In college, and probably before that, there are professors who teach you how to be a better writer, and there are professors who teach you how to write well in their preferred style. Sharon Crowley taught me how to be a better writer. I learned to express my thoughts better in a way that felt like me, instead of feeling like I was writing in another’s voice. I used to think that you decided what to write about, wrote about it, then read it over to edit for any errors. One thing Sharon stressed was reengaging with the content and building upon what you’ve written. Today, I write as a hobby, and I constantly find myself going back and reengaging with what I’ve written to make sure that I’m communicating what I want to, or even to ask myself what is I’m trying to communicate, particularly when something feels off. Do I believe what I’m writing? Why do I believe what I’m writing? And that last part, while maybe not essential to what I’m writing at that precise moment, might be the thing that sticks with me the most, because it forces me to reflect on who I am. And that absolutely impacts my future writing. Sharon once wrote in her syllabus that writing is an active, integral part of thinking and learning, and vice versa, not just a tool of communicating. I’m not sure I understood that when I took the class with her, but I do now. 

Stephen Cardamenis, Legislative Assistant