“You write in order to change the world […]. If you alter, even by a millimeter, the way people look at reality, then you can change it.” James Baldwin
With this quote at the top of my syllabus, I gave the students in my College Writing and Critical Reading course a challenge:
Over the next sixteen weeks, you will practice brainstorming, drafting, revising, and editing your essays. And, in the end, you will publish your writing online for our college community—and the world—to read.
To persevere, you must believe in yourself. You belong here. You are an invaluable member of this community, and this is your opportunity to raise your voice. It will be hard and you will doubt yourself, but you’re going to write anyway.
You matter. Which means your writing matters. Let’s use it to make the world a better place, even if it’s just by a millimeter.
The following collection of essays is their attempt to meet this challenge.
Be aware:
- Students have the right to remain anonymous. Many chose this while others left their names on their work.
- I have not edited these essays. They represent the spectrum of perspectives and stages of academic development among the students in our course.
- Furthermore, the opinions expressed in these essays belong to the authors and are not endorsed by Anoka Ramsey Community College or myself.
- You will find MLA and APA formats.
- Copying and pasting from these essays or reproducing them in any way without proper citation is considered plagiarism.
Please read with an open mind and a critical eye. Thank you!
Chris McCarthy English Division Faculty Member at Anoka-Ramsey Community College 