AP English Language and Composition

2015 Free-Response Questions

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 Source A
Lukas, Paul. Tribe Supports Native American Mascots. ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 20
Feb. 2013,www.espn.com/blog/playbook/fandom/post/_/id/18484/tribe-supports
-native- american-mascots. Accessed 19 Apr. 2017.

The following interview is between the Saginaw Chippewas public relations person and an
ESPN interviewer discussing the topic of Native American mascots. The Chippewas are in favor
for them and explanations are below.

I was curious to learn more, so I contacted the Saginaw Chippewas and spoke with their public
relations director, Frank Cloutier. Here's how our conversation went:
Uni Watch: First, for people who aren't familiar with the Saginaw Chippewas, please tell
me a bit about your tribe.

Frank Cloutier: Our tribe was formed with the ratification of our constitution in 1936. We have
3,292 members, and we live in the territories called the Isabella Federal Indian Reserve in Mount
Pleasant, Mich., just north of Lansing. We have the fifth- or sixth-largest Indian-owned casino in
the Midwest, so we're rather successful when it comes to our economic growth and development.

But it's not just about gaming for us -- it's about our culture. We have a very rich, diverse culture,
which is showcased in a world-class, award-winning cultural museum on our reservation. So the
situation regarding mascots and team names piques our interest.

Many of the people taking part in this debate see it as a black-and-white issue. Either
they're completely opposed to all uses of Native American imagery, or they have no
problem with any of it. What's your position, or your tribe's position, on that?

It's very, very clear for us, because we've worked with so many institutions in our area. Our
position is that if it's not derogatory and it's being used appropriately, with an opportunity to
share or cross-share our culture, then it's fine. There's nothing derogatory about "Warriors" or
"Braves." There's nothing derogatory about "Indian." But terms like "Redskin" or "Half-Breed,"
those are derogatory terms to us.

So when the Michigan Department of Civil Rights recently filed a complaint with the U.S.
Department of Education, claiming that Native American mascots and nicknames are
inherently harmful to Native children, you don't agree with that?
Saginaw Chippewas public relations director Frank Cloutier says some Native American
mascots are not derogatory and can be educational. Courtesy of Saginaw Chippewa Tribe

In the study they used, they said these Native children who go to these schools with these
mascots are "marginalized." But if you look at generational trauma and the way Native peoples
were treated 300 years ago, it wasn't until 1924 that we were formally recognized as human
beings, and we didn't get the chance to vote until after women did. That's what makes these kids
feel marginalized -- the way their culture and their people were treated. I don't believe that a
menacing-looking brave on the backboard of a basketball hoop is going to marginalize that child
as much as that generational trauma.

That said, however, I believe that these schools using these images have an obligation to talk
about the truth of Native American history. One of the largest genocides in world history
happened right here on American soil, and it happened to Native Americans. So it's important to
talk about the true history about the settling of the United States, and to talk about those things
that happened to Native Americans that are often not talked about.

If Native children are struggling, hopefully this kind of education and outreach and help identify
why, instead of having us blame it on a mascot.

So when you say it's fine to use non-derogatory imagery as long as it's being used
appropriately, you're saying that part of that "appropriate use" is educational content
about Native Americans?

Yes. For example, in 2003 we entered into an articulation agreement with Central Michigan
University, because they were the Chippewas. As part of that agreement, the tribe and the
university each has an obligation. Every year I go in and address every freshman athletic student
about our culture and what it means to be a Chippewa, and about the proud, competitive nature
of our people. We explain that it's not about war paint and fake feathers. It's about honoring the
triumph of these resilient, competitive people.

Source B
Dake, Kelsey. Sports Team Names Referencing Native Americans. FiveThirtyEight, ESPN,
5 Sept. 2014, fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-2128-native-american-mascots
-people-arent-talking-about/. Accessed 19 Apr. 2017.

The following chart shows the amount of sports teams in high school, college, semi-pro, and
professional with names referencing Native Americans as of July 23, 2013.
 Source C
Nancy, Armour, et al. "Native American Mascots Must Go." USA Today, n.d. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ulh&AN=J0E346757291616
&site=ehost-live.

The following article is from the Sports Section in USA Today from October 14, 2016. It
expresses the distaste that many have for Native American mascots.

Imagine the outrage if a sports team, college or professional, decided to have a mascot that
lampooned African Americans or Latinos. Or Catholics or Jews. Or the disabled.
It just wouldn't happen. Some things aren't funny or clever in any form, violating the bounds of
respect and decency by their very nature.
Yet when the Cleveland Indians take the field for the American League Championship Series on
Friday night, they'll do so with Chief Wahoo on their sleeves and, most likely, their hats. With his
red face, toothy grin and feather, the logo reduces the entire Native American race to a
caricature, something less than human.
"It's denigrating, whether they intend it or not. It's objectifying us," Aaron Payment, chairman of
the Sault Ste Marie tribe of Chippewa Indians and an executive officer of the National Congress
of American Indians, said Thursday. "We're the only race that is subjected to this."
And it's time -- long past time, actually -- that it stops. Chief Wahoo, the racist nickname of
Washington's NFL team, the ignorant cheer by Atlanta Braves fans -- they're all offensive, relics
of our past that should be sources of embarrassment rather than pride.
Those who defend these stereotypical nicknames, mascots and logos, often vehemently, insist
they're honoring Native Americans, that no one is being hurt by them.
But that's not our determination to make.
Native Americans have said repeatedly that they find logos such as Chief Wahoo or nicknames
like the Redskins offensive and demeaning. They've even gone to court to stop their use. For fans
to then say, "Oh, they're not that bad," or "Our fans have a deep attachment to the (fill in the
blank)" is the height of arrogance.
Yes, there are some Native Americans who have said they don't have a problem with the logos
or the nicknames. But so long as there are even a few who do, who find them hurtful and
demeaning, the topic should not be up for discussion.
"It makes being Native that much more difficult," said Jacqueline Keeler, a founding member of
an activist group called Eradicating Offensive Native Mascotry.
"Most Americans are not aware tribes are not just social clubs, they're actual sovereign states,"
said Keeler, whose parents moved to Cleveland as part of the "Termination Policy," the federal
government's efforts in the 1950s to shut down reservations. "Most Americans are completely
clueless (about Native American history), and mascots don't help."
In fact, they can be quite damaging. The American Psychological Association called for an end
to Indian mascots in 2005, saying they damaged the self-esteem of Native American children
and taught non-Indian children it was OK to participate in and perpetuate culturally abusive
behavior.
And it goes beyond that. A social psychologist at the University at Buffalo found last year that
Native American mascots were damaging to all ethnic groups. "Studies with mostly white
samples have found that people exposed to American Indian mascots are more likely to
negatively stereotype other ethnic groups as well," said Wendy Quinton, the Buffalo researcher.
Translation: If something is hurtful to one group, it's hurtful to all. So why are we so hellbent on
defending things that do that?
The Indians at least acknowledge Chief Wahoo can be considered offensive, officially bumping it
down to "secondary logo" status this season after reducing its use the last few years. But the team
said in a statement it has "no plans of making a change" at this time, and the logo is still featured
prominently on its uniform and, of course, its merchandise.
Of the 70-plus items for sale on the Indians website, almost half feature the Wahoo logo. (They
at least had the good sense not to put it on the "Respect" T-shirts.)
Teams and fans can try to justify the use of Native American logos and nicknames all they want.
But there's never an excuse to denigrate or demean a group of people, no matter how much
money it brings in.

Source D
By ANNE M. PETERSON - AP Sports, Writer. Adidas Offers to Help Eliminate Native
American Mascots. AP Top News Package, Associated Press DBA Press Association,
11/05/2015.EBSCOhost,search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db
=pwh&AN=APcdf2a5d480334c9588802fc6bfcb0e2f&site=pov-live.

The following article discusses how the company of Adidas made an effort to eliminate the
naming of sports teams mascots after Native American terms.

Adidas offers to help eliminate Native American mascots

~~~~~~~~
By ANNE M. PETERSON
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Adidas is offering to help high schools nationwide drop Native
American mascots.
The athletic shoe and apparel maker said Thursday it will provide free design resources to
schools looking to shelve Native American mascots, nicknames, imagery or symbolism. The
German company also pledged to provide financial support to ensure the cost of changing is not
prohibitive.
Adidas announced the initiative in conjunction with the White House Tribal Nations Conference
in Washington, which includes leaders from the 567 federally recognized tribes.
The company, which has its North American headquarters in Portland, Oregon, also said it will
be a founding member of a coalition that addresses NativeAmerican mascots in sports.
According to the group Change the Mascot, there are about 2,000 schools nationwide that have
Native American mascots.
The advocacy group says about a dozen schools have dropped Native mascots over the past two
years and another 20 are considering a change.
Eric Liedtke, Adidas head of global brands who was at the Washington conference, said sports
must be inclusive.
"Today's announcement is a great way for us to offer up our resources to schools that want to do
what's right to administrators, teachers, students and athletes who want to make a difference in
their lives and in their world," Liedtke said in a statement. "Our intention is to help break down
any barriers to change change that can lead to a more respectful and inclusive environment for
all American athletes."
Speaking to young Native Americans attending the conference, President Barack Obama
applauded Adidas.
"I tell you, for Adidas to make that commitment, it's a very smart thing to do," Obama said.
"Because those schools now really don't have an excuse. What they're saying is one of the top
sports companies in the world, one of the top brands in the world, is prepared to come and use all
their expertise to come up with something that's really going to work; and that the entire
community can feel proud of and can bring people together and give a fresh start."
The voluntary program would give schools access to the company's design team for logo
redesign and uniform design across all sports. It seeks to be a collaborative effort with schools.
Adidas emphasized the initiative only involves high schools, and that the company is not
mandating that schools change mascots and nicknames. The program does not involve its other
agreements or sponsorships with professional or college teams, or with individual athletes.
The company said it embarked on the initiative because it became clear that schools "wanting to
make a change had very little avenues to do so."
"Ultimately, it's the teams, athletes, coaches and fans who decide what changes they want to
make. And if they want to make a change and we can help, then we want to help," the company
said.
The use of such mascots has drawn increased attention and controversy in recent years. The
NFL's Washington Redskins have resisted appeals by NativeAmerican and civil rights groups to
change their name and mascot.
Maury Lane, an outside team spokesman for the Redskins, issued a statement criticizing Adidas'
move.
"The hypocrisy of changing names at the high school level of play and continuing to profit off of
professional like-named teams is absurd. Adidas make hundreds of millions of dollars selling
uniforms to teams like the Chicago Blackhawks and the Golden State Warriors, while profiting
off sales of fan apparel for the Cleveland Indians, Florida State Seminoles, Atlanta Braves and
many other like-named teams," the statement said. "It seems safe to say that Adidas' next targets
will be the biggest sports teams in the country, which won't be very popular with their
shareholders, team fans, or partner schools and organizations."
Adidas has had a sponsorship agreement with Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III since
before he was drafted into the NFL. Adidas also currently provides team uniforms for the NBA,
and will outfit the NHL starting in the 2017-18 season.
Associated Press Writer Stacy A. Anderson in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.

Source E
Cox, John Woodrow, et al. New Poll Finds 9 in 10 Native Americans Aren't Offended by
Redskins Name. The Washington Post, WP Company, 19 May 2016,
www.washingtonpost.com/local/new-poll-finds-9-in-10-native-americans
-arent-offended-by-redskins-name/.
2016/05/18/3ea11cfa-161a-11e6-924d-838753295f9a_story.html?utm_term=.
66cb0ceabc4a. Accessed 18 Apr. 2017.

The following article and graphs show the results of a survey casted regarding if the mascot of
the Washington Redskins is offensive or not.

Nine in 10 Native Americans say they are not offended by the Washington Redskins name,
according to a new Washington Post poll that shows how few ordinary Indians have been
persuaded by a national movement to change the football teams moniker.

The survey of 504 people across every state and the District reveals that the minds of Native
Americans have remained unchanged since a 2004 poll by the Annenberg Public Policy Center
found the same result. Responses to The Posts questions about the issue were broadly consistent
regardless of age, income, education, political party or proximity to reservations.
Among the Native Americans reached over a five-month period ending in April, more than 7 in
10 said they did not feel the word Redskin was disrespectful to Indians. An even higher
number 8 in 10 said they would not be offended if a non-native called them that name.

The results immediately

celebrated by team owner
Daniel Snyder and
denounced by prominent
Native American leaders
could make it that much
harder for anti-name
activists to pressure
Redskins officials, who are
already using the poll as
further justification to
retain the moniker. Beyond
that, the findings might
impact the ongoing legal
battle over the teams federal trademark registrations and the eventual destination of the next
stadium. The name controversy has clouded talks between the team and the District, widely
considered Snyders desired destination.

The Washington Redskins team, our fans and community have always believed our name
represents honor, respect and pride, the owner said in a statement. Todays Washington Post
polling shows Native Americans agree. We are gratified by this overwhelming support from the
Native American community, and the team will proudly carry the Redskins name.

But Suzan Harjo, the lead plaintiff in the first case challenging the teams trademark protections,
dismissed The Posts findings.

Native Americans are resilient and have not allowed the NFLs decades-long denigration of us
to define our own self-image, wrote Oneida Nation Representative Ray Halbritter and National
Congress of American Indians Executive Director Jacqueline Pata. However, that proud
resilience does not give the NFL a license to continue marketing, promoting, and profiting off of
a dictionary-defined racial slur one that tells people outside of our community to view us as
mascots.

Since the nearly half-century-old debate regained national attention in 2013, opponents of the
name have won a string of high-profile victories, garnering support from President Obama, 50
Democratic U.S. senators, dozens of sports broadcasters and columnists, several newspaper
editorial boards (including The Posts), a civil rights organization that works closely with the
National Football League and tribal leaders throughout Indian Country.
Across every demographic group, the vast majority of Native Americans say the teams name
does not offend them, including 80 percent who identify as politically liberal, 85 percent of
college graduates, 90 percent of those enrolled in a tribe, 90 percent of non-football fans and 91
percent of those between the ages of 18 and 39.

Even 9 in 10 of those who have heard a great deal about the controversy say they are not
bothered by the name.

What makes those attitudes more striking: The general public appears to object more strongly to
the name than Indians do.

In a 2014 national ESPN poll, 23 percent of those reached called for Redskins to be retired
because of its offensiveness to Native Americans more than double the 9 percent of actual
Native Americans who now say they are offended by it.

A 2013 Post poll found that a higher proportion of Washington-area residents 28 percent
wanted the
moniker changed.
 Source F
Lester, Mike. "NCAA Native American Mascots." The Language of Composition. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin's, 2013. 767. Print.
 Annotated Bibliography

Source A
Lukas, Paul. Tribe Supports Native American Mascots. ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 20
Feb. 2013,www.espn.com/blog/playbook/fandom/post/_/id/18484/tribe-supports
-native- american-mascots. Accessed 19 Apr. 2017.

Paul Lukas in his interview alongside ESPN, Tribe Supports Native American Mascots
 (2013), Lukas questions the Saginaw Chippewas public relations person if having a
Native American mascot really as offensive as some take it to be. Lukas supports his
questions by asking them from all different viewpoints. Lukas also makes sure to include
real, actual sport team examples of all different types of names in order to show the wide
range of Native American influence on sport teams. The authors purpose is to get an inside
look at what the Native Americans think of these names in order to be able to decide if
they are truly derogatory or not. Lukas writes in a rather informal tone to be able to
connect with his interviewee and show the audience that it is not only a serious matter type
of interview, but also that it is able to be a casual, mature conversation.

Source B
Dake, Kelsey. Sports Team Names Referencing Native Americans. FiveThirtyEight, ESPN,
5 Sept. 2014, fivethirtyeight.com/features/the-2128-native-american-mascots
-people-arent-talking-about/. Accessed 19 Apr. 2017.

In the graph brought to us by Kelsey Dake, Dake shows statistics for Native Americans
mascots in the United States. Dake proves the facts by taking numbers from a mascot
database and putting them into a graph. She is showing the sheer numbers of Native
American mascots the United States has. Dake provides the information in an expository
tone.

Source C
Nancy, Armour, et al. "Native American Mascots Must Go." USA Today, n.d. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ulh&AN=J0E346757291616
&site=ehost-live.

Nancy Armour, in her article, Native American Mascots Must Go, argues that the
naming of mascots after Native Americans is highly offensive and must be stopped.
Armour supports her claims by comparing the use of Native American mascots with the
hypothetical use of mascots reflecting other minorities, which she says would never
 happen. Her purpose is to persuade her audience that Native American mascots are highly
unreasonable and offensive in order to defend the Native American people and hopefully
cause the change in names of teams with mascots referencing Native Americans. The
author writes in a formal and persuasive tone for her audience of those interested in this
debate and Native Americans.

Source D
By ANNE M. PETERSON - AP Sports, Writer. Adidas Offers to Help Eliminate Native
American Mascots. AP Top News Package, Associated Press DBA Press Association,
11/05/2015.EBSCOhost,search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db
=pwh&AN=APcdf2a5d480334c9588802fc6bfcb0e2f&site=pov-live.

Anne Peterson in her article, Adidas Offers to Help Eliminate Native American Mascots,
argues that Native American mascots are highly offensive to the Native American culture
and Adidas believes the same and is trying in many ways to bring this to attention of the
press in order to make this stop. Peterson develops her thesis by using evidence of all the
ways that this is hurting the Native American culture and the ways Adidas agrees.
Petersons purpose is to inform people the way Native American mascots negatively affect
people in order to help them stop using the culture as mascots. The intended audience is
anyone who has any interest in sports and Peterson uses Adidas; a huge brand in sports, to
grab her audience's attention.

Source E
Cox, John Woodrow, et al. New Poll Finds 9 in 10 Native Americans Aren't Offended by
Redskins Name. The Washington Post, WP Company, 19 May 2016,
www.washingtonpost.com/local/new-poll-finds-9-in-10-native-americans
-arent-offended-by-redskins-name/.
2016/05/18/3ea11cfa-161a-11e6-924d-838753295f9a_story.html?utm_term=.
66cb0ceabc4a. Accessed 18 Apr. 2017.

John Woodrow Cox, in his article, "New Poll Finds 9 in 10 Native Americans Aren't
Offended by Redskins Name" suggests that due to a recent poll, the large majority of
 Native Americans don't find the name of the Washington Redskins to be offensive. Cox
supports his assertion by defining the statistics from the poll and including interviews
from people involved. The author's purpose is to point out that despite the popular
assumption, not many Native Americans find mascots named after their culture to be
offensive in order to defend the sports teams with these names. The author writes in a
formal tone for an audience of those invested in this debate and Native American culture.

Source F
Lester, Mike. "NCAA Native American Mascots." The Language of Composition. Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin's, 2013. 767. Print.

Mike Lester in the satirical cartoon, illustrates the hypocrisy of the people who hold high
power
jobs in the NCAA. Lester supports his argument of hypocrisy by showing a meeting with
the
heads of the NCAA talking about the banning of Native American mascots when the phone
goes
informing the room that a Jeep Cherokee has its lights on outside, shedding light on the
foolishness of NCAA officials. The illustrators purpose is to expose the visible hypocrisy,
not
Only in the NCAA but in general. The illustrator draws in a satirical way to prove his point
furtsup hoe.h

AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION SAMPLE SCORING GUIDELINES

FOR THE SYNTHESIS ESSAY

These scoring guidelines will be useful for most of the essays that you read. If they seem
inappropriate for a specific essay, ask your Table Leader for assistance. Also consult with your
Table Leader about exam booklets that seem to have no response or a response that is unrelated
to the question.

Your score should reflect your judgment of the essays quality as a whole. Remember that
students have only 15 minutes to read and 40 minutes to write. Therefore, the essay is not a
finished product and should not be judged by standards that are appropriate for out-of-class
writing assignments. Instead, evaluate the essay as a draft, making certain to reward students for
what they do well.
All essays, even those scored an 8 or a 9, may contain occasional flaws in analysis, prose style,
or mechanics. These lapses should enter into your holistic evaluation of an essays overall
quality. In no case may an essay with many distracting errors in grammar and mechanics be
scored higher than a 2.
______________________________________________________________________________

9 Essays earning a score of 9 meet the criteria for essays that are scored an 8 and in
addition, are especially sophisticated and completion within the argument and synthesis of cited
sources, or impressive in their effective use of language.

8 Effective

Essays earning a score of 8 effectively take a position that defends, challenges, or qualifies the
claim that Native American mascots are derogatory towards the Native American culture. They
effectively support their position by effectively and properly synthesizing and citing at least three
of the sources given. The writers argument is convincing, and the cited sources effectively
support the writers position they have chose to write for. The prose demonstrates an ability to
control a wide range of the elements of effective writing but is not perfect.

7 Essays earning a score of 7 fit the description of essays that are scored a 6 but are
distinguished by more complete or more purposeful argumentation and synthesis of cited
sources, or a more mature style of writing.

AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION SAMPLE SCORING FOR THE

SYNTHESIS ESSAY
(continued)

6 Adequate

Essays earning a score of 6 adequately take a position that defends, challenges, or qualifies the
claim that Native American mascots are derogatory towards the Native American culture. They
correctly synthesize and cite at least three of the sources. The writers argument is generally
convincing and the cited sources generally support the writers position, but the argument is less
developed than the arguments of essays earning higher scores. Though the language may contain
issues with diction or syntax, generally the prose is clear.

5 Essays earning a score of 5 take a position that defends, challenges, or qualifies the claim
that Native American mascots are derogatory towards the Native American culture. They support
their position by synthesizing and citing at least three sources, but their arguments and their use
of cited sources are somewhat limited, and inconsistent. The writers argument is generally clear,
and the sources generally support the writers position, but the links between the sources and the
argument may not be very clear. The writing may contain issues in diction or syntax, but it
usually conveys the writers ideas adequately.

4 Inadequate

Essays earning a score of 4 inadequately take a position that defends, challenges, or qualifies the
claim that Native American mascots are derogatory towards the Native American culture. They
attempt to present an argument and support their position by synthesizing and citing at least two
sources but may misunderstand, misrepresent, or oversimplify either their own argument or the
cited sources they include. The link between the argument and the cited sources is weak. The
prose of 4 essays may suggest immature writing.

3 Essays earning a score of 3 meet the criteria for the score of 4 but demonstrate less
understanding of the cited sources, less success in developing their own position, or less control
of writing.

AP ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND COMPOSITION SAMPLE SCORING GUIDELINES

FOR THE SYNTHESIS ESSAY
(continued)

2 Little Success

Essays earning a score of 2 demonstrate little success in taking a position that defends,
challenges, or qualifies the claim that Native American mascots are derogatory towards the
Native American culture. They may merely allude to knowledge gained from reading the sources
rather than citing the sources themselves. These essays may misread the sources, fail to present
an argument, or substitute a simpler task by merely responding to the question poorly or by
summarizing the sources. The prose of essays scored a 2 often demonstrates consistent
weaknesses in writing, such as a lack of development or organization, grammatical problems, or
a lack of control.
1 Essays earning a score of 1 meet the criteria for the score of 2 but are especially
simplistic or weak in their control of writing or do not cite even one source.

0 Essays earning a score of zero (0) are on-topic responses that receive no credit, such as
those that merely repeat the prompt.

Essays earning a dash () are blank responses or responses that are completely off topic.