English students have their 15 minutes of fame
More than 800 students were involved in the first semi-annual Voices Reading Tuesday, an event established by the English department to give students of all disciplines the opportunity to write, be heard and be published.
As part of the English 2010 course, students submitted written pieces that were judged by their peers. During the six readings held yesterday in the Performance Hall, winners for three categories were named from each of the 40 sections of the 2010 classes. The three categories were on-stage, print and instructor’s choice. The on-stage winners read their essays to a crowd of hundreds. Finalists were also recognized.
John Engler, English lecturer and organizer of Voices, said, “The beauty of this is, because English 2010 is required, everyone gets to do this.”
Voices was organized by Engler and lecturer Susan Andersen. Andersen called Voices the “brainchild” of Engler. While he said his original intent with the reading was to get students into the Performance Hall, Engler said it has turned out to be a very positive experience for everyone involved. Not only do students receive money for their winnings and the chance to be published in a Voices anthology, they are also publicly recognized and have the opportunity to share their work with others, he said.
“I know the good writing students do and other teachers know what good writing students do,” he said. “But one disadvantage (for students) is they don’t always get to hear everyone else. We are getting voices out.”
Andersen said she hopes students feel the unity and community among writers that Voices creates.
“We can be rewarded with money, and that is an added benefit, but it’s mostly community,” she said. “It’s a community of writers that come together and show the power of words and the power of writing.”
Engler said Voices also allows students to practice the critique and evaluation skills teachers have been telling them about all semester.
“It reinforces evaluation criteria. They get to do it. They get to use the skills. It’s the real thing. It brings the classroom and the real world a little bit closer,” he said.
Andersen said Voices will occur at the end of every semester. A number of essays from this school year will be published in the Voices anthology that will be used as a textbook for future English 2010 classes, she said.
A USU Innovation Grant is funding this year’s event, but Andersen said future funding will hopefully become perpetual with the sale of the anthology.
Engler said the estimated yearly cost is $8,500, including awards and the publication of the anthology.
The pieces read Tuesday were mostly personal narratives but covered a large range of topics, including government regulation, drunk driving, childhood memories, poverty and suicide. As described by Engler and Andersen, many of the readings were touching and emotional.
“It’s turned out just as great as I could have hoped for,” Engler said. “As I listen to students, this may be something they will never forget. This is a top-rate venue. Everyone is listening to them. That is something. That’s memorable.”
-arie.k@aggiemail.usu.edu