On March 27th, Jordan (Mr. Fremuth) took a group of Tapestry members on a magical journey to Allegheny County's own Wonderland of creative writing, the University of Pittsburgh. There, walls were torn, friendships were made, and lessons were learned. It is fair to say that the replacement for our traditional annual field easily thumps IUP in any measure of value. We were instructed by a medley of Pitt upperclassmen, graduate students, and professors, all of whom we called by their first names. The effect was exactly what Jordan (presumably) hoped for. Simply by removing the hallowed, distancing monikers, we, for a day, ceased to be nervous students taught by unbending teachers and became instead aspiring writers being advised by caring, more experienced colleagues. The teachers joked with us at lunch, shared their own embarrassing teaching tales, competed amongst themselves for the title "Funny Group" to be bestowed upon their stations, and showed many more forms of personality that a student doesn't usually witness in a teacher. In a small, condensed workshop, we experienced a more comfortable, personal atmosphere than some students experience in classrooms even by the end of semesters.
That's not to say the instruction held any less quality than one would expect to find in a conventional environment. On the contrary, we learned to write poetry from a group including the former 26th-ranked slam poetry in the world, creative nonfiction from a warm and venerable Pitt Professor, and fiction from a trio including the hilarious aspiring author of many yet-unpublished works, including the depiction of a passionate but lusty competitive eater. As the workshop wound down, we students shared what we had written throughout the day, and the appreciative snaps at the conclusion of each piece were evidence of the unique creativity within the room. Once all the willing young writers had read, the teachers, in the spirit of the levelness of the day, shared their products with equal enthusiasm.
In summation: Our field trip was ample evidence that one who joins Tapestry will have his or her wildest dreams satisfied.
