volume 3 issue 3€¦ · put until both legs heal. this semester, recuperating ms. christian’s...
TRANSCRIPT
Five members of the UMES
English department are taking
the concept of “lifelong
learning” to heart. Department chair Richard
Keenan and faculty members
Marilyn Buerkle, Sandra
Johnston, Bonni Miller and
Ronald Webster are all
auditing foreign language
courses this semester. Dr.
Keenan and Ms. Johnston are
studying French; the others
are attempting to learn
Spanish.
This is not the first time
professors have sat in on
language courses. Some use
the opportunity to brush up
their skills in preparation for
PhD programs, others see the
exercise strictly as fun. “I am
studying German...and I
thought it would be
interesting to see how the
two languages (Spanish
and German)
complement...one another,” explains Dr.
Webster.
Ms. Miller is joined in
Spanish class by some of
her advisees and two of
her current students. She
is well aware that as a
student she is modeling
study skills and habits so, as
she says, “I had better mind my p’s and q’s.” Ms.
Johnston also finds a
current technical
writing student as a
classmate in French
102. “I have found
that knowing some of
the students provides
some camaraderie
and moral support,”
she says. “It helps
to be among friendly faces.” She
says it also helps to
see the world from a
student’s perspective.
According to Ms. Johnston,
“It’s good to switch roles
occasionally.”
Dr. Keenan is pleased
faculty members are taking
language courses. He
believes it communicates that
“language has value, that it
offers rewarding challenge.”
He hopes students recognize “studying the language of
another culture reinforces the
importance of structure,
expression, and sensitivity to
other cultures, and that
combination remains
indispensable to truly
effective communication.”
Four semesters of foreign
language are required of English (non-teaching)
majors. Spanish professor
Carole Champagne sees that
as an opportunity. “I stress
the non-linguistic aspects...as
they relate to ...career goals
and a global education,” she
says.
Très intéressant, n’est-ce
pas?
Buenos Días Profesors Faculty Members as Foreign Language Students
The Year of Languages The 2004-2005 school year
has been designated “The
Year of Languages.” A
congressional proclamation establishing the celebration
says foreign language study
should be “promoted and
expanded in elementary
schools, secondary schools,
institutions of higher
learning, business and
government programs.”
Language instructors point
out that this year-long
focus on foreign language
study comes at a
particularly fortuitous time; experts hope it will get
government leaders to
connect fluency in
languages to our
heightened concerns for
homeland security.
Plans for a booklet of ideas
to promote foreign
language study was part of
the informal discussion at the
spring technology conference
of the Maryland Foreign
Language Association (MFLA). Susan Cooledge,
UMES’ French language
instructor, is a member of the
MFLA board of directors and
attended the conference
entitled “Techfest at Bowie:
The Sequel” on Saturday,
March 13, in Bowie,
Maryland.
INS
IGH
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U
ME
S
DE
PA
RT
ME
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O
F
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GL
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Volume 3 Issue 3
April 2004
Over the shoulders of Ms. Bonni Miller (far left) and Dr. Ron Webster (far
right) in Spanish 101.
Dr. Richard Keenan and Madame
Susan Cooledge in French 101
WANTED: STUDENT
POETS
The Department of English and Modern
Languages will hold its annual poetry contest on
Thursday, April 29. Students from all campus departments are invited to enter and present original
works.
INTERESTED?
See Dr. Barbara Seabrook in Wilson Hall for entry
information.
UMES students enrolled in ENGL 238, Television Production and
Programming, got a live demonstration of the professional skills they are
developing in class. The students
recently visited WBOC TV, a locally owned CBS affiliate in nearby
Salisbury, Maryland.
The group toured the facility with
Assistant News Director Steve
Hammond. Following the tour, the
students were invited to the studio and
the control room to observe the live
production of the station’s seven p.m.
local news. After the show, the class
met with the evening news, sports and
weather anchors for an informal question and answer session.
Across the board, the WBOC news
department employees stressed the need
for hands-on internships. Melanie
Lawson, Mr. Hammond’s co-anchor, told
the students she completed three
internships before her college graduation.
The UMES TV production students were
familiar with some of the technical
equipment they encountered at WBOC.
They have been trained in a small
production studio housed in Wilson Hall.
There, the class serves as crew for a weekly campus news program produced by the
UMES student government association.
by a three-year-old
grandson.
Ms. Christian has easy access to her
computer, so feel free
to communicate with
her by email through
her UMES account.
She expects to return
to fulltime teaching
responsibilities
this fall.
Students Tour WBOC TV
after two weeks of hobbling
around with that injury, she
fell at home and strained the
hamstring in her left leg. (Ouch!) Now she’s staying
put until both legs heal.
Ms. Christian’s get-well-
regimen includes three
physical therapy sessions per
week, plenty of reading,
some poetry writing and
tender loving care delivered
We’re pleased to report
faculty member Sandra
Christian is working her
way back to good health. Ms. Christian is sidelined
this semester, recuperating
from multiple leg injuries.
On February 4, she took a
fall on a patch of ice while
walking her dog. That spill
resulted in a torn hamstring
muscle in her right leg;
FACULTY MEMBER “ON THE MEND”
UMES students in WBOC newsroom
News anchors Steve Hammond and Mela-
nie Lawson answer student questions
Students on WBOC news set (L to R): David Atsebha, Michael Wilson,
Diane Richardson, LaToya Fewell, Emanuella Lazard, Tiana Bragg,
Camille Nesbitt, Shannon Lee,
Michelle Dupree and Devon Beck
Ms. Christian, temporarily out of commission
Photo credit: Barbara Seabrook
Insights is edited by faculty
member Marilyn Buerkle with the
assistance of instructional design
specialist Kaye Pinhey. If you
have information you would like
to appear in this publication,
please contact our editor at 410-
651-8349 or [email protected]
TESTING LITERARY KNOWLEDGE UMES English Tutor Wins Jeopardy Competition Being the official tutor of the UMES
Department of English and Modern
Languages appears to be a distinct
advantage when competing in the
Jeopardy tournament sponsored by the local chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the
national English honor society. Michael
Cooper was the runaway winner at the
recent competition held in the Student
Services Center. Cooper is employed as
a part time tutor for the department.
Sabrina Richardson and Kyana
Woolridge, officers of Sigma Tau Delta,
did their best impressions of TV host
Alex Trebeck. They questioned
contestants in a series of categories including American literature,
literary terms, grammar and world
literature. Like the popular TV show,
UMES Jeopardy contestants were quick
to “buzz in” with their answers, earning
points for correct answers and penalties
for incorrect responses.
Diversity Conference Held
English faculty member Clement Okafor attended a recent
conference on diversity, sponsored by the Faculty Initiatives
Committee of the University System of Maryland.
The day-long event was entitled “Teaching Diversity/Thinking Diversity 2004” and was held on
Saturday, March 13 at Bowie State University. Among the
wide ranging topics discussed were preparing culturally
sensitive teacher candidates; developing culturally
appropriate language for classroom use; assisting in the
acclimation of diverse faculty members; and, recognizing the
special diversity issues related to online learning.
English teacher candidates and students who would like to
become English teacher candidates, take note and mark your
calendars. Successful passage of the Praxis I and II tests is
critical to your future.
All students who wish to apply for the UMES teacher education
program must take and pass Praxis I. The test can be
individually scheduled at the Sylvan Learning Center; if the
student chooses to take the test at a university site, there are
only two remaining dates that will provide scores before the
start of the fall semester. Although registration for the test to be
held April 17 closed last month, there is still a June 12 test date.
Don’t procrastinate; registration for that session closes May 11.
UMES students who are already teacher candidates must pass
the Praxis II test before they can begin their internship. That test can only be conducted at a university site. Praxis II tests
will be held on April 17 and June 12, with the same registration
deadline as the Praxis I tests.
Praxis Deadline Looms
A series of
playoff rounds
were held,
winnowing the
field to four contestants in a
final
championship
round. Mr.
Cooper scored
early and often,
holding his
fellow contestants scoreless for a
significant portion of the final round.
The department’s faculty advisor to the
honor society, Miriam Gyimah, inaugurated the Jeopardy competition as
a fun way to reward academic
scholarship.
Hosts Kyana Woolridge and Sabrina Richardson question panelists (L to R) Michael Cooper,
Reginald English, Earl Holland and Tiana Bragg
Dr. Gyimah serves as
contest judge
TO REGISTER TO TAKE PRAXIS I OR II
SEE MICHAEL NUGENT
UMES PRAXIS COORDINATOR
ROOM 1121 LIDA BROWN
[email protected] 410-651-8362
Scholarship $ Available
The Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters Association
offers help to aspiring journalists through its annual
scholarship competition. Juniors and seniors interested in
careers in electronic journalism compete for a $2,000 award.
Students attending college in Maryland, Delaware or the
District of Columbia are eligible to apply. They will submit
essays to be judged by a panel of professionals currently
employed in the Chesapeake region of the Associated Press.
In addition to the cash award, which can be used for school
expenses or for the expensive process of beginning a job
search, the winning candidate is invited to attend the group’s
2004 convention, an annual event held each summer in
Ocean City, Maryland.
Entries must be submitted by May 1. The winner will be
announced May 15.
The UMES academic team, coached
by English faculty member Jack
Thomas, had its best finish yet at the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge,
held March 25-29 in Orlando, Florida.
The five member team, including
English major Earl Holland, placed
second overall and earned more than
$25,000 in prize money for the
University.
The team competed in the final round
against Morehouse College after
emerging from a field of 64 teams, all
representing America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities
(HBCU).
The Honda corporation sponsors the
annual competition, showcasing the
intellectual acumen of the HBCU
students who compete. Over the last
13 years, more than 15,000 students
have participated. During three days of
intense round-robin Jeopardy-style
competition, the players answer a range of
tough questions across the academic
disciplines.
In addition to Mr.
Holland, the UMES
team includes
Janiece Blackmon,
Matthew Lang,
Quinnisha Smith
and Mumbi
Thande-Kamiru.
Mr. Lang, Mr. Holland and Ms.
Thande-Kamiru are
all seasoned
veterans of the
Honda Classic.
Dr. Thomas says,
“Hard work and
dedication pay off.”
UMES’ African Language Research
Project held its annual spring
workshop/seminar at the Sheraton
Inner Harbor Hotel in Baltimore,
Maryland, March 5-6. The event was entitled “African Language Software
and Publications: Past, Present and
Future.”
English faculty member Chester
Hedgepeth directs the project and
delivered the welcoming remarks. A
progress report on research efforts to
develop software that automates the
translation of certain African
languages included presentations from
representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Lockheed
Martin Corporation.
Faculty member Clement Okafor
attended the presentations.
Induction Scheduled There will soon be four new members of UMES’ Psi Mu
Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the national English honor
society. A formal induction ceremony will be held April 9 in
the Student Services Center. The theme of the induction
ceremony is “The Essence of Scholarship.”
Four young men— Michael Cooper, Michael Durant, Paul
Willey and Ralph Kimbrough— have been invited to join the
group based on their academic achievement and their
performance during a rigorous application and interview
process.
Both Mr. Cooper and Mr.
Willey are English
majors; Mr. Durant is an
education major with a minor in English, and Mr.
Kimbrough is a business
major.
Sigma Tau Delta was founded in 1924. What began as an
English club at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell,
South Dakota, is now an international organization with over
470 chapters located in the United States, Canada, Europe
and the Caribbean.
Dr. Mary Fair Burks, Professor Emeritus, founded the Psi Mu
Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta at UMES in 1974. Dr. Burks wanted to highlight exceptional students who appreciated the
study of English and literature. Each year the chapter selects
the students most likely to continue the purpose of Sigma Tau
Delta and the vision of Dr. Burks.
Hawks Soar in Florida
PLANNING CALENDER
Honors Convocation April 1
English Faculty/Staff Meeting April 6
Dinner Theater April 15-16-17
Commencement May 16
Coach Thomas (center) at a recent
regional competition with UMES academic
team member Mr.
Holland (R)
A.L.R.P. SEMINAR HELD IN
BALTIMORE
ENGLISH JUGGERNAUT ENDS
A ll good things must come to an end; so, this month, a new Mr. and Miss UMES will be selected, ending the
reign of a pair of English majors:
Sabrina Richardson
and Halim Mustafa.
Even though there is not an English major running for Mr.
UMES in the upcoming competition, the majority of
candidates for his counterpart, Miss UMES, are English majors.
So, it’s possible at least one of the high profile university ambassadors
will remain a representative of the UMES Department of English
and Modern Languages. Keep your fingers crossed!
Outgoing Miss & Mr. UMES
AC ADEMI C T EAM SC ORES BI G W I N