Fall Commencement 2011

Terry W. West

This fall's commencement address was delivered by Shawnee attorney Terry W. West, who attended ECU in 1956 and 1957.  West advised graduates to make a sincere effort to living a happy life.  "Life is what you make it," he advised, and encouraged graduates to live in the present instead of always thinking about things that will make them happy some day in the future.

Gertrude Stein

West suggested that those who focus too much on the future may be disappointed as Modernist writer Gertrude Stein was when she traveled to her childhood home in Oakland, California and found that it was gone.  As she put it, "there's no there there."

I counted five English majors listed in the program as candidates for Bachelor's degrees: Katherine Sarah Conrad, Amy Kathleen Davis, Samantha Jane Manuel, Benjamin D. Nicolls, and Brock Parsons.

Congratulations to all! 

Insubordinates is more like it

Thanks, Jaime.

LeAnne Howe to Host Public Reading--December 14th

LeAnne Howe

Ken Hada writes: "You are invited to our annual December reading hosted by LeAnne Howe, December 14, 7pm. at the Ada Arts & Heritage Center (14th & Rennie).

"Starla Hibler will accompany readings on the piano. Readers include LeAnne Howe, Greg Rodgers, Phil Morgan, Jennifer Kidney, Al Turner, Jim Wilson, Ken Hada and perhaps others. Hope to see you there for an inspiring, fun evening."

English: It's More Than Just a Muffin

What do ECU English majors do after graduation?

Kevin Davis writes:

"Mindy Choate was just hired as assistant professor of English at Seminole State, beginning in January, where she will be joining several other ECU English graduates on the faculty there. In addition, Mindy will continue to do some grant writing for the Konawa Clinic, where she is currently employed.

"Mark Francis is working as an editor for the Chickasaw Press, which is located in Sulphur; they have several book projects in the works.

"Katie Beth (Benson) Miller will graduate this week with a master’s in library science from Texas Woman’s University. She is employed as a librarian at the Greenhill School in Addison, TX.

"Jenny Crelia will begin a dual-appointment assistantship at UALR in January, teaching one class and working in their writing center as well."

Hold on to Those Papers!

Dr. Mark Walling writes:

"Language Awareness, the capstone course all English majors must take, requires students to compile a portfolio of work that reveals the completion of NCATE outcomes. Throughout each semester, English and Languages faculty will be collecting two copies of some assignments and placing them in your portfolio, which is kept in the Advising Suite. This collection adds our efforts significantly, but we can't collect everything you write. Please keep copies of everything you submit in an English majors' course so you will have access to it in case you decide to place it in your portfolio. In Language Awareness you must include seven works in the portfolio. This is required of ALL ENGLISH MAJORS regardless of how many works were collected by your professors, and the portfolio makes up a large portion of the grade in the Language Awareness course. You don't need to worry about the outcomes. That's our job. But please help our effort by saving all of your work. If you prefer, print an extra copy and place it in my door pocket (HM 317; above the stairwell) and I will file it in your dept. portfolio in the Advising Suite.

"Thanks and have a happy holiday break!"