Last night I was one of many Hamilton students taking part in the first "Midnight Madness" writing workshop. Government Professor Theodore Eismeier, co-coordinator of the event with English Professor Sharon Williams, proclaimed it as "record breaking" for a workshop of its kind. Hamilton undergraduates began to file into the Kirner-Johnson Auditorium at 9:45 p.m. and there was standing room only when opening ceremonies began at 10 p.m. College President Eugene Tobin's opening remarks stressed the importance of strong writing as one of the cornerstones of a liberal arts education – particularly here at Hamilton. Participation demonstrated just how well Hamilton students understand this fact; though there is no official figure, it is estimated that more than 250 students attended.
The evening was divided into three half-hour sessions during each of which students could choose from five available workshops on writing. These workshops ranged in topic from information about online resources for writers to fun word games. Hamilton faculty members representing a broad array of departments presented all sessions. Though the tone of the evening was light, the topics broached in the workshops were clearly valuable. For example, students in the Word Games workshop were challenged to create a single, coherent sentence using the following words correctly: affect/effect, its/it's and lead/led. Though presented in the context of a game, the confusion and misuse of such words can seriously mar one's writing. A Midnight Madness T-shirt was awarded to the student who came up with the best sentence.
Attendance had dwindled by the end of the evening as students returned to their dorms to finish (or begin) the next day's assignments, but most seats remained filled during the closing ceremonies. Hamilton's firm commitment to good writing was evident not only from the breadth of participation but also from how attentively students listened, and how willingly they joined the interactive parts of each workshop. Just before midnight, students reassembled in KJ Auditorium for closing remarks. Professor Eismeier ended this celebration of writing at Hamilton by inviting those students who had been named to the Alexander Hamilton's List to stand and be recognized. Alexander Hamilton's list recognizes those students who have distinguished themselves through writing at Hamilton. Professor Eismeier noted that this list grows longer every semester and -- with the addition of such programs as last night's Midnight Madness -- it is sure to grow longer still. Midnight Madness is a new and fitting illustration of Hamilton's dedication to helping students improve their writing. The success of this program and others like it will undoubtedly help Hamilton undergraduates achieve this valuable goal.
-- Ashley Herriman '05
