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Students write op-eds, Letters to the Editor

Lisa de Saxe Zerden recently gave her Foundations of Social Welfare and Social Work classes a compelling assignment — write a letter worthy of publishing.

Students were instructed to identify a timely social problem or policy and write a Letter to the Editor or Op-Ed to be submitted to a newspaper or magazine. Students were asked to grab the audience with a case example or statistic, provide background on the issue and offer a proposed solution all within the word-limits specific to the publication. They were also encouraged to identify themselves as social work students in order to promote the visibility of social workers engaging in these important discussions.

The letters addressed a range of current issues.  The assignment made the students think about issues discussed in class and contextualize them in a current way that impacts their lives.

Several students had their letters published, including:

Lauren Brookshire, Romney fails to identify with women, Chatham News (not available online)
Christy Bullins, Domestic violence also impacts men, Austin (Minn.) Daily Herald
Pete Cianci, We must remember needs of elderly adults, Daily Tar Heel
Katie Dight, Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Durham Herald-Sun
Carrie Fields, ID laws threaten state’s voters, Durham Herald-Sun
Eiman Hinson, Country’s welfare at stake, Durham Herald-Sun
Terra Hodge, Hospital’s treatment of couple inexcusable, Las Vegas Review Journal (not available online)
Laura Jasmine, Removing bus ads hurts the discourse, Daily Tar Heel
Elyse Keefe, Congress plays politics with Violence Against Women Act, Durham Herald-Sun
Oprah Keyes, Justice for all, Durham Herald-Sun
Louisa Sloan, Nuggets worth pondering, The Pendulum (Elon University)
Kayleigh Williams – Article spotlights needs of Hispanic parents, Education Week (available to subscribers only)