The Visionary Course Pairing
Effective Writing (WR 100)
Think about your favorite piece of writing -- what effect does it have on you? Effective writing has the strength to make someone laugh, think, learn and act. Your mission is in this course to write with strength and confidence. In this class, you will think about how powerful writing affects you both as a reader and a writer. Reading pieces by writers like Frederick Douglass, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Susan Casey will give you the chance to look through the lens of other writers in order to sharpen or refocus your own. Activities out of the classroom will serve to broaden your understanding of yourself in the context of your new community as well. In addition, you have the opportunity to take one of two tracks: the traditional path or the service-learning option. Service offers yet another text to integrate among our readings, discussions, and writing opportunities. On the service track, you’ll be asked to see yourself in direct relationship to those you meet at Tunbridge Charter School. Whether you opt for service-learning or not, you will have the opportunity to serve people outside our classroom through your writing. We will always try to contextualize our discussions beyond ourselves and to see how writers attempt to move their readers and affect the world around them. As you look beyond yourself, you will use your writing to envision who you wish to become. Along the way, you'll be writing for action.
Faculty biography
Dr. Andrea Leary is a Teaching Professor and the Internship Coordinator in the Writing Department, where she has been teaching for the last 29 years. In all of her classes, her goal is to guide her students toward excellence in writing while keeping the Jesuit mission of people "with and for others" in their thoughts and actions. Margaret Mead's reminder guides her teaching: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
The Art of Reading (EN 101)
Cultivates reading, writing, thinking, and oral communication skills by investigating the kinds of attention that literary texts, in multiple genres, ask of readers. The course is writing intensive. Topics reflect the range of faculty expertise and interests and are selected to invite student curiosity.
Faculty biography
Dr. Brett Butler received his Ph.D. from Morgan State University, researching gender discourse in mid-20th century American literature. Prior to his career as an educator, he was a professional biographer, boxing journalist, and technical writer. He became a part of Loyola University's teaching community in 2020.
Mentor biography
Bern Smith is the Associate Director of Housing Operations. Before starting at Loyola, Bern worked with First Year students in ResLife positions for eight years and is excited to be connecting with First Years though Messina. Bern is originally from outside of Philly (Upper Darby to be exact) and attended Villanova for a Bachelors in Science and a Masters in Public Administration. While working at Boston College she completed an MBA. In her free time, Bern enjoys reading, cooking, listening to true crime podcasts, and travelling.
Virtual Advisor
WR 100 satisfies the Composition core requirement for all students. EN 101 satisfies the Literature core requirement for all students.
