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Show Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011 Page 4 AggieLif Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com Writers see world through new eyes BY KARLEE ULRICH staff writer THE CREATIVE WRITING CLUB was created when the capstone class for English majors was cut. The club's adviser Jennifer Sinor said the club will help English students build friendships and become more connected to their majors. CURTIS RIPPLINGER photo Striving to find the right word, phrase or character, little known artists on USU's campus live a life full of observation and discovery. They see the world with different eyes, heeding the unnoticed and giving it voice. These artists are writers dedicated to creating beauty out of the world around them. Their tools are words framed on pages and bound together in context. They are creative writers. At USU, many of these artists are English majors emphasizing in creative writing. This year, many of them started a club to help bring their work to life. Jennifer Sinor, the English department creative writing chair and club adviser, said the new club was created to replace the capstone classes that used to supplement the English curriculum. With the project, students have begun to learn how to submit manuscripts and listen to panels of professionals explain the writer's life." "(Students) would identify things that they hadn't learned in their time as English majors with creative writing emphases, and then we would create panels that would fill those holes for them," Sinor said. Sinor said after budget and staffing cuts, there was no longer faculty to staff certain classes, which were consequently removed from the creative writing curriculum. "I felt like that it was a real lose for students," she said, "so when we talked in the creative writing curriculum committee, we thought we could create a club that could take the place of that class in some ways." "I didn't have room in my schedule to take writing courses this semester so I wanted to have something that would make me write for this semester," said Anna-Maria Arnljots, a senior English major and club member. "I need something to actually motivate me to do it." She said she feels the creative writing club is the perfect place to help her get more in involved in her major. "It's helped me to understand what possibilities are within my major that I wouldn't have realized before without talking to the people that know more than me or who've been at it longer than me," Arnljots said. Tessa Ryser, a senior who is also an English major and club member, said the club helps keep her program connected. "I like being in touch with the other creative writing majors," she said. "When you're in your classes you don't always know who is your emphasis and who's not, so it's nice to know who is who." Ryser also said having friends in a major is important and the club will be a place to foster friendships. "It really helps with enthusiasm when you have someone else to talk to about it and someone else that is equally passionate about it as you." Ryser said at the club's first meeting members made three goals. The first one was to create panels of published authors and agents to come talk about getting published. "We get so much workshop kind of feed back but not much practical, 'How do I get into the field?' type of advice," Ryser said. The second goal was to put together creative writing workshops for feedback on member's writing, she said. Finally, club members compiled an extensive list of books of creative writers — instructional and ones that are in each student's genre. "Right now the club was created for creative writing majors and really was organized with the purpose of giving a place for our English students to come," Sinor said. Those who are in the creative writing emphasis, American study students doing creative writing and liberal arts majors are welcome to join the club, she added. "I suppose if a student was demonstrably committed to writing and the writing life, they had taken it under serious study — even if they weren't a major — then they would be welcome to come too," Sinor said. She said she feels that by participating in the club students will be able to get involved in the writing community. "I tell my students that you have to learn to see the world through a writer's eyes," Sinor said. "The only way you can do that is if you are constantly writing and thinking about writing, and as soon as you immerse yourself in that world, you see the world as a writer would see it. But to get there I think you have to surround yourself with other writers, you have to surround yourself with great writing, and you have to commit to it." – karlee.ulrich@aggiemail. usu.edu Alumnus builds his uture one home at a time BY AUDREY MOULTON staff writer Justin Cooper said he has a lot in common with students at USU. In fact, he used to be one himself. Cooper, a Cache Valley resident for most of his life, said he now owns his own business, here in Logan. Cooper said he started his construction business in 1997 and received his bachelor's degree in finance shortly thereafter. "Everything I learned (at USU) could be applied to just about any business," Cooper said. "They all operate the same, it's just that you sell a different widget to a different demographic of people at a different price point." He said the real key to any business is who is hired, His advice is to always hire smarter than yourself. "If you hire the right people, you can do it," Cooper said. As co-owner of Mt Sterling Custom Homes, Cooper said he oversees all the production, estimates and marketing that go along with building homes. "I have individuals I oversee and communicate with all day to make sure homes are built the way they've been designed and the way they need to be built," Cooper said. "We make sure costs are in line so that we know when we tell someone it's going to cost 'X' amount, it costs 'X' amount." Cooper and his partner Jeff Jackson meet daily to discuss smaller issues and weekly to go over duties and make sure things are in line. Cooper said he met Jackson through the Cache Valley Home Builders Association. At the time, Cooper was its president and Jackson was the vice president. In 2004, Cooper and Jackson merged their two companies and expertise to design and build custom homes. Jackson's main role is the accounting and land development while Cooper's is overseeing construction and quality control. "They both have basically grown up in construction," said Whitney Kartchner, the pre-construction manager for Mt Sterling. "They had their own companies going, and then they merged to create Visionary Homes (a residential home builder) about six years ago." Cooper said Mt Sterling builds about 50 homes a year in Cache Valley. "We're very busy, and for our industry to be busy at this time is a blessing," Cooper said. Cooper said he worked through college doing construction work. "It's always been a love and a passion to essentially take nothing and construct something you can walk away from and say, 'That looks good,"' Cooper said. "There's a sense of accomplishment." Cooper said working and going to school full time while trying to support a family was difficult. It took him six years to complete his degree. Although he saw himself working for a big business out of state, initially, he said after graduation he decided to stick around, even though he received several job offers out of state. "My wife and I felt that we would pursue another one locally first, which we enjoyed. It was a good experience," Cooper said. "It opened my eyes to what really can be made and done out there. It helped give me a better direction and vision of what I want to do in life." Cooper grew up in Wellsville where now resides. He said it's a good place to raise a family. "Owning any business whether large or small adds a lot of stress," he said. "It's a lot different than punching in and punching out at the end of the day and leaving those worries on your desk." Jackson said starting a business can be a slow and difficult process. "It's easier when you have the right employees, and we have the right employees," he said. "If we train them well and then just get out of their way, they do it better than we can do." Jackson advises those interested in starting JUSTIN COOPER GRADUATED FROM USU in 1998, shortly after he started his construction company Mt Sterling Homes. Cooper credits his business success to what he learned in college. DELAYNE LOCKE photo a business to be sure to have a passion for what they're getting into. Passion and drive may be important in starting a business, but he said there are many steps involved to keeping a new business afloat. "So many people get into business because they have a technical skill, meaning that they know how to make a widget," Jackson said. "Owning your own business is a completely different mindset than being a good technician. You've got to understand a lot more than just the product you're producing." Cooper said there is something to be said about hard work and a good education. "Small decisions can really change your life," he said. "Do what you enjoy and be the best at it," – audrey.moulton@aggiemail.usu.edu |