Any additional absence will reduce your final grade by one half letter grade. If you do not arrive on time or if you leave early, this will be counted as an absence. If you cannot make a commitment to attend class, I suggest you drop the class now. Exams are weighted, but not strictly cumulative. There will be slightly more points and slightly more material on each exam.
Quizzes cover assigned readings and are given before the readings are discussed in class.
You may also read a good weekly news journal or major national newspaper. I also have a section of news links on my web page. You need to turn in 10 journals out of the 14 weeks of the semester. They may be hand written, typed, or you can send e-journals. You can write the text in an email message, or cut and paste it from a word processor.