Making Your Place

A year-long, interdisciplinary program for the Grays Harbor community offered by The
Evergreen State College
Program web site: http://www2.evergreen.edu/EvergreenatGH

Faculty: Marla Elliott and Rick McKinnon
Marla Elliott has a Master of Fine Arts in
drama, has organized and run volunteer
lawyer programs, and has been an
activist in women's issues and poverty
law for over 25 years.
Rick McKinnon has a Ph.D. in linguistics,
has worked as a linguist and pediatric
speech-language pathologist, and is a
mediator and a citizen journalist.
The program will meet in intensive weekends.
Saturday Oct. 3rd, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on TESC campus
Saturday Oct. 17th 9 to 5, Sunday Oct. 18th 9 to 5 at GHC
Saturday Nov. 7th 9 to 5, Sunday Nov. 8th 9 to 5 at GHC
Friday Dec. 4th, 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday Dec. 5th, 9 to 5, and
Sunday Dec. 6th, 9 to 5 at GHC
Because web-based learning activities will be a
significant part of the program’s work, all students must
have access to internet-linked computers. Students enrolled
for 12 credits must participate in a web-based seminar each
Wednesday evening 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Program Description:
On the one hand, all human beings are born into and form communities. On the other hand, Americans
idealize individualism and self-reliance. What do we get from these values, and what do they cost us? In this
broadly interdisciplinary program, we will blend an analysis of our core social structures with an opportunity for
each student to explore his or her personal opportunities for participation and action.
Using perspectives from psychology, linguistics, evolutionary biology, law, literature, and drama, students
will work throughout the year to understand community, to develop eloquent expression—both written and oral
— and to examine ways to use that eloquence to address a variety of audiences and issues. Our learning about
community will be grounded by a close examination of how humans evolved, how they develop, and how they
associate. Analysis of theory will lead to practical applications and suggestions for ways to work with and
within communities. Issues of social justice and diversity will form a consistent background for themes
developed throughout the year.
In fall quarter, we will study intimate communities, particularly families and musical ensembles. In winter,
we will look at how our sense of community broadens into the larger affinities of schools, spiritual groups, and
community organizations. In spring quarter, our focus will be on government and civic responsibility and the
emerging role of technology in creating and connecting ever-larger communities.
Throughout the year students will work on creating and performing oral history monologues based on
interviews they conduct—in fall quarter with each other and in subsequent quarters with significant people they
choose. These projects in documentary theatre will allow students to celebrate members of their communities
while developing cross-disciplinary skills in interviewing, editing, and oral eloquence and gaining the poise and
confidence necessary to articulate their ideas across a range of contexts, both personal and public.
Students enrolled for 12 credits will complete a significant independent project each quarter. Fall’s project
will be a research paper 10 to 12 pages long, exclusive of bibliography, on a topic of the student’s choice related
to our program themes. In winter quarter, students will complete a major art project in a medium of their choice
and present it to the class (e.g., photography, sculpture, other visual art, music, drama, dance, etc.). In spring

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quarter, students will create an enduring web-based collaborative project that will benefit their communities.

Schedule of Activities
In-person class meetings are listed in bold.
Performance project and research paper deadlines are in italics.
WEE DATE ACTIVITIES
K
1 Sat. Oct 3 Introductions and Orientation
At TESC Create small groups & seminar groups
S2 B1107 Academic advising workshop
Other campus logistics: bookstore, student IDs, library, etc.
Computer center: learn how to post essays & responses,
how to find learning materials, how to record & transcribe
2 Before 10/17 Find and bring to class two interviews related to our readings.
Wed. Oct. 7 Virtual office hours & webinar
Fri. Oct. 9 Post essay on Bloom by 6 p.m.
3 Tues. Oct 13 Post response to other’s Bloom essay by 6 P.M.
Wed. Oct. 14 Virtual office hours & webinar
part 1 of research paper due
Fri. Oct. 16 Post essay on Gibson
Sat. Oct 17 Orientation to Evolutionary Psychology
at GHC Seminar on Bloom
Rm 2250 Workshop on interview questions: bring interviews
Techniques for conducting interviews
Sun. Oct 18 Orientation to Theatre Arts
at GHC Seminar on Gibson
Edit interview questions,
Conduct pre-interview, begin interview process
4 Before Nov. 7 Conduct interview, transcribe, provide transcript to subject.
Subject edits interview for content and accuracy and returns to
interviewer.
Wed. Oct 21 Virtual office hours & webinar
Fri. Oct. 23 Post essay on Ehrenreich
5 Tues. Oct. 27 Post response to other’s Ehrenreich essay by 6 P.M.
Wed. Oct 28 Virtual office hours & webinar
Fri. Oct 30 Post essay on Coontz
6 Wed. Nov. 4 Virtual office hours & webinar
Part 2 of research paper due
Fri. Nov 6 Post response to other’s Coontz essay
Virtual movie night! Watch The Commitments on the web
Sat. Nov. 7 Seminar on The Commitments
at GHC Workshop on Evolution of Cooperation
Seminar on Ehrenreich
Workshop on editing transcripts into poems; bring edited
transcript

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WEE DATE ACTIVITIES
K
Sun. Nov. 8 Workshop: Museum of the American Family
at GHC Seminar on Coontz
Workshop on acting and orally interpreting poems; bring draft
poem
7 Before Dec. 4 Finish composing poem, memorize, rehearse
Wed. Nov. 11 Virtual office hours & webinar
Fri. Nov. 13 Post essay on Pinker chapters. 1-7
8 Wed. Nov. 18 Virtual office hours & webinar
Fri. Nov. 20 Post response to other’s Pinker chs. 1-7 essay
Break Tues. Nov. 24 Post essay on Pinker chapters. 8-end
week Wed. Nov. 25 Part 3 of research paper due
9 Tues. Dec. 1 Post response to other’s Pinker chs. 8-end essay
Wed. Dec. 2 Virtual office hours & webinar
Final research paper due
Fri. Dec. 4 Performances
at GHC
Sat. Dec. 5 Workshop on Pinker
at GHC First Seminar on Pinker—“looking under the hood” of language
Performances
Sun. Dec. 6 Second seminar on Pinker –language in the world
at GHC Performances
Self-evaluation workshop
Portfolios due
Preview winter quarter
10 Days & Times Evaluation conferences at TESC
TBA

Fall quarter required reading:

Bloom, Paul. Descartes' Baby: How the Science of Child Development Explains What Makes Us Human. Basic
Books, 2005. ISBN-13: 978-0465007868

Coontz, Stephanie. The Way We Never Were. Basic Books, 2000. ISBN-13: 978-0465090976

Ehrenreich, Barbara. Dancing in the Streets: A History of Collective Joy. Holt, 2007. ISBN-13: 978-0805057249

Gibson, Carrie. Crossing the Bridge: The Missing Link in the Dialogue about Difference. Fenestra Books,
2003. ISBN-13: 978-1587362149

Pinker, Steven. The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language. Harper, 2007. ISBN-13: 978-
0061336461

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Assignments:
Essays in response to assigned reading:
Choose one short quotation that best illustrates the book’s impact or importance. Begin your essay with that
quotation. Then, in your own words, summarize the theme or central ideas in the book in one paragraph. Then,
critically and substantively analyze the ideas and principles of the text under discussion. You will probably
need about eight hundred words to do an adequate job. The principal audience for your essay will be your fellow
students. All essays are to be posted on the program’s web site.

Responses to others’ essays:

On our program web site, write about 300 words in response to an essay by one of the students in your small
group. This does not have to be in formal essay structure, but must be in Standard English, without
abbreviations or emoticons. The purpose of the response is to deepen the discussion of the book’s ideas.

Performance project:
Each student will compose and perform a poem based on an interview with a fellow student. You will work in
groups of three, rotating tasks of interviewer, interview subject, and witness/sound technician. The topic of the
interviews will be the subject’s membership in a community or communities. Each interview should be
conducted in person and last two to three hours. Interview time can be divided into two or three sessions if
needed.

You will then type an exact transcription of your interview subject’s words. That transcript must be given to the
subject to correct and edit (the subject is allowed to redact any statements he/she wishes), and then returned to
you by November 7th.

You will then compose a poetic monologue using the interview subject’s exact words. This poem should be
about three minutes long when read aloud. The purpose of the poem is to communicate the essence of the
subject’s story in a dramatically compelling way.

You will perform your poem to the class during the weekend of Dec. 4-6 in the person of your interview subject.
You will do your best to inhabit and present the body, feelings, and manner of speech and movement of your
interview subject. Memorization is part of this process, but you are welcome to use memory aids including
notes and prompters.

Research paper for 12-credit students:

Students will complete a quarter-long research project in three parts. The first part will be to research
and articulate one position on an issue that they care about. This must include supporting arguments and
appropriate references. The second part will consist of a rebuttal (antithesis) of the initial thesis, accompanied
by the same depth of research, arguments, and references as included in part one. The third part will consist of
an analysis that compares and contrasts the two positions, resulting in a conclusive statement about the outcome
of the student's research. The schedule for the project is as follows:

Part 1 due Wed., Oct. 14th.

Part 2 due Wed, Nov. 4th.
Part 3 due Wed. Nov. 25th.
Final paper due Dec. 2nd

Students are encouraged to use concept (mind) maps as a way to organize their thinking about each part. All

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work will be submitted through the program website.

Portfolio:
Your portfolio consists of all your written work from the quarter and your draft self-evaluation, including
reading notes and class notes. Work submitted through the program website does not need to be reprinted for
your paper portfolio. Include all your written work in preparation for the performance project: interview
questions, transcript, draft and revised poem, etc.

Evaluations:
All students are required to submit a self-evaluation and faculty evaluation for the transcript. Your draft self-
evaluation is due with your portfolio; your final self-evaluation should be turned in to the office of Registration
and Records. If you continue with Making Your Place for multiple quarters, you will submit only one
cumulative formal self-evaluation when you leave the program; in the interim quarters, you will submit an
informal self-evaluation with your portfolio. Faculty evaluations should be submitted to your seminar leader.
Every student must participate in an in-person evaluation conference with his/her seminar leader at the end of
each quarter.

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