Welcome back! We are so excited to kick-off another academic year with you and want to share some of the awesome events and conferences planned for this semester. Plus, don’t forget to check out our last blog post on clubs and student organizations associated with the Department of English and World Languages. There are so many great ways to get involved on campus and beyond and we hope this list gives you a chance to find a way to gain some extraordinary experiences this semester!
General Information
For the most up-to date information on events and other opportunities, follow our Instagram (@ville.englishworldlanguage ) or Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/VilleEnglish/ ) and if you haven’t had the chance yet, take a look at our Spring 2024 Newsletter to see highlights of our student and faculty achievements from this past year.
September Events
We’re starting off strong with games, book club, and our ongoing lecture series Faculty Focus: Research Talk.
9/4 – ENWL Game Night from 5 – 6:30 PM in MCC 266. Come play literature and language-themed games with students and faculty of the English and World Languages Department. Hosted by Creative Writers Guild and George Street Press, this event has free food and good vibes to start your semester off right!
9/10 – Gay Trivia with WGSS at 4pm with Professor Liam Lair from West Chester. Location TBD.
9/12 – Book Club – The League of Women Voters of Lancaster County will host a book club on Thursday, 9/12 to discuss Sarah Sobieraj’s Credible Threat: Attacks Against Women Online and the Future of Democracy at Pocket Books, 903 Wheatland Avenue. Discussion starts at 6pm. The event is free, and there will be refreshments. Registration required: https://www.millersville.edu/universitycollege/kenderdine-lecture/
9/20-21 – Homecoming
9/26 – Faculty Focus: Research Talk at 11 AM in McComsey 248 (Student Lounge). Dr. Pfannenstiel and Michele Santamaría are our first guests this semester for our ongoing “tiny office” lecture series. They will be sharing highlights from their new book Information Literacy and Social Media: Empowered Student Engagement with the ACRL Framework. Cookies and apple cider will be provided.
Guest Speakers
Looking for an easy way to get expert advice and insight on reading, writing, and so much more right on campus? Check out these speakers who are bringing their wealth of knowledge and experience to us this Fall!
Kenderdine Lecture – Guest Speaker: Sarah Sobieraj
Millersville University and the League of Women Voters of Lancaster County Present The Harriet Kenderdine Lecture featuring Dr. Sarah Sobieraj
The Body Politic: Women, Digital Harassment, and Democratic Life
Tuesday, October 8th @7pm
Biemesderfer Auditorium, The Winter Center (free parking)
60 West Cottage Avenue, Millersville PA 17551
Free and Open to the Public
https://www.millersville.edu/universitycollege/kenderdine-lecture/
EAPSU 2024 Conference – Keynote Speaker: Kate Baer
American writer Kate Baer is the 3x New York Times bestselling author of What Kind Of Woman, I Hope This Finds You Well, & And Yet.
Friday, October 4th @ 4pm
McComesy Hall
Hazel I. Jackson Lecture – Guest Speaker: Amina Gautier
Thursday, November 7th @7 PM
SMC – 114 MPR, Reighard Multi Purpose Room
Free and Open to the Public
https://www.millersville.edu/calendar/events/f3b99c34-fb32-11ee-9624-0d163128cd08
Conferences
Presenting or attending a conference can give you the chance to be a part of something special beyond the classroom. Many of these conferences occur annually and provide an opportunity to both give and receive valuable feedback with your peers and the general public while building unique skills in networking and presenting.
EAPSU 2024 Conference
October 18th and 19th
Millersville University
This is a friendly inter-institutional conference for undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty to discuss a broad array of topics related to literature, writing studies/rhetoric, linguistics, English education, film studies, cultural studies, creative writing, and digital humanities. Presenters and panelists may share analytical or creative projects that explore themes of writing, social justice, narratives, voices, inclusion, and diversity.
PROPOSALS FOR EAPSU ARE DUE FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 6TH
Harrisburg Book Festival
October 9th – 13th
Harrisburg, PA
Presented by Midtown Scholar Bookstore, this festival boasts events, panels, author visits, a massive book sale and more! While not strictly a conference, this is a low-key way to engage with the larger community of scholars and book lovers all around us!
2024 PASSHE Summit
October 28th and 29th
Millersville University
PASSHE Offices of Academic Affairs, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and Student Affairs present this year’s Summit theme of “Uniting for Inclusive Student Success” to explore the myriad policies, practices, research, and related matters that impact inclusive student success. The 2024 Summit will be a hybrid conference. In-person sessions will be held at Millersville University and virtual/hybrid sessions will be on Zoom.
PROPOSALS FOR PASSHE SUMMIT DUE THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12th
MAPACA 2024 Conference
November 7th – 9th
Atlantic City, NJ
The Mid-Atlantic Popular & American Culture Association (MAPACA) annual conference has grown into one of the largest regional branches of the national Popular Culture and American Culture Association (PCA/ACA). Welcoming presentations and panels from a wide array of research on Pop and American Culture, this diverse conference has something for everyone. Submissions for this year’s conference are already closed but keep an eye out for next year which will be hosted in Philadelphia, PA!
Have an ENWL related event you would like us to promote! Let us know! Email Dr. Emily Baldys at Emily.Baldys@millersville.edu . Best of luck with your new semester!