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Inclinations

Priscilla Fagan

Growth

George Eliot once said, "The strongest principle of growth lies in human choice." As we enter 2001 we are proud that membership at WVU is growing in leaps and bounds, and with growth comes change. So, WVU finds the need to offer more choices to our members, not only with course offerings but in the way we offer our courses.

Samuel Johnson put it well in 1750 by saying, "Whatever is formed for long duration arrives slowly to its maturity." Bear with us as we make changes and adjustments, along the way. Anything worth doing is worth doing well. Our writers' university is worth the effort our volunteers put into it. Writers' Village University is unique. All our courses are developed by volunteers. All our courses whether facilitated or unfacilitated thrive on peer feedback, our foundation.

Gilbert Highet said, "Wherever there are beginners and experts, old and young, there is some kind of learning going on, and some sort of teaching. We are all pupils and we are all teachers." The spirit of WVU is its members and out of its membership, volunteers. Why do we give our time and energy? Because we want to, we don't have to. The idea behind WVU is important to us.

In the coming months, you will see new classes and a registration system, facilitated and unfacilitated classes and classes offered more often... a choice. All courses at WVU are free to our membership and that will not change. Choices will come in three forms; unfacilitated courses, facilitated courses (watch the Calendar for dates), and self-run courses at your convenience (no calendar to worry about. You will even be able to get a group of your own together to take a course.)

Aristotle made this inclination in the 4th century B.C. "To learn is a natural pleasure, not confined to philosophers, but common to all men." No matter how you learn, WVU hopes to offer that learning experience.

"What sets us against one another is not our aims -- they all come to the same thing --but our methods, which are the fruit of our varied reasoning." Saint-Exupery, 1939. I believe the main thing to remember when taking a course in writing, anywhere, is that the feedback or opinion of the teachers or your peers is just that: opinion. "Believe in your own identity and your own opinions. Proceed with confidence, generating it, if necessary, by pure willpower. Writing is an act of ego and you might as well admit it. Use its energy to keep yourself going." William Zinsser.

As we grow with our writing and at WVU, I'd like to give you this quote by George Eliot to slosh around in your mind, " It is never too late to be what you might have been." Learn all you can no matter what format you use, find your own voice and stick to it.

As WVU experiences growing pains, I'll leave you with this thought out of the 1st century B.C by Publilius Syrus, "There is no fruit which is not bitter before it is ripe."

Til next month I remain, eternally optimistic,
Priscilla