2007 Seaton Essay Awards Announced

The annual Seaton Essay Competition is judged by an interdisciplinary panel of faculty and students. This year’s faculty judges were Derek Boczkowski, assistant coordinator of the OSUN Writing Lab, Christine Warner of the education department, and J. Andrew Roberts, of the biology department. Student judges were Josh Maccombs and Melissa Keller, both seniors going into graduate programs in education in the fall, and peer writing consultants at the Writing Lab.

 

Clay Caroon: Fenner Undergraduate Research Award Recipient

Thanks in part to a Fenner Undergraduate Research Award this spring, Clayton Caroon, a senior English major at Ohio State-Newark, will be returning to Vietnam to continue his research on culturally appropriate English-language pedagogical methods. Caroon will conduct research on-site in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to study contemporary educational methods and ideologies applied within its public schools, universities, and private English language institutes and academies. (read more)

Kelly Whitney and Brittany Schumann Represent OSUN Writing Lab at Conference

Peer Writing Consultants Kelly Whitney and Brittany Schumann will represent The Ohio State University - Newark Writing Lab at the Northeast Writing Centers Association conference scheduled for March 31st, 2007 at the University of Connecticut campus located in Storrs, Connecticut. The conference theme is the ways in which teachers, faculty, tutors, and students find sustenance and sustainability in the Writing Lab, and how Writing Lab professionals continue to refresh and renew the image, practices, and work in writing centers. Those in attendance will include undergraduate and graduate students, professional tutors, and Writing Lab administrators.  

 Brittany and Kelly have collaborated with English instructor Shawna Green to develop the presentation, and Shawna will join them as an advisor at the conference. Their presentation is entitled "Passing on the Torch: The Influence of Novice and Veteran Tutor Interaction." This presentation will take a deeper look into the problems with the conventional methods of training writing tutors and the negative effects of these problems on the Writing Lab community. They will examine the benefits of novice tutors training under the guidance of veterans, and the problems that can result by neglecting this practice. Brittany and Kelly will conclude the presentation with a call to action: Writing Centers need to be sure that their training methods include “learning by observing” and interaction with veteran tutors. They believe that by working together to share ideas and practices, not only do the tutors benefit, but so do the students who meet with them.

Tartan Day:
By Grace Eno Davis

            Nature smiled upon the Tartan Day festivities in Reynoldsburg, Ohio this past April 2nd, but not in the way that I might have expected. At the end of a gloriously balmy spring week, the participants of the Scottish heritage celebration were met with showers of beautiful white snow, framing the event with authentic Highland spring weather. Tartan Day is a gathering of various groups that represent a cross section of Scottish-American life. Among the highlights of the event were performances by a Columbus pipes and drums group, demonstrations by dancing troops, and entertainment by a group of local re-enactors (www.dalmatianalley.com) who portrayed the court of Mary, Queen of Scots (circa 1561).

            It was through the re-enactors that I became a part of the event. Although I have been obsessively interested in costuming for a couple of years, my focus until recently had been fantasy costumes such as those found in the Lord of the Rings movies. Participating in the Tartan Day historic re-enactment was both a challenge and a joy. I discovered that farthingales (hoop skirts) are fun to wear while maneuvering through a crowded room. I learned that while a corset is certainly historically accurate, going  without one is infinitely more comfortable if one is going to be spending several hours in a costume, sitting on the floor at the Queen’s feet. I was both mortified and amused to be asked to be one of four judges in the “Bonny Knees” competition, and I learned a group dance from one of the troops of dancers. Mostly, however, I simply sat back and took in the beauty that was the Renaissance era court: women in swirling skirts and numerous colors, men standing noble and genteel in doublets and ruffs, everyone wearing proper and dapper hats. I was proud to be a part of such a creative and enjoyable event. Long Live the Queen!

A snapshot of the Court of Mary, Queen of Scots, taken during the opening ceremony.

A Columbus pipes and drums group played.
The court got front row seats, which,
with bagpipes playing, may not be a benefit.
Photo courtesy of Paul Fiebig.

Service Learning Student Recognized

Molly Nagel, a computer programming major and a student last spring in English 567: Rhetoric and Community Service, has won the annual Licking County American Red Cross Outstanding Service Award for youth volunteers. She won the award on the basis of the “Homelinks” project she undertook while a student in English 567, as well as her participation in the Red Cross Disaster Action Team and her training as a CPR/First Aid Instructor.

“Homelinks” provides families the opportunity to send video letters to family members serving in the military overseas. Molly typically took her equipment to homes and filmed families gathered—grandmas, pets, children and all—to share special events or just talk to sons, husbands, or fathers stationed in foreign nations. The videos were then e-mailed to their service sites.

“Homelinks” was a natural choice for Molly, since she is a member of the 256th Combat Support Hospital of the Army reserves. “It had first-hand meaning,” she noted. “It’s a service that I would use if I were overseas.”

English 567 was offered for the first time in 2004 and attracted a roster of students from several majors in addition to English. Other service projects by students in the course included the writing of fundraising literature, a compilation of life stories and mentoring experiences, the production of a monthly newsletter, and the researching and designing of informational literature.

Students were matched with organizations the first week and spent two hours weekly working on writing projects at their sites, in addition to three hours weekly in class. “I enjoyed the course,” Molly said. “If you enjoy working with people, it’s rewarding and serves a really great cause.”

Study Abroad: Literary Locations

GERMANY: 2005
Literary Locations: Americans and Berlin
Program: A ten-day program in Berlin for students interested in comparative approaches to literature, film and cultural studies
Dates: December 7-17, 2005 (class will be taught autumn quarter 2005 at the Campus)
Location: Berlin, Germany
Cost: OSU Autumn tuition plus a Study Abroad Program fee of $1,060

The Program
The objective of the Literary Locations program is to give students an unmediated experience of the city of Berlin. Sites of historical and cultural significance will feature prominently in the itinerary, but time will also be provided for students to experience the daily life of Berliners. Informal discussions with German graduate students and faculty will be arranged, as well as cultural events and three group meals.

Students will take public transportation and will do a considerable amount of walking in order to better appreciate “up close” the nature of the city. We will tour the Reichstag, Brandenburg Gate, the Wall and Checkpoint Charlie, DEFA studios, the Schloss Charlottenburg. We will visit the Museum Island, the Jewish Museum, the World War II memorials, the Berlin Museum, the Olympia-Stadion and Teufelsberg. We will take a day trip to Dresden, where we will visit Germany’s oldest Christmas market. Students will have one full day to explore on their own as well as other free time.

Read more and view photos about "Literary Locations" (Berlin 2005).

See "An Appreciation" in photos and text, by Clay Caroon.