Hume Center for Writing and Speaking
Hands at a keyboard on desk, with text: "Celebrate the National Day on Writing"

National Day on Writing

October 20 is the National Day on Writing, a day to recognize and celebrate writing in all its forms.

2015

Celebration

Hume celebrated by inviting students to engage in fun writing activities, enjoy sweet treats, and enter a raffle to win gift cards. This year, students were encouraged to share why they write and come up with a seven word memoir. Their responses are posted below:

Many students' written responses on why they write
Many students' written responses on why they write
Many students' written responses on why they write

 

 

 

 

2014

Celebration

Hume Center held writing-related activities and fun from 12 noon - 2 pm on Monday, October 20 in White Plaza to kick off our celebrations of the National Day on Writing. Students enjoyed Mad Libs, cookies, and more!

Photo Caption Contest

The fun continues with the opportunity for Stanford undergrads to compete in Hume's photo caption contest from October 20 - October 24 on the Hume Facebook page for a chance to win a prize.

  • Competition begins on Monday, October 20 and ends at 11:59 pm on Friday, October 24
  • Participants must be enrolled in classes and on campus. Staff members of the Hume Center for Writing and Speaking, including peer tutors and graduate students, are not eligible
  • Three winners will be chosen on Tuesday, October 28 by a Hume committee of staff and tutors
  • Prizes: gift cards to Coupa Cafe or the Stanford Bookstore
  • View the contest post and winners

2012

The Hume Center ran a national week of writing in the Center starting Tuesday, October 16. Students using the Hume Writing Center added sentences to an evolving story. Everyone who contributed a sentence was entered in a competition to win an Amazon gift card!

2011

Many multi-colored sticky notes on a wall

The Hume Writing Center joined in celebrating writing by asking students to contribute to our "wall of writing" on October 18, 19, and 20.  Students were asked to write down what they liked about writing on a post-it. Here's what they wrote:

"I love writing because, done right, it can liberate the spirit and the soul."

"Writing saved me when I was at my worst: I wrote my screams into poetry and my hopes into prose; I divorced the feelings that threatened to engulf me and made them into something beautiful. Writing is the deepest truth I know."

"I believe writing is important because it provides people with a clear way to express themselves. Writing does not limit, instead it opens doors to communication that would otherwise remain inaccessible."

"Writing is the soul’s song manifest on paper."

"Unlock your mind"

"Writing is the expression of your ever-changing individuality."

"Because it’s an awesome fun form of expression."

"I like writing because it allows me to express myself in a variety of situations, ranging from literary critiques to business plans."

"I love the full range of emotion that writing can convey, and the revelation of the personality behind the creations."

"Creativity."

"I love being able to express myself through the creativity of language and the freedom of the written word."

"My mom is a professional writer, my dad was an English major; I like writing because it reminds me of home, and reading with my parents when I was little."

"I like writing because it makes me feel powerful to have the time and space to put a strong argument on paper. I shall persuade the world 1 word at a time."

"I write because I want to give people the same feeling I get when I read something amazing—that overpowering rush, that inability to think about anything else."

"I love writing because it gives me an avenue of expression that is not available through strict rules or computations. It serves as a personal and historical record and is authentic by nature." 

"Sometimes writing actually clarifies your thoughts…other times it just soothes your mind."

"Writing is thinking."

"Writing is creating."