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ESA Reading Day Table
MFA Graduation Reading
Students graduating from the MFA Program in Creative Writing will read from their final projects this Saturday, April 30 from 1:00-3:30pm in Illini Union Room 314-B.
Fall Honors thesis registration FORMs due 4/29
For FALL 2022 theses, the deadline to return this form is Friday APRIL 29. If for any reason you cannot meet this deadline, notify Catharine Gray: cathgray@illinois.edu.
A message for our spring and summer graduates!
In case you missed the recent email . . .
We ask that ALL spring and summer graduates, including those who are not participating in the ceremony, please complete this short Exit Survey about your experience in the English department at your earliest convenience (if you are registered for the ceremony please complete this survey BEFORE you pick up your tickets). Everyone who completes the survey before May 12 will be entered into a random prize drawing, and five lucky winners will be chosen to receive a gift card!
Only the aggregate results will be distributed to the department for assessment purposes; individual participants will not be identified. Your feedback is greatly appreciated and will be used to improve our programs and services.
TICKET DISTRIBUTION
You may pick up your tickets in Room 200 of the English Building between May 2 and May 12 (hours for pick-up are 8:30 to noon and 1 to 4). Please budget at least 10 minutes for the pick-up because you will need to fill out your reader card at the same time (this card ensures that your name is read correctly as you cross the stage).
If you are out of town or cannot come into the office in person for some other reason, then your guests may pick up their tickets at the Will Call booth in Smith Hall when they arrive for the ceremony (doors open at 4pm). In that case you will fill out your reader card when you check in for the ceremony at 4pm (first floor of the English Building) but we will be reaching out ahead of time to get clarification about pronunciation of your name (we give our readers an annotated guide ahead of time, just to maximize the chances that they’ll get the names right).
a letter from your friendly neighborhood HPRC
Dear Humanities Majors,
Register here by May 9 if you would like to take part in one of the HPRC Summer Break 2022 externships during the last week in May.
Externships (also known as “job shadowing”) give you the opportunity to spend part of a day in a workplace, learning more about what the organization does, meeting people working in a variety of roles, and exploring how the skills you develop in your classes are relevant to the workplace.
Participating organizations:
- The Krannert Art Museum (in-person, Thursday, May 26)
- Ivor Andrew (in-person, Thursday, May 26, or Friday, May 27)
- 50,000ft (in-person or virtual, Wednesday, May 25, or Friday, May 27)
Some frequently asked questions:
Why take part in an externship?
- Because you’re not sure where to start. An externship is a low-stakes point-of-entry to the whole business of figuring out how your skills connect to the workplace.
- Because you know you need to start networking but don’t know what that means. An externship gives you the opportunity to talk to working professionals ranging from recent grads to experienced leaders and to start building professional relationships.
- Because you don’t know what you don’t know. The reality of many workplaces is very different from what many students assume. Some first-hand knowledge will help you imagine your future more productively and realistically.
Should I apply when there aren’t that many organizations and probably a lot of students wanting to do it? The answer to the question “Should I Apply?” is usually “YES!” We were able to place all the humanities majors who applied to our winter break externship program, though a couple did not get one of their top choices.
None of these opportunities connect to my major. How can one of them help me? Your major is a way of learning skills and developing intellectual capacities that are relevant to a wide array of fields — it’s not a ticket to a narrow choice of careers. If an opportunity sounds interesting, don’t let your major stop you from pursuing it.
Will an externship lead to an internship or job opportunity? Probably not — that’s not what it’s for. However, your externship experience will expand your knowledge of the paths that are available to you and it will help you identify directions to go in. It will also give you opportunities to talk to lots of working professionals and start building the relationships that can lead to opportunities.
None of these things appeal to me. Now what? Your major gives you an abundance of options. Come talk to us here in the HPRC about how to identify the future directions that DO speak to you! It’s what we’re here for.
Email us at humanitiesprc@illinois.edu if you have questions!
LAST DAY OF CLASSES IS MAY 4!
Don’t forget to register for your fall courses! If you need help with that, schedule an appointment to discuss your plans with an advisor by calling 217-333-4346 during the hours 8:30-noon or 1:00-4:30. As always, you may request a particular advisor or ask for the first person available. For students who feel comfortable with the registration process and would prefer to do advising via email, you may contact an advisor with your questions, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
summer internships
Need a summer internship and don’t know where to look? Apply to the ATLAS Internship program for Summer and/or Fall 2022. Interviews start soon. Apply here.
2022 Q Magazine writing contest
The Janelle Joseph Environmental Writing Award gives students a chance to have their work published in Q Magazine, a publication of the Certificate for Environmental Writing (CEW) at Illinois. The top awards also carry a cash prize. The contest is open to all Illinois undergraduates of any major, geared toward those with an interest in environmental writing.
Winners will have their work published in an upcoming issue of Q. The top prize is $1,000, and $500 prizes will be available in five categories this year: feature, memoir, op-ed, Q&A, and “At Illinois” (see the below link and attached flyer for descriptions and examples of each category). Submissions accepted between July 1 and September 30, 2022.
The Life + Career Design Scholarship
summer 2022 courses
INFO/WRIT 303: Writing Across Media
This class carries Advanced Composition Gen Ed credit and will be taught online. It also counts as an elective for either the Informatics minor or the Game Studies & Design minor.
Art 499: Special Topics in Art–Intro to Manga Production
Online synchronous. In this course students will learn the basics of manga production which include the traditional Japanese plot structure, rendering of visual effects and sound effects used in manga, tools of the trade, a history of the form, and printing standards used in Japanese magazines. The course also covers basics of comic drawing such as composition, paneling, cartooning, and images as narrative tools. At the end of the course, students will be confident in their understanding of manga as a unique iteration of sequential art and will be equipped with the resources to continue improving on their own.
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!
And don’t forget . . .
do you have good news to share?
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!
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.
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
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.