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During the course of this semester, I have really enjoyed the things that we've learned in English 111A. This class has helped me develop critical writing skills that will really benefit me in the future. Class never got boring because there was always something to do that caught my attention, like reading The Saginaw's: When Timber Was King. That book turned out to be one of my favorite books that I've read in a long time. The characters really came to life with each and every page that I turned. I also enjoy the topics we wrote about. We were never limited to write about one specific thing as a class. We were always granted our freedom to choose a subject that related to one central topic. The things that our class did together really brought us together and allowed us to get to know each other. I can't ever remember being in such a close-knit class in which everyone was friendly to one another.

The Saginaw's: When Timber Was King emerged as one of the best books--I never got tired of reading it. I found myself often times reading the book at night. Honestly, I think that it's the only time that I've ever kept a book on my nightstand that was there for a purpose. The book was so captivating and never let my attention go while I was reading it. It wasn't uncommon for me to imagine that I was there in Saginaw at that particular time, thinking of what I would do in situations that the characters were in.

Writing in class was something that I found to be quite fun. For the first time in my life, I actually enjoyed sitting down and being able to write about-something that was pleasing to my standards. My favorite piece that I wrote in this class was my essay about living in Saginaw and in Muskegon, not to mention the girls. I had the opportunity to say whatever I wanted, about whatever I wanted. I think that the girls were the highlight of my essay, along with my comedic style of writing.

A couple of weeks ago, our class was able to present a small portion of Saginaw's history to the third grader students at Emerson Elementary School. I was fortunate enough to be able to play the role of William Q. Atwood. I actually had to research my character, and during the research I learned more than I had planned on learning about William Q. Atwood. After the play, the class took pictures, sat and talked and had a good time. The class, or should I say the students in the class, were especially nice and friendly. In fact, I'd say that I even made a few new friends, people that I'd like to keep in touch with after college.

This English 111A class has been one of my favorite classes that I've ever taken in both high school and college. There isn't a single thing that I would change about the class and the things that we've done for the duration of this semester. The one thing that really stands out in my memory and something I'll never forget is the day we spent at Emerson School. I felt like we really served a purpose there on that day. This truly has been a great learning experience for me, and I hope that what I learned in this class will greatly benefit my future.

Script for Saginaw Historical Players:
William Q. Atwood
by
Eric Clark

My name is William Q. Atwood. I was born January 1st, 1839, in Wilcox, Alabama. Did you all know that I was a slave, and my father was my own slave master? However, I was granted my freedom in 1853, so I moved up north to Ripley, Ohio.

After six years of assisting in the Underground Railroad, teaching school, and attending Barea College, my younger brother John and I moved to California during the "Gold Rush". While I was there, I opened a restaurant, searched for gold, did some silver mining, and bred horses. Without gaining any riches, we went back to Ohio.

In 1863, I moved to Saginaw, Michigan, to be a timber cruiser. That means I searched for land for people to cut down trees on. In 1868, I opened a real estate office in downtown Saginaw, and in 1872 I met and married the girl of my dreams. Together we had five children. In 1874, I opened Atwood Sawmill on the Saginaw River. For the next fourteen years, I focused all of my time, money, and effort into my sawmill. After my sawmill went out of business in1888, I began to participate in politics. I served as a delegate for the Republican National Convention three consecutive times. I finally died at the age of 71. At the time of my death, I was worth $103,000, which in today's monetary value (2002), is over $1.7 million dollars.