Last week, over the hill and down the hidden trail, I traveled to Elizabethtown College’s own stunning Bowers Writers House. Within the quaint building, I had the opportunity to meet with Director of the Bowers Writers House Jesse Waters, who has been with the College for over 15 years. The topic of the evening was a unique scholarship gifted by alumni Darlene Myer ‘66. Our conversation carried on the short history of how this award came to be: as Waters was traveling to retirement communities giving a series of lectures he became acquainted with the Etown College Alumni. It would seem now that their conversation there was the genesis of something amazing.
The M. Darlene Myer ‘66 Writers Award Scholarship is an interdisciplinary award crafted for juniors of any major except English. This monetary opportunity for juniors who are non-English majors not only provides recipients with a newfound mentor but also allows students to create increased awareness of the importance of writing in all fields. To apply for this scholarship, students must be a rising junior, enrolled full-time, have a GPA of 3.2 or higher and once again not be an English major. The application consists of a 200-300 word proposal on the industry or profession that the student’s career pathway leads to and how they could benefit from a mentorship opportunity, this is all due by Feb. 25, 2024. If selected, the student-mentor writing experience will span one semester during the senior year of the selected student. Furthermore, a financial award of an initial $250 alongside a $500 award upon completion of the program will be given to aid in student costs during the participation of the program.
Moving forward, the conversation of the evening turned towards the building we were in, the College’s Bowers Writers House. As Waters writes on the website of the building, “Founded in the spring of 2010, Bowers Writers House at Elizabethtown College is an interdisciplinary venue for expression, study, presentation and performance. Created to promote and support a culture of ‘creative curiosity,’ Bowers Writers House brings a new sense of excitement and enthusiasm for intellectual diversity to our on- and off-campus communities.” The building sits at 840 College Hill Lane and has not only the space but also the mission to support Etown students in whatever ventures they pursue.
While the building is a writer’s house, it is much more unique than that as it represents an interdisciplinary mission to provide an opportunity for all on campus. Over its span on campus, the building has hosted over 340 scholars of all studies and all sorts of disciplines. While the building does host some community groups, Waters wants to encourage students to use the space as a home for some of their own organizations and clubs. To get in contact with Waters, he can be reached at watersj@etown.edu. To participate or view an event at the Bowers Writers House, you can visit their website at https://www.etown.edu/centers/writershouse/.
