The Valpo Core Reader (formerly the Freshman Reader: A Magazine of Student Writing) collects and honors excellent writing from Valparaiso University students who have been through the Valpo Core Program the previous year. These essays address a wide variety of texts and topics and include many genres of writing, including argumentative papers, personal narratives, and more. Main themes are drawn from the curriculum of the Core Program, which is arranged according to important aspects of human experience: origins, education, love, leadership and service, work and vocation, and matters of "life and death."
Freshman Seminar Essays
Beauty and the Artist (1983), Christine Zrinsky
Life and Death Essays
The Beauty of Death (2011), Mohammad Albalooshi
Duty: By Bobby Jorgenson (2003), Matt Baer
Growth--The Final Step in the Grieving Process (2007), Ashley Berg
Let Grief Fade Its Color (2008), Ni (Sally) Cai
What is Grief? (2007), Cristina Camacho
The Human Experience in Regards to Self-Sacrifice (2012), Louise Conces
Between Truth and Service (2011), Anthony Dary
The Experience of a Life Time (2012), Christina Healy
A Greek Tragedy Observed (2008), Laura Hillger
The Significance of Stories (2011), Megan Marimen
Ink, Paper, and Preservation (2007), Tony Martinelli
Grief and Loss (2006), Michaelle Mary
"Timmy and the Movies" (2002), Becky McManus
"A New Meaning of Courage" (2005), Katy Ross
My Other Self (2004), Tim Schiappacasse
There and Now (2012), Nathaniel Shields
Baggage (2008), Todd Uzelac
Feelings of Grief (2006), Kevin Wagner
Living, Working, and Learning Together: A Study of the Human Experience (2012), Vicky Zaplatosch
Literacy Narratives
"We are not Alone" (2002), Zoe Benway
Stealing Pierre (2001), Angel Jones
Loss and Death Essays
I Was With Him When He Died (2001), Chris Persick
Love Analytical Essays
A Chance at Love (2008), Lezley Diaz
Alcestis: A Story of Unyielding Love? (2008), Lauren Hokenson
Everlasting Love: The Greatest Gift of All (2008), Susan May Wiltrakis
Love Essays
The Tales of Two Love Stories (2011), Rachel Gilman
Love Takes Action (2011), Sara Meeter
Love Has No Boundaries (2012), Stefan Mukoski
Can't Buy Her Love (2011), Justin Phillips
"Freedom to Love" (2002), David Small
Love Manifested in Hospitality (2012), Christy Warner
Love and Friendship Essays
"Separation of Love and Morality" (2005), Cassie Carbaugh
Distance and Time (2004), Angie Crook
Fishing For Love (2006), Kelly Erikson
Love Between Friends (2007), Eric Gutierrez
"I Love You, I Hate You...Now Get Lost" (2005), Sonia Hernandez
Extreme Love (2003), Emily Hollingsworth
Unborn Love (2007), Bailey Holloway
Love Like Wild Horses (2001), Lara Jacobs
Living and Learning about Sacrificial Love (2007), Tim Krieg
The Lovable Losers (2007), Sarah Tesch
The Land I Love (2006), Ryan Washburn
Loving the Unlovable (2006), Ben Wolfe
Love Personal Narratives
Takeoffs and Landings (2008), Lezley Diaz
A Love (Un)forgotten (2008), Kerstin R. Kost
Sacrificial Love Involving Parents (2008), Anna Rogers
Narrative Essays
Timothy (1983), Ann Antommaria
Free at Last! (1990), Anonymous Author
One of the Elite (1988), Sue Belovich
It's What You Do, Not Who You Are (1988), Jennie Bloch
"Looks like a 'Murhpy's Law' Night" (1984), Bruce Boyea
I Know... (1987), Catherine Callahan
Sitcom Fun (1992), Dan Curtis
Vegetable Vandalism (1988), Tim Eloe
The Lesson (1987), Kristin Fiess
Gramma (1990), Ti Headd
Love Without Words (1986), Cary Hobbs
How Much They Love Me (1995), Charity Horst
"Tell Me About When You Met Me" (1997), Elizabeth Johnston
Hungry Machines (1990), Kevin Kiefer
Girls Can Play Soccer Too (1996), Kim Kociara
A Day in the Life of a Four Year Old Boy (1994), Rich Kordus
Riding a Bicycle (1994), David Kreeger
One, Two, Three, Stuff! (1994), Laura Kulans
Who's on First? (1991), Jeffrey Kulka
Hero for the Day (1985), Liesl LaDuke
The Best Enemy I Ever Had (1989), David Lindstedt
A Living Nightmare (1992), Karen Marsho
The Scream of Silence (1995), Tara Anne McKibbin
The Experience of a Lifetime (1989), Gretchen Merrill
Please Don't Make Me Move! (1993), Elizabeth Meyer
Coming to America (1993), Mahan Hussain Mirza
The Chemistry Lab (1991), Sheila Monnahan
Rerun (1995), Heather Morrical
The Value of Children (1993), Nicole Niemi
A Meeting With "The Coach" (1996), Jim Pomeroy
The Caring Touch (1997), Willaim W. Porter III
The Underwear Incident (1996), Sandra Rattray
Incident at North Point (1986), Sara Beth K. Rayner
Intoxicated by Curiosity (1996), Kelley Recktenwall
The Blossom of the Gift (1995), Teres Reed
The Drive (1994), Robby Rud
Bilingual = Opportunity (1997), Julie Scheetz
"And the Little Ones Chewed on the Bones" (1992), Rachel Seip
Wrong Equation (1995), Lisa Shah
At the Root of Friendship (1997), Eric Smith
Growing Up (1986), Sandra E. Spaulding
One More Family Hockey Trip (1984), John Speckhard
Lemonade (1993), Susan Stehouwer
Precious Time (1995), Leslie Sullivan
Live as Weeds (1996), Hiroko Tanaka
Rush Hour (1983), Mark A. Tyrrell
Just One of the Boys (1994), Susan Upward
I Plead Ignorance (1983), Kim Walesh
The Best Years of Your Life (1991), Shawn Weber
Electric Wood (1985), Russel Wenzel
Principals with Cash (1989), Wendy Wilson
Recognizing Barriers (2003), Whitney Wittorf
Different (1987), Erica Wolfsteller