Articles written by Matthew Fouts

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About me - Matthew Fouts

I very much enjoy writing on Helium. I have an M.A. in rhetoric and composition. I currently make my living as an adjunct teacher of English at several colleges in the Chicago area. Teaching composition is really a wonderful job. It is my great hope that someday

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Education > Colleges & Universities (Other) Should grading be abolished in college and university courses: 3 of 12
Grading my students' writing is one of my favorite things to do. I love to sit at a table in Charles B. Phillips library (the closest thing I have to an office) and spend a few hours interacting with my students' thoughts and ideas, fountain pen in hand. It is a sort of meditation and, provided I don't do too many at once, it... More..
Arts & Humanities > Thoughts on Writing Write or wrong: Thoughts on plagiarism: 5 of 18
A Short Speech to my Students Good morning, sunshines. It's good to see you all here for your college writing class. Now, before we continue our discussion of Greek tragedy, I would like to call your attention to something we discussed in our previous session. You will recall that we were talking about the Oedipus of Sophocle... More..
Education > College Search Which is a better first step into college: Community colleges or regular universities?: 13 of 39
The advantage of attending community college is that community colleges tend to be "learning-centered." A learning-centered college is an institution that views the education of its students as its top priority. It would be difficult, in my opinion, to overestimate the profound nature of the above statement. This slight shift... More..
Autos > Mechanics & Repair Shops Is there such a thing as a trustworthy mechanic: 9 of 19
It is extremely difficult to find an auto mechanic that you can trust. As an automotive service writer, I daily come across people who have been taken advantage of by a dishonest auto shop. Often, these shops will sell work that their customers don't need while ignoring work that the vehicle could actually use. I recently had... More..
Politics, News & Issues > US News Reflections: School shooting at Northern Illinois University (2/14/08): 3 of 6
The Ruined Rabbit: a personal reflection on the NIU shootings.My first indication that something bad was going to happen occured at 5:30 am on Monday morning, three days before the shooting. I was a T.A. in the English department and I had to teach an eight am class, so I was up early. My two dogs, Sky and Whisky, failed to r... More..
Autos > Auto Repair (Other) Ancient rhetoric and auto repair: 1 of 2
The practice of ancient rhetoric and the art of fixing cars don't seem like two things that fit together. But even in the time of Aristotle (aka a really long time ago) rhetoric was seen as a practical art that could be used by the average person, such as an automotive service writer. I don't really know if they had chariot s... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing Resources Book reviews: Writing Space: The Computer, Hypertext, and the History of Writing, by Jay David Bolter: 1 of 1
Given the fact that Jay David Bolter wrote Writing Space: The Computer, Hypertext, and the History of Writing in nineteen-ninety-one, the first question that invariably comes to mind is how accurate were his predictions? Did computers and hypertext turn out to be everything he thought it would?The short answer is we don't kno... More..
Sciences > Sciences (Other) Hard science and erectile dysfunction: 1 of 1
Carolyn Miller, in her essay "Learning From History: World War II and the Culture of High Technology," attempts to summarize the changes that have been made in rhetorical situations in the second half of the twentieth century. At one point she says "The management changes [introduced by the Kennedy-Johnson administration in 1... More..
Relationships & Family > Successful Dating Women: How to get and keep the man you want: 12 of 21
What you ladies are looking for in a man is probably the same thing most men want (the well balanced ones anyway): You want somebody who looks nice, has a friendly personality , and is fun to be with. If you're reasonable, then you're not looking for a perfect man, just a good one. The question is, where can you find them?The... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Religious Concepts (Other) Do you place more trust in people or God?: 7 of 12
If God is the supreme being, alpha and omega, et cetera, it should really be no contest when we judge him against humanity right? After all, like Jesus said, "by their fruits ye shall know them" (Matthew 7.20). So let's not argue over whether God exists or not. Instead lets just consider God's value by the fruits of his actio... More..