Trinity College

June 2007: Avery Heights, a retirement community in southwest Hartford, will celebrate its 50^th anniversary. As part of the celebration to commemorate this event, Avery Heights plans to create a book celebrating the lives of 50 of its residents.

February 2006: Lisa Sartorius contacted Alice Tucker, Assistant to President Jones, to ask for Trinity student volunteers to interview 50 residents and write their “stories” for the collection Fifty Lives for Fifty Years. As Acting Director of the Writing Center, I saw this as a wonderful opportunity for the Center’s Writing and Rhetoric Minor students and for its Writing Associates. I replied to Ms. Sartorius, and she and I met to determine if my idea was a good fit for her project. We decided that both of our goals could be achieved by collaborating on this project.

March 2006: I submitted a proposal for a Trinity Cornerstone grant for $360.00 for supplies. The Committee granted the request. (Grant is attached to this email.)

March 2006: I met with Lisa Sartorius and Henry McNulty to discuss the role each of us would take for the project. The breakdown of responsibilities is roughly:

Trinity’s

- Eight students will each interview 6 or 7 residents and write the interviews for the Fifty Lives for Fifty Years.

- One or more students will also write a 2 or 3 page history of Avery Heights for the book.

- Students will be responsible for submitting to Avery Heights polished text, ready for the printer

- Cindy Butos will oversee this process and act as coordinator with the other participants.

Avery Heights.

- Will chose the 50 residents to be interviewed

- Will aid students in setting up the 2 or 3 interview sessions with each resident

- Will complete the photography portion of the book

- Will pay printing costs

- Will work with Trinity students and instructor in all phases of the process

Henry McNulty

- Will meet with the Trinity students on several occasions to provide tips on how to conduct productive interviews and how to write interesting interviews

- Will work with students on their drafts of interviews if he is willing and has time

PROJECT GOAL for Avery Heights:

The final goal of the project is to produce a book 50 resident interviews with an introductory article that details the history of Avery Heights. The book will be unveiled in June 2007 at the 50^th Year Celebration.

**DESCRIPTION OF INDEPENDENT STUDY: (Instructor: Cynthia Butos)

This project will be offered as a 1 credit Independent Study (Engl 399) for Writing and Rhetoric Minors and Writing Associates. Eight students is the minimum number. The IS will run from September through approximately mid-March when the book goes to the printer.

Students will work with Cindy Butos, Lisa Sartorius, and Henry McNulty.

Students will meet with C. Butos weekly for an hour and fifteen minutes through approximately the end of February and then for several longer periods in late February through mid-March when students must complete the editing of all interviews and layout the book.

Lisa Sartorius will attend several classes to advise students on how to work with and interview elderly residents. Henry McNulty will also meet with the class to share his expertise in interviewing and writing interviews.

Students will read relevant articles and texts on writing and interviewing; write multiple drafts of each interview; and peer review and workshop each others’ work.

**(Students will be registered for the IS for both semesters but will receive a grade only in the spring semester when the course is completed. At the end of the fall semester, an “IP” (in progress) will be listed on each student’s grade report. Students have to carry only 3 other credits per semester to reach the 4 minimum required by Trinity.