English Department
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Opportunities Outside the Classroom for English Majors |
The purpose of Concordia's International Education Programs is stated in The Catalog: Concordia College is dedicated to enabling students to influence the affairs of the world. Future leaders need to develop an appreciation of other cultures, to become aware of the state of the planet, to understand how the world works, and to learn how to become effective and ethical agents of change in the world.
May Seminars and Exploration Seminars Abroad:
Concordia English faculty lead groups abroad to explore a variety of topics related to literature and writing. Students from all of the four English majors are encouraged to take advantage of study abroad opportunities. The department will provide opportunities for study abroad in May seminars and during the semester in Exploration seminars. The May literature seminar alternates with the May writing seminar. In the past, the May literature seminars have been connected to “British Heritage” and focus on Shakespeare and the Renaissance.
The department’s first Exploration seminar was offered during spring term 2002. Exploration seminars take students to off-campus study locations during spring mid-semester break. These travel experiences are “nested” or “embedded” within a second semester on-campus course. In 2003, the department offered two such seminars: The Irish Troubles and Writers' Response and The England of Chaucer and Shakespeare. In 2004, the seminars were Americans in Paris and Paradise Re-Imagined: Hawaiian Literature and Culture.
Semester Study-Abroad Programs:
There are diverse programs available for a semester or a full year in a wide variety of countries. For instance, students may study for a semester in Lancaster, England. Or they may take part in our abroad experiences in Crete, Malta, or India. The International Education Office will assist with opportunities for full semester studies abroad.
Student Teaching Opportunities Overseas:
Students may fulfill student teaching requirements at various sites in Europe and around the world. For details and procedure regarding these programs, see "International Education" in The Catalog for Concordia College. For a detailed bibliography on study-abroad opportunities, see the Concordia College Library bulletin titled "Work, Study, Travel Abroad: Information Sources" available in the Library.
The Concordian:
The Concordian, the student-operated weekly newspaper, offers English majors practical experience in journalistic writing and editing, as well as in photography, graphic design, and business. Published weekly during the academic year, The Concordian seeks to reflect the concerns and happenings of the Concordia community. The student editor hires and supervises four section editors, each of whom work directly with writers in assigning, generating and editing copy.
Editors and section editors are paid a modest annual stipend. Weekly critique and brainstorming sessions are held with the newspaper advisor, and writers are assigned articles at weekly story meetings.
The Concordian offers the opportunity for considerable or minimal involvement: while section editors are asked to make a year-long commitment, writers can write every week or sporadically.
The greatest benefit of working for The Concordian--besides the obvious nuts-and-bolts experience--is that it enables students to compile portfolios of published works, which are invaluable in job searching, especially in the fields of journalism and publishing.
Cobber Yearbook
The Cobber, Concordia's yearbook, is produced by a staff of salaried and volunteer students. It offers hands-on experience in writing and editing, as well as photography, graphic design and printing.
Working on The Cobber can serve as a primer on publishing. Because The Cobber is published by a local firm rather than it being sent off to a large, out-of-state yearbook company, students can follow their product from start to finish, and, hence, have the opportunity to see first-hand how books are published.
Students can become as involved as their schedules and interest allow; positions range from editor and photo editor to copy editors and authors of short feature stories.
The benefit of gaining practical work experience in writing, editing, and publishing cannot be overemphasized; as with After Work and The Concordian, The Cobber is three things: a résumé builder, a teacher, and a respected and valuable contributor to the Concordia community.
AfterWork:
AfterWork, Concordia's student-operated literary magazine, is often the first venue in which fledgling writers have their work published. Published in the spring of the year, AfterWork is a literary review of fiction, poetry, essays and art works. A student editor and his or her staff of literary and art editors solicit manuscripts and art works from the student body; selections for publication are chosen anonymously on their merits.
The selection process offers English students the opportunity to put to practical use some of the skills they've honed in English classes: reading critically, discussing a manuscript's merits and weaknesses, line editing, and creating an enticing anthology of works.
AfterWork also sponsors readings by student and faculty writers, which serve to help create a community of writers and readers at Concordia College.
New Voices:
New Voices should be heard! New Voices is Concordia’s journal of outstanding student academic essays from across the curriculum. Submissions are requested every January. Selections are made by the editors in February, based on the blind review recommendations of the editorial board which consists of several faculty members from various departments and a few representative students. The volume is then printed and ready for an April distribution so that some of the best “new voices” may be shared with a larger audience.
English majors can get involved in New Voices either by submitting their best work for consideration or by getting involved on the editorial board. For more information, check in the English office for the current editors.
This creative writing contest is open to original poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Entries are solicited early in the second semester, and authors of the winning pieces receive cash awards. Outstanding entries not awarded a prize receive honorable mention.
This is a chance to try out writing or research in a particular business or non-profit environment. Check with your advisor or with the Cooperative Education Office. Recent participants have worked for radio stations, newspapers, advertising agencies, hotels, and law firms.
This is an opportunity to take a class research paper or project and present the results to the college community. Papers for student lectures usually emerge out of projects or papers completed for regular course assignments. Preparing for the lecture involves working together on the paper or project under the mentorship of a professor and readying the material for oral delivery. Applications to give a Student Lecture are processed through the Associate Academic Dean’s office; applications consist of a proposal together with a supporting letter from the professor with whom you will work on preparing the lecture. Typically, students will apply by spring semester of their junior year to present a lecture in their senior year. Watch for announcements of application deadlines or contact your professor or advisor.
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