The Freshman Success Initiatives and the Freshman Writing Initiative will present the Freshman Writing Initiative Conference on October 25 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and October 26 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The theme for the conference is Relevance, Rigor, and Rhetoric: The Keys to Cultural Relativism and Writing Cultivation. The featured presenters are as follows:

– Dr. James Peterson, a critically acclaimed writer, lecturer, and speaker. He is the director of Africana Studies and associate professor of English at Lehigh University. He is also the founder of Hip Hop Scholars, LLC.

– 9th Wonder (Patrick Douthit), a Grammy award-winning music producer, record executive, DJ and lecturer. He is a Harvard University Fellow in the Hip Hop Archive and adjunct professor at Duke University.

The two-day conference will consist of workshops, a keynote, special presentations and a panel discussion. The emphasis is decidedly practical. Each workshop showcases a group of invited and resident facilitators whose presentations will provide its participants with knowledge and strategies that may be implemented with their students. The panel discussion will provide an opportunity for scholarly exchange on popular culture and its place in the classroom. This conference is aligned with the goals and objectives of the Freshman Writing Initiative.

For a copy of the schedule and to register, visit http://st-aug.edu/fwi-fall-conference.html. For more information, contact Erica Russell, executive director of Freshman Success Initiatives, at (919) 516-4623 or via email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..