What would you think if your college professor asked you to write on this topic?

Question

"Describe a person you hate and why you hate them."

More details?
I was 18 and in my first year of college at a university in London, England, after living as a military brat in Germany, California, Italy, Wisconsin, and Illinois (maybe location and/or cultural differences matter?). It was a very diverse school with students from every part of the world. The class was English 101.
Why would she choose this topic?
I honestly didn't hate anyone and was at a loss. What would you have written about if you didn't hate anyone?

This assignment was for the 2000-2001 school year, so it's all the past... just been thinking about it and the way I addressed the topic - I couldn't think of anyone I hated (looking back I realize that I wasn't in touch of my emotions and basically blocked out a lot of bad things that happened to me) so I ended up writing about myself and why I was the only person I could hate. I had logical support, or at least I thought so. I don't have the paper anymore, but from what I remember... basically, there were people I didn't like but I couldn't change them, so why hate them. Oh, I've always been the confused sort. But I do value the productivity. Rarely do I complain or point out negativity unles the purpose is to change the problem or supply a means for laughter.

Answer 1

I would think that he/she had something to prove, or maybe to learn about me, using speculation. Or maybe the instructor was running a terrorist training.

Orange Cornmeal Cake Recipe
Filed under Bakery, Dessert

When we first came across this recipe in Martha Stewart's wonderful Everyday Food magazine we had to try it out. We've made it twice now, and both times with great results. It's sort of a cross between a coffee cake and cornbread with a light orange flavor. Unexpectedly good. Light, moist, and not too sweet. And very easy to make.

1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for the pan
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar, plus 1/3 cup for the topping
1/2 cup orange juice (or dry white wine)
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leavened)
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
finely grated zest of 1 orange
orange segments for serving



1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush bottom and sides of an 8-inch round cake pan with oil; line bottom with a round of wax or parchment paper, and brush paper with oil.

2 In a large bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, 1 cup sugar, and orange juice until smooth. Add flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt, and orange zest; whisk gently to combine.

3 Pour batter into prepared pan; sprinkle top evenly with remaining 1/3 cup sugar (topping will be thick). Bake until cake begins to pull away from sides of pan and a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes.

4 Cool in pan 20 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake; invert cake gently onto a plate, and remove parchment paper. Re-invert cake onto a rack to cool completely. Serve with orange segments, if desired.

Serves 8.

Answer 2

I'm sure you could think of some situation you hate even if you can't think of a person.
She would have had a good reason for asking this question I believe. I can think of reasons anyway. Why not try it and find out? You don't need to know her motivation, that might defeat the object of the exercise.
You say you WERE at a loss. Presumably that means this happened some time ago. Maybe you could ask yourself why this is still bothering you. There must be some reason.

Answer 3

I would say the college professor was looking for the class to write in depth about the chosen topic. The instructor undoubtedly was not looking to encourage hatred but rather define it and what causes it and the affects it has on the individual displaying it. I wouldn't think anything more than this. If you honestly didn't hate anyone, then what I would have done would have been to ask the instructor if I could write about a different emotion instead.

Answer 4

I have found having three children go and going through school that at times the teachers do ask them to work on very strange topics. You just shake your head and wonder why. I always have told my children just to approach it as a fictious task if they have nothing to draw from and just basically make something up. I know at one stage one of my children got marked down as they gave an honest opinion in a written piece about how the school could improve. The teacher didnt like what he had to say, so I told him to lie next time as the teacher is the one that has the power to make him pass or fail. I was also very surprise when one of my boys had to do a talk for human developement and all the kids got different subjects, my son drew vaginitis. He turned the talk into a comedy routine and ended up doing quite well, but I just had to shake my head at the teachers choice.

So I guess it is just a case of having to learn to take orders and do what the teachers ask of you even if you dont agree with it. I do however always enourage my kids to try and do the right thing, but ultimately I want them to pass.

It does make you wonder with a topic like you were given just what the teacher was expecting to achieve.

Answer 5

People tend to speak or write more clearly and descriptively about topics that evoke emotion. Your prof was using an old trick to evoke feeling in every potential writer in the class.

Of course at your age, I didn't realize I was being manipulated when a professor challenged our class with a similarly evocative subject.

The end result, however, was that you responded in the extreme in one way or another on the topic. Hopefully, if you disagreed with the topic, your essay vehemently stated how you disagreed and could not "hate" someone. I think that this is what they were driving for.

Answer 6

This isn't bad, You want THIS particluar class in line 5. "being that I have explained to her" is in the wrong tense and is awkward. Also, you want definitely instead of defiantly, which is not used correctly. When you don't catch mistakes, a good trick is to read the paragraph aloud. You'll catch a lot that you miss when you just read it over.

Answer 7

I don't think it was so much an exercise in hostility. Maybe she wanted you to do some deep thinking. Finding out why you really hate someone might help you realize you don't hate them at all. Learning how to put your feelings on to paper, how to articulate your emotions is the best exercise anyone can do to get to know themselves and to help them learn to be more concise and articulate in their everyday speech.

Answer 8

I would have peeled it away to the principal of hate and shown the reasons hate can occur and written about the ways one can overcome hate. I disagree with many peoples choices that are hate dressed up as their cause. I have forgiveness and understanding in my life, but being human, I could tap into bitterness, frustration, anger and disappointment in order to explore my feelings of overcoming lowly thinking.

Answer 9

Everybody hates someone. If you can think of someone, think of something you hate, and a person that can symbolize that. And if you can't think of that think of someone you dislike. Everybody hates something. There is to much evil in this world not to. No matter what your personality is.

Answer 10

if u don't have any one to write about in this essay,
just imagine about it.
what is Ur dislike at some particular person? and why u do not like this facts!

u may have some of ur own like and dislike!