“Ghostwriting” Exercise Makes for Spooktacular Good Time

In the spirit of Halloween, the English department held its fourth annual Ghost of JU Write-a-Thon in the Council courtyard. The event is an opportunity for students to tap into their creative writing skills and collectively create a story about the “Ghost of JU.”

“I started this event four years ago,” said English Professor Dr. Connie Duke, who loves teaching her students about the art of literature. “I hope that they will see that writing can be fun.”

Three students at a time will write for 15 minutes and can choose from three options: contribute to the continuous story titled “The Ghost of JU,” compose a brief poem, or write a “short-short” story about the ghost of JU.

The finalized story will be edited and published, and poems or short-short stories may be submitted and published to the Aquarian, JU’s own award-winning literature and arts magazine.

About 150 students participated in this year’s Write-a-Thon, and they were encouraged to create stories that spotlight their imaginative thinking. Some students will receive extra credit points for participating.

The event also raises money for the Learn to Read Jacksonville organization and the Art Creation Foundation for Children based in Haiti. The two organizations split the donations. As a bonus, Jacksonville University President Tim Cost promised to double the final amount of donations collected in the event.