Dr. West is one of the best writing teachers I've ever had. The course's subject is hip-hop, so we did lots of analysis of rap lyrics and artists in class discussions. We had two essays, one about a hip-hop song and the other about an artist of our choice, and a final essay about an aspect of our identity. The last essay didn't relate too much to everything else we had been learning, but it wasn't too hard for a final assignment. The peer reviewing is a lot of work (3 essays with 2-3 peers each with about an hour on each peer's essay) but it is definitely worth it for all the feedback you get on your own essay. Throughout the course, Dr. West weaves in various writing techniques and exercises that genuinely improved my writing as someone who already had a somewhat strong writing background in high school. This class is definitely a lot of work but very rewarding in terms of growth as a writer and student, and Dr. West is a very engaging professor who obviously cares a lot about her students. I would 100% recommend this class and Dr. West for a writing GE.

TAKE THIS CLASS. this class fulfills the writing I and diversity requirement. this class was hip hop themed which was soooo cool. the first essay was about a song and its music video and theres a list of 20+ songs you can choose from (I did Clout Cobain by Denzel Curry). the second essay was about a hip hop artist and you can choose who you wanted to write on (I wrote about Megan Thee Stallion). the third essay/final was a reflection about your identity. the content and the prof was so engaging and very good. participation; small group, large group, and peer review were a huge part of your grade so make sure to participate. the only bad thing about this class is the amount of work you did outside of class (you had to write a 5+ page essay is less than 2 weeks and then move on right away to the next essay). but personally, im glad this class was a lot bc now im able to write a writing piece a lot faster. so I def recommend this class!!! also im not good at english lol

The professor is very engaging and makes the course content interesting. She clearly tells you what is expected in the class and as long as you listen and follow the directions you will do well. She is not a lenient grader in terms of writing, but gives great tips/advice on how to improve prior to final submissions. Much more interesting class than regular English because it is specific to hip hop/rap.

Took this class as a freshman during covid. The 3 essays for this class can be pretty difficult but Dr. West was super helpful. For the first essay I got a B+, and for the last two I got A-s. I ended up with an A for the class though (participation and peer reviewing matters!) I definitely learned a lot and strengthened my essay writing skills.

Dr. West is an excellent Professor. Although she assigns a lot of work, her lectures are engaging and connects them to the history of hip-hop and present-day rap culture. The Class consists of three essays and 2 supplement group assignments. Your participation and attendance make up a huge part of your grade. So show up to class!

Dr. West speaks FAST and assigns a lot of work, but her lectures (largely based on hip hop) are engaging, and she curses a lot during class which is pretty entertaining. There are 3 essays, the first worth 20% of your grade, the second 25% and the last one 30%. The rest of the grade is all based on participation.