English @ SU

Salvucci

Originally uploaded by English@Stevenson

Last time I told you about my experiences at the CEA-MAG conference last weekend. But just what exactly is CEA-MAG?

The College English Association Mid Atlantic Group is a group within the greater CEA. CEA is a group dedicated to bringing together English professors and graduate students to express their ideas and widen their networks. The Mid Atlantic Group encompasses scholars from Maryland, Delaware, and the D.C.

This year marked the first year Stevenson hosted the annual conference, and things went well, according to the Vice President. Keep an eye out for the next update, where we have an exclusive interview with the Vice President of CEA-MAG.

Until then, enjoy this picture of Dr. Salvucci, Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences as he addresses the members of the association. And here’s a hint: the Vice President is somewhere in this picture.

-–Stephen Carnaggio, Media Intern, English Department

CEAMAG sign

Originally uploaded by English@Stevenson

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of covering part of the College English Association Middle Atlantic Group’s “Voices and Visions” conference. Today I would like to tell you about the experience.

Simply put, it was quite amazing. While my day was spent recording footage and doing minor errands, it was the parts of the actual conference that I was able to enjoy that made the day an amazing five-hour window into the lives of academics.

Setting up was a fun time, as I watched people enter, I got a taste of who exactly came to these conferences. The number of students and professors from all over the area greatly impressed me, and I was quite surprised to see all manner of casual vs. formal.

The first session, which Dr. Marshall spoke, felt to me like I was watching the journal articles that I’ve researched during my career here. To see the faces behind the thoughts really enlightens one’s whole understanding. Not only that, but I was quite pleasantly pleased with one Dr. Milford Jeremiah’s presentation on the rhetoric of billboards.

It was also worth the trip to see the faces of the listeners as Dr. Marshall explained the nuances of de Sade’s work. He did this while bringing a new understanding that I had not considered when thinking about that infamous writer, though I’m sure the people that took Dr. Marshall’s topics class on the subject learned quite a lot more than I did that day. I’m not sure whether to feel bad for missing out, or pity them for the beating their psyche took balancing the graphic imagery and the poetics enlighten by their professor.

By far my favorite part was during my time in the pavilion. The keynote speaker, Andy Duncan, presented a piece on Science Fiction that took my appreciation for the genre to a whole new level. But that wasn’t the most fulfilling part of the day.

The lunch was the most enlightening experience I had. Not only was the food good (believe me, it was), but I was able to talk, and to listen to, graduate students networking and discussing their studies with their peers. To see that kind of support amongst students really got me happy to have gone to such an event.

Of course, when I left, I got one golden piece of advice from Dr. Jeremiah, who thanked me for helping him get his flash card set up. “Never miss an opportunity to network.”

Let that be a lesson to anyone reading. If you want to get into grad school or find yourself a job, make sure you network!

Keep looking here for more information about the event in the coming posts.

-–Stephen Carnaggio, Media Intern, English Department

Kayla Richardson is a Senior English Major. She originally majored in Science, but switched after taking a poetry class with Dr. Majer and finding her talent to write.  Switching was easy for her, because of the number of English classes she had to take for her previous major.

She is also on the staff at Spectrum, saying that she joined the team because she enjoys reading the works and decided to try things out. Be sure to look at this year’s edition as the order of works were arranged in a way to fit a theme that Kayla suggested.

As for her interest in Stevenson, she says she loves the small community vibe and that the dorms are “really awesome.” She enjoys the people in the major, because they are unique. She notes that Science majors tend to be all into the same things, but that English Majors all have different viewpoints and interests. Through our interests we can bring interesting discussions to whatever we discuss.

She’s currently enlisting into the Peace Corp, but dreams of becoming a published poet or writer.

-–Stephen Carnaggio, Media Intern, English Department

This past Wednesday, our chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honor Society, met to discuss our future. This included such planning as electing new officers and planning for future events. The new roster of officers is as follows:

Chair–Katie Ballance
Vice-chair–Bethany Shurer
Information Specialist–Christine Ivory
Treasurer–Caitlin Santavenere

They, and the rest of the society, will be hard at work preparing for the Induction of new members, and with an upcoming event called “Be Green Day. Be on the lookout for more information to come on these events and the people behind them.

Also, as a reminder: Next weekend is filled with interesing events. There’s the book fair over at Carroll Community College, and a Creative Writing Workshop at the Community College of Baltimore County.

Now, before you think that Sigma Tau Delta meetings have to be stuffy, let this video on facebook and communication remind you that we’re all having fun, even Dr. VanAken.

-–Stephen Carnaggio, Media Intern, English Department

Weeds

Originally uploaded by English@Stevenson

Want to meet some local authors? Like getting some books from book fairs? Interested in checking out the newest releases in the world of prose? Then come to the 13th Annual Random House Book Fair on Saturday, March 6th!

Taking place at Carroll Community College (1601 Washington Road, Westminster, MD 21157), the book fair will host various local authors for book signings, including Laura Catherine Pritzker. She will be there to promote her new book “The Weeds that Grow in Innocent Fields.”

Her book is described as a story that “takes place in Frederick County, Maryland in the early 1900s. If you enjoy drama, mobsters, psychological thrillers, love triangles, and unpredictable story-lines, try pruning your way through ‘The Weeds That Grow In Innocent Fields!”

Other than her newest work, Laura Catherine has written “Waltzing Corridors in the Dark” and “Spider in the Window”, both of which she will also sign. You can check on more info on her by going to her website at www.lauracatherine.com

Laura will be with her fellow writers in the M-Wing from 9 A.M to 2 P.M.

-–Stephen Carnaggio, Media Intern, English Department

Sarah T

Originally uploaded by English@Stevenson

Sarah Thomas is one of the Senior Editors of Spectrum, so after one of our meetings, I was able to get a quick interview with her. She’s an English Major with a minor in Art, saying that she chose English over Art because she wants to teach English as a second Language and that art is more like a hobby to her.

One interesting thing about her is that she took Japanese at College Park for her foreign language requirement. When asked about how the process was for her, she said that getting the transferring was simple, though the commute was a bit long by train.

Things she has enjoyed about the school include the theater productions she has been able to see during her time here, including an interesting rendition of “King Lear” that she saw in her Freshman Year.

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On a side note, today I was going to blog about the Jazz event, but I was sadly unable to attend. Dr. VanAken told me that those who went enjoyed it greatly, and as a small reminder for those of you who didn’t go, he says that the Department will try to get shuttles for future events, for all the people who suffer from the student-plagued phobia of driving in Baltimore City.

-–Stephen Carnaggio, Media Intern, English Department

Jazz

Originally uploaded by English@Stevenson

Just in case you didn’t catch the email, the English Department is having an event over at An Die Musik to hear “Ethnic Heritage Ensemble” this Thursday. There are ten free tickets available to English Majors and Minors as of this morning. You can check your email for the full flyer for more information. You can hear a sample of their work here

http://popup.lala.com/popup/1513490962977738022

Just remember that even though you have free admission, you have to find your own way down there. If anyone is willing to carpool, drop me a comment or send me an email.

-–Stephen Carnaggio, Media Intern, English Department

Sarah W

Originally uploaded by English@Stevenson

Our coverage of students moves now to some of the creative minds behind “Spectrum,” Stevenson University’s Literary and Fine Arts Magazine. Spectrum is published annually and contains poetry, prose, artwork, and other written works from the faculty and student body. Today we look into the Editor-in-Chief, Sarah Warrenfeltz.

Sarah is a Senior majoring in English with a minor in Psychology. She has worked on Spectrum for four semesters, and was assigned the posisiton of Editor-in-Chief almost immediately. When asked to share information about herself, she happily informed me that she is engaged to be married to a soldier, whom she loves dearly.

She loves the aesthetic beauty of the Greenspring campus, and that was one of her reasons for coming to Stevenson. She also approves of the canon established for the English program and that undergraduates have to prove their writing skills through the internship and Seminar.

In regards to “Spectrum,” Sarah admits that it is difficult work, especially during the spring semester when there are many things to do in order to make the final version, such as contacting and working with authors to fine-tune their works. She also expresses concern that there aren’t any underclassmen on the staff to continue the publication next year.

As for the future, she seems interested in going into publishing, but is also looking to obtain her Masters for Counsiling. Editing started out as a hobby for her, and she decided to come to school for it.

-–Stephen Carnaggio, Media Intern, English Department

(Spectrum meets usually on Thursdays @ 1:30 in the second floor of the Library in the Greenspring Campus)

A little snow won’t stop the blog updates this week, folks. I have plenty of things to talk about, including our first interview with an Alumnus.

Today’s post is all about Cathy Kerns, who graduated last year. For her, English seems to be a passion rather than a career goal. In fact, she is going back to school to get her degree for coaching. Despite the apparent disconnect between the two, she says she has found the communication skills she learned at Stevenson help her out at coaching while she was taking an internship in her field.

As for how she’s been doing since Stevenson, she has discovered that she reads a lot more now than before and she hopes to become a published writer, either for a nonfiction work or in a book of poetry, or something related.

Take a look at the video for tips she has for incoming students. It’s not like you have anything else to do today if you live within commuting distance of the school. I should know. And as always, stay tuned to our Youtube channel for extended footage.

-–Stephen Carnaggio, Media Intern, English Department

March Madness logo

Originally uploaded by English@Stevenson

That’s right, its March Madness! What is March Madness, some of you may ask? It’s Learning Beyond’s and the Career Center’s clever title for their barrage of events during the busy Spring months. With the promise of Spring comes the realization that many college students, and many English Majors, don’t know where they are going to use their acquired skills after they graduate. Luckily for us, the Career Center is dedicated to giving us multiple events to help us in that difficult road.. So let’s take a look at what dates you need to circle on your calendars.

Monday, Feb. 15. 5:00PM @ Rockland: “Career Speed Dating”
Employers will be lined up in a “speed date” type situation where students will cycle through different representatives. Maybe you’ll experience “job at first sight?”

Wednesday, March 3. 12:00PM @ St. Paul Companies Pavilion: “Federal Jobs: Unraveling the Red Tape.”
Interested in working with the government? Come to these two sessions to learn the “how-to’s of completing the federal job application.” Make sure to stay to hear about career opportunities, unless some of them are strictly classified.

Friday, March 26. 12:00PM @ Brown School of Business and Leadership “SU’s Amazing Career Race”
Team up with fellow students to compete against each other in career-based events! You get to win prizes so that’s an instant plus.

Tuesday, April 6th. 5:00PM @ Rockland Center: “Networking & Etiquette Dinner”
Here’s your chance to be trained in the subtle art of proper dining while at your occupation. A must-have for those fearful of stares from co-workers when you don’t know which spoon to use in your soup. Impress your boss and be the envy of all your co-workers! (Just writing about this makes me wish I could go to it.)

Tuesday, April 13. 4:00-6:00PM @ Rockland Center: “Championship Event Career Fair”
Now that you’ve conquered business dining and getting past the jargon of federal job applications, it’s time to find a place to work (if you haven’t already committed yourself to the job of your life back during speed-dating, that is). This career fair is sure to have something open for up-and-coming English Majors.

On a final note, you may have heard that there isn’t much out there for English Majors. Well, if there’s one thing I’ve learned from looking at FOCUS and reading “I’m an English Major, Now What?”, it’s that people need other people to communicate for them, and that you have or are working on a degree in something everyone needs. That puts us English Majors in an interesting advantage, don’t you think?

Expect more specific information on the events as they approach, whether on her or on campus.

-–Stephen Carnaggio, Media Intern, English Department