Margrethe Ahlschwede (margahls@utm.edu) from 192.239.150.210 at 09/26/00 07:32PM
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    What I hope doesn’t change about the south is this: Grits and greens and chocolate gravy, the sounds of southern speech, and graciousness, a sample of which our campus experienced in Watkins Auditorium last Monday. What I hope does change is this: Literacy, so more kids and their parents read and understand more and better; the culture of teaching so more of our best students turn to the classroom for their life’s work and more of the teachers who already are there are celebrated and affirmed. In my writing classes, we’re trying out words and phrases, sentences and paragraphs to make meaning for our selves and our readers. This month has provided our part of the south a powerful example of meaning-making--reasoned arguments set out by a writer passionate about the subject, directed to an audience ready to listen. I expect my students to learn from all of this, to see that they have ideas, they have words, and with them, they can change the world.