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Student Language and Literature Conference Call-for-Papers
The “Call-for Papers” has been issued for undergraduates and graduate students who wish to present a paper at the 28th annual Department of English Student Language and Literature Conference. The deadline to submit a paper is Monday, March 21. The conference will be held in Thomas Hall on Friday, April 22, 2022. Interested students should talk to their professors about submitting a paper to the conference that they wrote last spring, fall, or this midterm semester. Accepted papers in the areas of literary studies (English or modern languages), creative writing, or writing studies will be assigned to a panel. Alumni are also encouraged to apply. See the informational flyer HERE for instructions on how to submit papers for consideration. To see last year’s conference program, see HERE.
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Upcoming Events and Deadlines
Monday, February 28, 2022, a fiction reading by a job candidate will be held from 7:00-7:30 pm in the atrium on the upper floor of Thomas Hall. Open to the campus community.
Thursday, March 3, 2022, a fiction reading by a job candidate will be held from 7:00-7:30 pm in the atrium on the upper floor of Thomas Hall. Open to the campus community.
Monday, March 7, 2022, a fiction reading by a job candidate will be held from 6:00-6:30 pm in the atrium on the upper floor of Thomas Hall. Open to the campus community.
March 2022: Judging is underway for the joint Nebraska Emerging Writing Contest sponsored by Sigma Tau Delta, Phi Eta Sigma, the American Democracy Project (ADP), and the Writing Center . Undergraduate students are reading and evaluating submissions by Nebraska high school student on the topic of democracy in the genres of poetry, short story, and essay. Winners will be announced later this month.
FYI: For students interested in current events, ADP along with the Calvin P. Ryan Library offers a free subscription to the New York Times to all students, faculty, and staff at UNK. See, https://www.unk.edu/adp/index.php
FYI: For current students, interested in working as writing tutors at the Writing Center, you can find the application here: https://www.unk.edu/offices/learning_commons/student-employment-opportunities.php
Join the UNK Film Club by emailing rangerp@unk.edu. The club was launched last fall. Student members, in association with the World Theatre in downtown Kearney, select films for a free showing each month.
On Thursday, March 24 at 9:30 am in the Fine Arts Recital Hall, a choral concert, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” by Dr. Timothy Almon Askew, will be held featuring the UNK Choraleers. The event is free and open to the public.
On Tuesday, March 29, 2022, at 7:00 pm, the World Theatre in downtown Kearney, in conjunction with the UNK Film Club. will host the Italian-language film Life is Beautiful.
Save-the-Date: On Thursday, April 22, 2022, the Department of English will hold its annual Student Language and Literature Conference in Thomas Hall and conclude with an awards ceremoney that same day. More information and a call-for-papers will be forthcoming soon.
⭐ Student Success ⭐
The following students will present original scholarship at the annual No Limits Conference at UNL on Thursday, March 11, 2022.
Keesha Albrecht, “Love and Control in Their Eyes Were Watching God”
Kiley Anderson, “The Poetry and Public Persona of Phillis Wheatley”
Mara Andersen, “The Constellation of Shakespeare’s Juliet”
The No Limits Conference is an annual joint venture that brings together UNL, UNO, and UNK Women and Gender Studies Programs. Students who are interested in attending should touch base with Dr. Annarose Seinke who is a member of the Women and Gender Studies Advisory Board.
⭐ Featured Majors ⭐
This month’s featured students are Kenny Mitchell and Yanira Rodriguez.
Kenny Mitchell is a Language Arts 7-12 Education major with a minor in Creative Writing from Norfolk, NE, where he graduated from Norfolk High School. On UNK’s campus, he’s employed with ResLife as an RA and the Learning Commons as a writing tutor. He is involved with the American Democracy Project, UNK’s Theatre department, Secondary Educators’ Club, Teacher Scholars Academy, and Kappa Delta Pi.
One aspect of attending UNK that I love is the ability to be involved on campus in activities and organizations that I am passionate about. I work on campus as a resident assistant in CTW where I get to meet other students and create a community. I’ve met so many amazing people and created valuable bonds and new friendships through this experience.
The language arts education degree covers multiple disciplines such as journalism, communication, and theater. I’ve loved getting involved in activities like technical theater and writing for the UNK Antelope. If you are looking for other ways to be involved on campus, these are two organizations that help you meet new people and form new relationships.
I’m also involved in the American Democracy Project on campus. The purpose of our organization is to help students become civically engaged on campus and in their communities. I’m also the president of Secondary Educators’ Club. This organization is a phenomenal way to learn about educational practices specific to teaching junior high and high school students. These organizations allow me to help students become involved on campus and find their passions through the organizations UNK has to offer!
Yanira Rodriguez was born and raised in North Platte, NE, and graduated from North Platte High School in 2020. She came to UNK on the Kearney Bound Scholarship which she acquired her freshman of high school. She is majoring in English Secondary Education Subject 7-12
Using my scholarship, I enrolled in the teacher education program here at UNK to get my certification as an English teacher with a major in English Secondary Education Subject 7-12. When I get the time I try to participate in Secondary Educator’s Club (SEC), Women Are Problematic (WAP), and International Justice Mission (IJM) at UNK. Besides school and my extracurriculars, I am currently working two part-time jobs the majority of the week. I am currently employed at the UNK Antelope Bookstore on campus and Scooters coffee shop right next to Builders/Target here in Kearney. When I am not busy, I try and find various opportunities to volunteer through S.O. Athletes.
📚 Reading Circle Recommendation 📚
A great place to find new books to read is by looking at local bookstore’s websites for recommendations. Check out this list from Brazos Bookstore in Houston, Texas, of the 10 best books featuring characters who “Go Down the Rabbit Hole”: LINK.
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Learn more about opportunities for UNK English majors and minors to
…apply for scholarships HERE 🏫.
…minor in English and/or Humanities HERE 📓
…major in English +Pre-Law HERE ⚖️
…major in English +MLIS (Master of Library and Information Science) HERE 📚
…major in English +Music/Theatre/Dance/Art HERE 🎭
…major in English +STEM HERE 🚀
…participate in the Undergraduate Research Fellow program HERE 👩🎓
…present research & creative writing at the department’s annual conference HERE👨🏫
…publish poetry and stories HERE ✍️
…study abroad HERE 🗺️
…work as a tutor at the Learning Commons HERE 💡💻