Mid-May brings with it lots of exciting signs of the end of yet another academic year… My favorite sign, (and whose planning committee I volunteer on throughout the year), is the First-Year Program Writing Showcase!
The Showcase is an annual event, sponsored by a variety of DePaul Departments, including the First-Year Program and the UCWbL. It is an opportunity for the best writers participating in the First-Year Program to receive recognition for their accomplishments, and revisit writing assignments as they re-envision them as poster presentations!
This year, on May 16, about 30 students participated in the Showcase, joined by their instructors, peers, and families. Keynote speaker Dr. Doug Hesse, the Director of Denver University’s Writing Program and an English professor, also joined us. Dr. Hesse’s speech was lighthearted, yet poignant, drawing on a variety of pop culture references to instill the very real and relevant nature writing continues to play in our every day lives.
As always, the highlight of the event was seeing the hard work and critical thinking of the student participants translated on to their poster boards. Poster boards this year were as imaginative and thought provoking as ever.
Some standout posters for me included
- A piece on stolen antiquities that capitalized on various golden and textured papers while communicating the message through a minimalist design
- A young man’s journey overcoming a speech impediment who handed out plastic gold medals, declaring everyone a winner
- A piece drawing on a writer’s most significant artistic influences as he discovered his desire to become an actor.
Obviously, these are just three examples of the remarkable work done by student writers this year. I strongly encourage you to come witness the First Year Programs Writing Showcase for yourself next year!