English Faculty Lead New Discussion Series

by Dalton Greene ’22

Throughout the past year, our amazing English faculty have showed up to support students in countless ways. One such way, developed specifically for seniors, was the inception of Keep Calm and Search On, a new lunchtime discussion series. For each session, seniors had the opportunity to gather on Zoom with English professors to talk about topics related to life after Macalester and be encouraged to….well, to keep calm amidst the uncertainty and search on for post-graduate opportunities.

“Down the Rabbit Hole: MFA and PhD Applications,” hosted on February 18 by Professors Andrea Kaston Tange and Emma Törzs, addressed the graduate school application process. From initially choosing programs to thinking about the academic job market graduates will enter into, both shared valuable advice for every step of the way. You can view the recording here. 

For students not interested in immediately applying to such programs, Professor Amy Elkins and Ben Voigt hosted another session on March 25, titled “Beyond the Pale: Alternative Avenues to Grad School.” In their talk, they leveled with students about the plethora of options available before undertaking graduate study and where these options can take them after they finish their studies. You can view the recording of that session here. 

And for those students not necessarily interested in graduate school at all but wondering just where an English degree can take them in the real world, Professors Penelope Geng and Michael Prior hosted a session called “A journey of a thousand miles (begins with a single B.A.)” on April 22. You can view the recording of this final session here. 

We at The Words would like to thank all of the seniors who participated in these discussions and the caring faculty who so generously gave their time and insights to ease the stresses of graduating at this point in time! We are inspired by the lively community you all have fostered, even while physically apart.