Final Project

Image Courtesy of Adrienne Murphy, Used by Permission

Instructions

You may choose one of the following options as a final requirement of the course. Draw from the readings (cite sources), classes, and site visits in writing the paper for each of the options below. All essays should incorporate standard grammatical rules, and the ideas presented should develop from a clear and concise thesis. If you fail to meet the aforementioned requirements of the final paper (e.g. you choose to write a travel log of your week in El Paso/Juarez), then you will be asked to rewrite the final paper. Your final essay should be 5-7 pages in length, double-spaced and emailed as a word attachment by midnight January 26.

1. Given the complexity of the immigration issue in the United States, there is much talk about the need for comprehensive immigration reform. In light of the economic, political, theological, and human issues explored in this course, and guided by the readings, lectures, site visits, and outside sources, outline an immigration policy for the incoming 111th Congress.

2. Come up with a creative representation of how to look at the issue of immigration. This can be a piece of art, a photography series, or an idea of your choosing. In the example, of the photography series, this can be pictures taken during the trip or at other times, helping you to examine the themes and share them with a broader audience. However, simply making a display or a piece of art is not enough; you must include written analysis of the overall project and the individual components, explaining the significance and helping you to synthesize everything that you have learned from the course. Depending on the complexity of the project, between 2-4 pages of analysis will be necessary.

3. Prepare a sermon of 5 pages that you will preach to an audience of your choice (your home worship community, Notre Dame residence hall, liturgy or prayer service at the U.S./Mexico border, etc.) Choose your Scripture reading(s) on which to base your sermon. Preface your sermon with a brief description of your chosen audience. Your task is to link the good news present within the chosen Scripture reading(s) to the contemporary immigration issue. In other words, looking at the chosen reading(s), what good word is God speaking to your audience regarding immigration? Demonstrate an understanding of the reading(s)' historical context, as well as the political, economic, theological, and human dimensions of the immigration issue. We can point you to resources to assist you with the Scriptural exegesis. 

4. Relate the themes of the social, economic, and political dimensions of immigration to multiple principles of Catholic Social Teaching. Feel free to accomplish these objectives within a framework of your choosing. This may be through the focus on one or more personal experiences from the trip, using your journal as a reference point, comparing a particular reading to the actual experience, or relating this to your major or career goals.

    

Sample Essays

• Example 1 (pdf)
• Example 2 (pdf)