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If you are a recently-published undergraduate or graduate student in the English department, DM @illinoisenglish on Instagram with the details so our social media team can create a kudos post to celebrate your accomplishment!
Democracy and the Novel Conference 4/8-9
TODAY Friday, April 8 and Saturday, April 9, starting at 9:15AM in Illini Union Room 209. Check out the Democracy and the American Novel Conference. It focuses on topics like race, borders, statehood, and more, in relation to the US novel. Admission is free and open to the public, with in-person and Zoom options available. Refreshments will be served.
The list of speakers includes Lisa Siraganian, Paul J. Edwards, Chiyuma Elliott, Habiba Ibrahim, Justin L. Mann, Aida Levy-Hussen, Mary Esteve, Sean McCann, Melani McAlister, Caren Irr, and Sophia Azeb. More information, both about the speakers and their talks, as well as a schedule, can be found in the attached materials and at the following link: https://trowbridge.initiative.illinois.edu/2022/03/21/democracy-and-the-american-novel/.
To tune in via Zoom, for both days of the symposium, please register at the following link: https://illinois.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZElde2rqjsiHNe6bQXS-MgC0KgvgKn2H342.
Kaplan Family Writer-in-Residence Series
The Creative Writing Program and the Department of English welcome award-winning fiction writer Dan Chaon, who comes to campus as the inaugural author in our new Kaplan Family Writer-in-Residence Series. Dan is the author of seven books of fiction, including the bestselling novel Ill Will, the story collection Among the Missing, and the forthcoming Sleepwalk. Join us for one or both of the following events:
Craft Talk: “Hallucination: Description, Detail and the Uncanny”
April 13, 4:30-6:00pm in EB 259
Public Reading
April 14, 4:30-6:00pm in Illini Union 314B
VOICE reading
This Month’s VOICE reading, a regular event at which creative writing MFAs (and occasional special guests) read their poetry and fiction, will feature Claire Christoff, Maddy Furlong, and John Dudek.
April 14, 7:00-8:30pm
The Literary Bookstore (122 N Neil Street, Champaign)
ATLAS Social Media Intern Weekly Meetings
Come join social media interns from the ATLAS Internship Program to discuss things all social media! We meet every Friday at 4 pm on Zoom. Some potential topics include Canva, Airtable, data analytics, and even hearing from speakers!
Topic: Social Media & Digital Content Weekly Meeting
https://illinois.zoom.us/j/81716506306?pwd=YmxnYkRJUFpEQ1BXaXBITitGRkphUT09
Meeting ID: 817 1650 6306
Password: 710945
Graduating This May?!
in case you missed the registration email
Here are some things you can do ahead of time to make your registration appointment more productive:
- Run your degree audit and see what you can make of it. Even if you find it a little confusing, try to get a sense of what requirements you have left to fulfill, and then when we do your registration appointment we can confirm (or correct) your interpretation of the audit and help explain anything that’s confusing.
- Think about what you want to accomplish in the fall. What major/minor/Gen Ed requirements would you like to complete, and what other areas would you like to explore?
- If you are thinking of adding a major or a minor, do you know what you need to do to get started? If you’ve already begun, can you figure out the next step? You can explore major and minor requirements listed here: http://catalog.illinois.edu/undergraduate/
- Consult Course Explorer and be sure to read the course descriptions in full. Remember that if a course is called “Topics in X” then you must click through to see the individual sections and find out what topics are available. It’s also worth clicking through on any 199 (usually called Undergraduate Open Seminar) because there you may find some interesting and unusual topics being piloted, and they’re usually unrestricted.
- Consult the resources available on the Planning Coursework section of the advising site. You’ll find checklists of major requirements, plus the “cheat sheet” that tells you which variable topics courses satisfy which requirements this fall.
paid internship opportunity–apply now!
For the 22-23 academic year, the Department of English is looking to hire a Social Media Management Intern from any major in the English Department (must have at least sophomore standing for AY22-23). This is a great opportunity for students to apply their love of writing and literature while gaining valuable media-writing experience.
Position Responsibilities:
• Develop creative thematic post series for Facebook and Instagram
• Promote, attend, and create social media posts about department events when safety allows
• Design flyers, memes, and other posts for informing and entertaining students
• Develop creative semester-long multimodal projects
• Attend weekly meetings for brainstorming, task assignments, and collaboration
• Edit videos and design flyers or posts
• Collaborate with Advising Office in creating content
• Conduct and publish interviews with faculty, alumni, students, and visiting speakers
Average hours worked per week: 5 (about 75 hours over a semester)
Position Wage: $11/hour.
Position Starts: August 22
Recommended Skills and Experience:
• Concise and catchy writing
• Writing for social media
• Develop and follow-through on creative ideas
• Tailor message and style to genre and audience
• Visual design
• Work independently
• Interpersonal communication
• Collaboration
• Reliability
• Word, Publisher, Adobe, photo & video editing
• Photography, video, and editing skills a plus
To Apply: Submit a resume and cover letter. Application materials can be addressed to Kay Emmert, Interim Co-Director for the Program in Professional Writing, and sent as email attachments to akemmert@illinois.edu by no later than 9 am on Friday, April 22.
mark your calendars!
The 6th Annual Grantathon is coming up in a few weeks! Grant-writing is a crucial skill for many career paths: nonprofit work, research, performing arts, healthcare, education. At this day-long workshop, you will get instruction in identifying grant opportunities and crafting successful grant applications, along with hands-on practice using those skills with local agencies that are currently applying for grants. Lunch and supplies are included in this free event.
Friday, April 15, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
School of Social Work, Room 2027
Register here.
make your voice heard!
The Smart and Healthy Communities Initiative is seeking current UIUC students for focused feedback sessions around potential new Illinois App features. Participants will receive a $10 Amazon gift card.Sessions will be one hour in length and conducted over Zoom. If you are interested in participating, simply fill out this brief (~5 minute) sign-up form, and the research team will reach out to you directly to schedule a session.
The Life + Career Design Scholarship
learn about careers in human resources
ExpLERing HR: A Career Exploration & Networking Event
Wednesday, April 20th
6:00 to 8:00 pm
School of Labor & Employment Relations Building
504 East Armory Avenue
**Dinner provided**
Join current LER students to learn what life is like as a Master of Human Resources and Industrial Relations degree student. This informal event will have you meeting in small groups to hear about current student experiences and get answers to your questions from a student’s perspective.
Pre-registration is required via Handshake or email bneig2@illinois.edu.
HPRC advising
Ready to connect with our humanities professional development experts? Come by Greg Hall 105 any Thursday morning between 9:30 and 11:30 to meet with Julie Higgs and start a conversation about careers. Anna hangs out there Thursday mornings as well so if you want some academic advising you can schedule an in-person appointment with her during that time. It’s one-stop shopping!
FULBRIGHT INFORMATION SESSIONS
april events at the writers workshop
The Writers Workshop provides feedback on all kinds of writing including essays, job application materials, and personal statements. Appointments and drop-in hours are available in person at the Undergraduate Library and online. Upcoming April events can be found here.
And don’t forget . . .
Creative writing cluB
Do you know about Creative Writing Club? Open to students in all majors, this group meets weekly on Tuesdays from 6:30pm-7:45pm in room 259 of the English Building. If you would like to be kept apprised of upcoming meetings and other activities, send a message to creativewritingclubatuiuc@gmail.com and ask to be added to the mailing list. You can also follow CWC on Facebook/Instagram, both @creativewritingclubuiuc.
text anxiety workshops
Could you benefit from a workshop that provides strategies for managing anxiety around taking tests? The Counseling Center hosts drop-in workshops throughout the semester with tips on:
- Remaining calm during tests and exams
- Getting the most from your study time
- Preparing effectively for tests and exams
To find out more about individual workshops and to register, please visit counselingcenter.illinois.edu/TestAnxiety. There are simple, effective ways that can help you perform well on tests and not let anxiety get the best of you! These workshops are free for students. If you have any questions about this group, please contact Dr. Kathy Wierzchowski at wierzch1@illinois.edu.
LAS Success Academic Workshops
Check out the Spring LAS Success Academic Workshop Schedule here:
- All workshops are open to all students
- All are offered in-person in Lincoln Hall
- Our website lists events by month so you can’t access anything past February yet, but those events will become visible as the earlier events pass
Workshops – Tuesday @ 7 Starts
The Career Center – Spring 2022 Workshop Calendar
selected Dates and deadlines
- April 4: Priority registration for Summer and Fall 2022 begins
West African Dance: The Un-Taught -Artist Talk, “The Journey…” TODAY at 5:00pm in 1002 Lincoln Hall
The priority application deadline for Fall 2022 is coming up on April 1, 2022. Please note: as of Fall 2021, GRE test scores are NOT REQUIRED for admission. In addition, 
6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 24, 614 E. Daniel St (OVCDEI Building), 3rd Floor, Room 3070 
Come to a virtual panel event on TODAY Friday, February 25 at which Research Park employers will talk about how to land an internship and make the most of the opportunities there.
During this three-hour workshop, we will learn about (1) the historical development of racism through capitalism, (2) the influence of White supremacy in community service, and (3) explore anti-racist practices from the perspective of Black liberation so that we can practice being an upstander with service-learning case studies.
Looking for a teaching or administrative job in education? Attend the virtual Educator’s Job Fair on March 7th from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. to meet with school districts from across Illinois and the country looking to hire candidates like you! Register to meet with employers at 