At UC Santa Barbara, a group of students who served in the armed forces gather in Prof. Susan Derwin's classroom to put their past down on paper. They come from ships, war zones, and cities large and small, studying at UCSB and remembering a soldier's life. Eight of their stories are below. Others are collected at InstantSeparation.org .
A reading takes place on Thursday, May 30, at which the writers will present their stories and also take questions from the audience. UCSB McCune Conference Room, 6020 HSSB, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Joining the Army
by Kyle Shipe
“That’s probably a good idea,” the judge said to me when I handed him the letter from the Army recruiter asking for leniency so that I could enlist. “Your enlistment in the military would benefit the community,” he continued. At the time, I thought that was a really cool thing to hear in a courtroom. Read more.