writing: In English 1B, your assignments will emphasize the skills and activities in writing and thinking that produce both the persuasive argument and the critical essay, each of which demands analysis, interpretation, and evaluation. These assignments will give you repeated practice in prewriting, organizing, writing, revising, and editing. Your writing assignments will total a minimum of 8000 words and this word requirement will be met by writing a sequence of six to eight essays. At least one of your essays will require research. This 8000-word minimum does not include the final exam, quizzes, journals, or any brief or informal assignments, but may include any major revisions of essays or assignments. A major revision is defined as rethinking or reworking an assignment rather than just correcting grammatical or structural errors. Your instructor has listed in this syllabus how you will meet the 8000 word minimum. You must write all formal essays to pass the course.

Reading: The reading in English 1B includes useful models of writing for academic, general, and specific audiences. Readings will be used consistently with the course goal of enhancing ability in written communication and reading. The majority of the readings are devoted to analytical, critical, and argumentative essays. However, other readings may include poetry, fiction, and drama. Your instructor will help you develop and refine strategies for reading challenging, college-level material.

Research: English 1B includes an introduction to the library and basic research strategies. You will learn to locate materials and use them effectively (i.e. paraphrasing, quoting, summarizing) as well as how to properly cite them. You will be required to write a traditional research paper or a series of short essays in which you use library research to inform your position or thesis. As part of this requirement, a University Librarian will lead one class session of your English 1B course.

Diversity: The assignments (reading and writing) in English 1B will address issues of race, class, and gender and will include the perspectives of women and diverse cultural groups in an inclusive and comprehensive manner whenever possible.

Course Materials: The English department suggests that a dictionary, a rhetoric (or rhetoric/reader), and a handbook are appropriate materials for this course.

The University Essay Final Exam: Twenty percent of your course grade comes from an essay final exam, graded holistically. This department-wide final consists of reading and responding to two or more college-level passages chosen by the English Department Composition Committee. You must take the final exam in order to pass the course.

Grading: A-F.

ACADEMIC POLICIES
You are responsible for reading the SJSU academic polices here.

OUTSIDE TUTORING
You are always welcome to see me during office hours. However, if additional help is required, I strongly suggest utilizing SJSU’s excellent Writing Center (Clark Hall, Suite 126; 408.924.2308). Appointments are required, so please plan accordingly.

CLASS POLICIES
Please adhere to the following:

• All writing assignments are due on the dates indicated on EauZone, which contains the most up-to-date schedule and information.
• Late assignments must be emailed to me no later than the following class after the due date. However, it will be lowered one letter grade. I will not accept an assignment beyond that point.
• Assignments submitted via email, will be graded as any other. However, no marked-up hard copy will be returned to you.
• Without prior notification, missed in-class essays and presentations cannot be made up; if you must miss your presentation date, make prior arrangements with a classmate to switch days.
• You will automatically be docked 5 points off your final assignment for coming to class on a writers workshop day without an essay. 
• There may be only one opportunity for extra-credit this semester, so please stay up-to-date on your assignments.
• The use of laptops during class is restricted to note taking only.
• If you come to class after the first 15 minutes, please wait for an appropriate moment to enter so as not to disturb the class.

EAUZONE
I maintain this class blog as a centralized place for assignments, reminders, documents, important dates, links, and general class information. It also contains an easy-to-reference archive of the course work. In addition, this website will be the location of the course’s eReader (eR). These Web articles will be required to complete some assignments.

On the homepage, click on “English 1B: Feasting on Food Writing” under “Summer 2011” to be routed to our page. Feel free to use the “Comments” function in each posting; it is often a helpful way to communicate with classmates. Additionally, Gmail users also have the option of subscribing to the blog to keep up to date on all posts.

TWITTER
Twitter is a useful social networking tool that allows me to communicate with you instantaneously. I may use it if class has to be canceled unexpectedly, or if there is an important change to our agenda. If you already have a Twitter account, search for “ProfDLo” under “Find People.” If not, visit Twitter to register for free. Twitter membership is not required for this course, but it is recommended.

STANDARDS FOR PRESENTATION OF WORK
All typed work must be in MLA Style. Samples are located in both The Norton Field Guide to Writing and online at EauZone. Note that unstapled work will not be accepted. Please follow this heading for all typed work:

Name

ENG 1B, Sec. #

Assignment

Date

COURSE WORK
Class sessions will employ a combination of lectures, group discussions, presentations, and writing workshops that will cover a range of activities, including analyzing, interpreting, outlining, revising, and editing. All essays are approximately three full pages and must be in MLA Style.

Your assigned writing coursework will total approximately 8000 words; they include:
1. Diagnostic Essay: This in-class essay will be my first opportunity to evaluate your writing.*
2. Literary Analysis/Short Answer Responses: You will write in-class short answer responses to a variety of stories by noted authors.*
3. Expository Essay: You will write a nonfiction analysis essay based upon Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma.
4. Persuasive Essay: You will write a persuasive essay about the merits of eating organically.
5. Editorial Essay: In this editorial essay, you will share your perspective on the debate over consumer choice and nutritional information in restaurants.
6. Comparative Analysis Essay: You will write about Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential in this comparative analysis essay.*
7. Synthesis Essay: This essay asks you to synthesize a variety of texts to create a snapshot of contemporary America’s obsession with dieting and body image.
8. Research Paper: Your 10-page research paper will examine one aspect of food culture. I will provide a list of topics for you to choose from early in the semester.
9. Reflections: Prompts to these eight 2-page food-related responses will be located in EauZone.
10. PowerPoint Presentation: You and a classmate will create a 15-minute PowerPoint presentation, including a hand-out, based upon one of a list of topics I will present in class. Note that you will be responsible for providing your own laptop.
11. Final Exam: Your final exam, an in-class essay, will take place on the final day of class (Wednesday, August 10th). It will count 20% toward your grade. Note: No make-ups or early exams will be allowed; you must take the exam to pass the class.
12. Catering Groups: Obviously, you cannot have a course on food without actually tasting some. So, the class will be divided into six catering groups, and be assigned one course of a six-course meal (appetizer, salad, soup, main, cheese, and dessert). Starting Monday, June 27th, one catering group a week will provide a dish from their assigned course for the entire class. The courses needn’t be extravagant, but it is an opportunity to explore new dishes and tastes, so don’t be afraid to be creative. This will be the basis for your participation grade.

GRADING BREAKDOWN
Item Point: Value/Word Count*/SLO
1. Diagnostic Essay**: 10 pts./450 words/1-4
2. Literary Analysis/Short Answer Responses**: 20 pts./450 words/1-4
3. Expository Essay: 20 pts./750 words/1-4
4. Persuasive Essay: 20 pts./750 words/1-5
5. Editorial Essay: 20 pts./750 words/1-6
6. Comparative Analysis Essay**: 20 pts./450 words/1-4
7. Synthesis Essay: 20 pts./750 words/1-5
8. Research Paper: 50 pts./2500 words/1-5
9. Reflections: 80 pts. (8 @ 10 pts.)/4000 words/1-3, 6
10. PowerPoint Presentation: 10 pts.
11. Final Exam: 70 pts.
12. Catering Groups: 10 pts.

Total points: 350 pts.
Approximate word count: 10850

* One typed-page in MLA Style is approximately 250 words, while one handwritten page is approximately 150 words
**Denotes an in-class essay 

COURSE SCHEDULE
Note that this schedule is subject to change. Always consult EauZone for the most up-to-date information and schedule. Consider this hard copy of the syllabus only a rough guide and already out-of-date.

Key:
EM (Via Email)
eR (eReader)
GDoc (Google Docs)
KITCH (Kitchen Confidential)
OMNI (The Omnivore’s Dilemma)

Week 1
Mon 6.6
In-class: Syllabus review; Introductions; Food quiz; Catering group sign-ups

Wed 6.8
Read: OMNI—pg. 1-84
In-class: DIAGNOSTIC ESSAY; Reading discussion; Sample PowerPoint presentation; Preview—Research paper topics 

Week 2
Mon 6.13
Read: OMNI—pg. 85-286; eR—“Africa's Hungry Tribe” by Alex Renton from The Observer; “The Inconvenience of Being Vegan” by Nil Zacharias from The Huffington Post, “Care for Something Saucy?” by Robert Sietsema from Salon
In-class: Reading discussion; PowerPoint presentation sign- ups; Lecture—“Introduction to the Steps of the Writing Process”

Wed 6.15
Read: OMNI—pg. 286-363; eR—“Food Trucks in the Driver's Seat” by Kevin Pang from The Chicago Tribune, “Ignore Expiration Dates” by Nadia Arumugam from Slate
In-class: Reading discussion; Presentations
Due: REFLECTION 1

Week 3
Mon 6.20
Read: OMNI—pg. 364-411; EM—“Sorry Fugu” by T.C. Boyle from T.C. Boyle Stories, “Taste” by Roald Dahl from The New Yorker, “A Piece of Pie” by Damon Runyon from Guys and Dolls: The Stories of Damon Runyon, “Last Requests” by Giles Smith from Speaking with the Angel
In-class: Reading discussion; Presentations

Wed 6.22
Read: EM—“The Second Bakery Attack” by Haruki Murakami from The Elephant Vanishes, “January: Christmas Rolls” by Laura Esquivel from Like Water for Chocolate, “A Small, Good Thing” by Raymond Carver from Where I'm Calling From: Stories, “Feast” by Diane Mason from Gluttony: Ample Tales of Epicurean Excess
In-class: Library session (Meet in MLK Library; location TBA); Reading discussion; Presentations
Due: REFLECTION 2 

Week 4
Mon 6.27
Read: eR— “Organic Foods: Are They Safer? More Nutritious?” from The Mayo Clinic, “All You Can’t Eat” by Crystal Allen from Metro Silicon Valley, “Organic Food is No Healthier, Study Finds” by Ben Hirschler from Reuters; GDoc—“Feast of Burden” by Sara Deseren from 7x7
In-class: LITERARY ANALYSIS/SHORT ANSWER RESPONSES; Reading discussion; Presentations
Due: EXPOSITORY ESSAY
Catering: Group 1—Appetizer Course

Wed 6.29
Read: eR—“Is Local Food Really Miles Better?” by Roberta Kwok from Salon, “Organicize Me” by Michael A. Stusser from Seattle Weekly, “Don't Write Off Organic Food” by Molly Conisbee from The Daily Telegraph, “Is Organic Food Marketing Hype?” from Newsweek
In-class: Book discussion; Lecture—“Food on Film”
Due: REFLECTION 3 

Week 5
Mon 7.4 
No class—Independence Day

Wed 7.6
Read: eR—“Leave Calorie Counts Off the Menu” by Trice Whitefield from The Los Angeles Times, Drink Nutrition Information from Starbucks, “How Many Calories Do You Think Are in this Muffin?” by Lisa Gosselin from EatingWell; GDoc—Editorial: New Law Will Help Those Who Want It from The Chico Enterprise Record
In-class: Reading discussion; Presentations
Due: REFLECTION 4
Catering: Group 2—Salad Course

Week 6
Mon 7.11
Read: eR—“California Calorie Law Alters Chains' Fare” by M.S. Enkoji from The Sacramento Bee, “Want a Warning Label with Those Fries?” by Jeff Jacoby from The Boston Globe, “Health Law Makes Calorie Counts Hard to Hide” by Mary Clare Jalonick from MSNBC, Cheesecake Factory Nutritional Guide from NutritionAnalysis.com
In-class: Reading Discussion, Presentations, Writers Workshop
Due: PERSUASIVE ESSAY

Wed 7.13
Read: KITCH—pg. 3-74
In-class: Reading Discussion; Watch—Food Inc. (2008)
Due: REFLECTION 5

Week 7 
Mon 7.18
Read: KITCH—pg. 75-218; eR—Sara Rue 2010 Print Advertisement from Jenny Craig, “What's the Best Diet? Eating Less Food” by Tiffany Sharples from Time, “Choose Your Bad” Cartoon by Cathy Thorne from EverydayPeopleCartoons, “10 Things the Weight-Loss Industry Won't Say” by Trevor Delaneylisa Scherzer from SmartMoney 
In-class: Reading discussion; Writers workshop; Presentations
Due: EDITORIAL ESSAY (DRAFT 1, BRING 3 COPIES) 
Catering: Group 3—Soup Course

Wed 7.20
Read: KITCH—pg. 219-295; eR—“Hottest Bodies 2010" from People, Overweight and Obesity — Statistics from The American Heart Association, Scene from “Brush with Greatness” from The Simpsons In-class: Reading discussion; Presentations
Due: REFLECTION 6; EDITORIAL ESSAY (FINAL DRAFT, ATTACH A COPY OF YOUR ORIGINAL DRAFT)

Week 8 
Mon 7.25
In-class: COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS ESSAY; Presentations
Catering: Group 4—Main Course

Wed 7.27
In-class: Writers workshop; Presentations
Due: REFLECTION 7; RESEARCH PAPER (DRAFT 1, BRING IN THREE COPIES OF THE FIRST THREE PAGES OF YOUR RESEARCH PAPER)

Week 9 
Mon 8.1
In-class: Field trip (Details TBA)
Due: SYNTHESIS ESSAY

Wed 8.3
In-class: Writers workshop; presentations
Due: REFLECTION 8; RESEARCH PAPER (DRAFT 2, BRING IN THREE COPIES OF THE FIRST SIX PAGES OF YOUR RESEARCH PAPER) 
Catering: Group 5—Cheese Course

Week 10 
Mon 8.8
In-class: Final exam preparation; Presentations

Wed 8.10
In-class: FINAL EXAM, Course review
Due: RESEARCH PAPER (FINAL DRAFT) 
Catering: Group 4—Dessert Course

Week 01: Caramel Croissant Pudding

Caramel Croissant Pudding from Nigella Lawson's Nigella Express (BBC Two, UK)

Mon 6.6 
In-class: Syllabus review; Introductions; Food quiz; Catering group sign-ups

Wed 6.8 
Read: OMNI pg. 1-84
In-class: DIAGNOSTIC ESSAY; Reading discussion; Sample PowerPoint presentation