Enjoy reading the essays below, identified by ILA faculty as some of the strongest from Fall 2006:
 

from Kayt Griffith's "Lucretia C. Mott: An Exemplary Life":

“The drops of rain make a hole in the stone, not by violence, but by often falling.”

This quote by the great Roman philosopher, Lucretius, explains that the use of constant peaceful resistance will, after time, weather down the afflicting party.  In a time when men governed society and women were expected to submit to their rule, a group of women envisioned a life where they could speak their minds and live independently if they chose do to so . . . .

Kayt's entire essay can be found here.
 

from Sally Hayes' "Dreams for Sally Yvette":

Community: it seems simple enough, doesn’t it? It’s that pathetic place where you grew up.  It is the place where there is nothing to do and which is never changing.  It is the place you couldn’t wait to escape from when you graduated from high school and went to college.  Yet, at the same time it is your safety net, your home.  The place that when you leave it is all you can think about while you long to sleep in your own bed.  It is the place where you know exactly where you fit in, your role in the surrounding mini-cosmos.  Your family is there, your friends, your belongings, your memories, and your origins.  My origins are in the cornfields of Iowa, in the towns of Oakville, Burlington, and Mt. Pleasant . . . .

Sally's entire essay can be found here.
 

from Dannielle Phillipson's "Ethanol: A Step in the Right Direction":

Ethanol is one of the most talked about alternative fuels today. It is renewable and better for the environment than gasoline, it provides job opportunities, increases our self-sufficiency of fuel, and has great scientific potential. Therefore, it is my opinion that ethanol is a step in the right direction and should be brought to the forefront of energy production and use.

It is a common misconception that ethanol is a modern creation; in fact, ethanol has been around for over a hundred years, dating back to the Civil War. . . .

Dannielle's entire essay can be found here.