75th Anniversary
CHILDREN OF THE UNIVERSITY: A COLLECTIVE MEMORY PROJECT
During the 75th Anniversary Year of RBC/ECC/MACU the Department of Arts and Science Faculty invites former and current students, staff and close friends of the University to join in the production of a memory book that will preserve for posterity the spectrum of backgrounds that students, staff and other friends brought to the institution, the formative experiences they had in association with the University, the lives they have subsequently led following and the aspirations they have for the future. The contributions that we ask from you come in the form of some types of poems that have been used in hundreds of schools over the past decade. You can make a choice of poem or try more than one. The project draws inspiration from George Ella Lyons’ 1993 poem, “Where I am from” which she used to create a memory project for her home state of Kentucky as she served as state poet laureate in 2015-16.
Before you protest that you are not a poet, we want to assure you that you are smarter than fifth graders who are sometimes asked to write such poems! These poems do not require you to have a prodigious vocabulary that will allow you to stay with a rhyme or meter or to even to think too long. It is free verse. The exercise could take you as little as twenty minutes. Some of you who have more time will engage in serious introspection and it will take considerable time as you tinker with your ideas. We believe that you and the MACU family past, present and future will be blessed by your investment in this.
We will help you by giving you a form to fill out by answering simple questions. Your responses will then populate the lines of your poem. Even if you are skeptical, we ask you to give our project a try. We believe that you may find that this fun exercise may be one that you might adopt and adapt as you host a small group in your home, get to know a group of ESL students or as you try to build a cohesive team of co-workers. We would like to collect 150 poems that we could put together in a book that we plan to make available to poem contributors at the Home Coming event in Spring 2024 as we come to the end of our 75th year. In order for that to happen we will need to have your contributions completed by the end of January 2024. As this year goes on we will share selected poems, with the author’s permission, each month on the MACU website and you can catch glimpses of the final product. We ask you to work on it right away here during April, it is “Poetry Month”!
Please go to the MACU website and find the link to “Memory Project.” There you will find a form that you may download. When you have filled in your answers we would then have you save it along with a headshot of yourself. If you have questions please write to bob.smith@macuniversity.edu
As you complete your poems, the Department of Arts and Science will at the end of each month put names on our list of content contributors to our Memory Project. The editorial team from the Department will then review the contributions to make grammatical changes, if needed, and make sure that the finished product will a blessing to those who may read it. We anticipate that we will see that God has taken a small university and some ordinary students and done extraordinary things. The success of this venture will be determined by your willingness to participate. If you are a family member or very close friend of a person/student whose life was significantly shaped by their connection to the University, we are willing to consider submissions on behalf of the deceased or those needing help to submit a poem.
With you in His service,
Bob Smith, Chair Department of Arts and Science
I AM A CHILD OF THE UNIVERSITY
I AM A CHILD OF THE UNIVERSITY
STANZA ONE
- I am a child of the University, special/distinctive personal characteristic and characteristic that the University developed in you. (two items) [Avoid the obvious or mundane ie. male and overweight]
- I wonder something that intrigues you. It could be a great truth
- I hear something imaginary or real that is symbolic to you.
- I see something imaginary or real that is symbolic to you.
- I desire, something that you long for.
- Repeat first line: I am a child of the University, special/distinctive personal characteristic and characteristic that the University developed in you.
STANZA TWO
- I aspire something that you long to do or be that you want to attain.
- I imagine something that intrigues you or that you pretend.
- I smell something imaginary or real that is symbolic to you.
- I taste something that is imaginary or real that is symbolic to you.
- I feel something about which you are passionate.
- Repeat first line: I am a child of the University, special/distinctive personal characteristic and characteristic that the University developed in you.
STANZA THREE
- I understand something that the University taught you that has been confirmed in life.
- I say something that you believe in that you say often.
- I try something that you do deliberately/ daily.
- I pray, something that you regularly talk to God about.
- I cry, something that you shed tears over.
- Repeat first line: I am a child of the University, special/distinctive personal characteristic and characteristic that the University developed in you.
You may want to first of all sit and brainstorm a list of things that are unique about you and how the University has shaped you. Then when you come to the task you will have some ideas you can plug in.
When you complete the first draft of your poem please read it over. Ask yourself does this describe me? You may relocate lines 2,3,4, and 6 between stanzas to create a theme if you wish. Stanzas one and two these address senses and emotions. Stanza three deals with things a person does. You are an expert on you. No one but God knows you better!
CLICK HERE TO VIEW EXAMPLE
TO, AT and FROM THE UNIVERSITY
STANZA ONE (Me before the University)
I am from name a specific geographical place/ a region/ or a contextual setting,
From a formative product or object from your past and a second formative product or object from past.
I am from description of your childhood home or special place
Whose personify how that place or situation formed you
I am from name parents/ancestor from family of origin or special person and second special person
Who did what for you
I am from give a phrase describing your cultural context
From typical or distinctive food you ate and distinctive activity you did before coming to MACU
I came to MACU describe the way you were and describe an expectation
STANZA TWO (Me at the University)
I came to describe briefly or give your first impression of MACU
To a formative/distinctive product/ thing and second formative/distinctive product/thing
I came to describe your social life at MACU
To typical or distinctive food you ate at MACU that was different from home and enjoyable/distinctive activities you did at MACU that were different from home.
I came to describe your academic life
To a particularly formative class and something of its demands
I came to describe your spiritual life.
To a spiritual challenge/highlight or challenge and a second spiritual highlight
I left MACU describe the way you were and describe an expectation
STANZA THREE (ME after the University)
I went to name a physical place where you hve lived/ served God with your life
To a formative product or object and a second formative product or object.
I went to describe your social life after MACU
To typical or distinctive food you ate after MACU that was different and enjoyable/distinctive activities you did after MACU that were different
I went to name a situation or type of service/work
To descriptive phrase and descriptive phrase characterizing your work
I went to describe your spiritual life.
To a spiritual challenge/highlight or challenge and a second spiritual highlight
I press forward describe the way you are and describe an expectation
STANZA FOUR (Me going forward )
I am going to a physical or spiritual place
To an anticipated product or object and a second anticipated product or object.
I am going to describe your future social life
To typical or distinctive food you will eat and enjoyable/distinctive activities you will do that are different
I am going to describe your work
To descriptive phrase and descriptive phrase characterizing your future work
I am going to describe your future spiritual life.
To a spiritual challenge/highlight or challenge and a second spiritual highlight
SUMMARY
From name one item from the first stanza. To name one item from your second stanza. Through name one item from your third stanza, Towards name one item from your fourth stanza., I am a “Child” nurtured by the University.
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WHERE I AM FROM
STANZA ONE (Me before MACU)
I am from ____________________________________(Name a formative place or context)
From _____________________________________ (Name a specific item/ experience from early life) and ______________________________________ (Name a specific item/experience from pre MACU life )
I am from __________________________________________________________ (Home Description)
From _____________________ (Adjective/ Description), ______________________ (Adjective/ Description), and _______________________ (Sensory Detail )
I am from ______________________________________ (Name a natural item)
From ______________________________________________________________ (Description of Item above)
I am from ________________________________ (Family tradition) and ______________________________________ (Family trait)
From _____________________________________ (Name Ancestor/Family Member/ Influential person) and ______________________________________ (Name Second Ancestor/Family Member/ Influential person)
I am from the ______________________________ (Description of Family Tendency) and ______________________________________ (Second Family Tendency)
From _____________________________________ (Something told as a child) and ______________________________________ (Second thing learned at home)
I am from ___________________________ (Social Background), ____________________________ (Expanded Description)
From _____________________________________ (Food you ate) and _____________________________________ (Distinctive Activity)
From _____________________________________ (Religious Background) and _____________________________________ (Religious Experience)
I am from _________________________________ (Repeat your first line)
STANZA TWO (Me at and after MACU)
I am from Mid-Atlantic Christian University.
From _____________________________________ (Name a specific formative item/ experience from MACU) and _______________________________________ (Name a specific item/experience from MACU )
I am from __________________________________________________________ (Your Characterization of the University)
From _____________________(Description/ Adjective) , _______________________ (Adjective/ Description) , and ______________________________ (Sensory Detail )
I am from ___________________________________________________________________________ (Name a physical item or formative experience)
From _______________________________________________________________________________ (Description / explanation of Item above)
I am from _________________________________ (University tradition) and _______________________________________ (University trait)
From ___________________________________ (Name Influential person) and _________________________________________ (Name Second Influential person)
I am from the ____________________________ (Description of MACU Activity/ Tendency) and ________________________________________ (Second MACU Activity/ Tendency)
From ___________________________________ (Something taught as a student in class) and _________________________________________ (Something learned as a student out of class)
I am from ___________________________(Social Experience) , ____________________________ (Expanded Description/ explanation)
From ____________________________________ (Food you ate) and ________________________________________ (Distinctive Activity)
From ____________________________________ (Spiritual Experience) and ________________________________________ (Expanded Description)
I am from Mid-Atlantic Christian University.
Items recently received from participating MACU alumni and friends
I AM A CHILD OF THE UNIVERSITY
TO, AT and FROM THE UNIVERSITY
Participating Memory Project Poets
Dr. Bob Smith


