VoL.25,NOI0 15 writing game ‘When you signup fra course called “Football Writing,” is hard o know what you're in fr. ‘Two-sday punctuston drill? Body tackling poor syneax? Dropkicking 4 weak bi of dialogue? In a manner of speakin oath a dozen or S.C, Honors Callege student are learning ro write narrative nonfiction yss. With adjunct instracor Ran Henry a dei "head this semester in course thac can be a mentally incense as a griron practice seson Seudenes muse he willing ro unkearn formulaic bromides, revisit elementary wring ues and befiicnd the delete” Henry warns participants the course syllabus. The required text for Football Writing is “Friday Night Lights,” H.G. Bisinges account ‘ofan Odes, Texas, high school football tam, Bu classroom sessions fen sae with Henry reading selection frm other authors such s Truman Capore of Sam Shepard sit OK totale shou a dream — something thas no eal — in a work af nonfiction?” Henry queries the las after reading an excerpt from Capote “In Cold Blood.” Aer wees sling with that conundeum, they analyze Capote’ technique of presenting scene, the quirky decals chat impart the sensation of being in room with che detective a on a desert roadside swith che killers in che book. Henry, who earned an MEA from Florida International Universiy and wroe fo several Florida newspapers cater n his carer, has just competed “Spurie: How che Ball Coach Taught the South to Play Footbal" biography of Carolinas iconichead football coach be selesedchis month, He devoted yeursto the boo, interviewing dozens ofthe coach's frends, cighbors and family members His fascination with the drama of football an the payche ofthe Head Ball Coach is evi- dene, and he tiesto impart a similar sense of purposeful cust co his students, who every ‘week compose 900-word stories about some aspect of Fotball ~The class is forcing me co chink about football, and life in general in both the most detailed and broadest ways possible,” says Brian Rodgers, asport and entertainment manage ‘ment major. "Ie has allowed me to experiment in firs second- and thivd-person, allowed me ro hone my voice as awrite and challenged aero find compelling way to order my stories so that they beter represen the scenes attempt to capeure” Another student in Henry’ das, Kris Hacker, never played organized football or had much connection tothe game beyond watching fom the bleaches. But chats not holding, him back “As a chemical engincring major who is vened in explaining in logical processes, is somesimesdificle o show che scene rather than explain tothe reader” says Hacker, who ‘atned acolade ftom Henry for his vivid story about a high school stadene who missed a crucial fld goal atempe, "Bu his las is blast an has challenged me ro think aa story teller thinks a gets me out of such aclosed-minded, logical ain of thought. Surely, chat music ro the eas of Henry, who alo reaches wring atthe Univescy of Virginia sd commutes to Columbia once a week, Ukimately aot his seudent ability to ‘write about football tha matters so much to Henry Tm noe tying to make you a version of me.” he ells his sudents, “but a more intense