April 2012 Update
2012 Undergraduate Writing Symposium
On March 25th, The Undergraduate Writing Symposium celebrated writing at Vanderbilt as undergraduate writers of all levels presented their work in a conference format. The Writing Studio received over one hundred submissions produced in coursework from the past two semesters. In the review process, Writing Studio fellows and consultants evaluated each paper before selected writers received their invitations.
After the Symposium, the thirty presenters were honored with a ceremony and a presentation of certificates, but not before delivering their papers and fielding questions. Both the humanities and the sciences had extensive representation, with professors moderating each panel. Presentations ranged from poetry written in German to research papers on the echolocation of bats. At one of the panels, a professor from the English department moderated three papers that explored the themes of identity in very different ways—through Jewish-themed short stories, legal testimony in a rape trial, and in modern Hollywood film. The symposium 
began after remarks by the Dean of the Commons on the importance of writing and communication skills for even the most mathematically-driven and scientifically-focused fields. Before retiring to the Dean’s residence for a reception, events closed with an impassioned speech by Associate Provost Cynthia Cyrus on the difficulties, rewards, and skills involved in writing, the entirety of which can be found on the Writing Studio’s website.
See more pictures here!