COMPOSITION STUDIES BY DIANE K. OLSON, PHD, WRITING, TEACHING AND CRITICISM

JESUS PAPERS WERE WHAT THEY WERE CALLED BY SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES AT A MIDWESTERN UNIVERSITY WHERE I TAUGHT WRITING DURING THE 1990'S.   THEY WERE PAPERS WRITTEN BY CHRISTIAN STUDENTS WHO LOVE JESUS AND WANTED TO SHARE JESUS' LOVE AND THEIR FAITH IN THE LORD JESUS WITH THE WORLD.  THESE STUDENTS WERE, INDEED, SOME OF THE MOST LOVING AND CARING STUDENTS I HAVE EVER TAUGHT.  I ASK AGAIN TODAY, WHO ARE WE, AS COMPOSITION TEACHERS, TO CENSOR THESE STUDENTS' PASSION FOR AND DESIRE TO EXPRESS THEIR LOVE AND FAITH IN GOD AND JESUS?   FAITH IN THE LORD AND IN GOD THE FATHER IS SOMETHING THAT IS NOT TALKED ABOUT MUCH, IF AT ALL, IN MANY UNIVERSITIES.    AND YET WE ARE A SERVICE-ORIENTED PROFESSION WHERE MANY COMPOSITION TEACHERS TEACH THEIR STUDENTS SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES AND A CONCERN WITH TEACHING AND TUTORING WRITING IN THE COMMUNITIES AROUND THEM TO MEET THE COMMUNITIES' WRITING NEEDS -- TEACHINGS IN LINE WITH CHRISTIANITY AND CHRISTIANS WHO LIKEWISE FEEL COMPELLED TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF PEOPLE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.  I WOULD SAY THAT WE HAVE MUCH TO LEARN FROM AND SHARE WITH OUR STUDENTS WHO LOVE JESUS AND BELIEVE IN COMPASSIONATE SERVICE TO HUMANITY, IN JESUS' NAME.