EMU’s 41st Semi-Annual Celebration of Student Writing Fair will take place on April 7 in the Student Center Ballroom from 12 p.m. through 5 p.m., as well as through the EMU Engage mobile application. 

The Celebration of Student Writing is a large research and writing fair dedicated to showcasing projects by more than 800 students enrolled this semester in WRTG121: Composition II: Researching the Public Experience.

The WRTG121 course is a general requirement for all students that attend EMU. The class is designed to develop and enhance students' research writing skills in preparation for future courses as well as for their intended career choice. 

Students conduct research using primary and secondary sources and will use their research skills to write a research paper based on their own interests, with the option to present their research at the student writing fair. 

Laura Kovick is a part-time lecturer for first-year writing students and the associate director of the first-year writing program at Eastern Michigan University. Kovick emphasizes the importance of each individual's work.

“Students get the opportunity to see how important their research is,” Kovick said. “They get to come to the Celebration of Student Writing and talk about what they found, they see that other students are really interested in what they wrote about so they’re not just writing for me, for their professor, they’re really sharing this research with a real-world audience.”

In the past, every student that takes the WRTG121 course was required to attend the event in person. This year, they are giving students the option to attend the event if they wish. 

“With COVID19 and people just being uncomfortable around others or in a crowd, this year it was optional, but in the past, it was always required,” Kovick said. “I think as we get back to normal it’ll become required again in the future.”

This year with the virtual aspect, some projects will be shown through the EMU Engage App.

“It’s open to the public so anyone can come into the ballroom and see the projects, but the students that can’t make it can scroll through the Engage App to see the projects,” Kovick said.

Those interested can download the Engage app on the Apple app store or Google Play store. The presentations will be under the ‘Celebration of Student Writing’ tab in the app. 

Even though the online part is open to people who cannot make it, students are encouraged to remember that LBC credit is also offered to those that attend.

For more information on the first-year writing program, visit the EMU Department of English and Literature website. 

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