essay

ESSAY 2 prompts

Many of you encountered sources or other conversations related to or around your topics for essay one that you couldn’t fully pursue. For this longer essay, you might want to take up that issue and make a claim that moves well beyond what you examined in essay one. For example, you might have written a paper about a specific type of compression sock, and stumbled on some writing about “barefoot running.” Your next paper might explore how companies have taken advantage of this “barefoot running” fad with minimalist running shoe products and how these products use shoddy science to sell people on potentially dangerous running practices.

Or, you might be sick of your topic. Consider this alternative to find a new conversation to enter.

Think about a community or group that you are a member of. This can be concrete or abstract. For example, you may belong to a church group or Habitat for Humanity, or you may be a cyclist or a painter. Think about where you think you belong and what it means to belong. What are some issues or challenges this community faces? For example, you might be active in an advocacy group like NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) and write about a struggle that organization faces in adapting its mission to address a broad spectrum of different mental health challenges. Please note that while your personal experience should inspire and guide you initially, your aim should extend far beyond the personal. Ultimately, this assignment requires you to develop a larger context, one that draws from a variety of perspectives and sources.