For your first essay, go back to the visual guide for writing critical summaries on page 55, and use that form to organize a formal essay summarizing an op-ed article you've chosen from a national news source. You can choose the source and the subject, an

 For your first essay, go back to the visual guide for writing critical summaries on page 55, and use that form to organize a formal essay summarizing an op-ed article you've chosen from a national news source. You can choose the source and the subject, and I'd encourage you to choose something you're interested in, whether it's about college football or Scandinavian Death Metal music--or anything in between. Most national news sources will have a tab that takes you to their "Opinion" or "Op-ed" pages. Your essay should be 4 to 6 pages in length, and should focus on summarizing the author's position and critiquing its validity, not arguing about the issue.