We Teach You to Read and Respond to the World: Come Check Us Out at Fall Open House Saturday 30 October 2021

Come see what Elizabeth City State University is all about!

Register for our Open House this Saturday!

Our English and Digital Media Department will be there to answer any questions, talk about the program, classes, etc.

The world changes faster and faster ever day. There are new technologies, new ways to communicate, new expectations, new information. A degree in English can help you learn the skills you need in order to navigate this new world. We can help you learn how to read and respond to the world.

With a degree in English you can go into public service, in the government, a non-profit, or social justice organization. In our classes you'll learn how to argue a point, evaluate sources, and communicate your message.

You can go into publishing, learning to edit, write, publish a variety of texts from technical manuals to webpages, to social media campaigns to fiction.

You can become a teacher, abroad teaching English, or at the middle or high school level.

A degree in English can help you learn how to tell stories for video games, filmmaking, novels.

You can use the skills you learn in our classes to get a job in marketing because you know how to use visual and written rhetoric, you can go into public relations because you know how to craft a message, or become a social media manager because you know how images and texts can be used to tell a story.

In our classes you can also learn or rediscover the simple joy of reading an interesting book and talking about it.

We offer classes in:

• Harlem Renaissance
• African-American Literature
• Multi-Ethnic Literature
• Special Topics in American Literature, British Literature, Creative Writing, where the topics, books, themes, change every semester to always bring you the most interesting, engaging, and relevant material
• The Graphic Novel
• Film and Literature
• Technical Writing
• Advanced Composition

We hold regular events every year, workshops on how to become a teacher or apply to graduate school.

We also have guest speakers from a variety of fields and jobs come talk to students and share their work.

We have a Writing Center that has tutors and help available for anything you may need- job documents to presentations to research papers.

We also offer internships with local businesses so you can get a chance to see what certain careers and jobs are like!

At our Open House on Saturday we'll have a book giveaway that represents just some of the ideas, authors, and works you can learn about in our classes.

Come join us!

We're always happy to talk more about our program and how we can best serve you.

How can we help?

Follow us on Twitter for the latest news and to see what we're up to: @ECSU_English

For more information, or questions contact:

Dr. McKee, department chair

Phone: (252) 335-3753
E-mail: armckee@ecsu.edu

Dr. Shimabukuro, English program coordinator

Phone: (252) 335-3348
E-mail: khshimabukuro@ecsu.edu

FAQs about the English Program: Commonly Asked Questions

This blog post has some general FAQs about our English program and answers some commonly asked questions.

If you think there's something you'd like to see here that's not, or if you have a question that is not answered here, let Dr. Shimabukuro know.

• What do I do if an English class I want to take is full?

• Email your advisor with your 97#, the class name and CRN, and ask to be put on the wait list.

• I’m a transfer students coming in with an Associate’s, how long will it take me to graduate?

• If you take 15 credits each semester you can graduate in two years

• If I have questions about the English program who can I talk to?

• Dr. McKee, the department chair

• Dr. Shimabukuro, the English program coordinator

• Your advisor

• How do I know who my advisor is?

• If you log into E4U your advisor is listed there along with your current semester’s professors

• How can I find out who is teaching/will teach/taught a particular course?

• Dr. Shimabukuro, the English program coordinator

• Where can I find English course descriptions?

• In the course catalog for the year we’re in

• How do I find out when a class is scheduled and where it meets?

• Before classes start Banner will have this

• After classes start your class syllabus is the best source for information

• Where can I find help with writing?

• Our Writing Center is open every day Monday-Friday, in Johnson Hall 143, with posted hours tutors are available

• Where can I use a computer?

• Right next to the Writing Center in JH 144 is the English computer lab

• How can I check that English classes I transferred in with “counted”?

• In Banner you can look at Unofficial Transcripts

• If something came in as something different than you thought it should have check with your advisor who can follow up

• Does the English department offer scholarships?

• We do not, but we do offer work study positions every semester for working as a writing tutor

• How can I become an English major?

• If you’ve already declared a major, just submit an online change of major form

• If I’m not an ECSU student can I still take English classes?

• Yes! You take classes as a non-degree student.

• Many non-students take our classes for fun, or for Continuing Education Units

• How can I set up an Internship?

• Talk to your advisor, you register for it like an independent study

• How Can I set up an independent study?

• Talk to your advisor, you need to have a professor for that class willing to supervise you AND the class cannot be something you can satisfy another way (UNC Online, course substitution, etc.)

• How and when should I apply to graduate?

• We email deadlines at the beginning of each semester (and reminders)

• The process takes some time to gather all the materials you need

• This page walks you through the process

• Once all that is done you complete the application to graduate

• Where can I find information about graduate school?

• Every fall we hold a workshop on applying to graduate school, options

• Every spring in the Capstone class we have professors who head graduate programs in to speak to our students

• Where can I find information about becoming an English teacher?

• Every fall we hold a workshop for students interested in becoming a teacher

• You can apply to the Education department to be accepted into their secondary licensure program and take those classes as electives to graduate with your teaching certificate

• What can I do with an English major?

• What CAN’T you do?

Dr. Shimabukuro chairs panel at The Slasher Studies Summer Camp: An International Conference on Slasher Theory, History and Practice

 

 

This summer Dr. Shimabukuro chaired a panel on "Nuance and the Strategies of 1980s Slasher" during the Slasher Summer Camp conference.

It was a totally online, international conference organised by Daniel Sheppard, Birmingham City University, UK and Dr. Wickham Clayton, University for the Creative Arts in Farnham, UK. The conference featured guest speakers Vera Dika, Steve Jones, Lloyd Kaufman, Ellen Lutter, and John Newby.

Dr. Shimabukuro and Dr. Clayton are currently co-editing a collection, Horror That Haunts Us: Nostalgia, Revisionism, and Trauma in Contemporary American Horror for Auteur Press, and Dr. Shimabukuro's chapter in the collection reexamines and challenges the definition of "Final Girl" when the actress/character are older.

Dr. Shimabukuro has written two other chapters as part of edited collections for Dr. Clayton, “The Devil and The Culture Wars: Demonizing Controversy in The Last Temptation of Christ and The Passion of the Christ” in The Bible Onscreen in the New Millennium (2020) and “I Framed Freddy: Functional Aesthetics in the Nightmare on Elm Street series.” Style and Form in the Hollywood Slasher Film (2015) as well as an article, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer Board Game as Liminal Space" in Intensities: The Journal of Cult Media 7 (Summer 2014).

New Publications: Dr. Jim Goar

 Dr. Jim Goar recently published "An Argument Without End: Jack Spicer's Serial Poem" in Criticism Volume 64, Number 3, Summer 2021.

What Can You Do With a B.A. in English?

One of the things senior students in our ENGL 498 Research Methods and Capstone class do is research jobs and careers that English majors can have. This semester's students created infographics for those jobs.

Check them out below!

Spring 2021 Student Projects

Spring 2021 Student Projects

We always love highlighting the amazing work that our students do.

Below are some of the great projects and work that our students completed in their English and Digital Media classes during the spring 2021 semester.

History of the English Language

Kaiya Smith created an annotated Twitter feed that responded to the death of Queen Elizabeth I, referencing historical documents and literature to build her feed.

Rachel Raduns created a series of lessons on rhetoric and composition based on what she learned in class.

 

Public Relations

Jayla Council created a project for public relations. She interviewed Ms. Arlinda Halfacer, the head of executive admissions at ECSU about what public relations skills she uses in her job. She asked her about her position and what advice she'd give to anyone considering a job with the public.

 

Zaccheus Hobbs' project for public relations looked at public relation roles and how the various ways they work in different job fields.

 

Raekwon Dean's project

Cameryn Dowdy

Kassidy Watson Perry

Jason Wallace

 

Talissa Spruill

 James Simmons

Kamren Taylor

English Research Methods and Capstone Class

Overview, title slides of their final Capstone papers and presentations

English Professors Share Their Research with Capstone Students

The 12-16 April is Elizabeth City State University's Undergraduate Research Week, and the English majors will be presenting their Capstone papers and presentations on Thursday 15 April from 1230-150p. The students are modeling their papers after the professional conference model that academic scholars use. Since this is not a genre that undergraduate students have much exposure or familiarity with Professor Judah Micah Lamar and Dr. Karrȧ Shimabukuro shared previous conference papers they had given with the Capstone students so they could see what they looked like, how the paper and visual presentations worked together, and how to answer questions.

Professor's Lamar's presentation, "Reconstructing the Narratological Concepts of Time and Space through the Asante Sacred Feminine in Haile Gerima's Sankofa," was originally given earlier this year at the National Association of African American Studies (NAAAS) Conference.

Dr. Shimabukuro's presentation, "The Mystery of the Woods: Twin Peaks and the Folkloric Forest," was originally presented at the Society for Cinema and Media Studies in 2015.

In addition to allowing the students to see the academic work their professors participate in, and providing a model for their own Capstone papers, the students also got a chance to answer questions about professionalism for different fields, what conferences were like, how scholars participate in academic and professional activities.

The six Capstone students are presenting on the following topics 15 April, you'll be able to see their presentations by clicking on this link: https://ecsu.zoom.us/j/8764698685

• "The Female Role: Its Harmful Nature in The Color Purple" Sarah Atwell
• "Pride and Prejudice and the Role of Money in Marriage" Christin Castro
• "The Evolution of Feminism and Gender Roles from Disney’s Snow White to Brave" Cameryn Dowdy
• "Becoming Sister Abigail: How the WWE took Alexa’s Bliss" Pete Peterson
• "Ready Learner One: Leveling Up the Traditional Classroom" Rachel Raduns
• "We’re With You: The Miseducation of The George Floyd Murder & #BLM" Brandon Shaw

Please come celebrate and support our students!

Celebrating Our Graduates: Spotlight on Rachel Raduns

 It's easy to brag about this week's spotlight senior, Rachel Raduns.

She transferred in from College of the Albemarle and her Associate's degree. She is an excellent student who always has excellent insights to contribute to class. She is also kind, funny, and generous with her time, a real model and leader for other students. This semester she is also working as one of our writing tutors.

After graduation she and her family plan on relocating to Raleigh where she plans to teach middle school English. Having had the pleasure of seeing some of the lesson plans she has created for class projects, whatever school hires her will be lucky to have her. I look forward to seeing the great things she does in the future and for her students.

African American Literary Read In 11 February 430-530p

 Please join us tomorrow!

https://ecsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0vcOCprzotHdcqhTyk4wjbAZ1gMvGKzhd-

Writing Tutors Available Spring 2021: Starting Monday 8 February

 

New Publications: Dr. Jim Goar

 Dr. Jim Goar has recently had two poems published in The Irish Review which you can access here. 

Dr. Goar teaches Composition, Intermediate Creative Writing: Poetry, and Nature Writing.

He also conducts readings both on campus and in town.

Spring 2021 Course Offerings

 Registration started this week and runs until 6 November!

You can register yourself, or make an appointment to see your advisor. Your advisor is listed in E4U.

We're really excited about the course offerings for spring, so take a look at what you can take with us!

Remember 12 credits is full time to qualify for financial aid. 15 credits x 4 years = graduating on time.

Take some time as you register to think about what worked and what didn't this semester so far as what you need to be successful and schedule yourself accordingly!

If you need help or advice, don't hesitate to come see us, and we'll get you all sorted!

The Viking Review: Call for Writing

 The Viking Review aims to become an annual lit magazine committed to publishing poetry, short story, nonfiction, photography, and art by writers, poets and artists who have a relationship with Elizabeth City State University. The Viking Review publishes works derived from artists', writers’, and poets’ life experiences. We are interested in works that reflect those experiences.  Your work can center on anything that has shaped or influenced you. So send your pain. Send your fury. Send your joy. Send your strange, frightening or delightful. Send what you see in the world and what you want to see. Send it all to bnmccleese@ecsu.edu

 

Help and Resources For Ending Your Semester Successfully

A lot of times the beginning of the semester flies by as we learn where are classes are, get settled, adapt to new teaching styles and content.

Before you know it midterms are here.

Midterms are a great time to take a break, stop and reflect on where you are in your classes, and make a plan to ensure you end the semester well.

Below are some tips for how you can make the rest of your semester successful.

Remember too, if you need help that's what we're here for!

First Club Meeting Reads Sula 13 October

We're so excited to announce Professor Judah-Micah Lamar's first event with us!

Join him on 13 October 7-8p on Zoom for our first book club meeting!
https://://ecsu.zoom.us/j/6115916202

Guest Speaker Next Week in Intro to English Studies class

 We are so excited to announce that Dr. @kelly_j_baker will be joining our Intro to English Studies class to discuss her latest book, which we're reading as part of our interdisciplinary and media studies unit.

http://www.kellyjbaker.com/writing/the-zombies-are-coming/

Fall 2020 Webinar Series on Preparing for Study Abroad Beyond COVID-19 and Global Unrest

 The Office of International Programs has a Fall 2020 Webinar Series on  Preparing for Study Abroad Beyond COVID-19 and Global Unrest.   This week we have our second Webinar Panel: Exploring Undergraduate Study Abroad Experiences Through the Lens of a Student, Staff, and Faculty Thursday, September 17, 2020 (3:30pm - 5:00pm EST) 

December Graduates

 

#ECSU #Vikings

December Graduates: Remember the deadline for applications is 22 September.

So make sure you start putting together your paperwork NOW.

If you need help let Dr. McKee know!

All the forms you need & how-to videos are here: https://www.ecsu.edu/academics/academicaffairs/undergradapplication.html