For this Spotlight, we gave some time to Alex Treat, a new graduate assistant for the MAWRD program. He graduated from the University of Arkansas at Monticello with a Communication degree emphasizing professional writing, and now is here to continue his education in writing and rhetoric. We have asked him to give his impressions on the program, the city, and to elaborate on some of his ambitions.
What has been your experience of living in Chicago? What do you enjoy about the city?
Chicago has been a breath of fresh air, which is ironic considering I’m originally from Arkansas. The sheer abundance of stores and places is new to me, especially since I have never been surrounded by this much “stuff.” Admittedly, the amount of density from block to block was overwhelming at first, but figuring everything out has been exciting. One thing I particularly like is the variety bookstores and cafes and the fact that I don’t have to drive for 20 minutes to find one. Also, having lived in a dry county for the last four years during school, the bars are pretty nice.
How does the MA in WRD program fit your goals and interests?
My professional ambitions involve teaching writing and rhetoric at the collegiate level, so coming to a program that specializes in that area is appropriate. The multiple forms of writing that are focused on here, such as multimodal works, fit my interests, and my background in studying communication and media meshes well with the program’s offerings. Working with other forms of textual creation, like document design, serve to increase my skillset, undoubtedly helping me in the future. Overall, the program’s mix of theoretical and technical interests suits me well.
Does this program differ from your undergraduate experience?
I don’t quite know where to begin. UAM was a smaller university in a small town, so even the infrastructure is not the same. The primary difference can probably found in how WRD frames itself at DePaul, in that WRD distinguishes itself from an umbrella category. By this I mean the program is not under something like English or Communication in any structural way. When choosing my major at UAM, I had to pick between Communication with a Professional Writing Emphasis or English with a Professional Writing Emphasis. Because of this, my courses were split pretty evenly between the two departments. I took just as many literature and grammar courses as I did with communication theory and application ones, and I got to know and interact with two separate communities. In the end this proved beneficial, as it gave my education some variety, but this also meant I was somewhat beholden to two different perspectives on writing and rhetoric. WRD seems to have certain qualities that reflect UAM’s English and Communication programs, but the framing is different since the program is not under a sort of umbrella discipline. As such, MAWRD is more stable and defined by comparison and allows me to hone in on writing for my studies more than ever before.
What types of classes do you hope to take during your time in the program?
The rhetoric courses, like Ancient Rhetoric and Contemporary Rhetoric, are right up my alley, as well as some of the other theory-based courses. I do intend to take some of the more pedagogically oriented courses, like Teaching Writing and others. Many of the courses for the Professional & Digital Writing concentration are also interesting, particularly the ones focusing on media.
Have you thought about any career paths that you might be interested in?
Like I said, I want to teach college writing and pursue scholarly opportunities, which includes joining a PhD program in the future. Where that program would be, I’m not sure yet. I would have to decide on a list of factors, like if I would want to stay in Chicago. As for alternatives, editing or tech writing fields would be interesting, but I do not have anything specific on that front. Creative writing is also an interest of mine, and producing novels and short stories, while not necessarily making a career out of the endeavor, is another ambition of mine.