Emily Counsil’s ENGL 102 students reviewed their own favorite parts of the Anthropocene as part of their object essay asssignment. All students at KU are required to write a researched personal essay as part of their general education requirements. Browse their responses to this assignment below!

Prompt by Prof. Counsil

Objects tell the kinds of stories that reveal who we are, what we value, and how we make sense of this strange world we've built together. In this project, you'll choose an object (a soccer ball, flag, TV channel or movie, anything!) and explore what it reveals about human culture in the age of the Anthropocene.

Your mission is to write an essay in the style of John Green's "The Anthropocene Reviewed," where you'll weave together personal narrative, cultural analysis, and research to examine why your chosen object matters. You might find yourself asking: What makes this ordinary thing extraordinary? How does it reflect our values, our fears, and our hopes? Why are objects' complexities important in shaping human experience? What stories does it share about who we are?