Events address 'write' of travel
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ISSUE: 11/08/07 > NEWS > Events address 'write' of travel
Students can learn about travel writing and earn up to 16 convocation hours at this year’s Sixth Annual Humanities Symposium.
Dr. Maggie Monteverde, associate dean of the School of Humanities, helped begin the symposium in 2002, bringing together the English language and philosophy departments to express the importance of the study of humanities in understanding the world, she said.
Monteverde created this year’s theme — Transforming Travel: Rewriting the World as We Know It. “Travel transforms the traveler. The traveler then transforms the experience in writing. The writing then transforms the way we view the world.”
The symposium will be Nov. 11-19. It will include several convocation events, a few outside speakers, a writing contest and a writing workshop. All events are on BIC, and convocation credit includes culture and the arts, academic lecture, personal growth, and Christian faith development.
“We probably could have done two weeks of programming without any doubt, Monteverde said, “It is the tip of the iceberg, really, what we’re able to present here.”
Outside speakers include Molly F. Miller, a geologist speaking on Antarctica; Alexa Smith, a reporter speaking on international conflict; Tony D’Souza, a freelance journalist and author speaking on his travels; and Brice Minnigh, a Belmont alumnus and freelance writer speaking on making a living writing about his passions.
The symposium will also offer student-involved events including a peripatetic reading on Sunday, Nov. 11, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. where students will walk to different locations to hear readings. Students have to participate for at least an hour to earn convocation credit.
The following Wednesday there will be a study abroad art show in the Leu Center for the Visual Arts art gallery.
Students can submit artwork including photography, three dimensional art, scrap-book style albums or videos and writings. Submission forms are available in Wheeler Humanities Building Room 200 and the art department office; the deadline is Nov. 9.
Students can also write funny travel-related stories for an essay competition. Winning entries will be featured in a Nov. 11 reading.
The stories must be typed, double-spaced and titled. There is an eight-page maximum, and stories can be submitted to Monteverde in Wheeler 207C or online to monteverdem@mail.belmont.edu.
The symposium also offers a writing workshop on November 16 from 1-4 p.m. Because the groups will be limited to 10 to 12 people per session, participants must pre-register online or by picking up a form through the English department.
Danielle Alexander, assistant professor of English, is coordinating the workshop.
“The goal basically is to allow students to work with nationally-known editors and travel writers to hone their skills and know what good travel writing is and how to publish it,” she said.
Five writers including Tony D’Souza and Brice Minnigh, as well as Belmont faculty members Sandra Hutchins, Thom Storey and Linda Quigley will lead the workshops.
“From fiction and travel-related feature writing to freelance journalism to photography and travel journalism, these leaders have a wide range of specialty,” Alexander said.
Participants can indicate their preferred leader on the registration form, and requests will try to be granted.
The writing workshop is an expansion to the symposium. Previous topics have included the mystery novel, story-telling and fairy tales. Next year’s topic will be food, fiction and film.
