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Writing Program I Online Writing 2: Rhetoric and Inquiry I Spring 2025
Tiffany Wong is a lecturer in the Writing Program, where she teaches Online Writing 2: Rhetoric & Inquiry. The asynchronous course is structured into three "Acts," each with a major project. Act 3 this year was dedicated to "difficult conversations" with an emphasis on ethical dilemmas, moral injury, bridging, and the veteran experience. Wong created a YouTube film in which she interviewed Lt. Col. Bill Edmonds, a veteran of US wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia, Kosovo, and East, Central, and North Africa, and author of multiple books and essays, including the memoir "God Is Not Here", the anthology "War and Moral Injury: A Reader," and "Transformation: Change? Realized What's Possible." Students watched the video and read some of Edmonds' work.
Wong then guided students through a series of individual reflective writing exercises and group discussion activities. For example, she asked:
"After watching Instructor Wong's interview and conversation with Bill R. Edmonds and reading Edmonds' Transformation on his work as a current psychedelic therapist, ask yourself: Does this alter ideas or conceptions you have (or had) about the United States' military personnel or veterans? patriotism? nationalism? power? And our country's "War on Terrorism" that has been happening since you were born? Violence in general or military violence specifically? Feel free to respond to these questions regarding excerpts from God Is Not Here if it is helpful to do so."
What makes these conversations "difficult," Wong reflects, is that Edmonds discusses his experience with PTSD after returning from war. He confronts his complicity in torturing perceived enemies, even after he had stopped believing in the mission of the US during its invasion of Iraq in 2005. Here are two students' responses to Edmonds' work:
Student 1: After watching the discussion with Bill R. Edmonds and reading “Transformation[,]” my perspective on the military and the lasting effects of war was slightly altered. I previously viewed war as a matter of the past, but listening to Edmonds’ personal account highlighted how many individuals continue to endure its consequences—particularly on a mental level. His transition into psychedelic therapy demonstrated how veterans are exploring alternative healing methods, prompting me to reconsider the existing support systems we have. It also prompted me to consider how challenging it appears to oppose war nowadays, in contrast to student protests during Vietnam. In general, it confronted my perspectives on patriotism, nationalism, and the enduring human toll of America’s “War on Terror.”
Student 2: Growing up[,] I’ve had a few members of my family [who] served at some point in their lives. Honestly, I had really only ever considered the physical [turmoil] that they endured and never fully grasped the mental damage that they had to go through. Edmonds reinforced the thoughts I developed over time. Instead of seeing soldiers only as heroes or symbols, Edmonds shows the deep emotional wounds war leaves behind. Edmonds also proves that [one] can serve [their] country by healing others from trauma and not just by fighting in these wars. The story he shares goes against blind nationalism and highlights how violence damages not only the victims but also those ordered to carry it out.
In a further exercise, students were encouraged to recall an instance when, like Edmonds, they faced some type of ethical or moral dilemma, with the proviso that students should not reveal anything that makes them uncomfortable sharing their writing. How does the ending of the story or the solution to your dilemma help you better understand your relationship to your own power or positionality?
The final project for the course asked students to engage in their own difficult conversations, either by creating an ethical/moral dilemma for a first-person narrative or through taking a deep dive into an Op-Ed topic of their choice with an analysis of "The Urgency of Bridging" by john a. powell. Here are excerpts from two students' final projects:
Student 1: I stand up tall this time, not crouched behind anyone or anything. I’ve learned better than to shy away from the world. Five years in a jail cell will teach you many things you may never learn elsewhere. I learned rage, I learned violence. I learned through depressive episodes. I learned through the slow, slow starvation. I’ve learned better to be on my own.
They found my plants. Right as they had begun to fruit, or so I’m told. My land desecrated and my home destroyed. Nothing stood in their way then.
I am different now.
Now I am not alone, now I move with intention, and I seed with plans for the future. Our garden now thrives, much better protected and with many more to protect tha[n] just me. I had forgotten what it was like to struggle together, the pain still the same] but with a comfort of knowing at least now, this time I’m not alone. I never had to be alone.
Student 2: Despite decades of scientific research proving GMO safety, public skepticism hasn’t gone away. Genetically modified foods are safe, and decades of research back this up. Major health organizations all around the world agree. However, there is still a public fear of GMOs. The debate over GMOs isn’t just about science, it is also about trust and who gets a say in our food system. John A. Powell [john a. powell] argues in The Power of Bridging that we can’t solve polarized issues by pushing people to choose sides. We need to listen, acknowledge concerns, and find out what can be done to build trust. Maybe that means more transparency, clearer labeling, or better public communication from health and science organizations.
Effectiveness: Wong reported using all the TLC methods and strategies "to different degrees with varying amounts of success." The technique she used most is #3 - (Re-)Establish or Strengthen an Inclusive Learning Community that Affirms the Diverse Lived Experiences of Students. She found #5 - Connecting to Campus Support to be a key guideline in terms of creating an enabling environment for holding difficult conversations.
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