PDF VERSION OF ASSIGNMENT

You are asked to complete the reading and writing assignment included below. You must complete the reading prior to fall quarter beginning.  Email the assignment to the UHP office prior to September 14, 2009.

Reading Assignment:
Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World by Tracy Kidder.

Mountains Beyond Mountains is available at local libraries and bookstores. You may also purchase a used, discounted copy online at half.com, amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and borders.com.

**Mountains Beyond Mountains will also be used during the First Year Honors course HNPG 009, so you are encouraged to take notes and bring them with you in the fall.**

Writing Assignment:
Choose ONE of the following essay prompts and write a 2-3 page reflection paper responding to the prompt. You are encouraged to use specific examples for both the book and your own life.

1. How did the book Mountains Beyond Mountains influence your ideas about civic engagement and personal responsibility? How might you participate in civic engagement while a student at UC Riverside?

2. What is the significance and meaning of the book’s title Mountains Beyond Mountains, taken from the Haitian proverb “beyond mountains there are mountains.” What does this phrase mean to you and your own life?

3. Do you think Paul Farmer inspires others to work for the common good? Explain how and why you think this. What effect or meaning does Paul Farmer’s story have on you personally? How might you participate in civic engagement at UC Riverside?

4. How do you believe Paul Farmer’s unique childhood influenced who he became as an adult? How did your own childhood influence the person you are becoming? What are your goals and how might your experience at UC Riverside help you achieve these goals?

Essay Guidelines:
2-3 pages
12 pt. Font, Times New Roman
Double Spaced
1-inch Margins

This assignment is to be completed by all new, first year University Honors Program participants. The goal of this assignment is to help nurture in students a sense of social responsibility as citizens in a diverse world, and to help foster the value of self-reflection and introspection.

Please read: Allison, Jay, and Dan Gediman. This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women. New York: Henry Holt, 2007.

“This I Believe” Essay: This assignment is based on National Public Radio’s “This I Believe” audio essay series, which asks Americans to write about their beliefs in essays meant to be performed for a public audience. Your essays will be shared in class in the fall and some will be selected for submission to the “This I Believe” radio project. As the series creators explain, “Your story need not be heart-warming or gutwrenching—it can even be funny—but it should be real. Make sure your story ties to the essence of your daily life philosophy and the shaping of your beliefs.”

To begin, think about your day-to-day life. What influences your decisions, your outlook, and your interaction with your environment? What principles guide your life? After you’ve established one belief to focus on, you will then need to choose a specific, personal story to tell in order to illustrate this belief and how you live by it. The important thing is to be specific in your details; this is an essay that can only be written by you.

This is a short essay of 450-500 words, so you will need to be concise and choose only the most important details necessary to describing your belief. You’ll want to have a good “lead,” a sentence or two that draws your reader in and sets up the topic. You’ll need to then state your belief. This should be followed by a story that shows your belief in action and demonstrates how your belief shapes your daily life. You have several options as to how you approach your topic; you can use humor, or you can take a more serious approach. Think about what style would best reflect your own personality, and best reflect the belief you choose to discuss, but be sure to avoid lecturing to your audience.  

Other Suggestions: Here are the suggestions from the producers of the “This I Believe” series about writing your essay.

1. Tell a story. Be specific. Take your belief out of the ether and ground it in the events of your life. Consider moments when a belief was formed or tested or changed. Think of your own experience, work, and family, and tell of the things you know that no one else does. Your story need not be heart-warming or gut-wrenching—it can even be funny— but it should be real. Make sure your story ties to the essence of your daily life philosophy and the shaping of your beliefs.

2. Be brief. Your statement should be between 450 and 500 words. That’s about three minutes when read aloud at your natural pace.

3. Name your belief. If you can’t name it in a sentence or two, your essay might not be about belief. Also, rather than writing a list, consider focusing on one belief, because three minutes is a very short time.

4. Be positive. Please avoid preaching or editorializing. Tell us what you believe, not what you don’t believe. Avoid speaking in the editorial “we.” Make your essay about you; speak in the first person.

5. Be personal. Write in words and phrases that are comfortable for you to speak. We recommend you read your essay aloud several times to yourself and each time edit it and simplify it until you find the words, tone and story that truly echo your belief and the way you speak.

Essays must be between 450-500 words; it is important that you keep your essay within this parameter. They must also be typed and double-spaced, with one inch margins, using the 12 point Times New Roman font.

Please consult the “This I Believe” webpage for more guidelines on to how to write a good essay, and to also read sample essays. http://www.thisibelieve.org

Essays will be turned in at the first Honors 009 course discussion held in fall quarter. As a class, in the lecture and in the discussion sections, we will raise questions, pose problems, interpret readings, challenge each others’ ideas, and engage in workshop-style activities, including peer review.

Grading Criteria: Points the grader will take into consideration.

• You have a clearly stated belief that guides your essay

• You use a specific story or experience and incorporate concrete details in order to illustrate how this belief shapes your life

• Your essay is personalized and unique to you and expresses your own voice

• Your essay is well organized and your thoughts developed in an effective manner

• Your essay stays within the length requirement of 450-500 words

• Your essay shows signs of careful proofreading, with no grammatical or spelling errors

What We Believe About Learning
We believe students learn best when they teach each other.
We believe students learn best in small groups or teams.
We believe students learn best when they respect one another.
We believe students learn best when they are expected to do well.
We believe students learn best from teachers who are students.
We believe students learn best when they are challenged to think, feel, and do.
We believe students learn best when they enjoy learning.
We believe students learn best when they can relate learning to their lives

When you finish typing your essay add this permission statement at the bottom and sign it before you turn in the essay.

PERMISSION: Your statement may be included in a newspaper story or sent to the producers of the

“This I Believe” radio show, or put together in one booklet to be shared with others. If you agree to any or all of these uses, when you turn in your essay, please sign, date and return this sheet with it.

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