As the COVID-19 pandemic physically separates us, students in UWinnipeg’s Department of Rhetoric, Writing, and Communications (RWC) have found a way to connect through RAW Communication, a blog. RAW is a vehicle for students to articulate their diverse voices as aspiring and practicing professional writers while connecting with the world.
Daryn Joanne Arnott, photo supplied
RAW is a modern hybrid of Rooted in Rhetoric, a journal that features a collection of masterfully articulated prose written and edited by students in RWC. The fifth volume is currently in production and is planned to be released in this Fall.
This is a natural outgrowth of Rooted in Rhetoric.,” said Dr. Helen Lepp Friesen, Coordinator of the Tutoring Centre. “It’s attractive now for offering immediate connection and turn around time rather than the year-long wait for print publication.”
Recognizing the need to harness the student’s enthusiasm and energy, Dr. Andrew McGillivray helped get the ball rolling as faculty project coordinator, “It gives students an online place to express ideas related to their courses and their lives. It’s not as good as meeting in person, but it’s a forum for dialogues.”
Fifth year student, and a contributor, Daryn Joanne Arnott, jumped on the opportunity, “As a writer, having a publication is very exciting to me,” said Arnott. “Thanks to a great reference from a former professor, as well as valuable lessons, I was recently able to get a full-time job as a writer with a search engine optimization. company.”
Arnott is finishing her Bachelor of Arts, with a major in creative writing, with a minor in sociology.
Dr. Jaqueline McLeod Rogers, Chair of RWC, notes the site helped to release students from being “locked into their own spaces. They can think about reaching other students by using an online portal to circulate their thoughts and ideas more widely.”
