16 weeks, countless journal entries, five meetings with T, three experiments, an ePortfolio, a final project, and endless collaboration with Writing 220 peers – this semester has been a tactful journey. Applying to the Minor in writing program was the best decision, enabling me to join such a diverse and talented cohort of unique yet similar minded students that have helped me make new friends and grow as a writer and person. Throughout the duration of the semester, I have learned volumes about my writing style, effectually honed in on my work to create a self-reflective final project, and discovered my identity as a writer.

 

While being placed in a class with entirely unfamiliar faces positions one to learn about others, moreover, I l gained valuable insights about my work and myself. I learned a great deal about myself; things as trivial as reading journal entries in front of the class bolstered my speaking skills and self-confidence while the revision process enhanced my collaborative abilities. Through the daily journal entries on random topics, I began to realize my true voice- candid, honest, yet usually containing some form of comedic relief. With this being my style in informal writing, I found in more formal, structured assignments, I come off as inquisitive yet informative. Through this semester’s experiences, I’ve realized that I cannot write every paper in one draft, and that revision is naturally a part of the process; in fact, the more peers I’ve met with in class for review, I realized that I have been able to deliver wider perspectives with broader insights. In past writing classes, I have really only composed research papers or essays that had to adhere to a rigid prompt. The open nature of Writing 220 encouraged me to expand my repertoire of writing styles, and this was further catalyzed by the many different types of students in our class.

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As previously noted, I appreciate the litany of different styles of writing that I was pushed to produce this semester. From opinionated fictional reviews to photo essays, my work this semester seemed to have a few similar recurring themes and topics. With Writing 220 being the introduction to the minor, I found it very prudent that students had 3 “opportunities” in the form of experiments to find a holistic idea to progress into a project. Following meeting with T twice early on in the semester for clarifying and refining my ideas and structure, I opted to transform a freshman year piece on the Domino Sugar Factory in Brooklyn into my present day project, The essay outlined the decrepit factory, its symbolism of demonstrating hope in an impoverished and underdeveloped area, and the overall positive effects of gentrification. One of my three experiments was directly similar, in that I conducted an Architectural Digest Opinion Article on Brooklyn’s waterfront near the factory; although I could not visit this area, I garnered insights into how to conduct an opinion that holds the attention of aligning and opposing interests. While I enjoyed this experiment, I wanted to find a way to further drive my voice and passion into the project in a more personal and candid way, leading me to Detroit. I conducted research on Detroit, and found many similarities to Brooklyn- Hungry and scrappy places with solid days behind them but much better days to come in the future.

 

With Detroit being so close to Ann Arbor, I visited the city twice, once for each of the remaining two experiments. For both the photo essay and the interview-centered piece, I spoke with people in the downtown area, analyzing patters of the shift in perspectives from the past to present to future outlook of Detroit. I decided that speaking with locals would be the best way to incorporate my candid style of writing into my work.  From an inside perspective, the overlying theme of real estate development and social progression in my experiments and project stems from career ambitions as well as adjacent interests. While I am interested in potentially pursuing a career in urban development and real estate, I also believe in growing social ventures and giving back to communities all over. Writing about a personal interest makes the research and reporting process that much more interesting.

 

It was difficult deciding which experiment to expand on until I met with T and we highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of each experiment. My first experiment effectively utilized pictures and captions, but lacked coherent focus. My second experiment was creative in thematic choice of mimicking an Architectural Digest Article, but it did not have enough substance to convert into a final project. My third experiment seemed most promising in that my candid voice prevailed, but I had to identify a coherent plot to follow. Extracting the picture-centric nature from experiments one and three with the creativity of two yielded “The Corner of Woodward and Grand River.” My second visit to Detroit, helping me finalize the project, surprisingly made me more attracted to the city, wanting to return next semester to visit other landmark spots in the city. During the trip, I had a reaffirmation of my strength in speaking with people, whether it be random strangers or employees at the Shinola Hotel. A great deal of this was diligence, being that for every stranger I interviewed or conversed with, at least three would blatantly ignore me. I felt as if I executed the photo essay strongly, despite my prior apprehensiveness from never doing one before; I have always preferred concrete writing. While the grade won’t carry over, I am excited to carry out the exploratory spirit of this project into future written and design-based projects.

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Overall, my transition as a writer has been immense this semester. On day one, I was close minded regarding styles of writing to explore, as well as utilizing feedback to my advantage when making revisions. Through countless workshops, visits to T, and trips to Sweetland, I naturally became a more creative writer from acquiring such different perspectives. I have come to realize that informal writing matters to me most- whether it is a personal narrative or opinionated piece, I thrive when I have a medium to express my true, candid writer’s voice. While I enjoyed the open ended nature of Writing 220, I want to continue my efforts through courses that align eclectic interests of mine with writing. For example, satisfying my upper level writing requirement as well as my personal checklist of taking a political science class, next semester I am taking a course on political experimentation and the art of crafting a speech.

Collectively, this was a great course. I’m so appreciative for the instruction that I was provided and peers I was surrounded by, moreover, Writing 220 at 10am on Mondays and Wednesdays became a welcoming community. Thank you for helping support me as a student and writer, and I hope to stay in touch to share successes inside and outside of the classroom.