Dionte Berry
Features Editor
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To give their seniors a send off, the creative writing program hosted a senior reading to celebrate creative writing seniors. 

On Tuesday, April 27, after the course of their college careers, creative writing seniors went through their past works and chose what they wanted to read. Each senior had around 12 minutes to showcase whatever work they desired. The event was coordinated by Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing Carrie Jerrell who was happy to have an in-person event.

“It’s great that we finally have an event back in-person,” Jerrell said. “It’s a sign that we are able to return to normalcy.”

The evening had five readers, Makenna Crowley, Victoria Diniz, Kaylan Hall, Pam Goodwin and Gabrielle Sullivan. The writers shared a diverse range of work. 

In order to comply with COVID-19 guidelines, the event had an in-person capacity and was streamed via Zoom for those who were not able to attend in-person. 

In the time before COVID-19 the creative writing department would host reading events around four times per semester. Writers from outside of the school would come and talk to aspiring writers and the community in general about their work. 

Along with presenting visiting writers there have been past senior readings to celebrate seniors’ work and their progression as writers since they started their writing journey at Murray State.

“I’m really proud of the work that the seniors have done,” Jerrell said. “They’re a really good group. They’re talented and fun to be around.” 

Senior creative writing major Kaylan Hall shared three pieces with the audience. 

“I read a few of my poems that I feel are finally complete or that have meaning to me,” Hall said. “The two poems that I will be reading are titled ‘Summer Ride’ and ‘Touch.’ I will also be reading a section from my creative nonfiction piece ‘Left.’”

After being in many classes with the other readers for much of her journey as a creative writing senior, Hall was happy to be sharing the podium with her peers. 

“The senior reading is a chance to showcase the growth and hard work that the seniors and other creative writing majors and minors have put into it,” Hall said. “A lot of us have seen each other’s work over the last few years of continuous workshopping, so it is pretty neat to be able to hear the final product.”

Hall did not start her college journey in creative writing. After a year and a half break from school, she saw it was the path for her after reflecting on her freshman year English class. 

“I remembered my freshman English class with Professor Arneson and how much fun he made the class,” Hall said. “When I was ready to return to school, I reached out to Professor Arneson to speak to someone in the English department to make the transfer.”

Hall was welcomed in the program by Jerrell and the other creative writing professors and through her courses she found that she had a passion for poetry. For Hall, writing has become cathartic, giving her a landscape to express her feelings, ideas and traumas.

In the finale of undergraduate experience, Hall is thankful for the professors that have helped mold her into the writer she is now, when it came to her grammar as well as pushing herself harder in her craft. 

“I just want to add a huge thank you to all of the professors that have helped shape me into the writer I have become in the last two years,” Hall said. “Thank you to Dr. Jerrell for being the best mentor during the whole process.”

Jerrell too is thankful for the students that have brought this project to life. 

The seniors are also working as editors for the creative writing program’s annual publication, “Notations.” 

“Notations” is a journal that’s been around for decades at the University, and it’s always published by Murray State students, specifically undergraduates.

The seniors have worked in gathering and putting together the publication, and similar to the Senior Reading, “Notations” will be presented in-person as well as on Zoom on May 4.

“I’m proud of these seniors. They’re a really good group,” Jerrell said. “They’re talented, fun to be around and encouraging of each other, so we really couldn’t ask for a better crew. And I’ll miss them when they graduate.”

The “Notations” reading will be held on Tuesday, May 4, at 7 p.m. in Faculty Hall room 208. The Zoom link will be provided on the program’s Instagram page, @murraystatecreativewriting.