By Camden Andl ’19
THE ROUNDUP

Brophy’s senior elective English IV/Creative Writing class, taught by Mr. Chad Unrein, introduces students to multiple genres including poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and their components and techniques.

Mr. Unrein, who attended Arizona State University earning a BA in English and an MFA in Creative Writing and has been teaching senior English at Brophy since 2008, said he recommends the class to anyone who is interested in being able to write and tell better stories.

“Some students I’ve had before who are naturally gifted writers have not done well in the class because it’s a workshop, so you have to put the work in and go through the writing process,” Mr. Unrein said when asked who the ideal student would be for the class. “I’ve had students who are not naturally gifted in the subject who do great in the class because they get the work done and get better.”

Vice President of the Creative Writing Club Brendan Gaynor ’17 said the class has taught him how to establish conflict and to better craft a story that makes more sense.

“I know the inner workings of what makes a story good now,” Gaynor said. “I knew how to write a story before, but now I know the structure, whether it be stakes or plot.”

Senior Garrett Kelly ’17, another creative writing student, said the class has completely changed how he views writing.

“The qualities behind good writing are complex and always changing,” Kelly said. “Something that’s right in one piece isn’t always right in the next. The class has helped me to pin down the complexities of it.”

Gaynor said that he would recommend the class to anyone who is interested in writing.

“The class is a lot of fun,” Gaynor said. “Mr. Unrein is a great teacher, and the class really helps to improve your writing, which you can apply to other classes. I’ve been able to apply what I’ve learned to my other English classes and my Senior Synthesis class as well. Creative writing is definitely a great skill to have.”