English Department News

            

February 23, 2000

          

Volume 2, No. 15


February 18-27

  

Spring quarter Registration open for Freshmen

February 23

  

Professorial Faculty meeting, HC 2116, 3:10 p.m. Please note room change.

February 28

  

English Hour, Roundtable Discussion on Teaching Nineteenth-Century Poetry in Great Books II, HC 3104, 4:00 p.m. Please note room change.

February 28-March 28

  

Spring quarter Late Registration/Schedule Adjustment period: All students may register during this period.

March 1

  

Modern Times Discussion Group, HC 3106, 4:00 p.m.

March 6

  

English Hour, Tim Dykstal, "Dissipation and the Economy of Sensibility," HC 3104, 4:00 p.m.

March 9

  

Last day of classes

March 10

  

Dead Day

March 11, 13-16

  

Final examinations

March 18

  

Graduation

April 10

  

Littleton-Franklin Lectures, Steven Pinker, Auburn University Hotel and Conference Center, 4:00 p.m.

April 24

  

Littleton-Franklin Lectures, Helen Thomas, Auburn University Hotel and Conference Center, 4:00 p.m.

May 5

  

Benson Lecture and Undergraduate Awards Ceremony, Susan D. Gubar, 213 Foy Union, 3:00 p.m.

May 18

  

Littleton-Franklin Lectures, William Phillips, Auburn University Hotel and Conference Center, 4:00 p.m.


Add Verse to Teaching Great Books II?

Thinking of including some short poetry in your Great Books 2 syllabus but don't know how? Then, come to a Roundtable Discussion on the Teaching of Nineteenth-Century Poetry in Great Books 2 on Monday, February 28, 2000 in HC 3104. Our panelists (Dave Haney, Chris Keirstead, and Margaret Smith) will be on hand to relate their experiences, offer suggestions, and answer questions on incorporating works of English and American poets in the Great Books classroom. Keep in mind that if you can't do verse, you can always do better. --Sponsored by the Great Books Committee.

Novelist Madison Jones to Speak

Famed novelist and University Writer-in-Residence Emeritus Madison Jones will speak about his career and the profession of a novelist at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 1, 2000 in Foy Union 202. Dr. Jones's visit is sponsored by the English Club. Please encourage your students, especially those interested in creative writing, to attend.

Computer Classroom Workshop Planned

Plan to attend a computer classroom workshop on Monday, March 13, 2000, from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. in HC 3116. We will share ideas about using the computer classrooms and sign up for class times. A more detailed agenda will be posted shortly.

"Elementary, My Dear Watson"

The students were "smokin'" Monday night during the English Club's first annual "Cultural Trivia Challenge" at Pebble Hill. Going into the final round of play, the graduate student team of Shawn Knight, Patsy Fowler, and David Murdock, with an assist from George Crandell, narrowly led the undergraduate team of Richard Benton, Amy Dalton, Steve Giles, and Eleanor Inge, with a score of 26 points to 23.
The two faculty teams--Team #1 (Jacqueline Foertsch, Eric Hayot, Waits Raulerson, and Jake York) and Team #2 (Craig Bertolet, Jon Bolton, Margaret Hundleby, and Chris Keirstead)--were, sadly, far back, with scores of 8 and 14 respectively.
But the final round saw a sudden reversal, as teams were allowed, Jeopardy-style, to bet all or nothing of their point total on a final question that was posed equally to all. What was that question? "What profession did Sherlock Holmes take up after he retired from detective work?" Think you know the answer? No one did, except for Dr. Bertolet, who correctly answered (or, he maintains, guessed) "beekeeping." This allowed Faculty Team #2 to seize a come-from-behind victory, with 27 total points. (The other teams had pretty much bet the bank on the wrong answer.)
But Faculty Team #2 proved its real graciousness by bestowing their prizes--a $10 gift card from Hastings for each member--on the team that had been consistently burning them all evening, the undergraduates.
A good time was had by all, and next year promises an even bigger and better cultural trivia challenge! --Tim Dkystal, Faculty Advisor, English Club.
Editor's Note: Some faculty members were overheard to complain, "I couldn't raise my hand as fast as those [expletive deleted] undergraduates!" Luckily, for the senior faculty team, the subject of the final question was retirement.

Jon Bolton's article, "'Customary Rhythms': Seamus Heaney and the Rite of Poetry" has been accepted for publication in Papers on Language and Literature.

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