BYU-Idaho Campus Participation
Writer's Workshop
I volunteered as a supervisor with the Brigham Young University--Idaho's Writer's Workshop, an open forum for developing and experienced writers. During my time as supervisor (two semesters -- approx. 6 months), we met weekly to review students' works, mostly essays, novels, short stories, and poems. Our workshop had two rules: the writer couldn't read their own work and the writer couldn't defend their work. As authors, we came to Writer's Workshop to listen and improve, not argue over comma splices or vague characters. These basic guidelines created a safe environment for developing authors of all genres. As part of my responsibilities as co-supervisor and later supervisor, I maintained a temporary club blog. Post topics included Tricks of the Trade (tips for developing writers about tone, form, and basic grammar); Writer's Connection (helpful links and information); author bios; and excerpts from our writers' works. Though the writer's blog has since been discontinued, look through the gallery of screen shots below to get an idea for our meetings.
Where's Darcy?
One of the funnest activities I participated in was sponsored by the English Academic Society (EAS). Volunteers across campus dressed up as literary characters in a come-to-life Where's Waldo. Only half of the volunteers are pictured here, but they include Goody Faith ("Young Goodman Brown"), Holden Caulfield (The Catcher in the Rye), Queen Susan (The Chronicles of Narnia), Alice (Alice and Wonderland), and me (Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice).