Change is Good
ENL102 has changed. In an exploration of contemporary pedagogical practices, the English Department conducted a series of pilot courses over the last two years which experimented with various approaches to the ENL102 curriculum. Changes in the curriculum of ENL102 officially began in January, 2007.
Professor Stan Harrison, who is on the First-Year English Committee, says the new course's multidisciplinary approach allows students to "choose topics which they feel are valuable," and helps them understand and experience the "rhetorical conventions used in different fields (of writing)."
Professor Harrison says, "Faculty feedback has been positive."
According to Professor Nancy Benson, a pilot-participant, the new course encourages students to become "more invested in their writing." The result? "Enthusiastic classroom discussion" and a "higher caliber of academic writing." Benson sees the pilot as "an exciting way for faculty to design a new course" which will "empower all students." Benson believes "students in Nursing, Business, Humanities, Foreign Language, Science, Arts..." will benefit from the change. Most of all, Benson sees it as an opportunity for students "to take part in the larger discourse community."
Several papers written in the pilot were used in an Earth Day "Call for Papers," initiated by Professor Patricia White, also a pilot-participant. A panel of White's students presented position papers on sustainability issues at the UMD Earth Day event in April, 2006. Students were empowered to write and talk about environmental issues that engaged their interests and were pertinent to their fields. Professor White's students have contributed to the Earth Day forum for the past two years.
English to Award $12,000 in Scholarships
The English Department is now accepting applications for the 2nd annual Augustus Silva Scholarship.
A full-time junior or senior in each of the three major options, as well as one graduate student in the Professional Writing Program, will receive a $3,000 scholarship.
Interested students must sign an application, submit an essay (500 words max.) explaining how the scholarship will help them achieve their academic / professional aspirations, and provide a copy of their UMass Dartmouth Transcript.
To be eligible, undergraduate applicants must have a GPA of at least 3.0. Graduate applicants must have a GPA of at least 3.3
Augustus Silva, for whom the scholarship is named, chaired the English Department at Southeastern Massachusetts Technological Institute during the 1960's. When he died, he left a significant gift to the University of Massachusetts English Department.
A man who lived quietly, Silva's gift was "a surprise," says Prof. Charles White, who taught at the school during Silva's tenure.
Winners of last year's $3,000 scholarships were Megan Gauthier, literature, criticism; Celeste Costa, writing, communications, rhetoric. Christopher McCrimmons, drama, film, media studies; and Shelagh Smith, MA, Professional Writing.
The next deadline for the Augustus Silva Scholarship is Friday, March 30, 2007 by noon. Applications are available in the English Department Office, Gr.1, Rm. 341.
Winners to be announced in May.
On the Bookshelf
In Finding a Voice, Professor Robert Waxler reveals the dynamics of his highly successful Changing Lives Through Literature Program, an educational initiative for criminal offenders.
Described as "elegant, witty, sometimes disturbingly direct," Throwbacks probes "the pressures of the marketplace and the ambiguities of human relationships." Professor James Bobrick's collection of poems takes us on a self journey fifteen years in the making.
Assistant Professor Adam Cohen's Shakespeare and Technology: Dramatizing Early Modern Technological Studies discusses how Renaissance technologies influenced literature and culture of the period."
Professor Luke Wallin's Conservation Writing: Essays at the Crossroads of Nature and Culture offers information on ecology and conservation that all writers can use to effectively write about the field. A mustread for conservationists who want to improve their writing.
UMD Alumni Make Us Proud
Adam Szymkowicz '99, BA, Writing and Communications, Drama-Film Studies, hascomposed over fifteen one-act and full-length plays and over twenty ten minute plays. The NY Times called his most recent play Food for Fish- "Fabulous!," and hailed his previous play Nerve as "sweet, sexy, neurotic-friendly." Both plays, including Deflowering Waldo, will be published by the Dramatists Play Service. Pulitzer Prize, Tony Award-winning writer Marsha Norman, who teaches at Juilliard, says "Adam is simply one of the funniest, smartest young writers we have ever had at Juilliard. Photo by Peter Bellamy.
Moe Folk '03, MA, Writing, Moe'sessay "32nd Running of the Tempus Stakes" appears in Vol.72 No.2 of New Letters, a quarterly magazine highlighting some of the greatest literary artists of our time. Moe participated in the 2005 Computers in Writing Intensive Classrooms workshop.
Lisa Farino, '03, MA, Writing, has written environmental articles in magazines such as Harvest Times and E-The Environmental Magazine. She currently publishes The Frugal Environmentalist and also organizes The Frugal Environmentalist Traveling Environmental Film Festival. Lisa co-directs Better World Films.Jennifer Gonsalves '00, BA Literature, is chief of visitor services for the National Park Service in New Bedford. She received her masters of community planning from the University of Rhode Island.
Mike Nelson '00, BA, Writing, works in documentation at KVH Industries, Inc. Mike received merit awards from the Society for Technical Communication. and for his "Quick Reference Guides" category of STC'sinternational technical publications competition Poster."
Sheila Johnson '96, BA, Writing, of Santa Barbara, CA works as the education coordinator for sexual harassment prevention at the University of Santa Barbara.
New Faculty Make It Real for Students
Assistant Professor Adam Cohen, a "life-long learner," inspires students to love literature and learning by helping them make connections between the literature they read and the lives they lead. An expert in Shakespeare, Cohen strives to show how literature transcends boundaries to illuminate the human condition.
A pivotal moment in his teaching occurred in Kenya, when Cohen was asked to give an impromptu talk on Romeo and Juliet to 75 students. Knowing that tribal war was taking place, Cohen asked female students what would happen if they dated an enemy tribesman. Instantly, students were able to make connections between the themes in R&J and their own lives. For Cohen, making literature accessible and personal is key to student learning.
Although students sometimes feel uncomfortable discussing controversial subjects with classmates, Assistant Professor Shari Evans believes it is important for students to have a safe-haven where they can respectfully debate contemporary issues like race and gender. In her class, students are encouraged to voice opinions, share personal experiences, and celebrate each other's diversity, making the act of learning literature a reflective, collective, passionate effort.
Evans' interest in authors like Toni Morrison, Octavia Butler, and Margaret Atwood stems from an upbringing both diverse and culturally-rich. From an Apache Reservation in the White Mountains of Arizona to a home in D.C., Evans' youth afforded her an empathetic view of the peoples who shared her ever-changing world.
A scholar/ teacher, Evans tries to "foster curiosity in students."
Assistant Professor Craig Seymour strives to make the subject of writing as real as possible for his students. Craig knows the challenges of making a living through one's writing. A working writer himself, Seymour teaches students to find "their voice, their commercial voice," and helps them to "better articulate their ideas" so that their writing can "open doors" for the future.
Seymour is the author of the critically-acclaimed biography Luther: The Life and Longing of Luther Vandross. He served as a pop-music critic, and has written for The Washington Post, Vibe, Spin, Entertainment Weekly, and others. Seymour was also a music analyst for CNN Headline News. He is currently working on his memoir.
Professor Robert Waxler Receives Drum Major Award
Dr. Robert P. Waxler was awarded the University's Martin Luther King, Jr. Drum Major Award at the Fifth Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast on Feb 2nd. Waxler's "Changing Lives through Literature" program which he co-founded in 1991, has received national and international acclaim. This alternative sentencing program, which encourages criminal offenders (over 3500 persons to date) to read, discuss, and internalize classic works of literature, has had an amazing impact on recidivism rates.
UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Jean F. MacCormack says Dr. Waxler is being recognized for dedicating his life to "instilling hope and opportunity in (his) fellow human beings."
Dr. Waxler co-founded the Center for Jewish Culture at UMass Dartmouth. co-author of Success Stories, a pamphlet published by the U.S. Dept. of Education, and an editor on Changing Lives through Literature, a 1999 anthology from Notre Dame Press. He and his wife Linda wrote Losing Jonathan, published in 2003, about the death of their son because of heroin addiction. Waxler's most recent work is the 2006 Finding A Voice, published by the University of Michigan Press.
Temper Tantrums...
The 2006 issue of Temper was released in November, 2006. Temper, UMD's literary journal, is a yearly publication that publishes poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction.
Temper recently celebrated its latest issue at a launch party in the UMD Underground Café. Student and faculty writers read from their work during the lively Open Mic reading.
Both students and faculty are encouraged to submit their work for the 2007 issue of Temper due out in the spring semester. New and experienced writers are welcomed. Please send your work via email to Erin at temper@umassd.edu by February 20th. Include your name and email address at the top of every submission.
Want to be involved with Temper, but don't want to submit your work? Be an editor! We are currently looking for students of all majors interested in being involved with the selection process for the 2007 issue of Temper. Please send questions to temper@umassd.edu.
The Siren Awakens...
Interested in becoming an editor or graphic designer for next year's Siren publication? Get involved. Get published. Let your voice be heard!
For the past two decades, Siren has been a forum for the campus community to address gender issues and share its diverse experience through artwork, fiction, poetry, and essays. Writers of all backgrounds and interests are welcome to submit their work.
Founded by a group of feminists in the 1970's, Siren is a safe haven for everyone, men, women, students, faculty, and staff to write and publish material sometimes difficult to express in other venues.
Any student, faculty member, or staff member may submit work. All written submissions must be typed, double-spaced (except poetry), and must include name, address, phone, and email address.
The next submission deadline is March 16, 2007.
Email submissions to Siren@umassd.edu
Acknowledgements
Deirdre Confar, Faculty Photos
UMD Print Shop
Sherri Belanger, Graduate Assistant
