Eliana Rosen ’27 is a public policy and law major and rhetoric, writing, and media studies minor from Londonderry, New Hampshire, who sings with the Trinitones, Trinity’s oldest all-female a cappella group. She also is a student writing intern for Trinity’s Office of Communications and Marketing.
Here, Rosen reflects on a formative experience in a creative writing course during her first year at Trinity:
When I first came to Trinity, the idea of embarking on an academic and social journey in an entirely new environment scared me. Would my classes be too difficult? Would I make friends? Would I like my professors? Though I did not know exactly what I wanted to major in, I knew I loved writing. Because Trinity is a liberal arts college, I had the opportunity to figure out what I really enjoyed and took classes that piqued my interest.
In my first semester, I enrolled in a 200-level English class called “Writing as Social Justice” with Assistant Professor of English Catina Bacote. The class would focus mainly on creative nonfiction. Students would participate in class through reading, writing, and discussions, asking important questions such as, “What methods help us transform political and social matters into compelling and intimate stories?” or “Can practicing writers embrace joy in the service of justice and healing?”
Our goal was to experiment with writing, culminating in a public-facing project designed by our class. I was extremely curious about this course, as English had always been a subject I enjoyed, and social justice was something I felt passionate about. From when I was a little girl, I found myself writing poems and short stories, and the idea of combining two subjects I was interested in excited me.
“Writing as Social Justice” with Professor Bacote was unlike any class I have ever taken. Not only was Professor Bacote herself intelligent and well spoken, but the readings and prompts she gave to our class were so vast. Each piece held so much emotion, with global stories telling tales of love and loss, shared in such creative ways.
Our discussions were impactful and important; every student’s voice was heard, and nobody was judged for their interpretations or opinions. I loved that we were able to enter a safe space and truly let loose with our writing, embracing all different kinds of styles including poetry, short stories, and personal essays. The pieces I wrote in this course are ones I am proud of, allowing me to grow as a person and writer.
Professor Bacote was kind as she pushed every student to open their minds and take a closer look at what is normalized in our society. She did not expect us to have every answer to the hard questions, but expected us to participate honestly in conversations about tough topics. Everyone in the class was shy at first, scared to voice their feelings on social issues that they felt were not their place to speak on. But with Professor Bacote’s guidance, our class realized that to progress as people, we had to contribute to all conversations, including discussions on systemic racism, sexism, bigotry, and inequality. She would often pull herself out of the discussion to allow students to voice their opinions and speak their minds.
From this course, I realized how important creative writing was to me, even if it wasn’t necessarily something I wanted to pursue professionally. After this class, I became very interested in pursuing creative writing through a minor in rhetoric, writing, and media studies. I enrolled in a writing class the following semester and am currently taking “Introduction to Creative Writing.” I also further solidified my passion for social justice, sparking my curiosity in the public policy and law major.
While my future is still unknown, exploring my interests at Trinity has given me a much clearer direction.
