GABRIEL URBINA '13

Gabriel Urbina '13 has this to say about taking a class during Summer Session's inaugural year: "Taking a course with Professor Anne Greene in such a small group setting was incredible. ... In this writing workshop, not only did I develop a good working relationship with a member of the faculty, I also learned how to get into a good writing regimen and my skills sharpened considerably.”

As a number of students have noted, life on campus during Summer Session is different. Despite the increased rigor of coursework because of the shortened timeline, the campus atmosphere is more relaxed. "[My coursework] was constantly in my head, there was no chance to let up.  It was both great and exhausting! I got an incredible chance to experience a great model for a creative workshop course.” 

Perhaps the very best thing that happened was a carryover from his class.  One day, when the class schedule could not include the usual swapping of each other’s papers, one student announced that she really wanted to read everyone’s work—it had become a very important part of her experience.  On the spot, she arranged for a dessert potluck at her house for her classmates to come together to read and to talk.  Gabriel said they talked for hours—maybe five hours—about each other’s papers, and about the art and craft of writing, about reading, and about being creative.  One can only have such conversations with colleagues engaged in the same endeavor - one of the many treasures of Summer Session.