Andrew Finley Letter of Introduction

So, as an introduction you normally state your name first but hey mine's in the title so I guess I'll cut right to the chase. Although I am in the Packaging Science major, I have always enjoyed literature and hope to make it a big part in my future life. Even when I was little, I enjoyed writing short, creative stories. Transitioning into high school, I wrote less but picked up reading more and more. I took both AP Language and AP Literature in high school and thought both were fairly interesting. Poems have always been one part of literature that I've had a hard time getting into. Although there are some that I enjoy, I would much rather stick to some kind of narrative rather than poetry.

I do, however, enjoy reading on my own on top of school assigned texts. The topics I read tend to vary. I go through phases during which I enjoy reading simple, enjoyable books such as Harry Potter, John Grisham, etc. Then, I'll have time periods when I feel like really challenging myself. It's in these periods when I've read The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand, which were both very challenging books. I also have read a couple of Vonnegut's books, Cat's Cradle and Slaughterhouse Five, both of which were fairly easy to read but contained a lot of topics and ideas that left me thinking. Ishmael, as well, was a philosophical book that really made me sit back and think. Various theological books that discuss Christianity and Judaism especially interest me.

As far as my own writing goes, I honestly have not pursued writing fiction in quite some time. As mentioned earlier, I did it a lot when I was younger, but I've only attempted a couple of short stories lately. After taking two AP English classes in high school, I certainly have written plenty of essays on various topics. I have written one rap song on the use of rhetoric for an English 103 extra credit project, and that turned out to be a lot of fun when my suite mate recorded it on garage band. I normally don't blog or write elaborate emails, although I do instant message with people plenty of times. Although I dabble in fiction from time to time, my writing mostly sticks to communication and essays nowadays.

I needed to take another English class for my major, and I chose English 215 because I already thoroughly enjoy reading contemporary literature. I didn't see myself really enjoying reading 18th century works or Shakespeare. I have found that I can relate better to more modern contemporary literature and thus get more out of it.

As I said before above, I'm not the best at poems, but here's a little ditty about my Clemson experience.

Growing up a Tiger fan I thought I would come here,
Although as a senior in high school I felt some fear.
Would I really like Clemson or think it was lame?
All I knew beforehand just came from football games.
Well when I moved in as a freshman my answers came,
I now know why Clemson has gotten such fame.
Both in the classroom and out I have found
Success and fun that knows no bounds.
As a sophomore now I know what message to send;
I hope that my time here at Clemson will never end.