Lone Star College-Montgomery held its annual Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC) Journal Writing Commendations ceremony on Friday, September 29th from 12 to 1 in the atrium/lobby of Building G. Student writers across Lone Star College-Montgomery were recognized and celebrated for their original pieces of work categorized by different disciplines and writing genres.
President Dr. De’ Reese Reid-Hart offered remarks about each commended piece, highlighting the skills and talents demonstrated by the student writers, before presenting certificates to both the students and their instructors. The event also included a live musical interlude by Hannah Faith Lindley, the winning student composer. Lindley performed a selection from her commended original musical composition, “Weathering Emotions,” which added an extra layer of artistic talent to the event.
The WAC/WID Journal began at LSC-M in 2005 when Professors Martina Kusi-Menah and Ronald Heckelman, colleagues in the English department, started The LSC-M Journal of Student Writing Across the Curriculum and in the Disciplines (The WAC Journal). The Journal was initially underwritten by Communication Across the Curriculum (CAC), an LSC-M faculty group, before the office of the Vice President of Instruction took on the primary support.
The WAC-oriented Writing Center at LSC-M, The Write Place, has also been a huge supporter of The WAC Journal. The annual Writing Commendations ceremonies, now four years old, were originally held in the writing center.
The WAC Journal at LSC-M has two purposes. The first is to celebrate student writing across the curriculum, disciplines, and workplace. The second purpose is to serve as a teaching instrument in the classroom across the college. The WAC Journal has gained national recognition, with pieces from LSC-M students included in The Bedford Reader, one of the most revered composition and rhetoric textbooks used in American writing classes.
“As a student, I never imagined that my final essay would be published online and quoted, but this award proves that hard work and dedication truly pays off. It took me a month of reading and research to bring this project to life, but the end result was worth every minute. To aspiring writers, I encourage you to find a way to tie in your personal interests and experiences. Writing should be an enjoyable journey, not just a means to a grade, and my work on "The Odyssey", Vengeance, Ethics allowed me to explore this concept,” said student writer, Gabriella Fernandez.
The annual WAC Writing Commendations ceremony serves as proof of the success of the WAC initiative at Lone Star College-Montgomery, and the support from both faculty and administration over the past 20 years. The recognition of outstanding student writers and their instructors through commendations is a positive step towards encouraging excellence in writing and promoting literacy across disciplines. Congratulations to the student writers and their instructors who received commendations at this year's event.
For more information on Lone Star College-Montgomery's Writing Across the Curriculum program and journals of both students and faculty, please visit LSCMontgomeryCAC.com