Beyond Books: Expanding the Horizons of the English Major

By Jason Mecchi

Being an English major sometimes really does mean everything people associate with it: reading Shakespeare, talking about symbolism and metaphors, and thinking about historical context (usually British or American history). Some people may love this part of the major, and others may not, but it’s just one part of the English experience and, more broadly, the skills learned in English classes. In fact, plenty of English classes provide opportunities to write about movies, TV shows, music videos, and comics, among other media. In my undergrad experience, I have written about all of these media, mostly in English classes, all of which required the close reading and analysis I have been practicing since Intro to Literature my freshman year.

Opening up my writing beyond the “usual” literary canon and even literature altogether has been a rewarding and, perhaps more importantly, fun experience. Practically every chance I get to write about something “unusual” in an English class, I do. In fact, I wrote my thesis on Freud’s theory of the uncanny in children’s films like Coraline and Kubo and the Two Strings, and I completed an Honors project about Lacan’s theory of the mirror stage as seen in several films, ranging from Fight Club and Toy Story. Applying literary analysis skills to such a broad array of works has allowed me to strengthen those skills, diversifying the ways in which I use them. I would even say that English majors should engage in this kind of analysis to diversify their skillset, so they don’t get stuck in thinking only about literature.

Connecting with texts beyond typical English literature is also a challenging experience, since so much close reading done in English classes is focused on the written word. By looking at other media with new dimensions, such as visuals, audio, and performance, a student can discover new ways to close read and new facets to explore when looking at any piece of media. When looking at films, for instance, most English majors might look at the narrative and characters to discover themes or deeper significance. However, the more you practice watching and close-reading films, the more significance you’ll find in camera angles, editing techniques, and performance choices. While taking on such a new challenge in the midst of everyday collegiate chaos may seem daunting, it can sometimes be as simple as seeing what techniques from class you can apply to the scene from Mean Girls you watched while taking a break from your Hamlet essay.

This also brings us to another reason why writing about film (and television and music and comics . . .) in English classes can be important. By writing about these newer, more “popular” media, students actively chip away at those pesky lines between so-called “high” and “low” art, while also demystifying English academic techniques and theory, like close reading, to make them more accessible. Writing about stereotypes in Scary Movie 3, for instance, helped me push away any notions of “low art” and the unworthiness of certain texts to be analyzed critically. That particular essay was for a film class, not an English class, but the point still stands that critically looking at texts typically considered “low art” can be useful and makes analyzing complex texts easier. The idea of close reading may seem over-analytical to some (see the jokes about English teachers discussing the colors of curtains and doors), especially when the texts it is applied to are not texts that students are used to. When looking at something as apparently innocuous as Scary Movie 3 or Toy Story, close reading becomes a more approachable experience.

So, I hope that whoever is reading this, be you a prospective or current English student, an English alum, or someone from an entirely different field, you take away a willingness to approach any and all texts in a new way. Limiting English and humanities studies to just classic literature is boring, yes, but it can also limit you and the field as a whole. By approaching any film, TV show, song, etc. with critical thinking in mind, the possibilities of an English degree (or any humanities degree) open up—and become a lot more fun!

Reading as an English major

by Julie Steinen

Let’s begin with an obvious statement: English majors read a LOT. When I decided on the English program, I knew that I had a lot of reading ahead of me, but I kind of subconsciously assumed that I would be reading mostly classic literature. I also kind of expected that I wouldn’t like a lot of the things that I would read. While I have read a lot of classic literature for my courses, I’ve also read from many other diverse genres and perspectives. Fortunately, I’ve really enjoyed most of the classes I’ve taken and a majority of the texts that I’ve read for those classes.

Honestly, my favorite thing I’ve had a chance to read for a course in college is Macbeth by William Shakespeare. Like a lot of people, I read Macbeth in high school, and I liked it pretty well then, but most of my classmates didn’t enjoy reading it, as they seemed to find the language difficult to understand. A few years later, I took a Shakespeare class (ENG 3010), and Macbeth was one of the plays on the syllabus. Reading it again was a totally different experience, mostly because I got to discuss the play with other people who were also interested in Shakespeare. I enjoyed reading and discussing the play so much, in fact, that I was inspired to write my senior thesis about Lady Macbeth. For me, the discussions that I am able to have with my classmates about texts are my favorite things about my major.

Of course, I sort of knew that I would love reading Macbeth before we even got to it, as I had prior experience with it and an appreciation for Shakespeare’s work; in many of my other courses, I had no idea if I would like or connect with what we were reading. Sometimes I didn’t connect to texts, but I was often pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the readings in many of my classes. One of the novels that I was surprised to like so much was Dracula by Bram Stoker. I read this in a survey course of British Literature (ENG 2650) and I was sort of nervous to read it, as I anticipated that it would be really boring. I love reading about paranormal/supernatural things, but I assumed that I wouldn’t like Dracula because it wasn’t anything like what I was used to reading. Imagine my surprise, then, when I not only loved the novel but liked it more than many other vampire-related stories that I had read in the past. It was especially fascinating to see how Dracula influenced the stories that I was familiar with—both paranormal and horror. I had expected it to be mildly cheesy and also not very scary, but discovered that it is actually genuinely terrifying. I liked it so much that, after the semester was over, I read it again. As it was part of a survey course, which cover an extensive number of texts over the semester, we didn’t have the chance to spend a great deal of time on it. Reading it again gave me the chance to fully appreciate just how intricate it is.

As I mentioned, there were many things that I wasn’t sure I would like when I started each semester but actually loved once I gave them a chance. I also loved Dietland by Sarai Walker (ENG 4230), and Angels In America by Tony Kushner (ENG 3110). Those two are much more contemporary, the sort of thing I wasn’t expecting to find on a syllabus, but I’m very glad that I had the opportunity to read them. I’ve read so many incredible things in this program, and I think that just about anyone will read something that they connect with.

Gaining Empathy and Understanding

by Abby Maggi

At the beginning of my senior year, my class was gathered together, and we were informed that one of our classmates – I’ll call her Julie – just lost her mother to cancer. Our teachers wanted us to be aware of how this would affect her and how we could help. My English teacher shared something I have always remembered, telling us to realize that this loss was going to affect Julie for a long time. The rest of us would likely forget after a few weeks or months, but Julie would never forget. She told us that our graduation would be a difficult time for Julie without her mom there.

I was amazed at my teacher’s deep understanding and awareness. It seemed to me that her years of reading and studying literature had allowed her to see further into a situation than many others could. Maybe there were other reasons she was so insightful, but it gave me a vision of the empathy and understanding I wanted to gain as an English major in college.

In my first English class at BGSU, Introduction to Literature, we read a poem with two speakers separately presenting their perspectives over the loss of their stillborn child. Both the husband and wife were angry at the other, feeling like the other person was not affected by the death of their child, but the poem showed that each needed to grieve the loss in a different way. Even though the married couple were dealing with the same loss, they failed to see the other person’s point of view, and their marriage showed signs of falling apart.

I learned two things from studying this poem. First, I saw specific ways that people may deal with loss, which I can now recognize in others to understand their emotions and actions better in similar situations. Second, I learned the importance of understanding one another, which is something we all have the ability to do. We can take the time to listen to people, hearing their stories and learning about their perspectives. Everyone processes life differently, so we should not assume what someone is feeling or why they are doing something.

The stories and texts I have read in all my English classes have helped me gain perspective and empathy. Even if my experiences have been different from others, I am still able to relate to them because I have previously put myself into a story like theirs or because I strive to understand where they are coming from.

When we study and discuss literature, we can put ourselves into the shoes of the characters and people we read about. We can endeavor to understand their emotions, motives, and actions, and in turn, I hope we will do the same with the people we meet in our everyday lives. I believe that if we choose to earnestly try to understand others, we can connect with those who are different from us, and there will be more harmony in the world.

 

How to remain perceptive amidst an unprecedented crisis: An insight into the mind of a frantic collegiate student

By Joniya Byngi Gadson

One’s innate perceptual ability allows them to make sense of the world; however, many of us are having a hard time doing so whilst caught up in the crossfire of a global phenomenon. My late grandmother would always say: “Have faith the size of a mustard seed, for good things come to those that believe.” COVID-19, known infamously as the “coronavirus,” has taken the world by storm. Seemingly out of nowhere, the coronavirus has put the nation on hold while it has wreaked havoc throughout our world. Initially identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019, the disease was first declared a pandemic by the World health Organization on March 11th, 2020. Without much knowledge as to what exactly the disease is or the risk it poses, many collegiate students continue about their routine spring break plans, some taking trips out of the state as well as staying in state and enjoying their times with nearby neighbors and friends. In recent memory, there hasn’t been an international crisis of this measure for quite some time albeit many are not convinced on the severity of said virus.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), many symptoms match that of the common cold or Influenza. One may feel a mild to severe fever, or a dry cough, as well as shortness of breath. These very common and seemingly innocuous symptoms cause many youth and adults to laugh at the disease despite recent fatality cases. Insert the influx of celebrities that have now tested positive for the coronavirus and many feel it to be a laughable ploy to attempt to sway the common folk into taking a virus-toting vaccine. One Twitter user (TCA_Media) shared their take on the Coronavirus; “Corona virus is a super lethal virus on planet earth some of my favorite celebrities have got it (endorsed it) my government has reassured me that this is a global pandemic/ Crisis of which many will die so I’ll be first in line for ad-hoc experimental vaccine – said no one ever (18 March 2020).” The tongue-in-check remark made by the Twitter user shares the skeptical nature of most of the U.S.’s citizens. With many affluent celebrities being tested without symptoms before the poor commoners that have expressed symptoms many are not entirely “convinced,” on the ethics of the government and those in power.

In times of mass confusion and hysteria, one thing I have always attempted to do was to hold on to whatever is tangible or feasible. Whatever that may be, I want you to hold on to it and hold on to it tight. For it can be what saves you in these trying times. In, the wake of an unprecedented crisis we must all remain perceptive and use this time—however long it may be—to advance ourselves.

For what it’s worth, a man by the name of William Shakespeare dug deep within himself to create some of his best works during one of the worst plagues in history. When the bubonic plague shut down theater doors in 1593 William Shakespeare turned to poetry and wrote his widely-acclaimed narrative poem, Venus and Adonis during those difficult times. Seclusion and solitude have fostered some of the best habits for a few of the most magnificent people in our history. Now is the time for exponential growth for our next great thinkers, brilliant writers, and undeniable creatives. A time to hone in on one’s craft and take ideas to the next level, in a way so unequivocal and certain not even the current trepidation can damper it.

A few ways I have been utilizing my free time is trying to pinpoint my short – and long-term goals and identify how I can achieve them whilst sequestered. Here is a list of ideas, inspiration, and a few tricks to continue your creative process whilst sequestered!

Make A Vision Board!

Without a doubt, the best way to stay ahead of the ball during a bad break is to try to remain cognizant of what’s important to you by way of constant reminder and reinforcement. Remember, all thoughts have power and the more you have thoughts directly related to your goals and what is imperative to you will be more likely to achieve it once the virus passes. In the wise words of Robin Sharma, “Everything is created twice, first in the mind and then in reality.” Below is an example of a neat vision board we found on Pinterest courtesy of avid user and contributor FamleeofFour.

Tend to your Professional Profile!

Often, when we find ourselves fully enthralled in whatever is happening in our world, we never have time for ourselves. Whether it be politics, family, or relationships, once we are done tending to all the other demands that come with life we have little time for “me” time. As college students we often do not devote our leisure time to building our professional profiles; we often put it towards whatever can detox us or give us a sense of peace at the current time. With the abatement of all things normal we now have time to focus on our future beyond our immediate interest and finally—cringe warning—make our parents proud (with the current state of the world I’ll choose to submit to the latter). Websites such as LinkedIn have taken the business world by storm; however, more popular sites such as Facebook and Twitter can be used to your benefit when nurtured the right way. Use the down time to clean-up and tidy your current and old social media profiles and ensure they are attractive to the employer’s eyes! We’ve all heard cases of prospective employees, internees, and students losing opportunity because a post from 2003 came back to bite them in the heinie. Let us be proactive!

WRITE, WRITE, AND WRITE WELL

I cannot stress this enough: WRITE, WRITE, AND WRITE WELL! These are more then words: this is the direct plea to all intellectuals out there to make good art and to make sure you document all your thoughts and hold them dear! There is nothing more precious than a mind, especially one that is fueled by heavy emotions. This is a very emotional time for all involved in the wake of an international crisis. We have apprehensions, some may feel episodes of anxiety, and even depression. One way I have overcame all of the aforementioned emotions is by WRITING! We may not feel comfortable sharing our most honest thoughts with our parents and peers for we may fear judgement nonetheless; letting out our greatest thoughts and vulnerabilities can provide some therapeutic relief. WRITE, WRITE, AND WRITE WELL!

In closing, we all have been robbed out of a sense of normalcy in the past weeks. We have questions that have gone unanswered, deadlines that haven’t been met, and plans that have had to be cancelled. We have siblings that have been robbed of their senior prom that they’ve planned for all their life, and weddings postponed. In short, it has been a sudden and ignominious failure—a fiasco. The virus has forced the government to make many cancellations and has robbed us of a sense of normalcy. We are living as if we are in our last days and friendly devices such as a handshake or a hug have been invalidated. Furthermore, the optimism runs deep for those that see beyond what is tangible. Have faith the size of a mustard seed, for good things come to those that believe.

Dr. Lee Nickoson, Chair

Dr. Lee Nickoson will be taking over as Chair of the English Department on July 2.

Position in English/International Studies

We have just posted an opening for a renewable instructorship in English/International Studies.

The closing date is May 5, 2017.

 

Sheri Wells-Jensen on NPR’s Science Friday

Dr. Sheri Wells-Jensen was interviewed on Science Friday about the new movie Arrival.  She was featured as an expert in xenolinguistics, the study of the hypothetical languages of alien beings.

Annual Newsletter from English

The annual newsletter from the Chair of English at Bowling Green State, Write from the Chair, is now available online.  

Alumni Summer College at BGSU

Two faculty members from the English Department will be offering sessions at the inaugural Alumni Summer College at Bowling Green State University.  Dr. Khani Begum will head up a session entitled “‘My Name Is Khan’ — Bollywood’s Response to the War on Terror.”  And Dr. Lawrence Coates will give a presentation entitled “Brainstorming the Novel.”

Lynn Campbell named Emerita

Congratulations to Lynn Campbell on being named Senior Lecturer Emerita after her retirement this spring.