Sigma Tau Delta
Spring 2015
Senior Reflections by Ashlie Hoch
Strange as it may sound, I never planned any of my involvement here. At the beginning of my college career, and through high school, I wanted to be a nursing major, preferably at Saint Louis University and eventually become a nurse practitioner. Yet, despite my efforts, God had a completely different plan for me, and two years ago in September, after a series of completely random and God-planned events, I set foot on Missouri Baptist University as an English major.
From this experience as a newly budding young adult, I developed some of the best friendships that I have ever had simply through the individuals within the English department. I also experienced firsthand the dedication of the professors within the English program, and it is from their kindness and knowledge that I learned how to write progressively and with detailed research. I will never forget the hours that I spent in Mrs. Wohlschlaeger’s and Ms. Leavitt’s office editing papers, working on assignments, and simply developing as a person.
Now, I’m not saying that my career as an English major was easy, nor that I did not have a great relationship with every department’s professors that I took classes with, but I do believe that it is from these two amazing young women, Mrs. Wohlschlaeger and Ms. Leavitt, that I received amazing guidance in making some very serious decisions in my life. They taught me how to be a better student, but also how to live outside of the box. They helped me decide to go to Dublin, Ireland, for a summer and also opened my eyes to the world of possibilities of having an English degree and how to be prepared for my new life outside of college.
Being a Student Fellow and a member of Sigma Tau Delta was also a great experience. I learned so much about time management, development, and simply organization that I can now take these experiences with me into my next career. Working with my best friends also made this learning adventure better, but I would encourage any English major to simply get involved with their English department. It is how I developed more, and I am convinced that you will have a great experience like I had.
Overall, my years at Missouri Baptist University were hard work, and there were times when I simply did not believe that I would make it into next week, let alone the next day. There were papers to write, immensely long stories to read, papers to grade, and grammar to learn, but I did it, and I am so much better off because of it.
All of this being said, even though I had never in my life planned on attending Missouri Baptist University or stepping foot in the English rooms, it was by far an exemplary experience.
Ashlie Hoch
Abby Crain
Read below about why she writes.
Shelby Mund
Read below about why she writes.
Why I Write by Abby Crain
I write for many reasons. I enjoy the flow of words off of my fingertips to form a sentence. I love dreaming up an idea for a crazy story and writing it down. Sometimes, when I get into English-nerd-mode, I like writing out an argument for a class that requires me to write an academic paper.
But, let’s be honest; sometimes, I hate it. I love creative writing, but sometimes I hate that I have to explain my thoughts on a topic that I would rather not discuss. I hate that there are so many guidelines on format that we have to have every paper look essentially the same. I hate having a deadline on my creativity because we all know that sometimes our creative thoughts are stifled and—for lack of a better word—our minds are constipated. I’m sure you’ve all experienced this heightened form of writer’s block at some point or another, and it’s a pretty awful place to be. Even sitting down to write this blog post was hard for me because for about ten minutes I had no idea what I wanted to talk about. It is usually hard to conjure a topic of the top off my head when I’m put on the spot.
And here is where I get to my point: writing. is. difficult. Despite many people’s assumption that English majors looove writing papers, the truth is that English majors sometimes hate writing an academic essay more than the average English-hating person does. It is not for the love of “writing a paper” that we write; it is simply for the love of writing, period. I am an English major because I need to learn the proper writing techniques to graduate and hopefully become a published author (a lofty idea, I know). I am not an English major for any enjoyment I get from placing a semicolon in the perfect place or from knowing the differences between “there,” “their,” and “they’re.” I am an English major despite knowing all of these rules and guidelines.
So, what is my point about the point? Yes, writing can be really hard, but when I can write just to write—no rules or deadlines—I gain the best feeling and it is so easy. More than just easy-peasy lemon-squeezie, it’s an entirely new level of easy that gives me the best feeling of freedom. Freedom to write about anything I am thinking, feeling, or wanting to do. I can even put my dreams on paper, and it is up to me whether or not I share them with anyone; but I have written them down and there is power in that. Just the act of writing something down makes it more real and attainable.
My challenge to the readers of this is to not let the rules, regulations, etc. get you down. You can turn even the worst prompt into a masterpiece if you believe that you can unleash your creative beast and turn your writing into a beautiful masterpiece, whether it is for an assignment or not. And besides, whether or not you have the list of grammatical dos and don’ts memorized doesn’t matter, you can write. Write whatever flows from your heart; the words are there for a reason and God could use them to impact someone’s life in ways that you may never know.
Why I Write by Shelby Mund
Congratulations Sigma Tau Seniors!
Events this year (2014-2015)
9/2014: Ashlie Hoch and Savannah Azurin spoke about their trips abroad.
10/2014: Dr. Ooms spoke about her interest in comics.
10/2014: Halloween movie night in the Perk
11/2014: Mrs. Lauren Barbeau, a doctoral candidate in the English program at Wash U, spoke about her dissertation.
12/2014: Christmas Party
1/2015: Dr. Ooms spoke about the process of writing a dissertation.
2/2015: Valentine's Day fundraiser
3/2015: Alumna Bri Jones spoke about how her English degree has helped her in her counseling program at Covenant Seminary.
4/2015: Year-end Party and celebration of seniors
About us
Email: leavittk@mobap.edu
Website: www.english.org
Location: 1 College Park Dr, Creve Coeur, MO, United States
Phone: 314-434-1115