By ANGELINA MANDELL
Copy Editor
Saint Rose students got to show off their writing skills in celebration of the National Day on Writing on Oct. 20 as the Neil Hellman Library, with the Writing Center and the English department, hosted a number of fun writing activities and contests.
A sign-in raffle for gifts and swag like customized pencils greeted participants. The first table in a series of writing activities allowed students to write an aspect of social justice they wish to see accomplished in the world. Answers included, “end homelessness,” “spread more love,” “end racism,” and “solve child hunger.”
The library chose eight finalists from their Two-Sentence Spooky Story Contest that attendees could vote for on a display using stickers. The winner with the most votes, Ice Tang Wai Xian, won the grand prize of a brand new Amazon Fire Tablet 10. Their story read, “I finished my assignment and submitted it online by 11:59 p.m. But the loading icon just kept spinning.”
Elizabeth Mattair came in second place. “As I shuffled through my high school parking lot early on the morning of March 14th, 2020, an unfamiliar girl began to tiptoe next to me and muttered in a low foreboding tone, ‘I can’t believe this is the last day.’ I stopped short and gave her a confused look as a cold dark feeling settled in my stomach- ‘The last day before what?’” If a student’s story didn’t make it to the finals, they will also be showcased on a later date in the library.
Students could test their writing skills with a number of writing prompts and challenges at the different tables. Attendees could write a one-sentence memoir, a haiku, letters to nurses and healthcare professionals, caption popular memes, and of course the classic “why I write” prompt for students to tell their stories of how writing inspires them. Students’ answers were posted similarly to the social justice speech bubbles on the windows of the lounge to inspire other students as to why they write.
Senior English major and co-president of the English club Maddie Glasser described the story of how she fell in love with writing during the event. “I got lunch detention freshman year of high school for being late to homeroom too many times,” she said. “So I began to write a book, and I just kept writing every time I went back. I was late a lot. But I had a story I liked so I just kept writing. And I haven’t stopped.”
Glasser began at Saint Rose as a music major, but once the college cut the program she rediscovered her passion for writing through the English department. “When I was a music major, I took one English class as a lib. ed. with Dr. [Brian] Sweeney–’Crime and Punishment, Poe’s America’,” she said.
“When the college shut down for covid, I realized music wasn’t for me after I tried to learn trombone over Zoom, and going to C&P was my favorite class. So, I decided to switch majors,” Glasser said.
Students flowed in throughout the event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The sea of tables, colorful posters and crowd attracted students coming from all over the EAC, from the Camelot room, or after getting their afternoon coffee at Starbucks. Some English professors were even spotted stopping by in between their classes to check out the festivities.
“I am typically a YA [young adult] fiction writer in my free time,” said senior English adolescent education major Lynn Hennessy, explaining her love for writing. “That being said, I write to return what others did for me, and that’s to provide a world that others can escape in.”
“When I write papers or essays, I still find a ton of value in it,” Hennessy said when discussing her creative writing. “In general, I just love how individualized it can be, and I love to see my thoughts take a physical form.”
The College has many other opportunities to help students develop their writing skills. The Writing Center offers many resources, tutoring, and workshops for students to improve their writing skills and abilities. The Saint Rose Chronicle is always looking for writers, especially those interested in reporting news and covering events. The Saint Rose English club holds writing workshops and free-writing activities for students to share their creativity with peers outside of the classroom.
