Honors students found unique ways to describe writing processes

Is it possible to connect the process of writing to other processes, like making candles, working as a waitress, or even digesting food? 

Students in the 2025 Spring Semester Honors English class (ENG 101-781) made those connections, and shared their conclusions using a variety of presentation methods.

Professor Meredith Effler said the Honors students started with a “purposefully vague” assignment: Students will work on projects exploring the writing process using specific examples from their experience in English 101. The projects must be in a format different from the traditional written and lecture media used in class. The projects should not be viewed as looming final assignments, but as a celebration and conversation with classmates about the writing process.

Professor Effler said the Honors students were part of a traditional ENG 101 class. “Everyone in the class enjoyed the projects the Honors students shared,” she said.

The Honors projects were “very clever and provided some fantastic insights,” according to Professor Effler. For instance, the project that compared the writing process to waitressing noted that “the writing process can change depending on the writer, the assignment, or other factors, so writers might choose different techniques much like diners in a restaurant choose foods from a menu.”

Honors student Lydia Moore said, “I decided to compare the process of digestion to the writing process because they both have more moving parts than one would think. Since digestion happens inside of the body and the writing process happens privately, we don’t often question how the processes occur.” 

“As a Nursing major, it was a great way to incorporate learning from my Anatomy & Physiology 2 class into my English class,” Lydia said. “I had a lot of fun making connections between the two processes!” 

Materials from the presentations are available to view in the College Writing Center (Main 235).

The Cincinnati State Honors Program is open to all full-time and part-time degree seeking students in all divisions who meet program entrance criteria.

• For a new student entering Cincinnati State, must have one of the following:
  • High school GPA of 3.25 or higher
  • High school rank in top 20 percent
  • ACT score of 26
• For a current student at Cincinnati State:
  • Must have a College GPA of 3.25 after completing at least 12 academic semester credits
• For a transfer student entering Cincinnati State after attending another college or university:
  • Must have a college GPA of 3.25 after completing at least 12 academic semester credits

For more information, see the Honors Program web page, or contact Honors Program Chair Dr. Andrea Trapp (andrea.trapp@cincinnatistate.edu).’

(Reporting and photos provided by Meredith Effler)