English @ SU

Fade into a small room, five to ten people sit in a circle, locked in a philosophical debates about theme, love, sex and death. Where are we? This den of knowledge is that of a class of English Majors. The person that is often at the forefront of these conversations is none other than Chelsea Dove. The 20 year old, Junior is noted for her hard work and diligence.

She is a full time student, has an internship with Dr. Snyder, and has a pastime job in retail. With all of this on her plate, one would think that she would have little to no time for many other responsibilities, but that’s not the case. On top of these things, she has taken up the role of President of the English Club; a club that a year ago didn’t even exist officially. Through her efforts and others, the English Club has started to flourish and grow from the small entity that it was last year.

I go to the English Club meetings, and it is clear from Chelsea’s zeal that she wants to make the best of the club. The major goal on the agenda is to bring in new member, but not just English Majors. “! Loving literature isn’t just something that’s strictly within our department. I want to bring together a group of people that believe that books are powerful, that they’re important” This kind of mentality is something she appears to put in everything. It is a genuine passion that can be seen in various other outlets.

I cannot count how many times I’ve overheard her talking about Sherlock, Dr. Who, and Once Upon a Time. One of which she actually managed to make into a presentation for out Transgressions class. That same passion translates over to one of her greatest passions, which is theater and all of the things that surround it. When we went to see Wicked, one of the things she gushed about the most was the lighting design. Something I hadn’t even noticed while watching the play had apparently fascinated her as she knew the hard work that went into making it. Yes, dedication and passion are her greatest tools, and they will help build a strong foundation for not only the Enlgish club, but the entire English Department.

Stay tuned for the full Q&A interview.

Ian Lashley McIntosh-English Department Media Intern

By Ian Lashley McIntosh

Students costumed as deranged clowns lurk in the shadows, faces contorted, lips smeared into crude red smiles. Plastic bats loom above our heads, and sheets stained with blood flutter in the corners of this warehouse-like space, shrouded in darkness and insanity. This is Stevenson’s “Haunted Hallways,” the transformation of Rockland from well-lit student center to haunted maze where ghosts and ghouls romp in conference rooms. In the hours before “Haunted Hallways” opens, the English Club’s room buzzes with the noise and movement of students readying the room for terror. Incongruously enough, behind these wicked nightmares is a young woman with straw-colored curls, smiling and joking, exuding warmth and friendly ease. This ray of raw sunlight is Rachel Lewis, leading her handful of twisted clown minions to convert their white-walled, anonymous conference space into the abandoned warehouse lair of a psychotic clown.

Rachel’s excitement is clear. It bubbles off of her as she carries in a half-dozen boxes of decorations: skeletons, fake cobwebs, motorized bats, and posters of grim reapers and carnivore clowns. “I hope I brought enough,” she says, as the boxes are gathered. She has purchased this gear out of pocket, and everyone can see that there is more than enough. “Her dedication is astounding. She’s so determined to get things done,” says Malissa Coulson, fellow English Major, summing up Rachel’s insistence on perfection. “When she performs anything less than a feat possible for only the gods, she gets upset.” Pulling decorations from each box, Rachel hands each to one of the gathered students. A smile and a polite “please” accompany each assignment, but still she apologizes for being too bossy. Warm excitement radiates from her, infecting the air, putting the rest of us in the Halloween spirit. It’s an infectious light that gets transmitted into everything she does. “She’s always making an impression and leaving us all with a smile,” says Maegan Jones, one of the gathered majors.

At the age of twenty, Rachel has a lot on her plate. She’s a full-time student with a long commute and a part-time job in retail, but she still finds time to be a strong member of the English community. As secretary of the English Club, Rachel’s mindfulness of detail comes in handy. She attends without fail each of its meeting, and she clearly enjoys it, her hand hovering across her notebook as she records its minutes. It’s clear that the newly-founded Club’s growth is important to her. “We are taking in new ideas, looking for new activities and especially new faces,” she says, and few have worked more diligently to make these new developments a reality.

Though her involvement with the English Club remains intense, Rachel also applied to be this year’s editor-in-chief of Spectrum, Stevenson Literary and Fine Arts Magazine. “I am absolutely honored to have been chosen,” she told me. Even in claiming the editorship, her passion and planning skills were assets. Dr. Aaron Chandler, Faculty Coordinator for the magazine, comments on how Rachel earned the position. “She blew the board away with something like an eight point plan to broaden the Spectrum community and drive up this year’s submissions,” he said. Chelsea Dove, a member of Spectrum’s editorial board, agrees: “I think that under her leadership the magazine will continue to grow and this year’s edition will be very strong.”

Improving submissions and the magazine’s overall quality is exactly what Rachel has in mind, but these are not her only objectives. Last month, she pushed hard to promote Spectrum’s “Open Mic Night,” sending each member of the magazine’s editorial board to make their pitch directly to students in dozens of English classrooms. This campaign raised awareness and led to terrific turnout, more than tripling the attendance of past Open Mics. Students crowded into Ratcliffe Center’s main room, filling the sofas and circling the tables, gathering to listen to two electric hours of poems, songs, speeches and short fiction. It was a spectacular success that left English majors gleeful.

“My biggest goal for our literary magazine,” said Rachel “is to bring in a wide variety of voices from across the campus.” Judging by the diversity of voices amplified at the open mic that night, she is on the right track for her goals. When asked about what driver her determination and love for the English language, she responded. “English is everywhere, it is unavoidable, intriguing, manipulative, can be manipulated, and shapes the world we live in,” she says. With such an outlook, it’s no wonder why her involvement in these organizations have produced such terrific results.

It’s officially over! National Novel Writing Month has reached its end. Were you successful? I personally did not finish. I feel really bad about it, but it was still a fun month of a lot of productive writing. Honestly, in the end I think that’s the most important part. Wouldn’t you agree?

Like I said in my first post, you’re a winner for even attempting such a thing. Okay, right now it seems like I’m just saying that because I didn’t reach the 50,000, but I truly do think it’s true. All of us are closer to something even if you just wrote like 2,000 words. But I will finish next year, I promise! I will win, even if I have to not eat or sleep. So tell me, how did it go for you all? Did you finish? How did your stories turn out? Did you even try to do it this year? Leave your comments and welcome to December.

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 Ian Lashley McIntosh- English Department Media Intern.

Come one and come all to ProseWorks’ Open Mic. ProseWorks is to prose what poetry is to Spectrum. Just like Specturm, they will be hosting an Open Mic. If you came to the Spectrum Open Mic, you know how fun these readings can be. It is sure to be filled with short stories and other performances. Like last time, I will briefly go over some of the things you can do when you come.

Welcome Back! I hope you all had an enjoyable Thanksgiving Holiday. Did you eat a lot? Did you go out on black Friday? I’ve always wanted to go out myself. People find it bothersome to deal with so many people, pushing and crowding every space of a store. For some odd reason I’m excited by the notion. I feel energized by the frantic nature of it. Not that I have any money to buy anything, but the feeling is nice. Then again, I also look forward to jury duty. Obviously there is something wrong with me.

Did you start putting up decorations? Even before thanksgiving, people were putting up their decorations. I never really understood that myself. I like the idea of not putting up decorations until December 1st. But, bring on that Christmas music. Do you even like Christmas music? If not, you’re either Scrooge or The Grinch.

Assuming you’re not a fictional hater of Christmas music, what’s your favorite Christmas song? I like Carol of the Bells. While driving back to school the other day, I heard a song about wanting crabs for Christmas. Apparently Baltimore has its own personal Christmas song. You learn something new every day. Anyway, welcome back, and let’s get back into the school mind frame of things.

Ian Lashley McIntosh- English Department Media Intern.

Thanksgiving is here!  I would like to wish you all a good break.  Try not to eat too much.  I don’t think you’ll want to be sluggish for when you come back for the final stretch of this semester. I know I won’t be eating too much. My family is known for their odd Thanksgiving meals.  Turkey is hardly ever on the menu. One year, we had tacos. I digress.

Thanksgiving is a time for family and thankfulness.  What are you thankful for? It’s a question you can never escape during this time of year.  If I had to answer, I would of course mention that I was thankful for living and my family.  This year, I think I will add one more thing to that thankful list. I’m thankful for the wonderful community that is Stevenson University. I’m not going to get into my end of the semester spiel yet, but I just wanted to say that before we all head off for our Thanksgiving Holidays. See you soon!

-Ian Lashley McIntosh, Media Intern, Stevenson University

Do you have poetry scattered around your room? Do you have notebooks filled with short stories? Well, look no further, we at Spectrum have a perfect way of getting some use out of those unseen works. What can you do with them you ask? Submit! Yes, submit your poems and short stories. When I say short stories, I mean like 500 words or less.

The due date for submissions is November 16th. To submit simply hand in your poem or short story to editor Rachel Lewis, or email her at rlewis@stevenson.edu. I know what you might be thinking. I thought it myself once or twice. Is my work good enough? Well let me kill any doubts in your mind now.

The people that read your work are students just like you. So don’t be scared of some secret powerful council of literature snobs condemning your work. Spectrum is welcoming to all. Having said all that, I can not emphasize enough the fact that you should submit. Let your voice be heard in the pages of your school’s literary magazine. So get in your work by November 16th.

Ian Lashley McIntosh-English Department Media Intern

I sit down with Rachel Lewis and pick her brain about Spectrum, being an English Major and more.

What do you like about being a English Major?

As far as being an English Major – I find there are many benefits that I love and enjoy. There is such a wide range of possibilities and ways to analyze the world as seen through the various literary criticisms. It provides new ways to think about things, to find flaws in the societal ideals and structures and perhaps even in your own perceptions (selves). It lets you ask “why” and there is no single answer (everything is arbitrary!) to this question but by asking yourself and hearing the responses of others one can shape new understandings about the world.

Another focus of English is the basic language itself (which is really not that basic!) From semantics to the actual act of communication English is all around us. It is something we use every day and is fundamental to presenting yourself, interacting with others and communicating whether by voice, a billboard or a typed word document. I find the use and structure of words absolutely thrilling; they can be manipulated, twisted and elaborated to shape an argument, an idea and can evoke any variety of emotions.

What made you decided to become a English Major?

I decided to be an English Major namely because I have a passion for words and the process involved in explicating ideas. I have been “manipulating” words since a very young age. In elementary school I would stay up for hours on my very novice paragraph trying to find the right word to give it “punch.” I have always loved to write, namely creative stories, but Stevenson University has allowed me to explore creative writing and analytic writing in further depth and I’ve found that I’m truly mesmerized and intrigued by both. In high school I was torn between becoming an Art Major or an English Major and I followed English because I truly cannot get away from words – I am always writing, always reading, always trying to find another way to say something, to tweak and get my point or image across. I can honestly say that I do not regret my choice.

I know you’re the editor of Spectrum. What plans do you have for its growth?

I am absolutely honored to have been chosen as Editor-in-Chief of Spectrum. My biggest goal for our literary magazine is to bring in a wide variety voices from across the campus. I do not wish for Spectrum to be solely an “English Major” organization – writers do not have to be English Majors. There are writers that span across various fields of study and I want to hear from them, I want them to share whatever makes them passionate with us. In my experience submitting one’s creative story or poem is like putting yourself in the front lines of a vicious battle. People feel vulnerable and afraid that their work is insufficient or that they are exposing some secret part of themselves; in short it isn’t an easy task. It is – to be frank – scary – and I wish to alleviate this fear as much as possible. Creativity is necessary in all areas of life and in all fields of study and occupational endeavors and I hope to bring these fields together in this year’s Spectrum issue.

You’re also a member of the English Club. What would like the readers of this blog to know about the club?

In regard to English Club I would like readers to know that we are a new organization and we want the input of other students! We are taking in new ideas, looking for new activities and especially new faces! Nothing is one-hundred percent concrete except for one thing: you must love English and everything to do with it. This can be anything from books, plays, films, poetry, etc. We’re looking to get people to think more deeply about matters (while using the English language) to explore their creative and analytical sides and most importantly to have fun! I hope we can reach out to many students because English, as I have said previously, is used every day. Being able to articulate yourself and your ideas thoroughly and effectively is an essential skill especially for graduate school and occupational endeavors. Whether you are a History Major explaining the effects of the Civil War on America or describing how biological determinism influences your study as a Biology Major – one needs language to have a coherent, powerful and lasting effect.

What are some of your favorite classes that you are taking this semester?

My favorite classes – oddly enough I love the classes on literary criticism. It’s very gratifying to see all of the different ways of analyzing a text and then, in essence, society! My other absolute favorite is this semester’s Villain class. I enjoy following the villain (shadow) archetype as it progresses through various works and then examining the similarities and differences between the texts. Plus, I naturally have an attraction toward evil, demonic characters, they are very intriguing. I’m not sure what that says about my personality…nothing indecent I hope! I like to think that it is because they are so different from my own character (or so this is what I tell myself haha!).

Anything else you think the readers should know?

English is everywhere, it is unavoidable, intriguing, manipulative (can be manipulated) and shapes the world we live in.

Let’s start with a quick thank you to the English Department for paying for half of our tickets. I don’t think I would have ever been able to go if I had to buy my own ticket at full price.

On Thursday, I had the opportunity to see Wicked. I’ve heard about the hit musical several of times over the years. Each time, I found myself curious about it. You see, I kind of have a thing for the back stories behind the supposed villain characters. It’s the whole reason I took Dr. Marshall’s Villains class. I mean, I’ve always wondered what Scar and Mufasa were like as lion cubs.

What makes a character become what they are? This questions I ask myself when looking at any story. The story of Wicked goes into this. What made the Wicked Witch of the West? Why did she have green skin? How did she get her flying monkeys?  All of this is explored in the musical. I will preface this reflection/review with the fact that I had read Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. To compare the two would really serve no purpose to either material, but as human nature does, I did do a little comparison.  I would like for you to keep that in mind as I go into my review/reflection. With that out of the way, I will say that I did like the musical.

It was very well done. The acting was good. The songs were well done,  and there were several funny moments. Most of those moment owned by Galinda/Glinda.  Yes, there was a lot missing when it comes to comparing it to the book. A few characters seemed out of character, and some developments seemed a bit quick, but overall it was really good. And as I said before, it would be wrong of me to compare the book and musical. I simply have to objectively(no such thing as true objectivity)look at the two as separate entities. Looking at the musical as just the musical, I have to say it was the most enjoyable experience I’ve ever had at a musical.