Nobody wants to be here. In remedial
English, earning no credit, stuck. Now—after months of commas, clauses,
and four-paragraph essays—students have one last chance to write their
way out.
Twenty students sit at computers, poised to start the final in-class
essay for English 002 at Montgomery College. Just outside Washington,
this suburban community college is tucked in a neighborhood between two
Metro stations. Anybody can enroll here, and all kinds do.
The professor, Greg Wahl, walks around the room. On every blank screen, a cursor blinks.
In 85 minutes the students must craft a thesis and clear topic
sentences, using evidence to support their opinions. They have to answer
one of three questions, about their assigned book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,
by Sherman Alexie, or their difficulty in mastering goals for the
course, such as "Write and edit sentences that observe the conventions
of standard American English."
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