The Words, May 2019
Parting Words
Jen Katz ’19
I remember when I first learned that I would be a part of Macalester’s class of 2019 way back in the dinosaur days of 2015, and thinking how impossibly far away that date sounded. The year 2019 felt like some mythical horizon that I would never actually cross. But here we are: it’s May of 2019 and my time in the English department is coming to an end. I’m still not convinced that I haven’t been trapped in some nightmarish science-fiction novel. Read more about Jen’s English Department experience…
So Long, and Thanks…
Alex Harrington ’19
Every time I sat down to write this article, I wound up sad and nervous staring at the blank page. How can I sum up an entire four years? How can I possibly express my overwhelming gratitude for the department that built me? Maybe that’s a little melodramatic, but in the haze of graduation melancholy it rings true. I was hired as an Office Assistant in the English Department my first year. Amazed and sweaty, I remember rushing up the stairs in Old Main and pulling up my email outside of the second floor door to double check the room number. Read Alex’s reflections…
Theater Outreach Group Visits Professor Matt Burgess’s Class
Sophie Hilker ’20
On Tuesday, April 16, members from On Stage: Creating a Community Audience Around Live Theater visited Assistant Professor Matthew Burgess’ Identities and Differences in U.S. Literature course. On Stage is a program that operates through Springboard for the Arts, a nationally recognized non-profit arts service organization based in St. Paul. According to Project Manager Lucas Erickson, the program works to bring local actors and educators into college classrooms to “read scenes from a play in current local production followed by a lively discussion of the themes tying in current events, personal values and narratives, and stimulating critical thinking.” Read more about this class experience…
Upcoming Sabbaticals for Members of the English Faculty
Miriam Moore-Keish ’19
This coming school year, two of our faculty members will be taking a break from the English Department. Professors Amy Elkins and Wang Ping are taking sabbaticals and making the most of their time to fully immerse themselves in research, study, travel, and creative projects. The Words caught up with Professor Amy Elkins to find out more about her plans for the 2019-2020 academic year. Learn more about Professors Elkins’ and Ping’s sabbatical plans…
Wordplay
Sophie Hilker ’20
For our final installment of Wordplay this semester, The Words is thrilled to present the work of English major Bea Chihak ’20. A proud Minneapolitan who traveled far and wide across the Twin Cities to get here, Bea is a junior here at Macalester. Majoring in creative writing and history, she believes in creating spaces for community history-telling and resistance. She is passionate about disability justice, and currently works with the organization Cow Tipping Press, which holds creative writing workshops for adults with developmental disabilities and radically rethinks inclusivity in art and in society. This year marks Bea’s tenth year playing euphonium, and she hopes to celebrate by practicing more wholeheartedly. She spends most weekends laughing and crafting with her mom and grandma, who taught her everything she knows about giving a damn. Read Bea’s poetry…
Newsletter Staff
Senior Editor
Alex Harrington ’19
Jen Katz ’19
Associate Editors
Sophie Hilker ’20
Miriam Moore-Keish ’19
Social Media Strategist
Malcolm Cooke ’21
