While in Stone Mountain Park, participants were immersed in the history of Hutchinson Homestead, the views of Stone Mountain, and the cascading waters of Stone Mountain Falls. At these sites, they completed writing activities to practice description, which, along with narration, point of view, and form, was one of the program’s topical themes.

The workshop took place from July 5-10, 2015, and is one of six First-Year Summer Experiences offered by New Student and Transition Programs. Chapter One is directed by Assistant Professor Jon Burr in the Department of English, and facilitated by Hannah Silvers, an English major with concentrations in Professional Writing and Rhetoric and Creative Writing.

When the group wasn’t hiking along the raging waters of Wilson Creek inside Virginia’s Grayson Highlands State Park or in hot pursuit of wild ponies along the Appalachian Trail, they were back at their cabin, reading and writing while curious deer crept nearby.

Each participant also took part in a workshop of their own writing and gained valuable feedback, an experience that Kyle Thomas found to be useful. “Chapter One improved my writing by leaps and bounds, and it was the most fun I’ve had all summer!” Thomas said. As a result of these writing workshops, students made final edits and revisions and, at the end of the week, presented their completed poems and short stories in the Inman Reading Room.

In addition to writing and adventure, the program sought to provide participants with a glimpse of college life. Samira Foster found this aspect of Chapter One to be particularly valuable.

“As we climbed up mountain trails and crossed waterfalls to gain inspiration for our writing, bonding with the nine other incoming freshmen was inevitable. The connection that we shared is what made me realize that I was going to a college where people not only had similar interests as me, but also where people genuinely cared about one another,” said Foster.

After completing their summer adventure, Chapter One participants left with stories, experiences, and writings that will only continue to be shared when they return to 黑料不打烊 in the fall.

Mirrors, ribbons, a blanket fort, a tornado of baby dolls, an apothecary, swings, military fatigues, more baby dolls. These are hardly the sorts of things that creative writers typically turn to for inspiration. But for the six participants in Chapter One creative writing workshop, they were just the ticket. 

These objects and their spaces were part of a “writing playshop” that the group completed at the Elsewhere Museum in Greensboro. Chace Blackburn described the museum as “a haven for artists, writers – creatures of any kind. I drew much inspiration there.”

The workshop took place from July 6-11, 2014, and is one of five First-Year Summer Experiences offered by New Student and Transition Programs. The workshop was developed and facilitated by Assistant Professor Jon Burr in the Department of English, and Negesti Kaudo, a rising senior who is a double major in English and psychology.

When the group wasn’t exploring the depths of their imaginations at the Elsewhere Museum, it traveled to such locations as Glencoe Mill to practice their descriptive writing along the banks of the Haw River and the North Carolina Zoo for narration exercises involving elephants, puffins, and baby gorillas.  

The workshop did not focus on any one type of writing, and, instead, students practiced with a variety of styles, including fiction, poetry and non-fiction. This facet of the workshop was valuable for Melina Casados. “I learned a lot about different writing styles, and I’m really thankful for that,” Casados said. “I was unsure about what type of writing I wanted to pursue prior to this program, but I am now more sure than ever.”

In addition to their travels, each participant took part in a critique of their own writing where they gained valuable feedback, an experience that Sam Sienerth found to be particularly useful. “I think the best thing that we did was the workshops, where we critiqued each other’s works,” Sienerth said. 

Julia Sorensen echoed Sienerth. “Chapter One was packed with great activities that kept us interested wherever we looked,” Sorensen said. “It was great to receive constructive feedback on my writing.”

The program also sought to provide participants with a glimpse of college life and to familiarize them with 黑料不打烊’s campus and resources.

“I’m so glad I had this opportunity. I got to meet an awesome group of people and was able to grow as a writer, a person, and an 黑料不打烊 student during my time here,” said Rebecca Murphy. 

Similarly to Murphy, Mikki Warszawski saw great value in how the program brought her together with individuals of similar interests. “It was a glimpse of the college experience and I would truly recommend it to anyone else,” Warszawski said. “It allows you to meet pretty amazing people that you don’t have to say goodbye to.”