Originals 2020

The 2020 issue of Originals student literary journal is here! Check out our YouTube playlist of students reading their published works!

2020 Russian Language student accomplishments

The Department of English and Languages is proud to honor the 2020 recipient of the LeMoine Blake Crabtree Outstanding Student of Russian Award.

This year's recipient is Aubrey Pence. She has completed 4 semesters of Russian language studies, and she maintained a 4.0 GPA in that program.  Aubrey recited a Russian poem at the Russian Music and Poetry recital in March. She qualifies to be initiated as a member of the National Slavic Honors Society “Dobro Slovo”. She is also active in the Russian Club.

She was supposed to present at the CARTA Conference in Washington DC in April, but the Conference was postponed because of the coronavirus. She submitted her paper entitled "The Theremin: An Instrument Played without Touch" for publication in the CARTA Journal.

Several students sign up for the annual trip top Russia and qualified for the Gary and Linda Ainsworth Travel and Study in Russia Scholarship. Unfortunately, that trip was also cancelled, but want to recognize these outstanding students.

The following students signed up and qualified for that Scholarship:

1.     Avery Stevens

2.     Tylor Gifford

3.     Aubrey Pence

4.     Willow Vaughn

5.     Joshua Morris

6.     Allyson Sing

7.     Grayson Scoggins

The above mentioned students also qualify for the Russian Club’s Travel Grant to go on a Study Abroad trip to Russia. Allyson Sing sold over $1000.00 worth of chocolates in order to raise money.

Spring 2020 Best Essay Winners!

Every year, the department has a call for the best essays written in classes throughout the department, and we had three categories this year: best essays for a lower-level (survey) literature course, for an upper-level literature course, and an upper-level writing course. The committee read through a variety of strong entries in each category and chose the following papers as our Spring 2020 winners! 

Best Essay in a 3000-4000 level Literature Class:  Lauren Jolly, for her essay, "“I’m Not Looking at You: An Examination of Sartre’s ‘The Look’ Within Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, Kate Chopin’s ‘The Recovery’ and Neil Gaiman’s Coraline” in Dr. McMahon's Publication and Portfolio Capstone course.

Best Essay in a 3000-4000 level Writing Class :  Kara Hodo, for her essay, "“The Composing Process, as Told by One Disorganized Mess” in Dr. Murphy's Composing Theories course. 

Best Essay in a 2000-level Literature Class:  Kate Carlin, for her essay, "Death: The Greatest Eye-Opener," in Dr. Grasso's British from 1800 course. 

Congratulations to these three winners--and thanks to everyone who submitted essays! Remember that essays have a longer shelf-life than just a single class. They can be submitted to essay contests...they can be revised and adapted to future classwork...they can become the basis of an Honors thesis or related project...they can become great writing samples for graduate school applications...and they can become a snapshot of your intellectual journey at this stage in your life (so don't throw them away!). 

Read Dr. Hada's article, "What we fear to fear" just published!

Our own English professor, Dr. Ken Hada, recently published his article, "What we fear to fear" in Non Doc Media. You can read it here: https://nondoc.com/2020/05/02/what-we-fear-to-fear-a-pandemic-diary/

Non Doc Media is part of the Sustainable Journalism Foundation, an entity that has filed for nonprofit status and is governed by a local board of directors in Oklahoma, DBA: NonDoc Media. NonDoc’s editorial goals are simple and staked in “the public good.” Our governing board, editors and reporters value responsible news coverage, intelligent analysis, poignant photography and sharp humor. We strive to present our content accurately, fairly and transparently. We seek to publish diverse, interesting voices while serving as “a filter” and not a funnel, highlighting quality work from local and national sources while providing extra information and insight when possible. In addition to traditional reportage, we regularly feature commentary and opinion pieces from across the political spectrum. Our hope is you find yourself a little more informed and engaged by content that matters in our city and our world.

Spanish Scholarships for 2020!

Spanish Scholarships awarded for 2020-21 Academic Year

The ECU Department of English and Languages congratulates scholarship recipients in the discipline of Spanish language study for the 2020-21 academic year.

The C. B. and Eleanor Dedmon Spanish Scholarship, which can be continued for eight semesters, is awarded to an incoming freshman minoring in Spanish. The Dedmons established both this scholarship and the Ozella Waner English Scholarship in gratitude for their educations at ECU.

This year’s recipient is Michael Draper. Michael was named an Academic All-Stater and Oklahoma Academic Scholar out of Ada High School. In high school he participated in Student Council, Marching and Concert Band, Mock Trial, Academic Team, and the Science Club. He also served as the chapter president of Future Health Professionals of America and as a student ambassador for the Pontotoc Technology Center. He plans to major in Biology and minor in Spanish while at ECU.

Continuing Dedmon Scholars are Geovanni Trujillo, Mackenzie Bratton, and Abigail Fowler.

This year’s recipient of the Briles language scholarship is Jacob Talkington. Jacob is a highly motivated student who tells people that he learned Spanish on Duolingo, but that is only part of the story. Jacob came into the Spanish program with an admirable level of fluency because of his initiative to dig into the language before he ever took a university class. He enrolled in classes in his major at the Universidad de Extremadura in the Spring of 2020, but his semester abroad was

cut short when the countrywide quarantine caused by Covid-19 shut down nearly all activities in Spain, one of the areas hardest hit by the virus. He is back in Ada looking to finish up his degree.

The Luther Edge Spanish Scholarship was founded to acknowledge and encourage the academic achievement of Spanish-speaking students and students pursuing Spanish language studies.

Brittany West, one of this year’s recipients, has served on the Spanish Club presidency for the last two years, including as president for the 2019–20 academic year. In 2018, she traveled on ECU’s inaugural trip to Mexico City, where she visited places like Teotihuacán, Tula, Querétaro, Cholula, Puebla, and Mexico City. She is a member of the Alpha Chi National Honor Society and has participated in the University Honors Program as an Executive Team Representative.

As an incoming Freshman, Vivian Kate Tapia is one of the youngest recipients of a Spanish scholarship this year, but she is also the only one who has traveled to Spain with a group from ECU. As a freshman in high school, she joined her cousin on the last trip that the Spanish program made to Spain. Spanish is her first language, and as a high school student she participated in tennis, basketball, and Rotary.

The recipient of the Higginbotham Family Language Scholarship is Callie Briggs. Callie is one of the most active students on campus, participating in numerous extracurricular activities. She is a former president of the Panhellenic Council and brought her experience to the Spanish

Club. She has even been known to skip Spanish class (excused, of course) to administer flu shots to the community as part of her work with the Nursing Program.

The Oscar L. Parker Spanish Scholarship was founded by Paul Swinford, a former student of Mr. Parker. Mr. Parker was a long-time employee of ECU and was also a founding member of the ECU Foundation, Inc. in 1970, and served as its first director. Emily Ford, this year’s recipient, will begin her sophomore year at ECU studying elementary education. She was one of the few incoming freshmen to receive a Spanish scholarship during the 2019–20 academic year. A member of the ECU Honors Program, she is an outgoing student who has generously given of her time to help fellow classmates understand the concepts studied in class.

The Beatrice Wiseheart Spanish Scholarship was established by Ms. Wisehart’s daughter, Susan Little, to honor achievement in Spanish language study and commitment to the ongoing practice of the Spanish language in a student’s personal and professional life. This year’s recipient, Patricia Alexander, is the epitome of perseverance. She grew up in Costa Rica, moved to the United States, raised a family, and has come to ECU looking to finish the studies that she began elsewhere. For the last semester, she has made an hour-long commute to Ada to attend her classes. She plans to receive a bachelor degree in psychology.

Paul Hughes Creative Writing Award Winners and Finalists

The Department of English and Languages presents the Winners and Finalists of the 2020 Paul Hughes Memorial Writing Award, an annual creative writing competition open to all East Central University students.  Any form of creative writing, including poetry, fiction, drama, teleplay, screenplay, and creative nonfiction, is eligible for consideration.

First Prize $250

Kara Hodo "The Marionette." This excerpt consisted of the first three chapters of her middle grade horror novel, which she has completed. Although the novel is aimed at younger readers, it demonstrates high levels of skill and artistry in every facet of storytelling. This is one of the most accomplished works ever submitted for a Paul Hughes Award.

Second Prize $150

Taylor Johnson "Bait"  This short story demonstrates excellent narrative skill, character development, and scene development. The dialogue is amazingly effective. Most years, this story would have claimed top prize. 

Third Prize $100

Mitchell Potts "Glass"  This story offers a new take on an old theme: a character stuck in a small town he cannot escape. This character-driven story is rendered with marvelous sentences and imagery. 

Finalists 

* Kate Carlin "Witness Statement"  This is the first time this author has submitted work for the award, and it is amazingly ambitious and skillful. She renders a police woman's experience with a young woman who is being abused yet is more deceptive than any of the other characters involved. Most years, this story would have received one of the three prizes. 

* Jill Taylor "Symphony"  This story blends narrative skill with philosophical theories in a stylish and provocative manner. 

* Bryce Clark "Trajectory"  This story uses a slice of life scene set in the future wherein a motorist stuck in traffic watches an ad on a video screen that depicts horrific explosions involving children, all in the name of societal motivation. 

Three More Senior Salutes: Ray Alkire, Carly Heitland, and Ginger Johnson!

Sharayah (Ray) Alkire

I’m an English Education Major

* I chose ECU because I heard they had one of the best teaching programs in the state!

* I have so many great memories at ECU it’s hard to choose. But one time during Dr. Grasso’s class he threw a piece of chalk behind his back and it perfectly landed on the chalkboard. Everyone in the class went crazy lol. 

* One of the most memorable texts I read at ECU has to be The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas, I read this in Dr. Dorsey’s class. It resonated with me deeply and gave life to many of my current philosophies.

* I worked on a couple of huge assignments while at ECU but my favorite was a paper from Dr. Nicholson-Weirs class that I turned into an honors essay titled Black Queens Making Moves. I worked so hard on this and I’m still extremely passionate about it.

* I became a member of Sigma Tau Delta

* I’m proud of the multiple honors projects and presentations I’ve done. I’m also proud to have gotten not one, but TWO works published in the time I have attended ECU.

* I hope to become a middle school teacher soon, then eventually go back for a Doctorates in African American Literature where I can write and teach at a university.

* My advice for incoming freshman would be to keep pushing on no matter how tough things get. Your goals wouldn’t feel as good when you achieve them if there were no obstacles in your way.

Carly Heitland 
Major: English (Teacher Certification)/ Minor: Political Science

* I read so many memorable texts during the last four years! Perhaps the one that sticks with me the most is Albert Camus's The Stranger. I think I was struck by how the story could be so simple and so complex simultaneously. Still, with that text as with all of the texts I read in college, the class discussions were what reall made the text memorable.

* I am definitely most proud of my thesis. Completing a year-long project was a completely different process than any other paper or project I had worked on before. I was extremely grateful to have the faculty support that I did during the process (thanks, Dr. Dorsey)! 

* I participated in a lot of extracurriculars. My favorite was the Honors Student Association. I can not speak highly enough of the program!

* I was very honored to be selected as a George Nigh finalist this semester. I have known and looked up to many of the Nigh finalists from past years, so I was proud to be in their company. Next year, I will be teaching high school English, and I could not be more excited!

* I would advise incoming freshmen to focus on what is important to them. There are so many options available in college, it can be difficult to know what to choose (and even more difficult to try and do them all)! If you keep your personal goals in mind, everything will fall into place eventually. 

Ginger Johnson

- Major / Minor

Double Major Math and English

- I chose ECU among many colleges due to the low class size, involved Honors program, and scholarships.

- As a freshman, I went to the Great Plains Honors Conference with some other students in Honors.  Two of them are now my closest friends.  If it wasn't for a night spent quoting John Mulaney bits, we might not have become as close!  My boyfriend also danced with me on the stage in Wintersmith Park one random night to "The Pina Colada Song."

- Quicksand by Nella Larsen stands out as one of my favorites.  The writing was so engaging that I forgot it was for class and would read ahead.  It resonated with me in many areas, especially for mental health issues, and I think it's a book most should read.

-I'm proud of completing my Honors Thesis over representation of young adult women from book to screen. It took a lot of work, and there were times that no end was in sight, but it was very rewarding.  I'm also proud of a creative writing realistic fiction piece I wrote for the English capstone over impostor's syndrome.

- I was in the Honors Program, Sigma Tau Delta, Alpha Chi, Pi Mu Epsilon, Mock Trial, and ECU Screens.

- I'm proud that I'm on track to finish with a 4.0 and honors.  For English specifically, I am proud to be featured in Originals and other school creative journals.  Creative writing was one of the main reasons I became an English major, and I think I've improved greatly.

- I'm going to pursue a Computer Science PhD at University of Tulsa.  My interests are in cyber and information security. Beyond that is unclear, but I will figure it out along the way.  I also plan to keep writing and, hopefully, publish a novel (even if it's just self published).

- What I wish I had known coming in was to not stretch yourself thin.  You should be involved, but you don't have to say yes to everything to please others.  It's okay to make your mental well being a priority.