This is something I've decided to do for my own edification. Perhaps I'll get e-mail from someone who can help me improve. What follows is my writing assessment from September 1 before classes began. The writing tutor who asked us to submit this had little to offer me in the way of advice other than to watch my use of semi-colons. Semi-colons have evaded me for most of my life. I don't remember a time when Microsoft Word ever allowed me to use a semi-colon in the manner I thought appropriate without objecting. Unfortunately this assignment was written long hand (no green squiggles) and with a time limit. I don't remember the question; but I hope you can infer it from the essay; probably something about expectations. (Were those good? Which one? I don't know. )

Whenever a person ventures into a new area there is an expectation of fear and trepidation. My new venture is Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. PTS is my new home away from home, a place where I may take the most formative steps in my walk of faith. I am seeking to follow a higher calling and because of this I expect much from this school. I pray that in my time here I come to find that PTS is a place where I feel comfortable, [where] I can learn much about God, and where I can determine my true calling in the world of ministry.
Comfort is crucial to my ability to grow and respond to my environment. In my time here I may be troubled by fear of failure or pushed beyond my limits, but if I remain comfortable with my relationships I will be empowered to seek help and accept it. I may also be challenged to learn more than I have in a short time or read more than I can comprehend but as long as I am comfortable on this campus I will find the strength to go and seek answers. Finally, I will be tossed into an urban culture to which I am unfamiliar and it is vital that I remain comfortable within it.
The study of God is not merely an academic exercise but still my mind must grow and respond to a wealth of new information. I have high expectations for the scholarship of the faculty of PTS[;] I desire to learn from them and embrace new concepts on the leading edge of the emerging church. Through study with like-minded individuals I hope to achieve a working knowledge of God that will enable me to be an effective shephard [sp] of his people.
There is a real world beyond the gates of academia where I hope to work and serve the kingdom. While I may have some idea about how and where I would like to serve, this institution must assist me in refining and perfecting my call. Through field and internships sponsored by PTS I seek a detailed catalog of my spiritual gifts.
This seed-bed where I now endeavor to seek the Lord has much to offer me. Once I have established my place in this community I expect to grow in knowledge and in faith until the day I leave this place to go and return the grace shown to me in service to the church.

I should be noted that in addition to having no scrap paper and no preparatory time I also avoided crossing out words I had already written in order to keep from appearing indecisive. This lead me to commit to sentences that sounded better in my head. If you didn't guess the bracketed text was that added by the tutor.

Semi-colons seem unnecessary. Read aloud the sound like periods (except to Victor Borge) and on paper they could be replaced by a period (or I guess a conjunction) with very little reconstruction. Why then would a student like me care to use them? I suppose I just like to gamble with the notion that a well-placed semi-colon will improve the flow of information as well as give the hollow sense that I know what I'm doing grammatically.

The impetus for this post is not so much to solicit advice; I'm not really expecting any. I got my first written assignment back from the grader today. My grade was generous considering the top of the paper now reads in green pen "no real argument offered." There was only one blemish on the text of the essay itself: the word "accessed" was crossed off and replaced with "had access to" because (and I'm guessing) "accessed" is a technology word for what happens after you put your thumb on the fingerprint scanner. This is the context: "...Mark accessed Matthew and Luke and abridged them..." or "...Mark had access to Matthew and Luke and abridged them..." I prefer the imagery that Mark might have had to do more than open a desk drawer to read the other accounts. To me accessed implies action, maybe even something on the order of Indiana Jones and that's exactly the image that I have of Mark in this instance. That may not be reasonable to some, but I think if the gospels of Matthew and Luke are just laying around for people to check out with they feel like accessing them maybe Mark would have been more apathetic. I think he goes out and gets the texts for himself, reads them, and decides a new version is required that isn't so Jewish as Matthew's and not as high-tone as Luke's without a lot of extra fluff. That's the one he wants people to read. Who is Jesus? The Messiah. What kind of Messiah? Look to the cross. Simple. "Accessed" implies a desire to have them. I think that's a positive thing, and Dr. Humphrey should consider accepting it into her parlance.

Seriously, I understand if no one has comments or e-mails about proper semi-colon use. I have a grammar book anyway. But feel free to express your attitude toward reading Mark as Indiana Jones.

<><