And a wonderful time was had by all...

As early as 3:00 p.m. yesterday, parents were milling about in anticipation of the 4:00 p.m. English 418 Capstone reading.  In addition to the creative writing faculty you might expect to see there---Professors High, Smith, Mitchell, and Samyn (Harms and Oderman were excused on account of teaching; Brazaitis was drinking wine or riding horses or trying to quiet attack dogs and parrots somewhere far, far away; Adams, in her darling cowgirl boots, was missed, of course)---Professors Brady, Lamb, Hathaway, and Blount were in attendance. 

And as a Hathaway reported later (though, truth to be told, she left a little early…), there was “not a cringe-worthy moment anywhere!” 

Just as impressive as the students’ writing were the intros by the MFA mentors.  As is often the case, mentors and mentees alike marveled at the just right-ness of the pairings. 

There were also many expressions of gratitude to the mentors and professors with whom the students have worked----to which we say: thanks and right back at ya.

Thanks, as well, to Marsha Bissett for designing the program and seeing to it that our event got its fair share of Flying WV cookies (which, one assumes, are baked by the thousand each day and gobbled up all over campus).   

Congratulations to the undergraduates: Patrick Reiser, Jose Barreiro, Alyson Murphy, Jessica Dyche, Aubrey Mondi, Micah Holmes, Anthony Pardo, Maria Goodson, Nicole Bartow, Bryce Post, Andy Smith, Megan Wood, Samantha Bialek, Jared Martin, Michael Belknap, Holt Barnitz, Ilene Funck, Jeremy Gill.

Thanks to their mentors: Matt Buchanan, Danielle Ryle, Lori D’Angelo, Christina Rothenbeck, Sarah Beth Childers, Charity Gingerich, Aaron Hoover, Kori Frazier, Heather Frese, Tori Moore, Tony Clavelli, Renee Nicholson, Lori D’Angelo (yes, again!), Aaron Rote, Erin Veith, Ashley Jenkins, Emily Watson, Jason Freeman.

See you next time!