The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

The Daily Illini

The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

The Daily Illini

The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

The Daily Illini

The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

The Daily Illini

    Writers Workshop celebrates National Day on Writing

    Because hardly a day passes where students find themselves not writing, the University celebrated the fourth annual National Council of Teachers of English National Day on Writing.

    In the past, the Writers Workshop has had student participants go outside of Undergraduate Library wearing a “Write Your Mind” display board that students stick post-it notes on, but due to the day’s cold, rainy weather, National Day on Writing activities were kept to the tunnel between Undergraduate and University Library.

    The tunnel was staffed from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. by Writers Workshop student volunteers, who set up four white boards along with the “Write Your Mind” display board.

    The four white boards each had different prompts, posing questions such as what students’ best and worst writing experiences were, what they wrote this week and what they like to write.

    “Even if they don’t like writing, we like to encourage (students) to write by talking about their worst experiences,” said Grace Rosean, junior in LAS. “It’s been good with midterms this week.”

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    Rosean was very satisfied with the student turnout.

    “I think almost all the four boards have filled up,” Rosean said. “Especially for Friday afternoon that’s really great, and we’re really excited about that.”

    The University’s writing day activities were organized partly in response to complaints that “no one writes anymore,” said Elizabeth Morley, Writers Workshop director.

    “I think it’s a problem with the definition of writing,” said Morley. “People think of writing as using paper and pen, and it’s true people don’t do that (as much) anymore.”

    Her definition of writing is much broader, commenting that almost everyone she knows writes a lot more than they used to, especially with things like email.

    “People of every age are writing and keeping up with their friends way more than they ever used to write letters back and forth,” said Morley. “So I don’t think it’s true that people aren’t writing anymore.”

    Morley has a much broader definition of writing in the technological age – considering writing to be “any kind of composed words or media – all of it,” a theme that carried over to University’s writing activities today.

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