Greetings from Louisville KY

Hello Kids!
It's Day Three of the reading and I'm on the synthesis question about locavores. lovacores. lavacores. locavorianism. locavorization.

The top half papers have a TIGHT LINK OF SUPPORT between the sources and their analysis, and the writer has staked out a position that they are carefully outlining for the readers. I have seen everything from a 1 to a 9, and I am dutifully looking for you in every stack of essays I plow through. I've read 250, but my pace is starting to pick up...we spend quite a bit of time "norming" ourselves to the rubric, talking about the 4/6 split, the characteristics of a 5, the 2/3 split, and the 3/4 split. I am having a little trouble with the lower half of the rubric...I have to think a little while when I am asking myself, is this Inadequate, or Inadequate minus something? Is this Inadequate minus something, or is this Little Success?

I am polling my colleagues about whether a writer can merely IGNORE sources they don't want to deal with and still write an upper half paper. I have read a few diatribes about how locavores are aging hippies who are subverting the capitalistic, corporate American ideal -- nicely written, but completely ignoring the positive evidence put forward in the question. I am finding differing opinions on this. The rubric does say "identifies KEY ISSUES," which to me suggests that a writer must AT LEAST engage in the other side's point of view...I'll let you know how that whole conversation shakes out.

I am watching the room from time to time, and I want you to know that the hundreds of AP teachers and college professors in the room are attentively reading your papers, discussing the ones that are problematic, and decoding difficult handwriting. Everyone is on your side. We are working hard to do right by you kids. It's quiet, work focused and dedicated. Honest Injun. We are NOT ALLOWED to take photographs, or I would snap a shot or two and show you what it looks like.

The other morning I was waiting for the elevator to take me downstairs so I could get breakfast and get to work. When the elevator finally opened for me, it was CRAMMED FULL of AP readers. It looked like that cartoon of sardines in a can. There was no room for even one more human body in that box, so I just laughed and ran down the hall to the stairs. But I wished I would have had my camera. It was a funny looking sight!

Off to lunch!