M. Sciuto Th 100 
May you have a blessed Christmas!
Homework due Monday, January 3
Worth +10 points
Choose one of these:
* Write an essay entitled �The Millennium Scare.� Is the base of the worry religious? Is it rational, reasonable? Will January 1st , 2000 bring any major changes in our world? Is this worry real or imagined? You need to do this before December 31. Let�s see if you can predict what will, or won�t, happen!
* Create a bookmark and give it as a gift. Make this a real sacramental; and try to make it an act of love for the person you are making this for. This must have some words on it--and any words on this must be typed. The ideas should come from this class. Give significant ideas that you want the person who gets this gift to be aware of or to keep in mind. You should consider going to Kinko�s and getting your bookmark laminated.
* Write a personal reflection on one of these topics:
- the Christmas classic �It�s a Wonderful Life.� What if you�d never been born? Would the world be better or worse for you never living? How have you made a difference in people�s lives?
- �The Real Meaning of Christmas.� Has what you have learned in this course brought you to view the holiday (holy day?) of Christmas any differently?
* Create a design for a Christian time capsule and the setting in which it will be kept. This is to be done in two parts: (A) What would you put into the time capsule itself? (B) Design a setting for the time capsule to be kept. See the NY Times Magazine, 12-5-99 in which some prominent architects composed their own plan. I have copy the magazine if you�d like to look at it.
* Read one of the classic short stories listed below and do a three part essay: (I) brief summary of the story. (II) What is the major idea conveyed (III) personal reaction to the story and the idea. All three sections should be done well and with thought.
- Oscar Wilde�s �The Selfish Giant�
- Shel Silverstein�s �The Giving Tree�
- O. Henry�s �The Gift of the Magi�
Or write your own short story that captures the Christmas spirit.
* Read and mark a book. For this you need the handout "How to Mark a Book" by Mortimer Adler. You have to read and follow this. It is a major part of the learning experience.
- Black Like Me by Howard Griffin
- Why We Can�t Wait by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
- When Bad Things Happen to Good People by Harold Kushner
- Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
- The Book of Jonah in the Bible
* Create a web page. See me about the topic or suggest one yourself.
Your ideas are welcome. Be creative! I�m always open to suggestions.
These options vary from very simple to challenging.
Choose the one that interests you and from which you will learn something.