CTY

Crafting the Essay: Personal and Expository Essay Writing

Session One

It was a great first session that had the student read over 30 published essays, write five essays of their own, and take part in a writer's symposium (a select few presented their best essay to a packed auditorium) -- all in under three weeks! I guided night study hall, which we used as an extension of our classroom time, and regularly supported Kristina during our 6 hour day classes. Time at CTY refuses to behave normally, rushing forward at times and slowing down at others. Now I find the first session has already come to a close. Wish me luck with the second session!

Below is a drawing one of the students made of our class. That's me, the tall guy in the corner near the Crafting the Essay instructor, Kristina Fenelley.

Session Two

The second session zipped by faster than greased lightning! Our students in the second group were much younger than the first, and this presented a some interesting insights. We used the same teaching material (though we put "The Death of the Moth" this time around on the back burner for a future session) and found some very different responses! The young adult novel Chinese Cinderella, for example, was not as well received as The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, whereas the first session students much preferred the former to the latter. It was rewarding to see such bright minds step up to and above the bar we set for academic excellence. I do hope to see their faces on campus next summer when we all shall meet again!

The Teaching Assistants decided to give the Resident Assistants the night off for one of the dances. We took over dance planning and decorations while they looked out for the students' well-being. The result: a spook fest known as Fright Night. Kudos to Thalia (see below in the red jacket) for organizing and choreographing a solid 3 minute dance routine to Michael Jackson's "Thriller." They nailed it to the delight of a crowded, energy-filled dance hall. That's me on the far left in the swashbuckler outfit with my arms around Tracy and Jesse.

Stress can build while working in close quarters with the same faces over long periods of time. Evenings like Fright Night allowed many of us to let loose and cathartically purge ourselves of tension. We had an excellent time working together, but we had to organize opportunities to do so. This is a great example of how teamwork and will can go a long way.

Want to know more about CTY from a student's perspective? Check out www.realcty.org, a wiki-style, student generated site that explains everything from "Swashbuckler" to "Passionfruit" and why we don't swing out landyards!