October 20 marked another National Day of Writing. The Stanford Hume Center of Writing and Speaking calls it “a day to recognize and celebrate writing in all its forms.” On October 21, The WRD department teamed up with The Writing Center to celebrate. Writing Center tutors were set up in Arts and Letters Hall on DePaul’s Lincoln Park Campus. Students, faculty, and staff were all welcome to engage with fun prompts, yummy treats, and good conversation. Four prompts were offered for those willing to participate: Check out some of the amazing responses we got! Thank you to all that came out
Continue readingAuthor: Callie McNorton
Student Spotlight: Andrea Hamler
Andrea Hamler is a soon to be graduate of the MAWRD program with a concentration in Professional and Digital Writing and an addition of the Strategic Writing and Advacement for Nonprofits (SWAN) certification. She completed an independent study looking into a rhetorical analysis of religious discourse communities and their relation to anti-environmental political discourse. She has roots in math and science tutoring, and her strengths include storytelling and understanding of contemporary evangelical Christian discourse. We got to talk to Andrea about her experiences during her time at DePaul and what her next steps might look like post grad! How did you initially
Continue readingCourse Spotlight WRD 540: Teaching Writing
WRD 540 Teaching Writing is a great introduction to those interested in teaching writing after they graduate, it’s in the name! This class gives students tools to understand different methodologies for teaching composition and looks at modern theories of rhetoric, reading, and language acquisition. Dr. Erin Workman has been teaching this course for the last few years and here she provides a new perspective on the course that will be offered this Winter Quarter 2025. Are there any differences since the last spotlight last Fall? Everything covered in last year’s spotlight is still relevant, including the hybrid modality with weeks
Continue readingCourse Spotlight WRD 365: Migration and Storytelling
Our journey as writers often begins as storytellers. Through this medium, we can tell all kinds of stories about our identity, research, likes, dislikes, and the list goes on! However, sometimes we must listen to outside perspectives–stories from those who we might not usually think to seek. Dr. Monica Reyes, who has an expansive background in work involving displacement and migration studies, is teaching WRD 365: Migration and Storytelling this Winter Quarter 2025. By examining a range of texts—including personal narratives, news articles, opinion pieces, and legal documents—students will evaluate the ethical, cultural, and political aspects of communicating, whether through
Continue readingCourse Spotlight WRD 371: Mentoring Youth in Community Groups
**responses edited for clarity Writing is best when it is a collaboration. In high school, the thought of someone critiquing my work was terrifying. However, a great way to grow as a writer is to work with those around you, receiving and giving feedback. In WRD 371: Mentoring Youth in Community Groups, DePaul students have an opportunity to grow their ability to provide feedback, enhancing their own reflective writing processes, and help younger students at the local Leo High School develop their writing. Finding these types of spaces can be intimidating, but WRD 371 has become a haven for young
Continue readingCourse Spotlight: WRD 287 The Comic Book As Visual Argument
**originally posted May 19, 2022 by Amanda Finn; information is still accurate for WQ 25 There has long been an argument about whether or not graphic novels or comic books should be considered literature. Regardless of which side of the argument you may be on, it is a fascinating conversation to be sure. Professor Alan Ackmann is taking on an adjacent discourse in the upcoming course WRD 287 – The Comic Book as Visual Argument. This class will dig into the rhetorical nature of comics and explore the ways in which they add to conversations. Read on to learn more about
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