“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
― Maya Angelou, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
We invite members of the Coe community to submit firsthand accounts of their experiences during this year--experiences with the pandemic and its effects, racial justice protests, online learning, economic stresses, the derecho, politics and the election, or whatever inspires a response.
We're looking for journal entries, expressive art, open letters, well-crafted social media posts, poems, songs, verbal accounts... any format that helps you convey your story.
In collaboration with the Coe College George T. Henry Archives, we'll be cataloguing the material you share with us, storing it in appropriate formats, and making it available to future students, scholars, and community members who want to know how Kohawks experienced this unprecedented time.
We will also compile a set of representative selections from this collection into a publication that will be available in spring 2021.
We invite all Kohawks to share your 2020 stories.
Wondering what to submit? Below are some potential topics for your submissions.
Describe some changes in your life during this global pandemic.
Tell the story of your experience at a protest.
Share your experiences about what it's like to learn online.
How have layoffs and furloughs affected you or your family?
What was it like to participate in the Iowa caucus? Or what was it like to vote in the 2020 Election?
Where were you during the derecho? How has the changed landscape affected you?
The Writing Center also welcomes Kohawks to make an appointment with us to record a conversation about any of these topics if you prefer. We can upload an mp3 of our conversation to the archive. Make an appointment at coe.mywconline.com or stop by the Writing Center in Stewart Memorial Library.
Contact writingcenter@coe.edu for more information on the project