Ten weeks, five credit hours, a ream of paper, a handful of pencils, infinite imagination and endurance the prerequisites for Eng lish/writing majors beginning their senior writing projects. While m o s t s t u d e n t s cringed at the thought o f writ ing even one essay, writing majors loved the excitement and challenge of the longer project. What do writing majors en joy about a process others find unbearable? Lori Patterson, who wrote several personal essays for her project, said, "I gain a sense of accomplishment in
being able to express myself in words." Marcie Hochwalt, whose project consisted of a book of poems and four personal es says, said, "Writing allows me to work through things. If something has moved me, ei ther in pain or in joy, it helps me to deal with it if I can write about it." Along with personal satis faction, the project provided writing majors with finished work to include in their profes sional portfolios. And, as most writers dream, it brought them one step closer to being published. By Beth Paulino
Is it really finished? Senior English/w riting major Kareen Hancock won ders how she ever completed a 60page writing project! She wrote a se ries of short essays about living in an extended family interspersed with let ters to her daughter, to fulfill project requirements. Photo by Lori Patter son
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