hey guys let’s talk about cool stuff #swag

a First Year Writing Seminar at Cornell University.

…wait, what is this?

You’re looking at a syllabus for a course called ‘hey guys let’s talk about cool stuff #swag’. Yes, that is the official title. This course is a First Year Writing Seminar being offered at Cornell University for the 2015 Spring semester. The course is held in Uris Hall 382, from 11:40 am to 1 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

It’s taught by me. My government name is Dexter Thomas, Jr. I study Japanese hip-hop for a living. My work email is dlt73 [at] cornell [dot] edu.

I’m interested in cool stuff and hope you are too.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

copied from the course listing.

What is cool? I’m dead serious yo, nobody I know seems to have an answer.

Do you listen to cool music? Do you wear cool clothes? Why? How do you know?

We’ll probably talk mostly about fashion and music. We’ll also talk about how race and gender might figure into the ‘cool’ equation, and maybe think about what ‘cool’ means in other societies. These are pretty hard questions, so you’ll have to be ready to work hard — but you’ll leave the class with a better idea of what ‘cool’ is.

If you sat at the cool table for the past 4 years of your life, or if you never got to, or if you didn’t care — this class is for you.

CLASS PHILOSOPHY.

This course is not one in which an instructor feeds you information and you regurgitate it for a good grade. You (the student) and I (the instructor) are almost certainly going to disagree on some things, and that’s just fine (see the Grading section below).

It’s probably easiest to think of this course as a small, independent publication/think tank focused on the concept of ‘cool’. Your job is to look carefully and thoughtfully at the world around you, and produce a series of essays that would help a potential reader understand your stance on what ‘cool’ means to you. You’ll be using the process of writing and editing to help you define, and refine, that stance for yourself. You’re also responsible for helping your fellow writers do the same.

My job is to provide whatever support everyone needs in that process.

THE WORK.

WRITING.

Written assignments will make up 60% of your grade.

Most of your work will be ‘turned in’ via Medium (that is, the site you’re looking at now). When you submit an essay, it will only be accessible to me, and other members of the class. We’ll take advantage of that closed space to read and comment on each other’s work via the commenting function. Your work will never be made public without your permission. But if you’re particularly proud of something you’ve done, you’re welcome (and encouraged) to share it with the world.

Because you’ll be writing on Medium, you’ll also have an opportunity to get experience working with digital publishing. I want to see good writing, but I also want to see good use of the medium (sorry). That means embedding images, audio files, YouTube videos, and hyperlinking to your sources.

PARTICIPATION.

40% of your grade will come from your participation. This will include leading and participating in class discussions on assigned readings/videos, as well as reading other’s essays and providing feedback.

I don’t grade for participation per se, but I do take attendance. I expect you to be both physically and mentally present for each session. If you show up later than 10 minutes after course starts, I’ll consider you physically absent for the day. If you’re too busy checking Instagram on your phone to answer a question a classmate asked you during class, I’ll consider you mentally absent for the day. You’re either here, or you’re not.

Similarly, if you are not holding up your end of the load in peer reviews — either by leaving thoughtless comments on fellow student’s work, or by not participating at all, I’ll consider you mentally absent for that session.

You get two free absences — mental or physical. Anything after that will result in one third of a letter grade reduction per session. If you are going to be mentally or physically not with us for a session, let me know (via Slack — see below) before the session starts. You’ll be responsible for checking in with me and/or your fellow students to see what you missed.

Writing may seem like a lonely journey (sometimes, it is), but we’ve got a room full of people that are all heading the same direction. Let’s take advantage of that.

REGARDING CLASS DISCUSSIONS.

We’ll be discussing topics that may be new, unfamiliar, and/or uncomfortable for some — race, gender, and sexual orientation being among them. Come to class ready to learn and listen with respect. We don’t have time or room for put-downs, or talk that disregards the lives or experiences of anyone, for any reason.

Also, there’s a difference between contributing to the class discussion and talking over your classmates. Debate is great, attacking and shutting others down isn’t. This little trick might be helpful. Let me know if you feel like you might be on the delivering or receiving end of this, and we’ll address it in private.

I DON’T GRADE PAPERS.

The short version: don’t worry about it. If you work hard, you’ll do great.

The long version: if you fulfill the requirements of the course and do good work, you’re guaranteed a B. If you do excellent work, you’ll get an A. If you come up short anywhere (e.g. not turning in assignments, missing or not participating in class), your grade will suffer.

The reasoning: I want you to concentrate on the process of thinking, collaborating, and writing. It’s hard to take risks if you’re preoccupied with figuring out what some dude in a tweed jacket wants you to say. Also, I don’t want to give you the mistaken impression that you’re writing for me. You’re not. You’re writing for yourself, for your peers, and maybe even the world.

I want to concentrate on reading, appreciating, and thinking about your writing, and what you have to say. It’s a little hard to do that if I’ve got a red pen in my hand the whole time. So, I won’t be grading individual papers, at all.

If any of the above makes you uncomfortable, you’re welcome to ask me how you’re doing in class, and I’ll be happy to tell you more or less what your overall performance merits.

AT LEAST ONCE, YOU’LL GET TO WRITE ABOUT WHATEVER YOU LIKE.

For your final project, you’ll have the opportunity to pick a topic of your own interest and dive deeper, and produce a 2000-word essay on the topic. Want to finally explain once and for all what in the world everyone that bought a Von Dutch cap in 2004 was thinking? Great. Have a burning desire to tell the world about why Snapchat is both the coolest thing ever and the sign of the Apocalypse? Go for it. Need help coming up with a topic? Let the class know, and we’ll work with you. This will be half of your Assignments grade (so, 30% overall).

For the last three sessions of class, we’ll host a conference, and everyone will do a short, 5–7 minute presentation on their project. This is your chance to show off your work. We’ll get a big room, you can invite your friends, and we’ll make a party of it. After each session, there will be time for questions and answers.

You can then take the feedback you get from your presentation and use that to improve your final research project, which will be due during Finals week.

THE LOGISTICS.

COMMUNICATION.

All digital communication for this course will be conducted via a piece of collaboration software called Slack. It’s what you’ll use to contact me, collaborate with other students, and occasionally turn in short assignments. I’ll also use it to distribute PDFs of readings that aren’t available online, and send you extended comments on your essays.

You’re also required to meet with me twice during the semester for a scheduled one-on-one conference, but you’re encouraged to meet with me more often if you like. I’m in the Ivy Room on Wednesdays from noon-2 pm. If that time slot doesn’t work for you, drop me a line on Slack and we’ll work something out.

INFORMATION IS FREE, SORT OF.

We’ll be using a combination of videos, online articles, and individual book chapters that I’ll be able to share with the class under fair use conventions, so there are no required texts that you’ll have to purchase upfront. If you’re interested in a particular book we sample, though, it might be worth buying it — especially if you think you might use it for your final project. Just about everything we’ll be using in this class is available on Amazon or local stores for $10 or so. Or, try the Cornell library, or the local Ithaca library.

USE YOUR RESOURCES.

There are a lot of resources on campus that you might not be familiar with. I’m here to help you with your writing, and so are your classmates. But if you’d like to get a extra fresh (and free) set of eyes, check out the Knight Institute’s Writing Walk-In Service. For general work/life balance questions, the Learning Strategies Center has information and sessions on study skills and time management strategies. If you have any unique needs, you can look up Student Disability Services.

OFFICIAL POLICY ON DIGITAL DEVICES

It’s 2015. Bring and use whatever you like.

CHEATING ISN’T COOL.

Well, maybe it is, I don’t know. But I’m here to read your writing, not someone else’s. So, please do your own work. If you’re borrowing from someone else, give them credit, either via a link or citation. We’ll go over that in class, but if you forget, or anything is unclear, read this and take this quiz.

GUEST LECTURES.

Occasionally, we’ll have an expert to come in and chat with us about a particular subject. Right now, I’ve tentatively got a lineup of artists, activists, scholars, and culture professionals that have kindly agreed to share their time and expertise with us. Some of them may be in person, and others will be done remotely via Skype. Schedules are subject to change, but I encourage you to take advantage of these opportunities. Bring questions, and keep them (and their email addresses) in mind when you’re preparing your final project.

By the way, if you know of someone that might be interested in talking with our class, drop me a line.

YOU CAN’T AUDIT THE CLASS. WELL, NOT IN PERSON.

Apparently, there are a lot of people that want to take this course. That’s really encouraging, but unfortunately the course is capped at 17 students, and I don’t have any power to change that. I also can’t really let people audit, either.

But, if you’re really and truly interested in this course, there is one option. You won’t be able to actually physically crash course meetings (we only have so much room in the classroom), but you can follow along at home. If you’re willing to keep up, do the readings, and write the assignments, then I’m happy to read your work and send you my thoughts. Send me an email and I’ll get you started.

Keep this in mind, though: I can’t offer you Cornell credit, or any official certification of any kind. It will be a little like playing intramural football — you’ll get most of the fun, all of the injuries, but none of the credit. If you ever need a letter of recommendation, though, I’ll be happy to write you one (as myself, not as a Cornell employee. This will probably only be useful after I am famous, which I can’t really guarantee.)

Incidentally, this offer also applies for people that are not Cornell students. If you can promise me that you’ll stick with it, I’ll work with you.

Enough of that stuff though, let’s get to the…

CLASS SCHEDULE.

Everything below is subject to change. Actually, there’s a very high probability that it will.

For each session, there is a ‘Required Consumption’ section. Come to class having read, watched, or listened to the media listed. I won’t test you on anything, but I may ask you to write a 100–200 word response to some aspect of the assignment. If you’re unable to do this, you run the risk of being considered non-present.

If something is listed as ‘due’ on a particular day, that means that it must be completed and digitally accessible by me by the beginning of class.

WEEK 1 : INTRODUCTION

THURSDAY, JANUARY 22

Introductory meeting. We’ll run through everything talked about above, and make sure everyone’s on board.

WEEK 2: AN INTRODUCTION TO COOL

TUESDAY, JANUARY 27

Due by Monday, January 26:

Set up your Medium and Slack accounts. You’ll need permission to access the group Medium Publication as well as the Slack group, so send me an email with a link to your Medium user account (e.g. https://medium.com/@dexdigi), and I’ll add you to both.

We will handle any troubleshooting during class. I’ll also run a short session explaining how to use both.

REQUIRED CONSUMPTION:

1. Medium help documentation. Make sure you know how to use the Medium editor, use some advanced tricks, and navigate the site.
2. Read everything on this page, and take this quiz.

DUE:

1. Due in class: Essay 1: The Teen Market
   (I’ll give you details on the 22nd).
2. Bring your laptop or preferred digital device to class. If you don’t have a laptop you can use, let me know and we’ll get you hooked up.
3. Bring the coolest picture you have of yourself. A digital copy is fine.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 29

REQUIRED CONSUMPTION:

1. Read John Leland: Hip: The History chapter 1
2. Watch Blacks and Vaudeville [link]

IN CLASS CONSUMPTION:

1. Watch History Detectives: Slave Songbook: [link]
   (Feel free to watch this ahead of time if you like.)

WEEK 3: STYLE AND SIGNALS

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3

REQUIRED CONSUMPTION:

1. Watch Stuart Hall lecture (all parts): [link]
   If you want to read along, here’s a PDF transcript of the above: [link]

IN-CLASS WORK:
20 minute essay on discrimination.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5

REQUIRED CONSUMPTION:

1. Read Dick Hebdige: Subculture: The Meaning of Style – Introduction only.
2. Read John Leland: Hip: The History – Chapter 8, Chapter 13.
3. Listen to How to Speak Hip (all tracks) [YouTube link]. I’d also recommend doing some Googling to learn about this record.
4. Watch Cab Calloway’s ‘Hepster’s Dictionary’ [YouTube link]

WEEK 4: CONSUMER SOCIETY

(Monday at 5pm: Revised In-Class Essay Due)

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10

REQUIRED CONSUMPTION:

1. Read John Leland: Hip: The History — Chapter 13.

IN CLASS:
We’ll talk a bit about some concepts from Frederic Jameson’s ‘Post Modernism and Consumer Society’ [PDF link]

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12

REQUIRED CONSUMPTION:
Note: below is just a selection of today’s required media. See the Slack group for the rest of them.

1. Read: Google Glass Failed Because It Just Wasn’t Cool [link]
2. Read: NY Mag: Why Brands Tweet ‘Bae’ [link]
3. Read: Digiday: Bae, is your social media strategy on fleek? [link]
4. Read: You Say You Want a Devolution? [link]
5. Read: Do Fashion Trends Still Exist? [link]
6. Watch: Counter Culture: The Curse of Online Status [link]

ESSAY 2 DUE:
“Why I buy Brand X”

IN-CLASS EVENT:

Guest Lecture by Michael J. Miraflor, VP of Strategy at Zenith Media.

WEEK 5: JAZZ HITS JAPAN.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 17

No Class — February Break. Yo, we get a break in February? #swag

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19

REQUIRED CONSUMPTION:

1. Read E. Taylor Atkins: Blue Nippon: Authenticating Jazz in Japan — Chapter 3.
2. Read Dick Hebdige: Subculture: The Meaning of Style: Chapter 4.

RESPONSE DUE:
Response to Guest Lecture on Advertising

WEEK 6: JAPANESE ROCKABILLY TO RAP

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24

REQUIRED CONSUMPTION:

1. Read Michael Bourdaghs — Sayonara Amerika, Sayonara Nippon Chapter 3

IN-CLASS EVENT:
Music Listening Test. Don’t worry, you won’t fail it.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26

REQUIRED CONSUMPTION:

1. Read Ian Condry: Hip-Hop Japan. Introduction, Ch 1
2. Watch VICE Japan documentary on Japanese hip-hop [YouTube link]

DUE:
Proposal for essay 3

WEEK 7: …OUR ASIAN RAP OVERLORDS

TUESDAY, MARCH 3

REQUIRED CONSUMPTION:

1. Read Dexter Thomas, Jr: ‘It G Ma made Asian Rap History’ [link]
2. Read Shaina F: ‘It G Ma’, OG Maco, Killer Whales and the Perpetual Tension between Appropriation and Appreciation’ [link]
3. Read on Kotaku: Blackface Continues in Japan. In 2015. [link]
4. Read Baye McNeil: ‘Time to shut down this modern minstrel show’ [link]

THURSDAY, MARCH 5

DUE: ESSAY 3.

In class, we’ll be doing peer reading and collaborating on Essay 3. Make sure to come prepared.

WEEK 8: ORIENTALISM.

TUESDAY, MARCH 10

REQUIRED CONSUMPTION:

1. Watch Edward Said on Orientalism: [link]
   If you want to read along, here’s a PDF transcript.

THURSDAY, MARCH 12

REQUIRED CONSUMPTION:

1. Watch Reel Bad Arabs. [link]

WEEK 9: M.I.A. AND COOL TERRORISTS

TUESDAY, MARCH 17

REQUIRED CONSUMPTION:

1. Read ‘Fox News host calls for mass murder of Islamists’ [link]
2. Read ‘Fox News Host Says Skin Tone Determines Whether You Look Like a “Bad Guy”’ [link]
3. Read ‘Our War With Radical Islam’ on the Cornell Daily Sun [link]
4. Watch M.I.A. — Paper Planes [link]

THURSDAY, MARCH 19

REQUIRED CONSUMPTION:

1. Read ‘M.I.A. Confronts the Haters’ [link]
2. Read ‘M.I.A. Returns with an All New Agenda’ [link]
3. Read ‘The Dissonant Undertones of M.I.A.’ [link]
4. Watch Bad Girls [link],
5. Watch Born Free [link]

WEEK 10: THE POLITICS OF COOL

TUESDAY, MARCH 24

REQUIRED CONSUMPTION:

1. Read the Introduction from Greg Gutfeld’s Not Cool: The Hipster Elite and Their War on You.

THURSDAY, MARCH 26

DUE IN CLASS:

Essay #4.

WEEK 11: CHILL OUT BRO.

NO CLASS — SPRING BREAK.

WEEK 12: THE COOL OF POLITICS.

TUESDAY, APRIL 7

REQUIRED CONSUMPTION:

Watch Black Power Mixtape.
It’s on Netflix, or you can watch it on YouTube (with Spanish subs).

THURSDAY, APRIL 9

REQUIRED CONSUMPTION:

1. Watch Eyes on the Prize [YouTube link]
2. Read Angela Davis — Afro Images [JStor link]
3. Read Michael Collett — ‘Now is the Time for a Black Design’ [link].
4. Additional media to be determined.

WEEK 13: WILL THE REAL ____ PLEASE STAND UP?

TUESDAY, APRIL 14

REQUIRED CONSUMPTION:

1. Read Selections from Greg Gutfeld — Not Cool.
2. Read Badass Collective Bringing Direct Action to Black Communities [link]
3. Read News Media Ignores Black Protests [link]

THURSDAY, APRIL 16

REQUIRED CONSUMPTION:

1. Read: On Race at Cornell, Dodging the Bullet [link]

IN CLASS EVENT:
Guest Lecture (TBA)

WEEK 14: THE BAMBOO CEILING

TUESDAY, APRIL 21

1. Read Bamboo-Ceiling TV on Vulture: [link]

2. Read ‘Journalist Asks “Fresh Off The Boat” Stars About Chopsticks’: [link]

3. Read Vijay Prashad: Bruce Lee and the Anti-Imperialism of Kung Fu [pdf link]

4. Watch (Optional): Bruce Lee Interview: [link]
(This is optional, but seriously, everyone should see this.)

DUE:
Response to Gentrification Guest Lecture

THURSDAY, APRIL 23

REQUIRED CONSUMPTION:

1. Adorno — On Jazz.
   (This one might get added to a previous week, depending on time constraints.)

In Class:
Peer Review Workshop for Research Essay

WEEK 15: PRESENTATIONS.

TUESDAY, APRIL 28

Research Project Presentations [Venue TBD]

THURSDAY, APRIL 30

Research Project Presentations [Venue TBD]

WEEK 16: PRESENTATIONS, CONTINUED.

TUESDAY, MAY 5

Research Project Presentations [Venue TBD]

(NO CLASS THURSDAY)

…

EXAM PERIOD

Thursday, May 14 at 11:30 am — Final Research Project Due