In Celebration (& Collaboration) with Writing Centers @FairfieldU! Thanks @elizabethboquet & @_Mitchellaneous

Yesterday, I had the pleasure of picking up CWP-Fairfield, O'Toole Teaching Leader Shaun Mitchell and his colleague, Ann Traspasso, also a CWP-fellow, with three of their best students to join a cross district conversation with young people from Joel Barlowe High School under the leadership of Tim Huminski. 

Why? 

Betsy Bowen, Elizabeth Boquet, and a phenomenal first-
generation of of Writing Center collaboration!

Drs. Beth Boquet, Betsy Bowen and I are interested in supporting a regional writing center network in southern Connecticut, and we looked for opportunities to unite young people from across the region. The event, hosted by Fairfield University's Writing Center (with an incredible staff of many) was phenomenal.

Opportunities like this make my life much more spectacular. I love learning from the expertise of colleagues, local high school teachers, Fairfield University students, Writing Center tutors, and the young people who may be heading our way.

I'm in the company of brilliance.

One of the activities at the beginning of the gathering was to focus on an object in the room and to write about it in great detail. I dropped off the Central High School team, and ran to the CWP office to get snacks and t-shirts. When I entered, and I was asked to tell everyone who I was, the box I was carrying (including Goldfish and cookies) decided to implode and land all over the floor - some things will never change...you can't bring Crandall anywhere). I wrote about that.

I was partnered with Brian, a Central High School student (who later admitted he thought I was the Uber driver, because I picked them up). He wondered why an Uber driver would write poetically. At my table was a big BOOM! stress release squeeze sponge and a bag of Goldfish, so I decided to write about these (and my foolish entrance).

It’s a Zip, it’s a Zoom, it’s a Kapowie! and k’Boom,

the graceful way in which he enters a room,

Goldfish in hand, & t-shirts on shoulder,

weather outside getting colder and colder

(these young Central-Barlowed ones getting older and older)

 --- centered on writing support, growing bolder and bolder.

Cookies on floor, Sh’Zaam and a BOOM!

(Hey, Ms. Traspasso, can you find me a broom?)

Betsy, & Timothy, Colin, Sara, Beth & Shaun,

Crandall enters a room, no time for the Friday yawn ---

(Goldfish cheddar baked crackers flying everywhere as they spawn!)

It was a wonderful way to kick of a Friday afternoon, and I was thrilled to be part of the ensemble. Here's to 2018 and the work we'll continue to do together. A special shout-out to all who worked so hard to make this happen! These are the community projects that make Fairfield University special.