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Writing dept turns one


DANBURY, CONN. — Whether they pen fiction or fantasy, whether they journal or blog, writing has once again become popular and trendy among college students — and the students at Western Connecticut State University are no exception. And the writing program at WestConn has recently expanded to the point that it needed its own department.

This year the Department of Writing, Linguistics and Creative Process celebrates its first year after splitting from the university’s English department and, according to chairman Oscar De Los Santos, things are going well.

“The student numbers were dictating that we do something,” De Los Santos said. He said his goal within the department is to teach students to be active, engaged writers — a process achieved through lots of writing and workshops.

While the English department studies literature and historical periods, the writing department studies writing and uses literature to study the process of writing. “Our main focus is how to do it,” said De Los Santos. “We use literature as models, prompts and inspiration. We come at it from a totally different vantage point. We look at how a writer executes his or her craft, what decisions are made and what influences may actually create a style of writing.”

De Los Santos said there has been a recent explosion in writing, especially with biographies.

“Our culture is more and more engrossed in self-expression and using writing to explore positions on topics and culture,” he said. “Memoir writing is huge. Writing is thinking and people are recognizing that it’s the best mode of self-expression.”

The major benefit of being separate from the English department is, De Los Santos said, being able to concentrate 100 percent on making students better writers. The department is also able to offer a lot of choices and freedom in the styles of writing.

The undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree program in professional writing has various options: creative writing, journalism/freelance, public relations, teaching writing at elementary and secondary levels, business and general, which includes a combination of concentrations.

De Los Santos said that the excitement created by the new department resulted in a writing club of 47 members, mostly writing majors. Although it’s a student-organized club, the members write and critique each other’s works and recently published a journal of their work called “Black & White.”

 

Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England’s best small private universities.