International Day on Writing

I really enjoyed attending the International Day on Writing event on campus last Tuesday. I didn't know what to expect when I got there, and now I wish I would have come more prepared. I thought it was very interesting to cover the event, and was shocked at how many people participated. It's good to bring people together who share an interest in writing, because it is often such a private talent. The event was a very unique experience. Looking back on it, I wish I would have prepared questions for the participants, and if I could do it over again, I would ask more people to read things that they had written during the activities. The participants were diverse and people inspired each other as they worked at different stations. I think it would have been a nice effect to have people read for the camera, what they created, although, that is easier said than done because people are often self-conscious of what they write. Of course, it's always worth a chance, to ask. I thought Taylor did a really good job recording pieces of what people wrote at one of the stations. I think we could have gotten a lot more material like that. We did manage to capture a lot of different types of information to compile for publishing, including audio, video, and photography.

I also regret not planning for the event better because I would have liked to have done the writing adventure activity, where a small group of students walked to various parts of campus and stopped at specific spots to reflect and write. I think this would have made for very interesting coverage of the event, and the audience could actually experience the event visually as well as through the writing of the students who participated in the walk. Overall, I was enthusiastic about the event and I would have enjoyed participating even if I wasn't covering it for class. I hope the event is continued next year and that students who cover it next year can learn from what our class puts together.