Undergraduate Studies

Congratulations to Thomas D. to being nominated for this month's Engaged English Scholar of the Month recognition. Thomas is a sophomore English Honors English major. Along with his serious work inside the classroom he is a Community Engagement Scholar( http://www.servicelearning.umn.edu/cesp/programdetails/index.html), agreeing to perform over 400 hours of community service. Thank you Thomas for your commitment to excellence. We hope that you continue your hard work in the classroom, at the U and in the Minneapolis-St. Paul community!

Here's what Thomas says about getting involved:

• Why is it important to you to get involved?

Getting involved with extra-curricular activities, such as research or community-based volunteering, builds a diverse education. Work done outside the classroom encourages creativity and builds personal character. Creativity defines “scholarship” and necessitates a diverse education!

• How has getting involved changed your education?

I have been actively volunteering at a local library teaching English-language-learners the basic tenants of American life. Though the classroom elevates my thinking and builds intellect, volunteer work grants a sense of accomplishment and humility unobtainable in school. It is uniquely gratifying and contributes to my education by cultivating social skills necessary for future study and occupation.

• Has getting involved changed your career path?

Though I had planned since a young boy to become an attorney, my volunteer work and English studies have led me to pursue a teaching and research career in English Education. Volunteer teaching and research has changed my career path indefinitely!

• What suggestions do you have for other students that are interested in getting involved?

First, I would recommend the Community Engagement Scholars Program (CESP). The program requires volunteer work and engages many social issues according to one’s areas of interest. Second, I would certainly encourage students to “get-tight” with their professors. Their wealth of knowledge motivates scholarship and stimulates our learning. Get the most out of your education by getting involved!

Thanks for your commitment to excellence Thomas! Think you have what it takes to be nominated? Contact one of your professors and tell them to nominate you!

English and philosophy senior Sarah Choy was honored at the 2008 Equity and Diversity Breakfast November 20 at the McNamara Center with a $1000 Sue W. Hancock SEED of Change Award. The awards go to students engaged with issues of equity and diversity through outstanding academic achievement and activism. Choy is involved with the English Undergraduate Studies Committee, Minnesota Rainbow Alliance for the Deaf, and Mu Daiko Theater. Along with her major coursework, she has taken American Sign Language classes. "Although my main fields of study are English and Philosophy," notes Choy, "I find myself pouring a lot of my energy into the American Sign Language Department as a tutor. A few years ago, my mother found herself on her way to Deafness which drove me to learning the language; the University has given me the skill to communicate with her."

ENGL 3351W: Voices from the Gaps: Writing and Art by Women of Color

M, W 2:30-4:35, Lind 217

Instructor, Sara Cohen

The Spring 2008 section of Voices from the Gaps will concentrate on Latin American and Caribbean Jewish women writers of color in order to ask what each of these terms means ("Latin American," "Caribbean," "Jewish," "of color") and to look at the different ways that these diasporic identities intersect and are represented in the literature of Achy Obejas, Ana-Maurin, Lara, Alicia Kozameh, and Ana María Shua, among others. We will be reading genres ranging from memoir to magical realism in addition to theoretical works about the concepts of mestizaje, borderlands, and Diaspora. We will also think about the significance of these concepts, particularly borderlands and Diaspora, in relation to cyberspace--which is where we will publish some of our work on these writers.

This class is associated with the award-winning Web site Voices from the Gaps (http://voices.cla.umn.edu), a web-based project that recognizes the work of a transnational community of women writers and artists of color maintained by the English department here at the University of Minnesota. Part of the intention of this class is to get work produced by students published on the Web site, thus satisfying the dual purposes of enriching the content of the site while showcasing the students' academic achievements. The Web site includes artists' biographies, book reviews, and interviews, all of which we will be producing as assignments for this class.

*This class Meets CLA requirements for Cultural Diversity Theme, Other
Humanities Core, and Writing Intensive.*