October 28th, 2016 §
Here’s what Mary Dominguez, English major and just-graduated alum, has to say about the English Department’s Art & Incarnation study-abroad program in Rome, which is ramping up to take place in June:
“I chose Rome because the program is during the summer and because, it’s ROME. It’s an unreal city. And the experience is that much fuller with seasoned professors- I don’t think any question went unanswered. That trip forever has a piece of my heart.”
Another participant of the trip, Madeline McDonald, had this to say about her experience:
“Rome was a dream I didn’t even know I was dreaming of until I set my first steps in the charming cobbled streets of Trastevere. The heat was sweltering, the knowledge of art and literature that I gained more than I thought two people could share in such a short time, and the food was phenomenal. This trip was something I didn’t think could exist in such perfection. Of course it had its kinks and a recommendation I can thoroughly give is to engage in the exploration of the city on your own, but if all you do is listen to Dr. Kresser’s free-flowing lectures on art history, or Dr. Maier’s romantic tales of this glorious city, you will have experienced something wonderful and life-changing. I cannot recommend this program enough or tout it to more people. It is something I will always look back on fondly, and I hope that others are able to have similar and even better experiences than I had; this is a trip you do not want to miss.”
October 27th, 2016 §
Dr. Jennifer Maier is putting the finishing touches on the English Department’s Art and Incarnation study abroad trip in Rome this coming June. Some students may have questions about the program—about coursework, daily activities, lodging, costs, etc.
If so, the first, informal INFO SESSION will take place next THURSDAY, Nov. 3rd, at 5:30 in the Marston Conference Room (Room 252). This first meeting will be very brief (a half-hour), making it easy to attend.
If you can’t make that meeting, don’t worry. Other info sessions will be offered throughout this and early next quarter, before the application deadline in late January.
Finally, it’s really helpful for planning and budget purposes to get a close estimate of the number of applicants as early as possible. IF YOU ALREADY KNOW YOU INTEND TO APPLY, please let Dr. Maier know by email as soon as possible.
October 27th, 2016 §
Darren Davis, Internship Coordinator for Seattle Met magazine, will visit campus to discuss internships in publishing.
Monday, November 14, 2016
6:00 pm
Demaray Hall 259
October 27th, 2016 §
October 27th, 2016 §
Yelena Bailey is the newest addition to the English Department faculty. Fresh from her graduate program at UC—San Diego, Professor Bailey says she was attracted to SPU by “its healthy sense of community.” She continues, “In contrast to my experiences teaching at universities and colleges in southern California, as well as my time as a graduate student, I knew my scholarship and teaching would be seen as a valuable contribution to [SPU’s] mission.”
As a classroom instructor, Professor Bailey is keen to emphasize how course content relates to students’ lives and, as importantly, how it will promote “critical thinking and reflection that will continue far beyond the boundaries of the classroom.” Her research interests lie in “understanding the cultural and political histories that contextualize black diaspora literature, as well as how this literature corresponds to political and identity formations,” she writes.
The path to an English professorship wasn’t exactly straightforward for Dr. Bailey but all the more meaningful for its thoughtful twists and turns. “When people find out that I received my bachelor’s degree in physics, they often ask me how I ended up becoming an English professor,” she writes. “The answer is that I took a Spanish and Latin American literature course my freshman year and was astounded by what I learned about world history and issues of social justice. I realized then that literature is unique in its ability to cultivate empathy and convey experiences and histories that were formerly unknown to a reader.
“During that first semester of college, I got hooked. I added a second major in Spanish and Latin American literature, began to study Cuba, and eventually made my way to African-diaspora and English-language literature in graduate school. As clichė as it sounds, I became a professor because I want to inspire similar moments of cultural and social awakening in my students.”
Welcome, Professor Bailey!
