News Archive 2018
December 2018
The final evening of English Capstone presentations for the semester will be this Wednesday, December 5th. They will be in the Byrd Center and will run from 4:45 p.m. until 6:45 p.m. The roster of presenters and topics includes:
- Caitlyn Sheets—Speakin’ Good: Appalachian Women’s Voice, Power, and Narrative
- Katie Hardy—Raging Toxic Masculinity in the Roaring Nineteen-Twenties
- Rebecca Tidwell—Cordially
- Emily Grabill—Teaching Sexism and Gender Norms in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream
- Andrea Peltier—A Darned Sock
- Staci Knisley—Motherhood in Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies
November 2018
Voulez-vous voyager au Canada? Would you like to travel to Canada and spend the summer in Quebec while earning college credit? Dr. Krantz is recruiting for her trip to Quebec this summer. Here’s a brochure that provides more information about this summer abroad. Additional questions should be directed to Dr. Krantz at rritterb@shepherd.edu.
Shepherd University’s Stammtisch, a German conversation group for speakers of all levels, will meet on Tuesday, November 27th, at 4:00 p.m. Everyone’s welcome, even beginners. The group will meet at the Blue Moon. Contact Dr. Suárez for more information (esuarezb@shepherd.edu).
Does the coming winter weather have you already dreaming about beaches and sunshine? Consider joining Dr. Denis Berenschot on the Spanish program’s next study abroad trip to Cuba (May 12th – 29th, 2019). Participants can earn credit for Spanish, History, and/or Social Work, all on the same trip! Anyone interested in the study abroad trip to Cuba should take a look at this brochure and then contact Dr. Berenschot (dberensc@shepherd.edu or 240 367-2424).
English Capstone presentations continue this week! The second evening of presentations will take place on Wednesday, November 28th, and they will be from 4:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. in Reynolds Hall. This set of presentations includes:
- Olivia Barrett—The Unfinished Symphony: Democracy and American Identity in Leaves of Grass and Hamilton: An American Musical
- Lilli Sutton—The Ocean Voyage as a Symbol of Guilt, Inner Turmoil, and Confrontation with Death in Coleridge and Wallace
- Ryan Moore—Deceived Beliefs
- Alexandra Hippensteel—End at the Beginning
- Sarah Markle—Escaping Spaces: Control of Patriarchal Society in Jane Eyre
- Madison Ingram—Women in the Grail Quest and Their Relationship with Pessimistic and Optimistic Storytelling
- Lane Simpson—Prospero as Shakespeare
English Capstone presentations start soon! The first group will present on the Monday before Thanksgiving, November 12th, from 4:45 to 6:30 p.m. in Reynolds Hall. The presenters will be
- Paige Conrad: “Propriety and Power in Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice“
- Gabrielle Hess: “Out of Nothing”
- Casey Otto: “Perpetually Inward”
- Gabrielle Hersey: “Requiem for G”
- Jessica Perez: “My Brother, the Hero”
- Robert Carney: “Dark Matters”
The Rude Mechanicals Medieval and Renaissance Players will present William Shakespeare’s romantic comedy As You Like It beginning Friday, November 2nd, at 7:30 p.m. in Reynolds Hall. Other performances will take place Saturday, November 3rd, at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, November 4th, at 3 p.m.; Wednesday, November 7th, and Thursday, November 8th, at 8:30 p.m.; Friday, November 9th, and Saturday, November 10th, at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $8 for the general public; free for Shepherd students, faculty, & staff; and $2 other students and children.
October 2018
On Friday, October 26th, the Department of English and Modern Languages, in collaboration with the Shepherdstown Film Society, will host a screening of Bride of Frankenstein (directed by James Whale, 1935). This event is part of the commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s classic novel, Frankenstein. The screening will begin at 7:00 p.m., and it will be held in Reynolds Hall. Dr. James Pate, Assistant Professor of English, will lead a discussion of the film as well. The event is open to the public, and admission is free.
On Friday, October 12th, Shepherd University’s chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the international English honor society, will be hosting its third annual poetry festival. The event will take place at 6:00 p.m. in Storer Ballroom. Local high school students are eagerly invited to attend. There will be several activities, including a “bad poetry” competition. Work and Days by Tess Taylor, the Sigma Tau Delta common reading selection for the 2019 conference will also be highlighted during the evening. For more information, contact Dr. Heidi Hanrahan (hhanraha@shepherd.edu).
Professor Sadie Shorr-Parks, Instructor of English, has been busy lately. Her essay “Attic Bats, Modern Love” was originally published in Witness Magazine, but it was reprinted in the fall 2018 edition of Utne Reader. The essay was also nominated for the Pushcart Prize in nonfiction in 2017. In addition, a book that Sadie edited entitled Becoming International: Musings on Studying Abroad in America has just been released by Parlor Press. Becoming International is a book of flash nonfiction written by international students who want to share their stories and celebrate the unique writing voice of those learning a new language. Sadie’s book is available on Amazon or through other retailers. Congratulations, Sadie! Well done!
Dr. Carrie Messenger’s short story “Love Charm” has recently been published by Kenyon Review. An electronic version of the story is available on KR Online. Congratulations, Carrie! Way to go!
Claudia McCarron’s essay on Jane Eyre and the book of Revelation, written for Dr. Hanrahan’s Bible as Literature course, has been accepted for publication in the Sigma Tau Delta Review. This is the first time a Shepherd student will be published in this competitive journal. (Previously, Bethany Knight was published in Sigma Tau Delta’s journal of creative writing.) Way to go, Claudia! You make us very proud.
September 2018
On Saturday, September 15th, six Shepherd students presented their scholarly papers at the Second Discovering the Humanities at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. The students who made presentations were Claudia McCarron, Jessica Perez, Elisha Pidcock, Alexandra Rowe, Lilli Sutton, and Claire Tryon. Lilli Sutton was awarded best presentation for her delivery of her paper entitled “Whitman’s Birds: Vessels of Tragic Awareness and Personal Voice.” Congratulations, nevertheless, to all our students!
Eight students will be presenting papers first written for Shepherd University English classes at the Second Discovering the Humanities Conference at Hood College in Frederick, Maryland, in September. The students who will be making presentations include Anthony Farris, Claudia McCarron, Jessica Perez, Elisha Pidcock, Alexandra Rowe, Lilli Sutton, and Claire Tyron. Good luck!
The University’s Stammtisch (German conversation group) will be having its next gathering on Tuesday, September 18th, at 4:00 pm. The group will meet at the home of one of its frequent participants here in Shepherdstown. German speakers of all levels—native to beginners—are welcome to attend. For more information, including the address of the home where Stammtisch will meet, contact Dr. Eva Suárez (esuarezb@shepherd.edu).
“Frankenstein at 200: An Interdisciplinary Panel” will be held on Friday, September 7th, at 6:00 p.m. in the Byrd CHE. This panel discussion will feature our own Dr. Carrie Messenger, along with Dr. Ben Bankhurst (History), Dr. Amy DeWitt (Sociology), and Dr. Carol Plautz (Biology), discussing Shelley’s work through their own disciplinary perspectives. The event is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
August 2018
The Rude Mechanicals Medieval and Renaissance Players announce auditions for Shakespeare’s romantic comedy, As You Like It, on Wednesday, August 29th, and Thursday, August 30th, from 8:00 to 10:30 p.m., in Reynolds Hall. Shepherd University students earn 3 academic credits for acting or participating behind the scenes. There are roles (large and small) for all genders and all levels of experience. Also needed, in addition to actors, are singers, tech crew, musicians, dancers, visual artists, video artists, and costume designers. Community members over 16 are also welcome to audition. For more information, contact Dr. Betty Ellzey (304 876-5208 or bellzey@shepherd.edu).
Shepherd University’s Stammtisch group will be hosting an Abendbrot (i.e., evening meal) on Monday, August 20th, at 5:00 p.m. The gathering will be at the home of Daan Vreugdenhil here in Shepherdstown. Attendees are asked to contribute a salad, side dish, or dessert. All speakers of German, regardless of level of competency (i.e., beginners through native speakers), are welcome. Contact Dr. Eva Suárez (esuarezb@shepherd.edu) for more information and to get the actual address.
July 2018
The Rude Mechanicals Medieval and Renaissance Players present Euripides’ ancient Greek tragedy Hecuba, an ancient Greek play about the horrifying toll war takes on victor and victim alike, as relevant today as it was 2,500 years ago. Performances are scheduled for Friday, July 6th, at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday, July 7th, at 8:00 p.m.; and Sunday, July 8th, at 3:00 p.m. All performances will be in Reynolds Hall, and admission is free for Shepherd University students, faculty, and staff; $5 for the general public; and $2 for all other students. For more information, contact Dr. Betty Ellzey (304 876-5208, bellzey@shepherd.edu).
May 2018
The Rude Mechanicals Medieval and Renaissance Players will hold auditions for Euripides’ ancient Greek tragedy Hecuba on Wednesday, May 23rd, and Thursday, May 24th, from 8:00 to 10:00 p.m., in Reynolds Hall, on the Shepherd University campus. Shepherd University students have the option to earn 3 academic credits for acting or participating behind the scenes. There are roles (large and small) for all genders and all levels of experience. In addition to actors, tech crew, musicians, dancers, visual artists, video artists, and costume designers are needed. Community members over 16 are also welcome to audition. For more information, contact Dr. Betty Ellzey (304 876-5208, bellzey@shepherd.edu).
The departmental faculty, Mrs. Brenda Feltner, and Dean Dow Benedict gathered at Domestic on May 2nd to celebrate the career of Dr. Jim Lewin and to wish him well in retirement. After more than twenty years teaching composition, world literature, English literature, Shakespeare, and journalism, Dr. Lewin is deciding to move on to a new phase in his life. Maybe his next act should be fortune-telling? Dr. Lewin taught a seminar on the works of Bob Dylan the year before Dylan was awarded a Nobel prize in literature. You’re going to be missed, Jim!
April 2018
The next meeting of Stammtisch, Shepherd University’s German conversation group, will be held on Tuesday, April 17th, at 4:00 p.m. Stammtisch will meet at the Blue Moon. All are welcome, regardless of language ability (beginners to native speakers). For more information, contact Dr. Eva Suárez (esuarezb@shepherd.edu).
Along with Dr. Hanrahan, six of our students—the largest group ever from Shepherd!—attended and presented critical and creative work at this year’s international convention of Sigma Tau Delta, the English honor society. The students were Olivia Barrett, Gabrielle Hersey, Michaela Keyser, Kylie Krummel, Brianna Maguire, and Claudia McCarron. Brianna and Kylie even received cash prizes for their work! This year’s convention was held in Cincinnati, Ohio.
March 2018
The Rude Mechanicals Medieval and Renaissance Players present six performances of Holy Harlots and Sassy Virgins: Two Plays by Hrothsvita from Friday, March 30th, to Sunday, April 8th. All performances will be in Reynolds Hall. Shepherd students are in the cast and crew, and one of the plays concludes with a choral composition by Dr. Georgiann Toole, Associate Professor of Education, sung by students from the Music Department. For ticket prices and show times, visit the Rude Mechanicals’ web page. For additional information, contact Dr. Betty Ellzey (bellzey@shepherd.edu or 304 876-5208).
The official release party of volume 42 of Sans Merci, Shepherd University’s creative magazine, featuring poetry, prose, and art by Shepherd undergraduates, edited by Shepherd undergraduates, will be held on Thursday, March 29th, at the War Memorial Building at the corner of German Street and King Street. The party will be from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., and a reading will begin at 7:00 p.m.
The Rude Mechanicals Medieval and Renaissance Players performed Hrothsvita’s The Conversion of Thaïs at the New College Biennial Conference on Medieval and Renaissance Studies in Sarasota, Florida, on March 9th. The group was invited to perform at the next conference in 2020.
Our very own Dr. Christy Wenger, Associate Professor of English and Director of Rhetoric and Composition, has been selected as a “Generation Next: 40 under 40 in WV” for the State Journal in Charleston. Way to go Christy!
Katie Quinnelly, a Creative Writing student who graduated in 2017, just won a chapbook contest sponsored by Eggtooth Editions. Katie’s work, Sparrow Pie, will be available for purchase in May of this year. Congratulations Katie!
Shepherd University’s chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the English honor society, is sponsoring a night of poetry on Friday, March 9th, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Jefferson Room of White Hall. Shepherd students, along with students from high schools in Jefferson County and Berkeley County in West Virginia and Washington County in Maryland are invited to participate.
On Tuesday, March 6th, Dr. Rachel Krantz, Associate Professor of French, delivered a scholarly lecture entitled “Who Am I?: Memory, Identity, and Unreliable Narration in Film.” Dr. Krantz’s talk was part of Shepherd University’s Faculty Research Forum and continues her work on film studies. In the lecture, Dr. Krantz talked about the films The Girl on the Train (2016) and Mémoires affectives (2004). The talk was free and open to the public and was held in the auditorium of the Byrd Legislative Center.
Students Gabrielle Hersey, Alexandra McCarron, Claudia McCarron, Makaire Myers, Heidi Reichert, and Lilli Sutton had their papers accepted for presentation at the West Virginia Literary Symposium. The Symposium was on Saturday, March 3rd, at Fairmont State University. Gabby wrote her paper for Dr. Hanrahan’s ENGL312 class. Alex, Claudia, and Lilli wrote their papers for Dr. Hanrahan’s ENGL402 class. Makarie and Heidi wrote their papers for Dr. Ellzey’s HNRS205, Honors Medieval Literature and Culture, class.
February 2018
Sigma Tau Delta will host a reading for Ms. Tracy Seffers, the University Registrar, at Four Seasons Books on Friday, February 23rd, at 6:00 p.m. Ms. Seffers’s recent book of poems, Some Other Life, was published by Finishing Line Press.
On Thursday, February 15th, Shepherd University’s Stammtisch group will be meeting for conversation and socializing. The event will begin at 4:00 p.m. and will be held at the Town Run Brewery. For more information, contact Dr. Eva-María Suárez Büdenbender (esuarezb@shepherd.edu).
January 2018
On Monday, January 29th, Shepherd University’s Stammtisch group will be meeting for conversation and socializing. The event will begin at 4:00 p.m. and will be held at the Town Run Brewery. For more information, contact Dr. Eva-María Suárez Büdenbender (esuarezb@shepherd.edu).