Weekly Round-Up

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Sec Ed Application deadline approaching

The summer application for the Secondary Education Minor is open until August 31This is for rising juniors who expect to start the professional course sequence for teaching licensure in Spring 2022 and graduate in May 2023.  If you are a first- or second-year student planning to minor in Secondary Ed you do not need to apply yet. 

Information about the requirements for admission as well as the link to the application can be found here.

Please contact recordsofficer@education.illinois.edu if you have any questions.

library job opportunities

The IHLC is a small unit in the library and undergraduate assistants play a vital role in supporting unit operations and making collection materials available for research. The collections include a wide range of materials documenting the history of Illinois and the life and legacy of Abraham Lincoln. The IHLC’s holdings include books, periodicals, and other published materials as well as archival and manuscript collections dating from the mid-1700s to the present. The positions will provide hands-on experience both working with our collection materials and researchers. Job description Responsibilities include: • Monitoring the reading room and assisting researchers • Retrieving and reshelving materials • Rehousing print and manuscript materials for better preservation • Helping to arrange and describe archival materials • Creating descriptions of items to be digitized and made available online in the Library Digital Collections site • Assisting with scanning orders and email reference requests • Contributing to other projects and tasks as assigned (past projects have varied by the needs of the unit and skills of the person hired).

Undergraduate student assistants will work 9-12 hours a week under the direction of unit staff. Hours can only be worked when the unit is open, 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday. Preferred skills and experience Interest in history; strong academics; archives or library experience and/or interest.

The successful candidates will demonstrate strong communication skills and an ability to work independently and with sustained attention to detail.

If interested, please submit an application and upload your resume at the following link: https://forms.illinois.edu/sec/1993432821.

Please email Krista Gray, Archives Program Officer, at graykr@illinois.edu if you have any questions. Please apply by August 26th for full consideration.

Pre-law honors society

If you are looking for a place to network, a place to learn, or simply a community of accepting individuals, this organization has your back.
In our pursuit of continuing the success we experienced last year, we are currently looking to extend the interest in our organization, and have thus created a form for prospective members to fill out; this does not commit you to the organization. If you are interested in potentially becoming a future member, or learning more about Phi Delta Phi, please fill out the form below!

1. Quad Day: August 22nd from 12-4pm
2. Info Night #1: August 25th from 5-6pm
3. Info Night #2: September 1st from 5-6pm
The location of Info Night #1 & #2 is still pending; please fill out the interest form to be updated.

Interest Form

To keep up to date with the organization, get notified of important meetings, and support our efforts, be sure to follow us on Instagram @pdp_uiuc

business Council Info night

Business Council is a professional organization on campus that welcomes ALL majors and focuses on developing well-rounded individuals through professional, social, and service events to explore their passions in any given career.  There will be an information night in person on Wednesday, September 8 at 5 pm in Foellinger Auditorium. 

a message from the HPRC

Welcome to our new freshmen and transfer students, and welcome back to all the returning students!  The HPRC exists to help you get launched towards your future.

Come meet us at LAS Liftoff (Friday, August 30, 1:30 – 4:00 on the quad) and drop by our Open House on Monday, August 23, 1 – 5pm in 105 Gregory Hall.

Among the many things we do, we help students get career-relevant experience. Some opportunities on campus that have recently come our way:

There’s more. There are also many ways to explore and get experience that aren’t part-time jobs or internships. Read our emails, check out our website, send us your questions, come to our programs and workshops (search “HPRC” in Events on Handshake or check the calendar on our website).

We’re also here for one-on-one meetings to discuss your particular situation — everyone’s is different! Whether you have specific questions or just want some ideas to get started, we’re here to help. Make an appointment at https://go.illinois.edu/HPRCAdvising or email us.

Best wishes for a great start to your semester. We look forward to meeting you soon! –Kirstin and Julie

Undergraduate Research Workshops

The Office of Undergraduate Research announces its Fall 2021 workshop calendar.  Information for each workshop including how students can register can be found on our website: http://undergradresearch.illinois.edu/programs/workshops.html 

For all workshops, OUR will be offering both virtual and in-person dates. Participation is by advanced registration only; there are a limited number of spots available for each workshop, so please sign up as soon as possible. Workshops will be added throughout the term based on demand.

want to brush up your study skills?

DGS has created the Student Success Toolkit, designed to assist students with their academic performance. The toolkit provides handouts and worksheets that guide students in developing action steps to help improve their study skills. Students can find resources on effective note taking, critical reading, test taking strategies and more!

looking for a screenwriting course?

THEA 399, TJM: Screenwriting
This course will focus on building the knowledge and skills required to write a spec film script (Short & Feature). This will be accomplished through Screenwriting Exercises, in-class readings of works in progress and any associated rewrites and the reading and discussion of published film scripts. A final assignment will consist of a 1st draft of a short screenplay. For both the beginner and the advanced student.

Fall 2021 Advising Routines

How We Are Doing Advising This Semester

Welcome back!  Here’s a quick overview of how we will be doing advising this fall.  We are transitioning back to some in-person advising but will continue to offer remote options as well.  Please be patient with us (and with yourselves and each other) as we navigate important safety protocols and establish our new routines!

You can connect with us in the following ways:

  • You can email your questions and concerns, and we will email you back. If you have an established relationship with a particular advisor and would like to email her directly you may, or you can email englishadvising@illinois.edu in which case Anna, Keshia, and Nancy will all see your message and the first person available (and equipped) to reply will do so.
  • If you want to communicate with an advisor in real time, please schedule an appointment by calling the office at 217-333-4346 (we do not schedule appointments via email). If you have to leave a message, please include your name, UIN, the reason for the appointment, and your preferred advisor (if any). Someone will get back to you as soon as possible. Depending on your situation and how urgently you want to meet, you may need to schedule a virtual appointment, but if you prefer an in-person appointment please specify that and we will do our best to accommodate you.  
 
IMPORTANT SAFETY GUIDELINES:
 
  • We will not be doing walk-in advising this semester.
  • Please arrive no more than 5 minutes early for a scheduled advising appointment and be sure to follow all posted directions.
  • You must be wearing a mask that covers your mouth and nose.
  • You will be asked to show your Safer Illinois app screen to demonstrate that you have a current “green light” to enter the building.  If you do not, please call to reschedule your appointment, and do not come into the building.  In the interests of both safety and fairness, we will make no exceptions to this rule.  

Summer Round-Up

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Ninth Letter Launch Party

Ninth Letter will be holding a public release party reading over Zoom this Thursday, July 15 at 6:00 CT. The reading will feature several authors from the latest edition, including Anurag Andra, Caryn Cardello, Esther Lin, Michael Martone, and Dennison Schultz, as well as past contributor Diane Seuss. We hope you will join us in celebrating the new issue!

Join Zoom Meeting:
https://illinois.zoom.us/j/88634006382?pwd=NDZPTmZTbDhHdWc3b0R6SGUvQ2VCUT09
Meeting ID: 886 3400 6382
Password: 9L

Congratulations to Undergraduate Researchers!

The Office of Undergraduate Research is proud to showcase the award winners for outstanding presentations as well as honorable mentions

Let’s give a shout-out to one of our own recent graduates, English major Issy Marquez, whose project Reggaeton’s Resistance: Bad Bunny & the Aesthetics & Politics of Perreo was deemed outstanding!  Issy’s research mentor for this project was Professor Sandra Ruiz (Department of Latina/Latino Studies and Department of English). 

For more news on undergraduate research opportunities see https://undergradresearch.illinois.edu/programs/explore.html.  Following is one in particular that some of you might want to check out: 

Congressional Internship Program — CIP provides Latina/o undergraduates of all majors with paid placement in congressional offices for a period of 10 weeks. Interns will learn how the legislative system works, respond to constituent inquiries, write policy briefs, gain work experience, and participate in community service. Spring 2022 Internship deadline is October 1, 2021.

message from the HPRC: a great job opportunity!
This job opening just appeared on the U of I Research Park job board, and it would be a great opportunity for an English or Creative Writing major (yes, those are “related majors”). 
 
Don’t let the words “digital” and “communications” scare you off! There are currently lots of English/CW alumni working in these areas — and a job like this is a great way to get experience relevant to a career. 
 
And yes, while AbbVie will probably never ask a student for an analysis of Othello or their most recent poem, the courses where English/CW majors write those things teach skills that will help you succeed in a job like this. Check out the list of “Preferred Qualifications” in the job ad. 
 
 
If you are interested, but unsure how to put together the resume and writing sample that will make you a compelling candidate, the HPRC can help! You can just email humanitiesprc@illinois.edu OR make an appointment at https://go.illinois.edu/HPRCadvising.
 
save the date: Careers in Publishing event

English alumna Dominique Moore, Acquisitions Editor at the University of Illinois Press, will be speaking about her experience in the world of publishing on September 29 at 5pm.  More details will follow, but for those of you looking toward a career in publishing/editing, get this on your calendar now!

An opportunity for prospective graduate students

The MUSE Scholars Program  is intended for prospective English graduate students from underrepresented groups, including African American, Latinx and Chicanx, Asian American, and Indigenous peoples. It aims to introduce students to a robust culture of mentoring essential for a rewarding graduate school experience, and a thriving life in academia. You can read more about our first two cohorts of MUSE scholars here.

The all-expenses paid workshop will allow students to learn more about the English department, visit graduate classes, meet faculty and graduate students, receive feedback on their application materials for graduate school, and present their research to faculty.

Students can learn more about the workshop and submit an application here.  The deadline for applications is September 3.

pre-health chats

The Pre-Health Team will be hosting four sessions of “Illini Pre-Health Chats: What is Pre-Health?” for incoming students the end of July/early August. These will be led by the Pre-Health Ambassadors and one of the Pre-Health advisors will be available as well. This is a great opportunity for new students in any major who are interested in a health-related career to ask questions regarding pre-reqs, clinical experience, research, volunteering and more before they arrive on campus this August. Below are the dates/times and zoom info.

Tuesday, July 20 at 5 pm
Meeting ID: 835 6999 3140
Passcode: 269971

Friday, July 23 at noon
Meeting ID: 862 2672 1771
Passcode: 145657

Friday, July 30 at 4 pm
Meeting ID: 824 6652 0950
Passcode: 537066

Thursday, August 5 at noon
Meeting ID: 833 6782 4870
Passcode: 724864

I STAR positions open

After a 15 month hiatus, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions is planning to provide in-person tours again this fall 2021 semester! They are currently seeking to hire new student representatives to serve as I STARs, campus tour guides. The application for this position is now open: https://enroll.illinois.edu/register/fall2021istar. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, July 21st and a short job description can be found on the application as well.

courses of interest

CW 199: Mind Music–Writing the Lyric Essay
The lyric essay is a highly flexible hybrid form that blends the musical, imagistic impulses of poetry with the ranging, exploratory mode of creative nonfiction. We’ll read and examine an array of contemporary authors who write in this shape-shifting form, including Eula Biss, Anne Carson, and Claudia Rankine, among others. And you’ll practice the form yourself by writing your own original lyric essays.  Learn more about the course in Professor Hassinger’s video introduction here:

INFO 199:  Intro to Video Game Industry
This class will review the video game industry over the last 35 years with a focus on how it has evolved and where it is heading in terms of genres, development methods, products, and monetization.  We will review how personalities, technology, and design came together to create some of the most impactful games and biggest entertainment products in history. We will use game play sessions to review some of these key games of the past and discuss their impact.  Additionally we will review the industry positions and learn effective ways to prepare and showcase talent for those that are interested in a career in the industry.  A key element will be a focus on the social and humanitarian issues faced by the industry over time and how they are being handled going forward. A video promo is at this website: https://go.illinois.edu/INFO199.

HIST 207: Digital Documentary Publishing
SourceLab is a digital humanities research collective, and students who want to learn about digital documentary publishing and research are invited to sign up for HIST 207.  The course serves as an introduction to the craft of publishing historical materials, with a special focus on how to publish the past in the digital age. Assignments will include historical and methodological readings, as well as hands-on instruction in digital publishing techniques. Skills taught include historical research, content development, project management, and copyright analysis. Check out some of the published editions produced by undergraduates: https://iopn.library.illinois.edu/journals/sourcelab. 

Weekly Round-Up

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Important Reminder!  You have between now and May 27 to elect the “pass COVID/no pass COVID (PZ/NZ)” option instead of a letter grade for any of your courses.  For more information, see this FAQ!

NCSA SPin internships

NCSA has a history of nurturing innovative concepts, and some of the best ideas have come from highly motivated, creative undergraduate students. The Students Pushing Innovation (SPIN) internship program was launched to provide University of Illinois undergraduates with the opportunity to participate in hands-on research and contribute to interdisciplinary projects covering focused research areas in Culture and Society, Earth and Environment, Bioinformatics and Health Sciences, Material and Manufacturing, Data and Computational Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, and Digital Agriculture. The SPIN program is now accepting applications for the 2021-2022 academic year. To apply, please visit our website, spin.ncsa.illinois.edu, and click on the “Mentors” tab to learn about the SPIN projects, and then click on the “Apply” tab. Applications are due by midnight June 21, 2021.

SPIN Academic Year 2021-22 program details:

  • Program dates: August 23, 2021 – May 4, 2022
  • Work 5 hours/week for 16 weeks each semester
  • SPIN interns earn $12.50 per hour and are paid as Undergraduate Hourly employees
  • Open to any UIUC undergraduate student in good academic standing
  • No restriction on year of study or major
  • International students are eligible
HPRC Career camp!

This week, the HPRC is offering a Summer 2021 Career Camp. They designed this event after hearing a number of graduating seniors say that they were waiting until classes ended to plan their next steps, ad they’re offering a series of short sessions designed to help get our newest alumns started on the job search.

The material is, however, relevant to students at all stages of their education, and they invite any interested humanities students to take part, regardless of their year.

Students can sign up here.

HPRC Summer Career Camp, May 24 – 28

How to Get a Job with Your Major
Demystifying the job search for humanities majors
Monday, May 24, 4 – 5pm

Grad School and Gap Years
Using your time effectively as you plan your next steps
Tuesday, May 25, 4 – 5pm

Resumes, Cover Letters, Writing Samples
Promoting your strengths as a humanities major
Wednesday, May 26, 4 – 5pm

Networking and Interviewing
LinkedIn, informational interviewing, acing the job interview
Thursday, May 27, 4 – 5pm

Students can also sign up for individual career counseling conversations the day after a 4pm session to apply what they’ve learned to their particular situation. 
  • Tuesday, May 25, 1 – 3:30pm: figure out what YOU want to do with your major. 
  • Wednesday, May 26, 1 – 3:30pm: think through your grad school/gap year options.
  • Thursday, May 27, 1 – 3:30pm: develop, update, or review your job search documents.
  • Friday, May 28, 1 – 3:30pm: get help with LinkedIn profile, identifying potential mentors, preparing for interviews.
great new course open to all: CW 199

Find out more about Amy Hassinger’s new CW class, Mind Music: Writing the Lyric Essay.  Click on the image below to watch a video in which she talks about the class and what it will entail!