Connections: Writing in the Real World
 

Students in Jerry Mirskin's classes learn about the world as they strengthen their writing skills.

For Idris at the Gossett Center A good man who invites souls to loaf in his company brought us together And we both needed a teacher who knew that in writing we are all on the same surface The same open field Where the world can see and judge us at any moment And when a woman is soft against you someday it was this world that kneaded her From dry, tough dough into one who can wrap and fold around you with pliable strength Taken from a poem by Amy Monticello '05, a student who participated in the Gossett Center activities with assistant professor Jerry Mirskin

An associate professor of writing, Mirskin involves his students in mentoring teens at the Louis Gossett Jr. Residential Center, a New York State juvenile detention facility in Lansing, New York. The facility houses teenage boys who have been convicted by the court system of various crimes and provides counseling and educational services to help them repair their lives.

Enhancing his students' academic experience was at the heart of Mirskin's intentions when he first connected Ithaca students with the Gossett Center eight years ago.

"It takes education beyond the classroom," he said. "It's a way to make our time in school meaningful in a way that benefits the community."

Since the program was launched, many Ithaca College students have had the opportunity to mentor Gossett students just a few years younger than themselves. It's an educational experience that is both rewarding and challenging. Few of the Gossett students view themselves as writers prior to meeting their Ithaca mentors.

"That's one of the most meaningful parts," Mirskin said. "Rarely are these kids valued for what they do in school, for their intellects. So when they get positive reinforcement from an audience of readers, it's brand new for them. It's something they don't get from their friends on the street. They're succeeding in a new arena." According to Mirskin, Gossett residents and Ithaca College students alike gain from the interaction. Gossett students gain writing skills and confidence as their mentors rehearse and reinforce what they're practicing in the classroom.

"By teaching, my students are participating in their own education," he said. "It's active learning. The lessons are as memorable to them as they are to the Gossett students."

Students in Mirskin's classes have worked with Gossett teens in various writing genres, including poetry and personal essay. In a typical semester students take turns visiting the center with Mirskin, introducing writing topics and styles, and responding to the residents' written work. IC students also pair with Gossett residents and correspond throughout the semester. At the end of each semester a group of IC students visits Gossett for a final meeting and a reading of each other's work.

As a result of having participated in the program, several IC students have continued working at the Gossett Center beyond the end of the semester, helping students study for their high school equivalency degrees.

For some IC students the experience has been a real eye-opener. They are often surprised to learn the extent to which they can make a difference in a troubled life.

"The experience permanently changed me," said Amy Monticello '05, who became involved in the Gossett program through Mirskin's Poetry II class last fall. "I think in much bigger terms now. I realize that I have the choice to add to the positive or negative forces in the world. I want to become part of the positivity."

The experience changed Monticello's professional aspirations as well. She now plans to work toward a doctorate, teach writing, and follow a career that mirrors Mirskin's. That, according to Mirskin, is one of the most delightful outcomes of engaging students in this kind of real life activity.

"Its effects extend into the future," he said. HS