metamorphosis

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2011-12 Issue: 38

Table of Contents

2

News from the Chair 3

Pres. DiBiasio, Semester Changes

4

Internships & Secondary Ed.

5

Dr. Pitts in Turkey 8-9

International students at ONU 9-10

Studying abroad 7

ONU works with Bluffton

6

Students study abroad 11

English history timeline 12-13

Faculty, student conferences 14-15

Practicums 16-17

Senior presentations 18-19

Spring speaker 20

Why English? 21

Meet the faculty 22

Alumni focus 23

Staff:

Kate DeAngelis, Editor

Senior, Professional Writing, Norton, Ohio

Abbie Sterling

Senior, Creative Writing, Sylvania, Ohio

Joey Ferraro

Freshman, Creative Writing, Franklin, Ohio

Jay Garneau

Senior, Sport Management, Elmhurst, Ill.

Advisor:

Dr. Eva M

cManus

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CHANGE AND METAMORPHOSISTable of Contents

Every year brings new challenges to the Ohio Northern University English department, but this year takes the cake, the icing, and any extra sugary pieces. The academic year of 2011-12 is the year the University transitioned to semesters. It’s also the year Dr. Lisa Robeson became the English department’s chair. “It’s been a really challenging year,” Robeson said. “There’s lots of change happening in every part of the University.” Students aren’t the only ones adapting to

NEWS FROM THE CHAIRA year of many transitions

By: Kate DeAngelisNewsletter Editor the new semesters; faculty

and administrative personnel have to adjust too. According to Robeson, the University adopted a new system in the Registrar’s Office, for the budget, and implemented a program review for every department. This review consisted of data on classes that the English department uses to asses their strengths, weaknesses, and

potential market for English majors. “We had to be really honest with ourselves,” Robeson said. “It was a good process for us as a department, to see where we stood in the greater scheme

of things.” The English

department also made several big decisions regarding future classes. “We know that the Journalism courses we offer and the Electronic Media and Broadcasting courses in the Communications and Theatre Arts Department have some similarities,” Robeson explained. “We need to coordinate these areas so students will have an even wider range of options.” The English department is also interested in more technical writing courses; they reduced the number

of upper level courses. Robeson has a lot on her plate.

Besides adjusting to semesters, she is adjusting to the role of Department Chair. She doesn’t seem worried: “I’ve always loved teaching, and this is serving in a different way,” she said. “Being department chair is about helping the department do what it wants to do.”

When asked if she liked the new semesters, Robeson replied: “Like them? I love them!” She explained that when teaching on quarters, she sometimes felt like a hamster caught on a wheel, going too fast. Now, on semesters, Robeson feels that she can take her teaching to the next level. “I’ve been able to watch students really develop their writing styles over the semester,” she said. “Now, instead of one edit on one big paper, I have the time to work with students on smaller papers first and then multiple edits on a bigger paper.” While the transition to semesters has been challenging on multiple levels, it’s been worth it: “This year is defined by change, but we’ve started to see the benefits already,” stated Robeson. “I’m excited to see what next year brings.”

Photo/SubmittedDr. Lisa Robeson is excited to help the English department through the semester transition as the new chair

When asked if she liked the new

semesters, Robeson replied:

“Like them? I love them!”

Photo/Simon Laurence at Dreamstime

“I’ve always loved teaching, and this is serving in a different way,” she

said. “Being Department Chair is about helping the department do what it

wants to do.”

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The 2011-12 school year has been one of many changes at Ohio Northern University. Not only does ONU have a new president, but it is in the first year of a switch from quarters to semesters, complete with a revamped general education system.

The shift to semesters has also adjusted the academic calendar. No longer do students wait until September to return to campus; classes start in late August. Similarly, students are done with school in early May instead of late May, and receive three weeks for winter break instead of two as in previous years.

THE TRANSITIONProbably the biggest change

with the shift to semesters, though, is the updated general education system. Now, general education courses are “tagged,” meaning they are marked to show they fulfill one of seven of the University general education learning outcomes. These include effective communication, critical and creative thinking, scientific and quantitative literacy, an understanding of diverse cultures and their effects on human interaction, integration of concepts

After the retirement of President Kendall Baker, Ohio Northern University inaugurated Dr. Daniel DiBiasio as the 11th president of ONU. Following a 16-year tenure in the same position at Wilmington College, DiBiasio was attracted to ONU for its wide-range of comprehensive professional and liberal arts programs.

Holding a bachelor’s degree in English from Ohio Wesleyan Uni-versity, DiBiasio understands the value of an English degree and the skills that come with it. “I apply those skills every day; whether I’m reading a memo or making a deci-sion, that honing of your critical and analytical thinking skills is very important,” he said.

DiBiasio also likes the fact that

across disciplines, informed and ethical responses to personal, civic, and global needs, and informed responses to aesthetics in art or nature.

In those tagged courses, students must create an “artifact,” some sort of project that represents a meaningful element of the class. These artifacts go into a student’s general education portfolio, which is complete upon achievement of 20 total artifacts that meet the specified requirements of each learning outcome.

there are so many ways to get involved in ONU’s English depart-ment. “It’s an opportunity to have hands-on experience in a field that you don’t typically think about hands-on experience,” he added. “The opportunity to put something creative down or to use your re-porting skills and writing skills—those are very beneficial, and the fact that the department provides them is right on point.”

While he may not be doing the same amount of reading, writing and editing as he did during his undergraduate career, President DiBiasio is still happy with his decision to major in English. “It’s a decision I have never regretted—one of the best decisions of my life was to be an English major.”

Photo/Submitted

MEET PRESIDENT DIBIASIO

Students adjust to semesters and “artifacts”

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By: Jay GarneauNewsletter Staff

Quarters Semesters

Weeks of class 30 (10 x 3 quarters) 32 (16 x 2 semesters)Weeks of finals 3 2

Number of classes per student ~4 ~5-6Number of credits per class 4 3

What to do after finishing an undergraduate education is one of the biggest questions any student asks himself. There are countless options, alternatives, and choices. Do I go after a graduate degree? Do I look for a job? Should I find preliminary internships?

The faculty in Ohio Northern University’s English department recognizes that one of the key elements of post-undergraduate life is having a solid resume, and one way that resume gets bolstered is through internships. Dr. Druann Bauer discussed where many journalism majors find their internships.

“Newspapers are one location. We do tend to place quite a few in the Findlay Courier or in the Lima News. A lot of students will go home and do their internships over the summer in their hometown.”

Bauer explained that when the department looks for internships, for journalism majors or otherwise, they try to find the most challenging opportunities available.

“We try and get them the most challenging internships they can find,” Bauer explained, “and a lot of them do more than one.”

But the opportunities are not limited to one medium. Bauer explained that students have found internships with online newspapers, working for the University, and other varied opportunities.

“Some have done some combination of PR and a newspaper job. We’ve had some work for the Music Department [at ONU] on their webpage. We try to

By: Joey FerraroNewsletter Staff

STUDENTS MORPH INTO PROFESSIONALS

tailor it to kind of what they want to do after they graduate.”

But internship opportunities aren’t limited to journalism majors. Dr. Jonathon Pitts, Creative Writing professor, explained that opportunities for all of the English majors exist.

“Our students have done a whole range of internships. One young woman did her internship at the

British Museum in London. One of my students did an internship at the Heritage Foundation in DC, which is like a think tank. They go all over the place.

“Other students have gone on to a campaign post-production company that worked during the 2004 election,” Pitts went on to say. “Some students combine studying abroad with an internship.”

The English department as a whole is deeply invested in finding its students the best opportunities. A solid internship can lead to greater job potential down the line. What’s more, there seems to be a wide array of opportunities. “There are more unpaid internships then paid, but I can’t remember a student having trouble finding one,” Pitts explained.

In terms of job prospects, internships only bolster the post-graduation prospects. “In journalism, we have a 92% placement rate. To my recollection, we haven’t had a journalism major not find a job.”

Regardless of major, however, internships are incredible opportunities. “If you can write well and speak well, the work is there,” said Pitts. And both Pitts and Bauer agreed that internships are an indispensable tool in gaining job experience. According to Bauer, “We don’t look at internships as an opportunity to make money, we look at it as an opportunity for experience.”

Challenging internships create new opportunities

“Some students combine studying abroad with an

internship.”

ONU English Department students have many opportunitiesPhoto/Submitted

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Recently, the Education department at Ohio Northern University began negotiations with Bluffton University to create a dual-course system, where ONU students can take classes at Bluffton, and vice versa.

Dr. Lisa Robeson, chair of the English department, described the benefits of this dual program. “What the ONU students get from that is that they have a Special Education License. We don’t have the classes…They have the faculty and the courses.

“What their student get from us, is that their adult, adolescent, and young adult students can get their license over here. We have an assessment plan that will pass the state standard. So their students come over and take their method courses. We can give the license for adolescent and young adult, and they can give us Intervention Specialist.”

The Bluffton students will have their student teaching overseen by ONU instructors, and various content courses will be offered, so that their eventual degree will be from ONU.

This was one of only a couple

changes that occurred in the raw curriculum of the school. What the English department did specifically was take closer look at the actual curriculum, much like the Education department.

“There are two movements going on. One came through the semester conversion. One thing we did was look at the 200 level courses.

“We had offered Great Works which was a general education requirement that English majors couldn’t take to fulfill their major requirement.”

The department decided to alter the structure surrounding major courses and gen eds, in order to give students more control and more flexibility in their course offerings.

“One thing we decided to do was to make our curriculum a little bit more flexible. So rather than just have Great Works, we have a lot of 200 level courses: Topics in Poetry, Topics in Drama, Topics in Fiction,” Robeson explains.

These classes allow the professors and students to enter into previously untapped areas of those particular genres.

Whereas before, due to the restricting nature of certain general education courses or even

major courses, certain topics and sub-genres couldn’t be evaluated, now professors have the freedom to teach their own particular interests.

Robeson explains: “In Topics in Drama, you have to learn about the conventions of drama. But, outside of that, the professor has a lot flexibility to teach themes that might be of interest to them or the students.”

Robeson cites specific examples of classes where more academic freedom has opened up new doors for professors and students.

“Dr. Kanwit is offering the wild course in Latin American literature. And next year, a lot of students are interested in fantasy and sci-fi; I want to teach that.”

The new course offerings, coupled with the expansion of the Education department, are opening new doors for students in the English department.

Now, students can take a class in which they discuss previously untapped literary or dramatic conventions and styles. In addition, the expansion of the Education department into a joint program with Bluffton only points towards more cooperative programs for other departments at ONU.

ONU, BLUFFTON TEAM UPBy: Joey FerraroNewsletter Staff

Northern’s English department also offering more classes

Ohio Northern University and Bluffton University are creating a dual-course system, allowing each University’s students to enroll in courses at the other school. The pairing would allow ONU students to receive a Special Education License from Bluffton, while students from Bluffton would have their student teaching overseen by ONU.

Logo

/onu

.edu

Logo/bluffton.edu

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WE RECOMMEND ITAbbie Sterling, Senior, Creative Writing in Seoul, South Korea

After receiving the Hanyang Fellowship from ONU, I spent the summer of 2011 [blog] in Seoul, South Korea, studying international marketing and contemporary Korean society in the Hanyang International Summer School (HISS). In Korea, I participated in HISS field trips, such as the Boryeong Mud Festival, and explored the city of Seoul with new international friends from places like the Netherlands, Malaysia, China, and Canada. I also visited historically significant locations such as the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

Last summer, I spent six weeks in Cambridge, England through a University of New Hampshire study abroad program. I stayed in the heart of Cambridge at Gonville and Caius College. While there, I took two classes, Travel Writing and 20th Century British Poetry, both of which I was able to apply to my degree here at Ohio Northern. The program included several extended excursions, including weekend trips to London and Edinburgh, Scotland. Being able to travel within the program gave me the wonderful opportunity to be both student and tourist. I was even able to attend several Shakespeare plays, and seeing both modern and traditional adaptations was a fun experience as an English major. Studying abroad gave me the chance to grow as a writer and a scholar. I would recommend all students take a trip abroad!

Caitlin McCann, Senior, Creative Writing Major in Cambridge, England

between North and South Korea, tried fascinating food, including beondegi (silkworm larvae!), and practiced Korean phrases I had picked up in shops, at the bars, and from my new friends. Throughout my trip, I kept a detailed blog that I have recently turned into a physical book. If I had a larger savings account balance, I would have stayed in Korea for the entire year; there are so many places to visit and foods to try! I am tremendously grateful for this opportunity to study abroad in such a beautiful and impressive place. My trip has not only shaped

my global perspective, but it has also changed the way I approach new situations, difficult problems, and my future. As I look back, I cannot believe I nearly passed up such an amazing and affordable international opportunity. I recommend this trip to everyone!

Caitlin McCann poses at Kings Cross in London

Abbie Sterling celebrating in Seoul, South Korea

I traveled to Glasgow, Scotland in the fall of 2011. While at Glasgow Caledonian University, I studied media, psychology and leadership. Each class was taught by two lecturers and was divided into lecture hours and hands-on seminar hours. Each class had its challenges, particularly the media class because I did not recognize the majority of the UK media references.

I traveled the highlands, enjoyed whisky tasting tours and lost myself in Glaswegian culture. I introduced a few friends to

Kate DeAngelis, Senior, Professional Writing in Glasgow, Scotland

Thanksgiving, and they introduced me to Hogmanay (New Year). I was also lucky enough to stay with English Department graduate, Kathleen Saylor, BA ‘10.

I also started a cross country running team; we competed well against several other universities. My favorite team activity was organizing a long run on Monday nights. I mapped out places to run and supplied runners with reflective strips.

I traveled to London and Dublin. Dublin was especially beautiful, and I would love to go back some day or maybe even live

there. Traveling alone to a foreign country helped me prove to myself that I can do anything if I put my mind to it. Studying abroad is not an opportunity anyone should miss out on!

Kate DeAngelis poses in Edinburgh Castle

Photo/Kate DeAngelis

Photo/Caitlin McCann

Photo/Abbie Sterling

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By: Abbie SterlingNewsletter Staff

“YET ANOTHER LIFE- ALTERING EXPERIENCE”:

Islamic country. Much of it is very westernized, but much of it is very traditional, too,” he acknowledged.

In addition to general cultural differences between the U.S. and Turkey, Pitts noticed behavioral and systematic differences in the Turkish classrooms at Hacettepe University, where he taught both undergraduate and graduate courses. “In general, [the Turkish students] probably know more about American history than Americans do, but that’s not necessary a knock on American students,” he said. The difference is not in intelligence level, but instead, in education style.

Pitts compared the Turkish education system to that of Japan, which emphasizes heavy memorization. “When [these students] get to university, they have an incredible, stupendous amount of knowledge from which to draw,” he noted. “On the other hand, they have very low creative resources.”

As an American Studies Lecturer in Turkey, Pitts found that he had to alter his teaching style from the conversational, response-seeking approach he takes to English seminar classes at ONU: “It took some getting used to,” he said. “I remember in the first class I taught, I had students arrange themselves in a circle. I thought it’d be good to challenge them. It fell kind of flat; they didn’t respond the way I thought they would,” he recalled. “They’re like, ‘Just get up there and give us the lecture, and

Citizens walking through streets of Turkey. Photo/Dr. Jonathan Pitts

“There’s a wider world here, and people have passions that I don’t know anything about,” Dr. Jonathan Pitts, Associate Professor of English at Ohio Northern University, said regarding his motivation to apply for a Fulbright Scholarship in the fall of 2009. Pitts applied to be a Fulbright American Studies Senior Lecturer in Turkey during the 2010-2011 academic year.

Although this was Pitts’ first application for Fulbright, he recalled traveling with his father, a Shakespeare professor, who had received the scholarship to Amman, Jordan. “For me, it was

really kind of life altering, even though I was a little kid,” he noted. “I was hoping to subject my kids to that, too.”

The selection process for the Fulbright is anything but hasty. Applications are always due on August 1, and selected scholars are notified sometime in February. “It’s quite a long wait,” Pitts noted. The application process involves several rounds with a variety of panels—domestic and international. Applicants are notified if their applications have been forwarded to the next round for consideration.

In discussing his interest in other cultures, Pitts explained why he chose Turkey. “I was interested in not only Turkish history, but also Islam. We wanted to learn more about life in an Islamic country, and Turkey is a secular

Dr. Jonathan Pitts receives Fulbright Grant, teaches and learns in Turkey

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acknowledged. After asking a Turkish

archaeologist if the bones could be ancient remains, the archeologist replied, “Of course! But who cares about that?” Turkish culture seems to “digests” its history instead of preserving it inside high security glass cases. “It drives archeologists crazy,” Pitts noted.

While he is glad to be back in the ONU community, Pitts is thankful for the opportunity to teach and learn in Turkey—so much so that he is organizing a potential study tour in Turkey for Ohio Northern students in the future. He visited various ruins, historic places, and cosmopolitan cities not only to fulfill his own interests, but also to coordinate a unique travel opportunity for ONU students. “I wanted to scout out some great places to go,” he said.

Dr. Pitts standing in front of the ancient cave community of Cappadocia, in Central Anatolia Photo/Dr. Jonathan Pitts

we’ll take notes.’” For the three-hour lectures, Pitts taught from a podium on a raised platform in front of the class.

Outside of the classroom, Pitts coordinated various service projects and traveled the country. He reached out to the ONU chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the English honorary society, to organize the “Books for Turkey” book drive.

In spring 2011, Ohio Northern students and faculty donated textbooks, anthologies, and other useful classroom texts to this service project. In Turkey, Pitts helped his students film and edit a video about their university, which is available on YouTube.

While much of his time in Turkey was dedicated to lecturing, he also found time to travel and immerse himself in Turkish culture. “Turkey is invariably welcoming,” Pitts noted. “[The Turks] loved our kids.” His oldest son, Jack, studied at an international school in Ankara

while Mrs. Marjorie Pitts, director of the ESL Bridging Program at ONU, homeschooled their two youngest children, Hayden and Maddie.

The country is full of both modernity and antiquity, offering lively cities in addition to well-preserved ruins of Roman cities. “I think my favorite places are on the Aegean and Mediterranean—the excavation sites, the ruins. Especially the ruins that are isolated, where nobody goes. On one end of the harbor [in Phaelis], there was an acropolis, or a graveyard. The graveyard went on for acres and acres. It was like a little city of sarcophagi,” he said. “Over the eons, the sea had washed away the hillside and exposed the sarcophagi. In some cases, it had worn away the end walls of [them]. If you looked back from the water at the hillside, it looked something like a pigeonhole mailbox. I stopped at one of these sarcophagi, and human bones just spilled out,” he

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By: Abbie SterlingNewsletter Staff

KONDO PURSUES DREAMS

Before deciding to study cre-ative writing at Ohio Northern Uni-versity, Jiro Kondo, a 66-year old in-ternational student from Japan, had seen his busy career in the Japanese government’s Education, Culture, Sports, and Technology Bureau leaving no room for his hobbies, relaxation, or happiness. “I lived in the office,” Jiro noted. “Sometimes, I slept at my desk.”

With retirement approaching at age 62, Jiro reflected on when he had been happiest in life in the hope that he could achieve the same hap-piness again. “The happiest time for me was the university entrance examination time, so I thought, ‘I want to study.’” Of course, Jiro could have attended a university in Japan in order to study again, but studying was only one portion of his new plan for the rest of his life: “I want to travel all over the world until my death,” he revealed. The U.S. is Jiro’s first stop, as he intends to practice English in preparation for the rest of his trip. “English is the international language, so it is a little bit convenient for travel,” he acknowledged.

When asked where else he intends to travel, Jiro listed a variety of places across the globe, includ-ing Patagonia, Prague, Warsaw, and Dublin. He wants to see “the face of the sky” in Patagonia and to drink as Franz Kafka drank in Prague; everywhere, however, he wants to “watch and feel the local peoples’ lifestyles and landscapes.” Jiro wishes to spend one to three months in each location.

Not only does English abil-ity help Jiro achieve his traveling dreams, but it also assists him in completing another life goal: “I want to express my true experience

in language,” he said. “My last hope is to make a story of my life. I want to know the skills of cre-ative writing to make something in language.” Jiro acknowledges that he had no time to work on a novel when he worked from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. and slept for four hours each night. At ONU, he has the time, space, and resources to work toward this goal.

While writing creatively in English has helped Jiro pursue this interest, it has also provided some unforeseen complications that have raised psychological and humanistic questions in his mind. “What is language?” Jiro asked. He acknowledged that human beings mentally process life in language; “without it, we cannot think,” he said. After eight months in the U.S., Jiro was surprised to find that he still “thinks creatively” in his na-tive language. “Every week, I make a poem first in Japanese. I cannot think without [it]. Then, I translate it to English. So, my major in Eng-lish is Creative Writing, but I am creative in Japanese. Translation is not creative.”

Jiro describes his English translations as “something un-known”: “In my imagination, [the two poems] are very different things,” he said. “When I translate my poem, the English translation, I cannot understand. It’s alien. My English poems are invisible to me.” Jiro continues to seek an answer to this complicated issue. “The power and meaning of language is over-whelming,” he said. “Language makes human beings.”

Because Jiro’s plan is to study in a broad sense, he is not particu-larly concerned with completing a degree at ONU. He had already earned a law degree in Japan. Essentially, his time in Ada is a

stepping-stone toward accomplish-ing his great life goals: to travel the world and render his true life experience in a novel. “Of course, I drink at Little Mexico [in Ada], but I want to in Prague,” he said jokingly.

More specifically in his novel, Jiro intends to reflect: “I want to express clearly my behavior, my feeling in my life. In my imagina-tion, my reader is not contem-porary reader. My reader is one thousand years in the future,” Jiro explained. “If my reader is con-temporary reader, in my imagi-nation, I write only false. If not contemporary, I write only truth.” He acknowledged a tendency for writers to write “beautifully” for contemporary readers, which does not render the truth. “Truth is not clean,” Jiro said. “I want to ask [the future readers], ‘Please compare my behavior, my conduct, my thought, my feeling to [yours]. As a result, if your behavior, your con-duct, your thought, your feeling, is better than mine, it’s okay.’ I am satisfied. If it’s same, the existence of human beings is nonsense.”

A 66-year old Japanese student works to achieve life ambitions

Jiro Kondo first writes his poems in Japanese and then translates them to English. Photo /Abbie Sterling.

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BRIDGING THE WORLDMore opportunities for international students

Changes in the English department this year have affected not only domestic students, but also international students studying English, too. As the number of international students at Ohio Northern University continues to increase, the English Learning Program (ELP) has sought to match their diverse learning needs with expanded, tiered programs. This year, the ELP includes the Intensive English Program (IEP), the Bridging Program, College Composition, English for Specific Purposes (ESP), and the Prison Management Certification Program (PMCP).

Before establishing the IEP this year, a unit directed by Mr. Jeffrey Smith, ONU had to refer international students with low Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores to other institutions, such as ELS in Cleveland, Ohio. “We never had a full-scale intensive English program for students not yet at the Bridging level,” Mrs. Marjorie Pitts, Director of Bridging and College Composition, acknowledged. “Primarily, our first students in the IEP are Saudi students in a cooperative program with a technical university in Saudi Arabia.” Students in the IEP have TOEFL scores lower than the required score for acceptance into the Bridging program. They enroll in 20 hours of English classes per week.

“This is a natural third tier to add to the program,” she said. Above the IEP is the Bridging program, which involves up the ten credit hours of English Language courses, such as Listening & Speaking and Reading & Vocabulary. “We are hoping that eventually we can work toward those credits counting as a foreign language requirement,” Pitts noted. Bridging students also take College Composition in the English Department, which counts as academic credit toward graduation. With these courses, students take regular general education and major classes, too.

For the first time in the program’s history, the Bridging program offered two levels within the program at the start of the spring semester. Students were divided based on their skill level. This benefits the students because each level is designed to assist their unique abilities.

While the international presence has certainly expanded at ONU, Pitts said she would like to see it grow even more. “The interaction for our domestic students is very important, too,” she said. As our world continues to adopt a global culture, international interaction becomes an increasingly essential part of education.

By: Abbie SterlingNewsletter Staff

(Photo left) International students Bochen Zhang and Salah Yaeish enjoy potluck food at the Chinese New Year Celebration. Photo courtesy of ONU Internationals.

(Photo top) Mrs. Pitts enjoys teaching, learning, and laughing with Jiro Kondo. Photo /Abbie Sterling.

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HISTORIC MEMORIES AND

Greek Floats June 1956

Shakespeare Feast

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ENGLISH METAMORPHOSIS

May Day

Tom Hunley 2008, and Chris Abani 2011 (R-L)

Speakers: Naomi Nye 2005, Dick Hague 2007,

Evdokia Gayer, AlexanderVaschenko and Claude Smith 2004

STD 1994-2012

English Department

2012

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Locals only: Winter WheatAbbie Sterling, Caitlin McCann

and Kayla Kennedy attended Winter Wheat at Bowling Green State University in November 2011. Winter Wheat is a small, Midwestern conference for creative writers. The Ohio Northern University students set up a book table to display Polaris.

While at the table, the students were able to view other students’ undergraduate magazines, and compare notes. McCann said, “We met briefly with Prarie Margins, Bowling Green’s Literature Magazine, and discussed what it’s like to be an undergraduate magazine with them.”

Each student attended two different panels at the conference. The presenters were a mixed bag of undergraduate and graduate students, and professors. “It’s

really a mini version of AWP; I thought the panels were great,” said McCann. Winter Wheat is comprised of craft-oriented sessions, featured readers and a book fair.

NCTE:The National Center for

Teachers of English was held in downtown Chicago. 2011 was a big year for NCTE because it was a centennial convention. The NCTE convention theme was “Reading the Past and Writing the Future.” It was the perfect theme for celebrating 100 years of education. An estimated 20,000 teachers and language arts education students attended to test free book samples and listen to speakers.

Dr. John Paul Kanwit brought ONU students Renee Sammet, Jessica Amstutz, Nikki Kauffman, Megan Beckemeier, Virginia Lipp, Liz Pierce, and Erica Trimbach. Sammet described the trip: “Though I have

many fond memories of the trip, my favorite part was hearing author Sharon Draper talk about her newest novel. I immediately procured a copy for myself and was not disappointed.” Sammet added, “I am very appreciative of ONU’s English department for making this trip possible for myself and all the others who attended.”

AWP:The Associated Writing

and Writers Programs’ Annual Conference in Chicago makes Winter Wheat look like a first draft. This year, eleven students attended AWP: Abbie Sterling, Alexandria Hartsel, Caitlin McCann, Chelsey Moore, Christopher Matejka, James Scofield, Jennifer Hartsel, Kayla Kennedy, Michelle Fronk, Patricia Bosak and Patrick Fisher.

This conference pools from universities around the country and combines sleek

By: Kate DeAngelisNewsletter Staff

STUDENTS TRAVEL TO CONFERENCES AROUND COUNTRY

Trips to New Orleans, Orlando, Chicago, and more help students network, learn

Left: Renne Sammet, Erica Trimbach, and Liz Pierce participate in the STD National Confer-ence in New Orleans while wearing Shakespeare costumes.

Above: Patrick Fisher and Chelsey Moore work the Polaris booth at the AWP Book Fair in Chicago.Photos/Renee Sammet and Chelsey Moore14

professional networking with a fun educational atmosphere. The conference typically features over 450 readings, lectures, panel discussions, and forums, in addition to hundreds of book signings, receptions, dances, and informal gatherings. McCann couldn’t be happier with her experience at AWP.

“It was encouraging to be able to attend a conference with so many writers. As co-editor of Polaris, I spent a significant portion of my time working the Polaris table at the book fair. It was exciting to see how much attention our magazine is getting, and the book fair was a wonderful networking opportunity for us. Overall, the AWP trip was an amazing experience that I would recommend to any writer.”

STD National Convention: Dr. Robert Scott, Sigma Tau

Delta’s advisor, took students Justin Stewart and Renee Sammet to New Orleans for the honorary’s National Convention. The convention took place in a Marriott in the middle of the French Quarter.

Stewart presented original poetry titled: “A Bullet in Love: A Poetry Collection” under the session: “Original Poetry: War and Craft.”

Stewart views his presentation as a success: “The audience greatly enjoyed my work and asked many compelling questions,” he said. “On top of that, the city of New Orleans is absolutely beautiful. Everyone seems friendly, and the architecture and mood of the place could make anyone feel at home.”

Sammet presented “The Estates” in the “Reflective Nonfiction” session. She said she definitely felt at home in New Orleans. “Walking into convention was like going to an annual family reunion; there were some strange characters, but catching up on

current events in the academic and language arts world was well worth it.”

She added, “The convention was probably the coolest thing I have done yet this year and I would like to thank the Ohio Northern University English department for its contribution to the trip.”

Both Sammet and Stewart would love to return to New Orleans, and Dr. Scott agreed: “As for New Orleans itself, the food was excellent and the atmosphere was vibrant.”

Scott emphasizes the importance of professional conventions: “Overall, going to the STD conference was an exciting experience and it reinforced my belief that, thanks to the senior essay sequence, our majors are confident when presenting their work in a professional setting.”

STD at ONU:The English Honorary

students have been busy this school year. Along with the National Convention, students have participated as judges in two separate Power of the Pen competitions. Abbie Sterling, Micah Hein and Caitlin McCann participated in the Tiffin Power of the Pen on January 21.

Erica Trimbach and Renee Sammet participated at Ottawa

Hills on January 14. STD continues to raise funds and collect books for Better World Books, specifically to benefit the Invisible Children Campaign. In April, STD will host a “Character Dessert” where students and faculty can dress up as their favorite characters and enjoy a tasty treat and a raffle. All proceeds will benefit the Ada Library.

NCMC:In late October, The Northern

Review editors headed to Orlando for the annual National College Media Convention, sponsored by the Associated Collegiate Press and College Media Advisers.

Dr. Druann Bauer brought editors Kaitlin Durbin, Shana Tachikawa, Diego Sandino, Brady Selhorst, Jay Garneau, John Curiel, Michelle Fronk, and Kayla Kennedy to the gathering of more than 2,300 college students and industry professionals.

The convention features nearly 400 practical and professional workshops, with students and professors attending keynote speakers, hands-on workshops, discussion groups, and more.

Both students and advisors alike are able to learn new skills and ideas related to their field of interest, with the intent of putting those skills into action with The Northern Review.

Clockwise from back left: The Northern Review editors Shana Tachikawa, Kayla Kennedy, Diego Sandino, Michelle Fronk, Kaitlin Durbin, Brady Selhorst, and Jay Garneau enjoy a little relaxation time at the National College Media Convention in Orlando in the fall.

Photo/Kaitlin D

urbin

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By: Jay GarneauNewsletter Staff

PRACTICUMS GIVE REAL WORLD EXPERIENCES

Students become involved first-hand in several ONU publications

While an undergraduate degree is undoubtedly beneficial, receiving real-world experience in college is often what prepares a student for success and sets his or her resume apart.

The option to receive academic credit while gaining that essential experience is an added motivator for students, especially in the Ohio Northern University English department.

This opportunity is provided to ONU students through practicums, defined as a course in a specialized field of study that is designed to give students supervised practical application of previously studied theory.

Ohio Northern’s English department offers four of these courses: newspaper, magazine publishing, journal publishing and web publishing.

An average of around 25-30 students total enroll in these practicums each semester, earning one to three credits per semester.

Students can earn up to six credits per practicum over their undergraduate careers. Each student is graded either satisfactory or unsatisfactory, instead of the typical A to F scale.

NewspaperThe newspaper practicum,

advised alternately by Dr. Druann Bauer and Dr. William O’Connell, allows students to become involved with The Northern Review, ONU’s student paper.

Writers receive credit by writing at least five stories that are published over the ten issues of the semester, allowing students to build a professional portfolio during their time at school.

Similarly, editors are able to earn credit by performing their duties managing content, copy editing and designing their respective pages’ layouts.

Involvement in the newspaper practicum allows students the

opportunity to get the feel of a newsroom, while gaining experience with a weekly publication.

Magazine PublishingOhio Northern’s literary

magazine, Polaris, is also published through a practicum. Advised by Dr. Geoffrey Babbitt, Polaris publishes student-created fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essays and

The current design and layout of the front cover of The Northern Review. Editors gain practicum credit through the design and layout of their pages, while writers earn credit by writing several articles per semester.

Photo/Jay Garneau16

visual art. Students involved in the

practicum are responsible for editing, designing and organizing the magazine, including deciding which student submissions will make the cut and be included in Polaris, which has been published annually since its first issue in 1958.

Additionally, the magazine hosts contests in art, as well as in fiction, nonfiction and poetry writing.

Journal PublishingShakespeare and the

Classroom is an international journal directed to theater professionals, instructors who teach Shakespeare at all academic levels, and any other Shakespeare enthusiasts.

Previously co-sponsored by Shakespeare’s Globe Center (USA), the journal includes news of Shakespeare’s International Globe Theatre, reviews on books, films and theatres, ideas for teachers and much more.

Sponsored by Dr. Eva McManus, Shakespeare and the Classroom originated in 1993, with ONU assuming sole sponsorship in 2002. Enrolled students are responsible for editing, designing, and occasionally writing articles for the journal.

Web PublishingWith a rapidly expanding

technology industry, online media has been growing at the same rate. Ohio Northern’s emedia allows students to gain that experience in an online media world.

Advised by Dr. Jonathan Pitts, emedia not only allows students to gain writing experience and be published, but also provides them the opportunity to gain website development and management

skills. Students in this practicum

can become involved in a variety of topics, ranging from essays to photography, and poems to short films. Contributions are encouraged from many disciplines, including English, technology, art, theater, music and history.

NewsletterIn addition to practicum

opportunities, the English department also provides several other channels for students to immerse themselves in.

Previously listed as a practicum under the quarter system, the English department newsletter is now produced through a three-credit class with Ohio Northern’s shift to semesters.

Students in this class utilize writing skills and photography along with Adobe InDesign and Photoshop to create this very publication. This allows enrollees to learn about all aspects of publications, from budgeting to designing and everything in between.

Screenwriting Workshop

Held for two hours once a week, the screenwriting workshop allows students to develop skills in critiquing and even writing screenplays.

Workshop members watch films and analyze them by comparing them to the original screenplay.

Taught by Dr. Margaret Cullen, writing techniques, dramatic structure, dialog, and marketing are all discussed in the workshop. Students have also been able to travel to California

to attend the Los Angeles Screenwriting Expo in the past.

Creative Writing WorkshopAnother available workshop

offered by Ohio Northern is in creative writing. This weekly workshop offers an introduction to multiple creative writing genres and techniques.

The workshop creates an emphasis on gaining experience in writing, particularly through prompts and other activities. Led by Dr. Geoffrey Babbitt, students are encouraged to be open-minded and willing to experiment.

Professional Writing WorkshopIn previous years, the English

department has held a workshop taught by a professional writer or editor brought in by the department. The guest instructor teaches an intensive one-week course, giving students real-world experience.

Experience working with a professional publisher has led to publishing contracts in the past. The availability of this workshop is based on student interest; students who are interested should contact Dr. Jonathan Pitts.

The cover of the 2011 issue of Polaris, ONU’s literary magazine.

Photo/polarismag.org

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SENIOR PRESENTATIONS 2011-12Justin Stewart

“Turning Dread Into Gold: Writing a Fantasy/Horror Novel”

Justin presents his novel in progress Let Sleeping Gods Lie, a story of alchemy and anarchy, in a pair of parallel worlds. He discusses the difficulties of novel writing (and his methods of overcoming them) and the genre of “Comic Horror.”

Renee Sammet“Teaching Genocide for the Sake of

Tomorrow”Renee presents her academic capstone, an essay about the reasons for teaching the topic of genocide to high school-aged students.

Abbie Sterling“She Wondered Who Else She Could Be:

Lived Experience and the Fragmented Being in The Beauty She Made”

In Abbie’s first extended work of fiction, a modern mosaic novel manuscript, she explores the tension between identity, label, and expectation through the fictional lives of people in the small community of Raleigh Hills, Michigan.

Caitlin McCann“Revenge, Love, and What It Means

to Kill in Screenplay Form”Caitlin discusses an overview of her original screenplay with an explanation of the critical influences that have shaped the project to better create a dynamic story.

Patricia Bosak“Not By Blood”

Patricia Bosak’s project is a novella length prose piece that explores tha main character’s thoughts and beliefs about his identity and worth and how the people in his life challenge those beliefs.

Carolyn Lishawa“A Line a Day: The New Perspective

of a World War I Soldier”Carolyn examines, edits, and catalogues a World War I diary in order to bring to light information and tales of the war from the normally unheard voice of a non-combative railway solider.

Erica Trimbach“‘I feel like the word shatter’”

Erica delves into the notion of human roles by looking at the novel A Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. The theme she focuses on is dismemberment; first, she observes it in the book, and then she translates what that means for readers.

Nicholas Vondereau“Lucid”

Nick’s project is an ongoing journalistic work about Alzheimer’s patients and the effects of the disease on their families. He explores, with the audience, the piece’s potential and current publication.

Robert Cotrell“I’ll Match Your Realist Fiction

and Raise You a Fantasy”Bobby explores a few reasons why the Fantasy genre can be considered more than just escapist literature, how it relates to other genres and the real world, as well as how he used those ideas to help begin his own Fantasy.

Nikki Kauffman“Incorporating Gender Roles in the

Classroom: Using Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mocking Bird”

Nikki speaks about the integration of gender instruction in the classroom through the perspective of the character Scout Finch. This presentation is a mix of gender theory and its dynamics in the classic novel To Kill a Mocking Bird.

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Kate DeAngelis“What’s in a Book?”

Inspired by Anne Carson’s Nox, DeAngelis explores questions regarding the evolution of the book format and how we view the role of the book in today’s society with respect to the internet.

Micah Hein“Taking the Ham out of Teaching

Hamlet”Micah examines more interactive methods to teaching Shakespeare’s works. In particular, he studies the play Hamlet and creates a unit that incorporates a variety of elements that adhere to Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Through the collaboration of research on teaching Shakespeare in the classroom, Micah describes the various instructional methods intended for this unit and the projected benefits for students.

Virginia Lipp“A Dream within a Dream,

a Play within a Play”Virginia analyzes Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream through the perspective of Jungian dream theory with particular focus on the structure of the play. Then, she applies this analysis to the classroom and how this research will affect future literature instruction at the high school level.

Michelle Fronk“‘All traces lost except in the vivid eyes of one’s memory’: How Fundamental Divisions and Fusions Shape Identity

in Edwidge Danticat’s Breath, Eyes, Memory”

The project shows how the fissure and fusion of fundamental elements within the language, religion, and society of Haitian people, women in particular, work to shape the identity of individuals and the people as a collective whole. Michelle calls upon specific examples from Danticat’s novel to demonstrate how the main character, Sophie, attempts to establish a unique identity by bringing together disparate parts of herself in the same manner as her brave and determined ancestors.

Gordon Selhorst“Mental Illness in Professional Athletics”

In this series of articles, Gordon examines the effects of the life of a professional athlete on a person’s mental health. Each individual sport has its own issues in dealing with mental illness and his articles highlight the key problems.

Shana Tachikawa“You Are What You Eat: An Analysis of

Eating Disorders in College Students and Influences on Their Behavior”

Collegiate women endure constant pressures of academics and adjusting to adulthood. While their lives seem to spin out of control, three women maintained order by obsessing over the one aspect that they had control over: their weight. Could these women’s years of eating disorder turmoil have been avoided by better parenting? Whatever the family structure, these young women felt trapped in their warped body image as their parents failed to provide the emotional relief and attention necessary to break the disorder behaviors.

Megan Beckemeier“Taking Students by Storm: Prospering

with The Tempest in the Classroom”Megan’s project is about the lack of enthusiasm in the classroom when it comes to teaching and learning Shakespeare. There is consistently a lack of understanding and almost a fear, but her project addresses these issues using The Tempest as a basis to explore how supplementing it with other texts and activities can increase learning and enthusiasm.

Kaitlin Durbin “How to Start a High School

Journalism Class”In one last-ditch effort to revive print journalism, Kaitlin organized and initiated the first journalism course, with attached student newspaper, at Ada Exempted Village High School. Kaitlin compiled everything she used in the start-up process into this ‘How To’ guide to distribute to surrounding schools so that they may start journalism programs of their own.

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SPRING CELEBRATIONOF THE ARTS

“[Love: An Index] is going to make a lot of noise.” --Dr. Babbitt

Poet Rebecca Lindenberg will share “deeply personal, touching work”By: Joey FerraroNewsletter Staff

This spring, ONU’s English department will welcome poet Rebecca Lindenberg to be the annual guest poet for the Spring Celebration of the Arts. Lindenberg is a recent Ph.D. recipient from the University of Utah, and her poetry has appeared in Colorado Review, Poetry, The Believer, and many other publications. She is a 2009-2010 recipient of a Princeton Fine Arts Work Center Fellowship and the Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Prize.

Her book of poetry, Love: An Index, was released in February and was published by McSweeny’s Publishing. Dr. Geoffrey Babbitt, Visiting Assistant Professor of English, was instrumental in getting Ms. Lindenberg to ONU. Babbitt took some of his students to Chicago for The Association of Writers and Writing Programs’ National Convention (AWP), where McSweeny’s held a poetry series launch for their publishing branch.

“They primarily publish fiction, but they’re just now starting to venture out into publishing books of poetry. And they’re using her book to launch their poetry series.”

“I think they wanted to pick a truly important collection to inaugurate their poetry line,” Babbitt said. “The book is going to make a lot of noise, get a lot of attention.” Love: An Index deals with the loss of

Lindenberg’s life partner, Craig Arnold, who died in 2009 in Japan while researching volcanoes for a book of poetry. “He was a very well-established poet,” Babbitt explained. “He was starting research on a third or fourth collection that was about volcanoes. He was on an island in Japan exploring when he tragically fell to his death.”

Love: An Index, the book Lindenberg will be reading from during her visit in the spring, is a work that sprung from despair and sadness and is a deeply personal, touching work. “In part, it explores the inside language that is common to couples, the phrases and allusions that take on secret significances. But it’s also a book that is very much ground in the love lyric and the elegy.”

When Lindenberg visits, she will not only do a reading and give a talk, but she will also visit some of the classes in the English department, including the Advanced Poetry course. The class will have read Love: An Index as part of the curriculum, and students will be able to have a Q&A session with Lindenberg. In addition, as part of the Spring Celebration of the Arts, students will read their own pieces before Lindenberg reads. The celebration is taking place Thursday, April 19 in the Elzay Gallery.

Ely Shipley, the author of Boy with Flowers, visited the Advanced Poetry class on April 2 and read his poems that evening in the Elzay Gallery for Open Doors, the English Department, and the Cultural and Special Events Committee. Boy with Flowers, the first collection of poetry published by a transgendered poet, won both the Barrow Street Book Prize and The Thom Gunn Award. He holds a Ph.D. in Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Utah and currently teaches literature and writing at Baruch College-CUNY.

TRANSGENDERED POET ELY SHIPLEY VISITS AND READS AT ONU

Photo/ Dr. Geoffrey Babbitt

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Why Pursue an English BA?

Renee Sammet presenting at STD Conference in New Orleans Photo/Renee Sammet

“I decided to pursue a degree in English education because of the benefits that a mastery of the English language provides. I am constantly telling my students than an understanding of how to use English properly can grant them power: the power to communicate, the power to share ideas and dreams, the power to be heard.

I believe that the better one is at communicating with others about what one wants or needs, the more results will be had. For me it isn’t enough to know what to say or write, I had to know that what I said was integrated into society, history, and the lives of others around me; getting my degree from ONU’s English department has done as much and more for me.”

“Why I chose to be an English major? Good question....Journalism caught my attention as a high school senior

because I knew I could combine my love for sports with my passion for telling an emotional story. Also, I was a bit unsure about my ideal future occupation at the time of my college and major decision, so I figured pursuing an English degree like Journalism would leave me with enough flexibility to seek many areas of work upon graduation. Every business needs employees who are competant in writing. A science, engineering, or business degree would have been much too uptight for my personality. I live my life based on emotions, not rules. The English Department was the perfect place for me.”

Photo/ G. Brady Selhorst

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Renee Sammet Senior, Language Arts Education

G. Brady Selhorst Senior, Journalism

MEET YOUR PROFESSORSWhat book is on your “must read someday” list?

Dr. Scott Rogers attended the University of California, Los Angeles where he obtained his undergraduate degree in Literature. “I really liked the idea of being paid to read books,” Rogers admits. “Academia is the place to do that.” He next completed his masters at

the University of New Mexico where he studied Native American literature and fell in love with rhetorical theory. Rogers earned his doctorate at the University of Louisville in Rhetoric and Composition. For his dissertation, he looked at how post-traumatic stress is reflected in writing programs after a disaster. When asked why he chose to start his career at Ohio Northern

University, Rogers said, “I was drawn to the small size of ONU, and the wide range of opportunities for students and faculty.” Rogers is working with Dr. Robert Scott to create a new university-wide writing program for students. “My goal is to get everyone on campus to have a vision of what writing is,” he explained. Dr. Rogers is a big soccer fan and enjoys contemporary music almost as much as he loves his cat, Jasper.

Meet The New Guy!

Dr. Scott Roger’s “someday” book is Finnegan’s Wake by James Joyce

Dr. Lisa Robeson’s “someday” book is The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens

Dr. Geoffrey Babbit’s “someday” book is Go Tell It On The Mountain by James Baldwin

Dr. Douglas Dowland’s

“someday” book is Carrie by

Stephen King

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Dr. John Paul Kanwit’s “someday” book is Daniel Deronda by George Elliot

Dr. Eva McManus’s “someday” book is Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy

Dr. William O’Connell’s

“someday” book is The Compleat Angler by Izaac

Walton

Dr. Jonathan Pitts’s “someday” book is The Forty

Days of Musa Dagh by Franz

Werfel

Dr. Robert Scott’s “someday” book is A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole

Dr. Druann Bauer’s “someday” book is Sophie’s Choice by William Styron

Dr. Margot Cullen’s “someday” book is Crime and

Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Following his passion for sports, Zach Stipe, BA ‘08, with a major in Journalism, has spent his early career working in collegiate sports information departments.

After serving as a graduate assistant at the University of Tennessee and receiving his masters in sport management, Stipe has gone on to be the assistant director of athletics media relations at Florida State, where he is the primary media contact for the women’s basketball and sand volleyball teams.

Stipe combined his interests in writing and sports over his four

years at Ohio Northern, too, serving as Sports Editor of The Northern Review during his sophomore year before serving as Editor-In-Chief his last two years. He also worked with ONU athletics as a student assistant in the sports information department all four years.

“Ohio Northern provided me the opportunity to get involved,” Stipe said. “There really aren’t that many jobs in sports, so experience is essential for students to be successful, and going to ONU allowed me to gain the varying skills and experience I needed.”

Lauren Roberts, BA ‘11, with a major in Journalism, was able to do what most journalism majors hope for – receive an editor position at a newspaper right after college. Serving as the Weekend Editor at The Findlay Courier, Roberts is responsible for an eight-page weekend issue focusing on arts and entertainment events, mostly in the Findlay area.

Roberts was able to gain hands-on experience as an Editor-In-Chief for The Northern Review during her senior year. “It was beneficial because it taught me how to work with a variety of personalities and how to make all of those personalities work together as one cohesive group,” she explained.

Despite the shrinking journalism market, she also emphasizes the

importance of following your passions. “I would encourage students who enjoy journalism or English, to pursue a career in it,” she added. “You may not be a millionaire, but it’s really rewarding to love what you’re doing.”

Kathleen Saylor, BA ‘10, with a major in Literature, Kathleen Saylor was certainly involved in all facets of the English department at Ohio Northern. In addition to being a member of Sigma Tau Delta, Saylor spent time working with Polaris, Characters, The Northern Review, and Shakespeare and the Classroom.

While at ONU, Saylor was able to combine her interests of English and traveling, as she visited Los Angeles with members of the screenwriting practicum and Stratford, Ontario with the Shakespeare class, in addition to studying abroad in Wales. Both of these continue to be driving forces in Saylor’s life.

“I’ve gone on to study at one of the best universities in Europe - the University of Glasgow - and the research and writing skills I gained from ONU are what got me there,” she said. “I may have switched my attentions over to history, but the communication skills I have now are key to where I am now and where I’m going.”

ENGLISH ALUMNI EXCEL IN RESPECTIVE FIELDS

All photos/submitted

By: Jay GarneauNewsletter Staff

Alumni, what are you up to now? We’d love to hear where you’re working and what you’re doing! Let us know on the English department website.

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On May 4, Ohio Northern University will host the 2012 College English Association of Ohio Conference, entitled “Changing Landscapes: New Directions in Literature, Writing, and Rhetoric.” The conference focuses on the developing trends in education and in the application of an English degree. The topics of the conference range from discussions on “changing pedagogical practices in literature, composition, creative writing, and linguistic courses” to “new professional development opportunities.”

ONU is a change of venue for the conference. Dr. John Paul Kanwit, Associate Professor of English at ONU, as Vice-President of CEAO and one of the key organizers of this year’s conference, describes the change: “We decided we wanted to have it here [at ONU] because it’s kind of a different location than what we’ve had before. Usually it’s in a pretty big city, like Toledo or Columbus, so we wanted to do it here. We thought it would be

neat to have it here because the conference’s theme is ‘Changing Landscapes’, and we thought we would get people to a new environment.”

The conference involves a series of presentations, panels, and papers from professors and graduate students all across the Midwest. “We’re going to get people from all over Ohio, Indiana, and even Kentucky,” Dr. Kanwit explains. “We have a whole day set aside, and for this conference we’ll have two sessions in the morning with concurrent panels, and one session happening in the afternoon. We have about 32 presenters, and a lot more people attending. We definitely put together a good program.”

By bringing the conference to ONU, Dr. Kanwit believes that not only the students will benefit, but the university as a whole. “It’s great for ONU, and great for the students. The administration has been very supportive, especially Dean Catherine Albrecht. I think once all the attendees come, they’ll see how great the facilities here

are, and get ONU’s name out.” The keynote speaker this

year is Dr. Susan Oldrieve, Professor of English at Baldwin-Wallace College. Other speakers hail from Marshall University, Miami University, the University of Dayton, and many others. Representing ONU, in addition to Dr. Kanwit’s talk on government pressures to make universities mandate a three-year program, Dr. Robert Scott, Dr. Eva McManus, Dr. Margot Cullen, and Dr. Scott Rogers will be presenting, with assistance from English students Chelsey Moore and Patricia Bosak. Others presenting include former ONU faculty members Steven Criniti and Robert McManus.

With the combination of a large amount of organization, an active participatory body, and a strong line-up of presentations, speakers, and panels, the 2012 College English Association of Ohio Conference is an extraordinary opportunity for students and faculty at ONU. “We are very excited; we see this year being a great success,” Kanwit states.

ONU HOSTS ENGLISH CONFERENCE

Dr. John Paul Kanwit, Associate Professor of English, was recently granted tenure by Ohio Northern University.

In addition to earning tenure, he is set to release his new work, Authority and Access: Victorian Art Commentary and the Popularization of Art. Published by the Ohio State University Press, the book is an analysis of Victorian visual culture. It examines the development of specialized art commentary in a period when art education became a national concern in Britain. The explosion of Victorian visual culture–evident

in the rapid expansion of galleries and museums, the technological innovations of which photography is only the most famous, the public debates over household design, and the high profile granted to such developments as the Aesthetic Movement–provided art critics unprecedented social power. By including influential but now less well-known women critics as well as more famous ones such as John Ruskin and Oscar Wilde, Authority and Access allows a more penetrating and accurate understanding of this pervasive aspect of Victorian society.

KANWIT’S BIG YEAR

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HOW HAVE YOU CHANGED? Alumni: Please let us know what you’ve been doing

Name _______________________________________________________________________

Home address ____________________________ E-mail _____________________________

____________________________ Telephone __________________________

Major(s) _________________________________ ONU Class of _______________________

Professional and personal updates since graduation

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Please feel free to attach photos.

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Photo/Eva McManusThe tiny but mighty 2011-2012 Newsletter staff members from left: Professional Writing senior Kate DeAngeles, Sport Management senior Jay Garneau, Creative Writing and Philosophy freshman Joey Ferraro, and Creative Writing senior Abbie Sterling.