English Students Enjoy Learning Out of the Classroom

Students enrolled in English department courses have many opportunities for experiential learning through off-campus activities. This month, students enjoyed trips to Chicago festivals and plays and to the Dubuque conference for language, literature, and writing.

Chicago Humanities Festival

Students and faculty in the English department attended the Chicago Humanities Festival on Saturday, November 6, where they were given the opportunity to support, enjoy, and explore the humanities. The trip was organized by Kailyn Baum ’12 of Hudsonville, Michigan, who serves as the Intellectual Activities Coordinator for the English department.

Students saw an interview with Lady Antonia Fraser, author of acclaimed historical works and international best sellers Mary Queen of Scots and Marie Antoinette. She is a recipient of many literary awards and the widow of playwright Harold Pinter.

“We thought the event would be something a lot of students would be interested in, and it turned out to spark some interest in learning more about Harold Pinter,” said Baum.

Oak Park Performance Center

Their interest piqued by Fraser’s interview at the Humanities Festival, students attended Harold Pinter’s drama “Betrayal” at the Performance Center in Oak Park, Illinois, on Wednesday, November 10.

“It was a fabulous play, and I believe that we all had a good time at both events,” Baum said.

Pinter is a Nobel, Tony, and Olivier Award winner and an influential playwright in the English language.

Streamlines: An Undergraduate Conference Celebrating Language, Literature, and Writing

Seniors Bethany (Kerr) Eizenga of Joliet, Illinois, and Monica Brands of Palos Heights presented their papers at the regional conference Streamlines, the third annual undergraduate conference for language, literature, and writing on Saturday, November 13.

The conference was held in Dubuque, Iowa, and hosted by Clarke University, Loras College, and University of Dubuque. The conference offered an opportunity for undergraduate students at regional colleges and universities to share scholarship and creativity.

Eizenga shared her paper “Victims of Sexual Repression in Measure for Measure and The Changeling.” Brands offered “‘Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ and the Healing of the Artist.”