How I imagine the role of English 101 and the community in our department must be nothing like how the students see it/us. I am the most biased observer in this context because I’ve *always* been a writer, reader and lover of all things related to communication and expression. I am well aware that most of the students (at least in my class) see ENG 101 as a painful moment- its only redemption being that its precursory, fleeting. I would like to call it a “rite of passage”; students might prefer the word “gauntlet” (who I am kidding, they would never use this word.)

During my undergrad at the UW in Seattle, I graduated from the smallest, most nebulous sounding, innocuous little department on campus- haphazardly dubbed: “Comparative History of Ideas”, or “CHID”. We were relegated, like English departments always are, to the worst building on campus. The architecture symbolically paralleled our studies; overwrought, complicated, nebulously structured with pods jutting off a never-ending corridor with no visible escape. I loved it.

Western is no different in terms of how our “freight” (within our local institutional context) is reflected. #worstbuildingoncampus

English 101 MUST happen. I know that, but I can’t defend WHY in any convincing way. If we became an elective, we would be the kid against the wall who never gets chosen to play kickball. Ironically, most kids who love English 101 tend to be that kid.

 The important question for me, as an instructor, is how can I demonstrate in a subtle but profound way (“profound” being the heavenly ideal, “amusing” being the reality) the rich character building inherent (to me) in the always-powerful acts of reading, writing, expressing and collaborating. That what we’re learning. We’re learning how to build worlds. No bullshit.

ENG 101 might not seek the ambitious end-game mentioned above. But it is after some noble pursuits. The role it actually plays is one that would be difficult for me to see, from my little window, cloistered away in the English department, surrounded by books. But Ill make a pretty good guess and say that what it actually does is stop students from ignoring its importance, chiding in the distance of hundreds of years.