Letters

Sofia Romero Campbell

Hansen
Passages III
 I. Introduction
I greatly enjoy the pleasure of sending handwritten letters in the mail and I love it even
more when I am on the receiving end. Ever since I was was young, Ive admired vintage letters
and the careful placement and thoughtfulness needed to send them. From my own experience I
think that writing a letter strengthens ones sense of reflection and attention to detail. Last
summer, I was interested in being more comfortable keeping a correspondence through snail
mail and began thinking about how I could communicate in one of mankinds most early form
of correspondence.

I am curious as to why letter writing is a global phenomena that can be traced across
history as an important form of communication. Even in the twenty -first century, the state of
letter writing is evolving, but its affect on people hasnt changed. I am focused on learning about
that global connection, while also exploring my role as a young person in preserving the art of
letter writing and cultivating its future. Through this Passage experience I plan on also sending
letters internationally on my upcoming trip to Kunming China and to DCIS students who are
currently studying abroad. This experience is one that I see impacting my community in small
but impactful ways.

II. GPS Domains

This Passage will address three of the four Domains of Global Competence, Recognizing
Perspectives, Investigating the World, and Communicating ideas.

Investigating the World:

I will be analyzing the state of letter writing in the twenty-first century and understanding the
history of letter correspondence throughout history. Additionally, Ill be examining the cultural
differences in letter writing and how young people around the world can preserve this art, or are
influencing it.

Recognizing Perspectives:
This Passage will not only be a reflection of my ideas, but also an exploration of other peoples
thoughts. I am excited and interested to see the reaction of people who receive my letters and
share my own perspective and experiences with them. In addition, I see this Passage as an
opportunity for me to share with younger generations in the DCIS community the value and
specialness of communicating in this way.

Communicating Ideas:
The main focus of this Passage is communication, and I see this opportunity as a way to
communicate in a way that is becoming an old artform. I think its important to recognize the
advancement in technology that has greatly changed the speed, and modes of communication
today, however I also think that its just as important to collaborate with others on a more
personally and thoughtful level regardless it is the most efficient or not.

III. Form
The final product for the completion of this Passage involved four completed components:

1. 25 Completed letters
2. Documentation of the letters through pictures
3. Written reflection of my experience writing the letters
4. Presenting my experience of writing the letters with the DCIS community

IV. Learning Objectives

A. Be more comfortable using the post office and mailing requirements
B. Broaden my connections with others
C. Express my Passages meaning and importance professionally
D. To learn more about the current state and future of letter writing
E. To learn about my role in preserving letter writing
F. To improve my handwriting and writing style
G. To improve my photo documentation skills

V. Timeline

Activities/Work/ Task: Date: Documentation:

Passage committee meeting Sign off sheet

3/24/16
Make/buy stationary before 3/25/16 Receipt
China trip

5 Letters complete Photo

4/10/16

10 Letters complete Photo

May 2016

15 Letters complete Photo

June 2016

20 Letters complete Photo

July 2016

Complete 25 Letters Photo

August 2016

Write reflection Document

August 2016

Present final project to DCIS Presentation/committee sign

community September 2016 off sheet

VI. Preparations
Items needed for Passage:
-Mailing Supplies (stamps, envelopes, tape)
-Journal
-Camera
-Address book
-Pens
-Stationary

Committee Members:

Teachers:
-Houk
-Munoz
-Finnegan-Doyon
Students:
-Lora Abeyta
 VII. Anticipated Challenges and Personal Growth
I am fairly comfortable writing letters, but I am always a little worried that they will not
be sent successfully. I especially worry that this will happen internationally, but I understand its
a small risk I will have to take in order to mail my letters. Additionally, I am aware that theres a
small chance that I may never get a letter back from anyone I sent might have sent a letter to.
Even though these aspects worry me it wont diminish the fact that I am still growing in my
communication abilities and ability to reflect on my experiences. Lastly, as a whole I am wary
of the stress of writing so many letters in such a short period of time. I am an extremely
structured person when it comes to meeting deadlines and I know that I may get anxious,
worried, and upset if everything is not moving at the pace I want it to. However, through my
personal support systems and the support of my Passage committee I feel confident in
completing such an ambitious and time consuming proposition.