Category Archives: Student Activities

Environmental Advocacy, Special Activities, Student Activities

Jason Bittel at Elizabethtown College

On Friday, February 28th, a group of Millersville students and professors traveled over to Elizabethtown College to hear Jason Bittel, a renowned science writer, speak at the Bowers Writers House. He gave two talks and students and English faculty members Justin Mando and Jill Craven attended a dinner with Bittel hosted by Bowers Writers House’s Jesse Waters.

Jason Bittel, from his blog. (Source)

Jason Bittel is a science writer who most often writes about animals. Cute animals, weird animals, animals that eat the eyeballs of other animals, animals that launch chemical warfare attacks out of their derrieres. As a National Geographic Explorer, he’s trapped invasive wild boar for the National Park Service, eaten termite soldiers in the South African bush, and taken rectal temperatures from bull elk. Bittel’s writing covers a range of topics, including human-wildlife conflict, new scientific discoveries, environment and conservation, and emerging wildlife diseases. You can read his work in National Geographic Magazine,The Washington Post, New Scientist Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, and onEarth Magazine. He is currently working on a children’s book about animals for Magic Cat Publishing due out in 2021.

Jason Bittel, apart from having a world-renowned reputation, is a really interesting guy. Read more about his love of weird animals on his website. Jason is also a contributor for National Geographic – how cool??

Here are the two talk summaries:

4-5 p.m. What the *&^!? is THAT!? Writing for the Sciences with Jason Bittel

Jason Bittel spoke about how to become a professional science writer, including tips and techniques for the emerging professional sciences writer.

7-8 p.m. Nipples on Men, Collars on Crocs: Science Writer Jason Bittel

Jason Bittel amazed the audience with the unknown aspects of the opossum and the squirrel.  Wow!  The opossum is crazy complex. And we were blown away by the history of the squirrels we see every day.  They had to push us out of the door.  We wanted to learn more!  But more importantly, we learned how science writing could be both engaging and funny!

Much thanks to Jesse Waters, director of the Bowers Writers House, for putting the event together and inviting our students.

Please email Dr. Mando with any questions.

Student Activities

2019-2020 College of AHSS Fellowship

English major Jordan Traut was selected as the first fellow for the 2019-2020 College of the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Fellowship. Read more below about what her job includes, her personal motivation for taking the fellowship, and how she hopes to impact English.

It is really an honor to be selected as the first fellow for the 2019-2020 College of the Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Fellowship. I have a lot of people to thank for that, especially the professors who took time out of their busy schedules to write me letters of recommendations— Dr. Timothy Miller, Dr. Katarzyna Jakubiak, and Dr. Carla Rineer.

One thing I strongly believe in is that our College needs and deserves more funding opportunities for students, whose work in the humanities provides the bedrock for cross-cultural academic pursuits.  I have had several meetings with the AHSS Dean, Dr. Ieva Zake, about the direction and purpose of the fellowship. Part of my responsibility as the AHSS fellow is to attend important meetings with university alumni and potential donors and share my undergraduate research work. It is my intention and hope that I represent the College and the English Department, especially, in a way that demonstrates the merit of the humanities and awards us more funding opportunities.

Over the summer, I did research on traditional oral stories of Native Americans. I was looking for culturally responsible literary sources for my thesis project (original sources in native languages from people within the culture), and ultimately was invited to attend the 2019 Annual Anishinaabe Family Language and Culture Camp on a reservation in Michigan to hear an elder tell their creation teaching using the Anishinaabemowin language. This trip was extremely important to me personally, and it was imperative for my academic ambitions, but also an extremely expensive undertaking for a broke college student struggling to pay tuition. I was unable to secure any funding from the College, which ultimately impacted my time at the reservation and my research.

AHSS just does not have the same kind of funding available to support student research efforts as other Colleges. This is true across the higher education system in the United States, not just at Millersville. Science and Technology is simply better funded. But…imagine the quality of original work Millersville arts, humanities, and social science students could produce if given access to the necessary funding. We should be able to participate in high-impact educational opportunities and secure funding for them in the same way students of other colleges can. For these reasons and in this way, I would like to use this fellowship opportunity to positively impact the departments in our College.

–Jordan Traut

Community Engagement, Conferences, Literary Events, Student Activities

Alumni and Current Students Swap Stories and Insights at Lit Fest

This last semester’s Literary Festival, Writing in Community, was very special.  There were so many moments of genuine community, that made us all remember why we love Millersville English.

Special Activities, Student Activities

TIFF 2019

This September, a group of students interested in film traveled to Toronto, Canada for the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) with Dr. Craven. Lisa Crum, Edward Kirchoff, Abigail Breckbill, Andrew Ciardullo, Morgan Firestone, John Simpson, and Jacob Dickens traveled on a bus for eight hours to see a wide-variety of new films.

TIFF was founded in 1976 as an aggregate of other festival films and has since become “one of the most beloved cinematic events in the world, universally regarded as an ideal platform for filmmakers to launch their careers and to premiere their new work,” according to its website.

Lisa, Abigail, and Morgan sitting in a theater before a film screening. Photo credit: Abigail Breckbill

Abigail Breckbill, fifth year writing studies major, was one of the students on the trip. She wrote a quick blurb about how TIFF impacted her MU classes, what her favorite moments and films were, and how the trip will impact her future.

“I’m taking a film course this semester, so attending TIFF really felt like an extension of that class. It gave me a chance to be in a room with people from all over the world who love film. I also got to talk with many people (including Millersville peers) and hear what they appreciate about film. One of my favorite moments at TIFF was during a film which dealt with cancer and was incredibly heart-wrenching. Toward the end, the entirety of the auditorium was sniffling, and for me that was a very real, human moment in which we were all connected by something bigger. I love that film is able to do that for people, and I found that moment inspiring as someone who wants to create content for an audience to enjoy and be affected by.

Dancers standing before the dragon statue at the 2019 Toronto Dragon Festival. Photo credit: Andrew Ciardullo

“My favorite film was also the film that was hardest to watch. The Report was about the investigation into the CIA’s use of torture following 9/11. It was a very gripping story, especially knowing that it was based on true events. It also made the depictions of torture incredibly difficult to witness. At the end of the film, the panel presentation included Daniel Jones himself, the man who conducted much of the research. It was incredibly amazing to see a man who is a real-life hero.

“This trip was an opportunity for me to experience a community outside of my own country. I think it affected me long term in that it slightly added to my view of the world as a whole, and allowed me to experience film in a way I never had before. In the future I would love to go back, and I think I will continue to grow in my love of film as an art.”

John Simpson, a third-year media and broadcasting major, also wrote how TIFF impacted his college experience.

“The trip to the Toronto International Film Festival was an experience I will be forever grateful to have had. Growing up in rural Pennsylvania, I always felt far removed from the film industry. Sometimes it feels like they people within the business don’t really exist, like they’re characters presented to us in media. So it was definitely an interesting experience to see these people in front of my eyes instead of an interview or up on the screen. Seeing directors and actors I admire in person was somehow fulfilling, like their existence was confirmed to me and the film-making dream is real. This feeling was particularly potent when watching Color out of Space at midnight. It was the world premiere of the film so most of the cast and crew were there at the screening, including Nicolas Cage who sat two rows behind us. Getting to be in the heart of the film industry was an electrifying experience that will stick with me forever.

Cast of the HG Lovecraft film Color out of Space, including Nicholas Cage (second from the left), give a panel presentation after the screening. Photo credit: Jill Craven

“The films I saw at the festival ranged from family drama, horror, science fiction, and more. The wonderful thing about TIFF was the diversity of films there. I watched so many different artistic voices up on the big screen and when the filmmakers were there, it made it an almost personal experience, like they were sharing their story with the audience. I did not like every film I saw, but I enjoyed being at all of the screenings. It was rare to see films of these types have fully packed theaters, but you could tell that all of the audience members truly love film and attending the festival. I was seeing movies that will most likely not be remembered in the grand scheme of 21st century cinema, but regardless, I am pleased with what I saw at the festival.

“As someone who loves cinema, this trip made me grateful I am attending Millersville University. In this area of PA there is not a whole lot of love given to independent and international cinema, so when this opportunity was given to students, I happily jumped aboard. Experiencing Toronto and TIFF is one of the highlights of my college experience so far and I am thankful to the University and Dr. Jill Craven for allowing this to happen. I think if someone is interested in film or international art, then this trip is a fantastic gateway to experience one of the largest annual events for film. I do hope that this opportunity will continue for years to come as it has made a positive impact on my attendance at Millersville, and I would like many more students to experience it as well.”

Jacob Dickens, another student who attended TIFF this past fall, wrote an article for The Snapper about his experiences. “For two weeks in the cool air of Toronto, Canada, some of the biggest names in American and foreign films gathered to show off their newest works. In total, I managed to catch about fourteen films during my trip there. I had made over 70 thousand steps in the four days the Millersville Study Abroad group was at the festival while walking back and forth between two theatres that were almost thirty minutes apart.” Read the full article here! 

Much thanks to Ieva Zake, Dean of Humanities and Social Science, and Vilas Prabhu, Provost, for making this trip possible.

Title image photo credit: Abigail Breckbill

Community Engagement, Literary Events, Resources, Special Activities, Student Activities

Millersville University Literary Festival

Dr. Sarah D’Stair

On Thursday, November 7 and Friday, November 8, Millersville University will host its annual Literary Festival. This year’s theme is “Writing in Community.”

The event will start on Thursday in McComsey’s Ford Atrium at 4 pm. Students, faculty, staff, and alumni are welcome to attend and read at an open reading following featured faculty member Sarah D’Stair.

Meghan Kenny

At 7:30pm, Meghan Kenny will give her keynote address in Myers Auditorium. Meghan Kenny is the author of the short story collection Love Is No Small Thing (LSU Press, 2017) and the novel The Driest Season (W.W. Norton, 2018), which was an honorable mention for the 2019 PEN/HEMINGWAY Award. She lives in Lancaster.

On Friday the 8th, the Literary Festival will continue in the McNairy Library from 9am to 4pm. Individual sessions will take place in Room 100 where you can learn how to:

  • Write fiction and short stories
  • Write thrillers and suspense novels
  • Write free verse and traditional poetry
  • Find work in writing-related fields
  • Find what publishers want and get your work published
  • Write creative non-fiction and memoirs
  • Approach literature for translation

If you have any questions, contact Dr. Archibald or Dr. Jakubiak. Visit the Literary Festival website for the full event schedule and more information.

 

 

Literary Events, Special Activities, Student Activities

2019 Harrisburg Book Festival Schedule

Check out the 2019 Harrisburg Book Festival at Midtown Scholar Bookstore! Listed are some of the major events at the festival. Are you interested in getting a ride from campus to the festival? Contact Rachel Hicks or Dr. Corkery.

Now in its seventh year, the Harrisburg Book Festival is proudly hosted by the Midtown Scholar Bookstore. Featuring an annual tent sale, award-winning authors, children’s illustrators, emerging novelists, acclaimed historians — surrounded by hundreds of thousands of books at one of the nation’s most celebrated independent bookstores — the Harrisburg Book Festival aims to amplify and celebrate diverse literature for all ages. All events are free and open to the public.

For the Love of Beer: Inside Pennsylvania Breweries

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3RD | 7PM

Pennsylvanians have enjoyed a long, rich love affair with beer. The state not only ranks first in the nation for the number of barrels produced but the breweries, beer, and their craftsmen all have interesting stories to tell. Author Alison Feeney examines Pennsylvania’s brewing history, geography, and cultural richness while highlighting over 100 of the states thriving craft breweries in her new book, For the Love of Beer: Pennsylvania Breweries. Moderated by Sara Bozich, join Feeney, Hannah Ison of Zero Day Brewery, and Jeff Musselman of the Millworks for a lively conversation on, you guessed it, beer.

Following the discussion, we’ll have a book signing and samples of beer from The Millworks and Zero Day Brewing Company.

Smart Talk Live with Eric Foner

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4TH | 9AM

From Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Eric Foner, a timely history of the constitutional changes that built equality into the nation’s foundation — and how those guarantees have been shaken over time. In The Second Founding: How the Civil War and Reconstruction Remade the Constitution, Foner informs our understanding of the present as well as the past. Knowledge and vigilance are always necessary to secure our basic rights.

Eric Foner will be interviewed on-stage by WITF’s Scott LaMar for Smart Talk Live.

An Evening with Isha Sesay

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4TH | 7PM

In the early morning of April 14, 2014, the militant Islamic group Boko Haram violently burst into the small town of Chibok, Nigeria, and abducted 276 girls from their school dorm rooms. From poor families, these girls were determined to make better lives for themselves, but pursuing an education made them targets, resulting in one of the most high-profile abductions in modern history. In Beneath the Tamarind Tree, Isha Sesay tells this story as no one else can. With a soaring message of hope at its core, Isha Sesay will deliver the Keynote Address for the 2019 Harrisburg Book Festival, reminding us of the ever-present truth that progress for all of us hinges on unleashing the potential of women.

Storytime with Vashti Harrison!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5TH | 10AM

Join New York Times bestselling author & illustrator Vashti Harrison as she introduces young readers to trailblazing women who changed the world. Harrison will read from her two bestsellers: Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History and Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World. Afterwards, Harrison will conduct a drawing demo on the main stage for kids of all ages!

A book signing will follow the presentation. Copies of Little Leaders, Little Dreamers, Hair Love, Festival of Colors, and Cece Loves Science will be available for purchase.

Storytime with Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5TH | 11AM

In their debut picture book, author/illustrator team Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox introduce young readers to the comical, the studious, the oblivious Llama, a picture-book hero for the ages. Grab some cake and your dancing pants and prepare for Llama Destroys the World… because THE TIME FOR LLAMA IS NIGH! Join Stutzman and Fox as they read from their new picture book, Llama Destroys the World.

Cookbook Demo with Nisha Vora

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5TH | 12PM

With food and photos as vivid, joyous, and wholesome as the title of her popular cooking blog Rainbow Plant Life suggests, Nisha Vora shares nourishing recipes with her loyal followers daily. Now, in her debut cookbook, she makes healthy, delicious everyday cooking a snap with more than 90 nutritious (and colorful!) recipes you can make easily with the magic of an Instant Pot pressure cooker. Join Nisha for a recipe demonstration from her new cookbook: The Vegan Instant Pot Cookbook: Wholesome, Indulgent Plant-Based Recipes. Afterwards, there will be a free tasting of two recipes from the cookbook, followed by a book signing.

Political Parody in the Age of Trump

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5TH | 2PM

For readers craving a humorous antidote to the sound and the fury of American politics, these clever parodies offer an escapist reprieve for those pining for the previous administration. In Hope Rides Again, Andrew Shaffer provides the highly anticipated sequel to the New York Times bestselling Hope Never Dies. Obama and Biden reprise their roles as BFFs-turned-detectives as they chase Obama’s stolen cell phone through the streets of Chicago — and right into a vast conspiracy. And in MacTrump, bestselling authors Ian Doescher and Jacopo della Quercia fictionalize the events of the first two years of the Trump administration — in iambic pentameter. Will MacTrump be able to hold on to his throne? Only time will tell in this tragicomic tale of ambition, greed, and royal ineptitude — based on Sheakespeare’s Macbeth.

Emerging Voices, New Perspectives

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5TH | 4:30PM

From three new emerging voices in fiction — these page-turning debut novels show us the power and transcendence of storytelling. In She Would Be King, Wayetu Moore combines history and magical realism to reimagine the dramatic story of Liberia’s early years through three unforgettable characters. In The Farm, Joanne Ramos gives us a gripping, provocative, and heartbreaking narrative on immigration, motherhood, money, and merit. And in the bestselling The Incendiaries, R.O. Kwon delivers a powerful, darkly glittering novel of violence, love, faith, and loss — and what can befall those who lose what they love most.

An Evening with Stephen Chbosky

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5TH | 7PM

We can swallow our fear or let our fear swallow us. Twenty years ago, Stephen Chbosky’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower made readers everywhere feel infinite. Now, Chbosky has returned with an epic work of literary horror, years in the making, whose grand scale and rich emotion redefine the genre. In Imaginary Friend, Chbosky takes us to Mill Grove, Pennsylvania — where seven year-old Christopher and his mother on the run. At first, it seems like the perfect place to finally settle down. Then Christopher vanishes. For six awful days, no one can find him. Until Christopher emerges from the woods at the edge of town, unharmed but not unchanged. He returns with a voice in his head only he can hear, with a mission only he can complete. Read it with the lights on.

Fiction, Fantasy, and the Mythic Journey

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6TH | 2PM

Internationally bestselling novelist Téa Obreht mesmerized readers with her timeless debut novel, The Tiger’s Wife. Weaving a brilliant latticework of family legend, loss, and love, Obreht, the youngest of The New Yorker’s twenty best American fiction writers under forty, spun a novel that established her as one of the most vibrant, original authors of her generation. Now, in her new novel, Inland, Obreht returns to subvert and reimagine the myths of the American West, making them entirely—and unforgettably—her own. Moderated by award-winning novelist Liz Moore, Obreht will discuss her award-winning novels and the spectacular triumphs of storytelling.

This event previously stated that Madeline Miller would make an appearance. Due to an unforeseen conflict, Madeline will not be able to make an appearance at this year’s festival. We look forward to hosting her in the spring 2020 for the paperback tour of Circe!

How To Be An Anti-Racist

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6TH | 5PM

From award-winning authors Ibram X. Kendi and Imani Perry comes a powerful conversation on racial justice in America, showing us how to understand and uproot racism in our society — and in ourselves. In Breathe, Perry explores the terror, grace, and beauty of coming of age as a black person in contemporary America. And in How to Be an Antiracist, Kendi asks us to think about what an antiracist society might look like, and how we can play an active role in building it. Moderated by award-winning author Keisha Blain, Kendi and Perry point us toward liberating new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other.

Official schedule can be found on the Harrisburg Book Festival website.

Community Engagement, Literary Events, Special Activities, Student Activities

Upcoming Literary Events

Check out these upcoming literary events in the Lancaster area! 

Millersville Literary Festival – McNairy Library Reading Room

Thursday, November 7: 4pm Readings/Reception, 7:30pm Keynote

Friday, November 8: 9am Panel Presentations, 12pm Lunch, 3-5pm Readings

More Information Coming Soon

Fulton Theater

Wait Until Dark: Tuesday, October 8, 8pm (pay what you want)

  • A mysterious doll mistakenly smuggled into the country possesses secrets that puts a young couple in serious danger, especially the blind homemaker. This cult classic will have you on the edge of your seat, minute after pulsating minute. Left home alone and to her own devices, Susan is forced to defend herself against con men, who are after the doll and its goods. A clever cat-and-mouse game of deception becomes more dangerous when the doll disappears! The game takes a drastic turn when the lights go out!

Everyman Theater in Baltimore

August Wilson’s Radio Golf: Sunday in Late October TBD

  • Successful real estate developer Harmond Wilks is on a mission to become Pittsburgh’s first black mayor by doing whatever it takes to transform his childhood neighborhood from blighted to bustling. But when he learns the truth about his family’s legacy, he is forced to decide whether he will finish what he started or fight to preserve his community’s history. This fast-paced, crackling conclusion to August Wilson’s unparalleled 10-play The American Century Cycle examining the African-American experience in the 20th century is “surprising, suspenseful and crowd-pleasing” (The New York Times), and draws striking parallels to the issues we still face today.

 

Midtown Scholar Bookstore

Almost Uptown Poetry Cartel: Every Thursday 7-9pm

  • The Cartel is a weekly reading series founded in 1999, has featured many talented writers, poets, and artists as well as an exciting and growing list of guest readers and headliners. All are welcome–bring your own poetry, poetry you love, or just an open ear.

 

 

 

An Evening with John Leland: Saturday, September 21, 6-8pm

  • This September, the Midtown Scholar Bookstore is pleased to welcome bestselling author John Leland to Harrisburg as he presents his new book, Happiness Is a Choice You Make: Lessons from a Year Among the Oldest Old. This event is free and open to the public.

 

 

 

Harrisburg Book Festival: Thursday, October 3, 7pm – Sunday, October 6, 7pm

  • Now in its seventh year, the Harrisburg Book Festival is proudly hosted by the Midtown Scholar Bookstore. Featuring an annual tent sale, award-winning authors, children’s illustrators, emerging novelists, acclaimed historians — surrounded by hundreds of thousands of books at one of the nation’s most celebrated independent bookstores — the Harrisburg Book Festival aims to amplify and celebrate diverse literature for all ages. All events are free and open to the public.

Nathaniel Gadsen’s Spoken Word Cafe: Every Other Friday, 7-9pm

  • Join Nathaniel Gadsden’s Spoken Word Café for a time of poetry and storytelling. This event is free and open to the public.

LGBT Book Club: Every Third Sunday of the Month, 4:30-5:30pm

  • Join the LGBT Book Club every third Sunday of the month for a discussion on this month’s book!

Eleanor Gordon-Smith: Wednesday, October 23, 7-9pm

  • This October, the Midtown Scholar Bookstore is pleased to welcome author Eleanor Gordon-Smith to Harrisburg as she presents her new book, Stop Being Reasonable: How We Really Change Our Minds. This event is free and open to the public.

 

 

 

An Evening with John Witherow: Thursday, October 24, 7-9pm

  • The Midtown Scholar Bookstore is pleased to welcome local author John Witherow to Harrisburg as he presents his new novel, The Gap: Fort Indiantown. This event is free and open to the public. The Gap is a coming-of-age story that poses questions about the wisdom of the current drug war while employing themes from another lost war.

 

 

 

An Evening with Stephen Fried: Wednesday, November 6, 7-9pm

  • The Midtown Scholar Bookstore is pleased to welcome bestselling author Stephen Fried to Harrisburg as he discusses his new book, Rush: Revolution, Madness, and Benjamin Rush, the Visionary Doctor Who Became a Founding Father. This event is free and open to the public. Book signing to follow discussion.

 

 

Henry Hemming: Saturday, November 9, 5-7pm

  • The Midtown Scholar Bookstore is pleased to welcome bestselling espionage author Henry Hemming to Harrisburg as he presents his new book, Agents of Influence: A British Campaign, a Canadian Spy, and the Secret Plot to Bring America into World War II. This event is free and open to the public. Book signing to follow discussion.

 

 

 

Philadelphia Alumni Writer’s House @ F&M

Faculty Writers: Eve Bratman: Tuesday, September 24, 4:30-5:30pm

  • Eve Bratman is Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth and Environment. She is a political ecologist who has a PhD in international relations from American University. Her book, Governing the Rainforest, is based on ten years of research concerning development policies, infrastructure, conservation, and human rights in the Brazilian Amazon. This event is free and open to the public.

 

 

Hausman Lecture Craft Talk: Alice McDermott: Tuesday, October 1, 4:30-5:30pm

  • Alice McDermott’s eighth novel, The Ninth Hour, was published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux in September 2017. She has received the Whiting Writers Award, the Carington Award for Literary Excellence, and the F. Scott Fitzgerald Award for American Literature. Established through an endowment by Richard Hausman ’50, P’85 and Edna Hausman P’85, the Hausman Lecture has brought prominent writers to campus for lectures, readings and workshops since 1982.

 

 

Will to Read: Shakespeare Aloud: Thursday, October 3, 7-9pm (Monthly)

  • Do you enjoy Shakespeare? If so, join this monthly reading/viewing/discussion group on Thursday evenings 7-9pm at the Writers House. We will simply read selected scenes, watch recorded stage and screen performances of those scenes, and talk about it all. No preparation, experience, or expertise required–only enthusiasm! The second play is Henry IV. This event is free and open to the public.

A Reading with Jamie Beth Cohen: Tuesday, October 15, 7:30-8:30pm

  • Jamie Beth Cohen is a writer who works in higher education. She writes about difficult things, but her friends think she’s funny. Her non-fiction has appeared in TeenVogue.com, The Washington Post/On Parenting, Salon, and several other outlets. Her debut novel, Wasted Pretty, was published in April 2019.

 

 

 

Playwriting in a Plotless World: Thursday, November 21, 11:30-12:30pm

  • Paula Vogel is Franklin & Marshall College’s tenth annual Lapine Family Visiting Theatre Artist. She has written How I Learned to Drive (Pulitzer Prize, New York Drama Critics Award, Obie Award, Lucille Lortel, Drama Desk, Outer Critics Circle and many more) and many more plays.

 

 

 

The Ware Center

The Interpreters – On Screen/In Person: Thursday, September 26, 7pm

  • Local interpreters were key to recent US war efforts, but now many face danger in their countries because of their affiliation.  This is the moving story of how they are rebuilding their lives, told through an Iraqi who was able to make it to the US with the help of an American soldier he befriended, an Afghan who is still working as an interpreter in Kabul despite threats to his life, and another who fled with his family as refugees to Turkey.  Run Time: 75 minutes. The evening begins in Steinman Hall with a pre-showing activity or community panel at 6:15 PM, and a post-show Q+A with the film’s director.

We the People: Celebrating Rita: Friday, October 4, 7pm
  • An onstage celebration of the life and legacy of Dr. Rita Smith Wade-El featuring the best of Lancaster’s African-American performing arts community including such artists as the Imani-Edutainers, Maria and Kiana Corley, CoCo Coleman, Gerri MrGritty, Tyrell, and others, all performing brief tributes to Rita in the respective genres – dance, vocal and instrumental music, spoken-word, and more! Free and open to the public.
Badger Creek and The Thick Dark Fog – On Screen/In Person: Monday, October 21, 7pm
  • Badger Creek is a portrait of Native-American resilience as seen through a year in the life of three generations of a Blackfeet family living on the reservation in Montana.The Thick Dark Fog is the story of Walter Littlemoon who attended a federal Indian boarding school in South Dakota sixty years ago. The mission of many of these schools in 1950, was still to “kill the Indian and save the man.” The children were not allowed to speak their language or express their cultural identity in any way. Total Run Time: 84 minutes. The evening begins in Steinman Hall with a pre-showing activity or community panel at 6:15 PM, and a post-show Q+A with the film’s director.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream: November 1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 9 at 8:00pm | November 3, 10 at 2:00pm
  • Gods mix with mortals, a feuding king and queen unleash magical practical jokes on one another, spells yield improbable love affairs and a band of comical wanderers enter into an enchanted woods and are transformed in the most unlikely ways in an adaptation of Shakespeare’s most popular and enduring comedy. Discounted MU Student tickets available at a ticket office location with a valid ID; limit 2 per ID. Early reservations are strongly encouraged because Rafters Theatre has limited seating.
Detroit 48202: Conversations Along a Postal Route – On Screen/In Person: Tuesday, November 12, 7pm
  • DETROIT 48202 examines the rise, demise, and contested resurgence of Detroit through the lens of an utterly charming African-American mail carrier, Wendell Watkins, and the community of committed residents he faithfully served for thirty years. We take a journey with Wendell along his route, winding through the center of what was, once upon a time, a vital and thriving city. Run Time: 80 minutes. The evening begins in Steinman Hall with a pre-showing activity or community panel at 6:15 PM, and a post-show Q+A with the film’s director.

Creative Works of Lancaster

The 24 Hour Plays: Saturday, October 5, 7pm

  • Six writers, six directors, twenty-five actors, and one production team will write, rehearse, and perform six short plays in a 24 hour period. The process begins Friday evening, October 4, with writers choosing actors from a pool of talent. The six writers work through the night and hand their work to directors early Saturday morning, October 5, the day of the performance. After negotiating for their choice of play, directors, along with their play’s actors and a crew of stage technicians, prepare for the 7 pm performance. All tickets are free to reserve, and there is no obligation, or suggested minimum, to pay. Tickets can be reserved through Eventbrite.

The Turning Wheel

Poetry Readings: Every Second Thursday, 7-8:30pm

  • Each month The Turning Wheel welcomes a featured writer from around the region to share their work with our community. After the featured reading, there will be our usual, all-genre open mic. Bring your poems and short prose pieces to share!

 

 

Zoetropolis (specific movie times on website, student tickets $8)

The Nightingale: Friday, September 20 and Saturday, September 21

  • Set in 1825, Clare, a young Irish convict woman, chases a British officer through the rugged Tasmanian wilderness, bent on revenge for a terrible act of violence he committed against her family. On the way she enlists the services of an Aboriginal tracker named Billy, who is also marked by trauma from his own violence-filled past.

 

 

 

Manhattan Short Film Festival: September 27 – October 6

  • Manhattan Short is not a touring festival; rather, it is an instantaneous celebration that occurs simultaneously across the globe, bringing great films to great venues and allowing the audiences to select their favorites. If the Film Festival experience truly is about getting great works in front of as many eyes as possible, Manhattan Short offers the ultimate platform — one that sees its films screened in Sydney, Mumbai, Moscow, Kathmandu, Vienna, Cape Town to cinemas in all fifty states of the United States and beyond.

 

 

Monty Python and the Holy Grail: Sunday,October 6, 7pm

  • 50th Anniversary Event! Monty Python and the Holy Grail loosely follows the legend of King Arthur. Arthur along with his squire, Patsy, recruits his Knights of the Round Table, including Sir Bedevere the Wise, Sir Lancelot the Brave, Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave-As-Sir-Lancelot and Sir Galahad the Pure. On the way Arthur battles the Black Knight who, despite having had all his limbs chopped off, insists he can still fight. They reach Camelot, but Arthur decides not to enter, as “it is a silly place”.

 

 

ACLU-PA Presents, Rigged: The Voter Suppression Playbook: Monday, October 7, 7:30pm

  • Narrated by Jeffrey Wright, and shot during the chaotic 2016 election, the film identifies and unpacks a shrewd ten-part strategy to suppress the vote, from creating new barriers to voter registration, to purging American citizens from the voting rolls without notice, to new and deliberate impediments to casting a vote. The screening will be followed by a discussion with Alex Domingos, Organizer, Campaign for Smart Justice. The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited so an RSVP is requested. Email your name and quantity of tickets needed to: hbginfo@aclupa.org

 

GLAS Presents: Animation Next: Friday, October 11 – Sunday, October 13

  • The best-of-the-best from the groundbreaking annual GLAS Animation Festival in Berkeley, CA. Showcasing seven bold new shorts from the newest generation to redefine what’s possible in the medium, ANIMATION NEXT takes you on a prismatic journey ranging from subterranean nightmares to sun-soaked coming of age stories — each exploring themes that most grip the modern world.  For more info, visit glasanimation.com

 

 

Winterbeast: Thursday, October 24, 7:30pm

  • Join us for the 3rd film in the So Bad! So Good! Series. Presented and Introduced by Bradley Lyndon. The finest, and possibly only movie ever made in Newbury, New Hampshire, it’s a head-scratching tour-de-force of incoherent plot twists, continuity errors, bizarre non-sequitors, cheap effects and clunky performances. It’s even got props borrowed from a Dokken music video! It’s a bizarre train wreck of a movie that somehow transcends its own ineptitude to become an endlessly entertaining anti-masterpiece.

 

ACLU-PA Presents: Reversing Roe: Monday, November 4, 7:30pm

  • Forty-five years after it revolutionized abortion law in America, the landmark 1973 US Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade is once again at a crossroads. In their timely new documentary, filmmakers Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg present a deeply illuminating look of the state of abortion and women’s rights in America. The film offers candid and riveting interviews with key figures from both sides of the divide. Intense and unflinching in its commitment to telling the whole story, the film provides a gripping look at what’s happening on the ground in 2018. The screening will be followed by a discussion with Marianne Stein, ACLU-PA Legislative Associate. The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited so an RSVP is requested. Email your name and quantity of tickets needed to: hbginfo@aclupa.org

Arrival: Thursday, November 21, 6:30pm

  • Taking place after alien crafts land around the world, an expert linguist is recruited by the military to determine whether they come in peace or are a threat. Film introduced by Dennis Weiss and followed by conversation and cocktails.

 

Community Engagement, Publications, Special Activities, Student Activities

Get Involved with English Clubs!

The English Department encourages students to check out the English-related clubs! The English Club, Film Club, George Street Press, and The Snapper give students opportunities to build community and flex their writing and critical-thinking skills. Click on the headings for the clubs’ Get Involved pages.

English Club:

The English Club provides a welcome environment where lovers of language and literature can come together to participate in literary activities, field trips, discussions, and more! Both majors and non-majors are welcome. Meetings will begin at 5:30pm on Thursdays starting September 12th. The location will be sent out via email at a later date. For more information, contact President Stephanie Wenger or Vice President Morgan Reichenbach.

Film Club:

The Film Club is a campus organization where film fans can gather for screenings of films followed by discussion, as well as connect with others with a passion for the art of film across Millersville. The club screens films, both older and more contemporary, and discusses the topics presented by correlating the film to larger societal issues. Film Club will begin screenings on September 16th at 7pm in Club de’Ville and will meet every other Monday afterwards. For more information, visit the club’s Facebook page, contact President Lisa Crum, or email adviser Jill Craven.

George Street Press:

George Street Press is Millersville University’s literary magazine that is open to students and faculty alike. The publication is completely student run and student published, accepting all sorts of work from poetry, short fiction, essays, creative nonfiction, photography, painting and sculpture. If you are interested with assisting in publication, the club meets Monday nights in Club De’Ville (the commuter lounge in the lower level of the SMC) at 9pm. If you would like to submit any work for the Fall 2019 publication, submissions open on November 1st at georgestreetpresssubmissions@gmail.com. If you have any questions, contact President Kitsey Shehan or Vice President Sara Pizzo. Updates can be found on the club’s Instagram page.

The Snapper
Editor in Chief Jared Hameloth and Managing Editor Julia Walters at Org Outbreak (Photo courtesy of Jared Hameloth)

The Snapper is Millersville University’s student-run newspaper, providing fair, accurate, and unbiased reporting on a weekly basis for the student body. They are the campus’ independent watchdog, a tireless advocate and champion of student rights. Through the sections and other positions, The Snapper provides students with an opportunity to experience the fields of print and digital media, along with many opportunities to improve their own writing skills. The Snapper’s office is located in the bottom level of the SMC, room 15. They hold weekly meetings every Thursday at 9:00 p.m. Students can contact The Snapper at: editor@thesnapper.com.

 

American Association of University Women

The purpose of MU’s AAUW, among other things, is to prepare students for leadership in the civic realm, offer students an opportunity to exchange ideas on social justice, network members with the global AAUW community of more than 170,000 members, and support women in gaining positions of leadership across campus. Meeting times will be announced. For more information, adviser Jill Craven. Want to get involved with AAUW? Consider taking on a leadership position for the 2019-2020 school year.

Creative Writers’ Guild
(Photo courtesy of Jacob Coopersmith)

Creative Writers’ Guild is a place for MU students to mingle and share ideas, discuss their passions, and simply enjoy one another’s company.  The members have essentially become a family, and there is always room for more family members to join. Every meeting, club members are given a prompt to guide their writing, but have the freedom to create anything they like. Members have done everything from fanfiction to poetry to improv storytelling, and are always looking to try new writing prompts.  The club meets on Tuesday nights at 7:30pm in Chryst 210. To learn more, contact President Jacob Coopersmith.

 

Community Engagement, Student Activities

English at “Educate the State” Rally

On Tuesday, April 23rd,  the Education Justice rally, “Educate the State,” took place on Millersville campus in front of the library.  Millersville students and faculty from several departments participated.  Our friends in the Art Club, led by Abigail Saurbaugh, created signage for the event and encouraged people to write about their experiences with education and education funding.

Millersville alumnus Howard Jones (MA in Psychology) began the event “speaking from the heart” about the role of education. Those of us who know and love Howard were excited to see Howard back on campus, leading off this event, and advocating for change.  Howard works as a legislative aide for Mike Sturla, who was delayed, so Howard covered some of the legislative issues, like helping students with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s) and supporting higher education, and then Howard spoke about moving theory into practice by making change through being an engaged intellectual.

English BSE and PA Student Power representative Nate Warren then gave a stirring representation of what the lack of state funding of higher education does to many undergraduates.  He roused the crowd through appeals to logos, pathos, and ethos, providing memorable images of Millersville’s hard-working students.  You can read his full speech in another post in our newsletter.

Ken Smith
Ken Smith notes “a rising tide lifts all boats”

APSCUF President and Economics professor Ken Smith provided a cogent economic analysis of the value of investment in higher education.  His statistics demonstrated a strong return on investment not only for the individuals going to college, but also to the state as a whole.  As Smith described, the overall income of people in the state rises with the education levels in the state, noting “a rising tide lifts all boats.”  The PA Promise helps not only students, but helps the whole state.

Reunisha Williams
Reunisha Williams talks to crowd

Black Student Union treasurer Reuneisha Williams followed up with a powerful talk about her experiences in the educational system.

Dr. Nicole Pfannenstiel addressed the crowd on the potential of online educational resources (OER) for reducing student costs and debt.  Dr. P is part of a working group.  She explained how, through the group’s efforts to change professors from books to free online resources, they have already saved students $150,000.  Dr. P invited students to learn more at the table where members of their group helped students to think about the possibilities they would have with the money they could save.  Following Dr. P, Susan Spicka, the head of PA Education Voters, also voiced her support for needed changes in education.

English majors Kat La Bar and Kitty Dillon presented some spoken word poems.  Dr. Miriam Witmer, who watched the performance, explained that her education class analyzes Kitty’s enthralling 4-part poem.  We look forward to seeing both Kat and Kitty get their works published!

Speaker and poet Marci Nelligan was impressed by our English students’ work, as well as the Spoken Word from the group Original Thought. She presented on her grants to bring African American Artists into School District of Lancaster classrooms.  She presented impressive statistics about the impact that art has on classroom performance and success.

English BSE alumna and SDoL teacher Sherri Castillo talked about her efforts to lead LGBTQ+ support in schools, and also discussed the issues she had being an “out” teacher in Pennsylvania, where sexual orientation isn’t a protected class for jobs.  Her careful navigation of a difficult issue was instructional for all who heard–both gay and straight.

Students from Original Thought, a poetry organization under the BSU, presented impactful viewpoints in their spoken word poetry.  They left the audience pondering privilege.  It’s one thing to be concerned about debt, and quite another about survival.

Preacher Gerald Simmons touched the moral aspects of fairness in education.  His stirring oratory touched on issues of fair funding across the 500 PA school districts.  Currently, districts that are whiter get more monetary support per student than districts that have more students of color.  PA is the most egregious in this category.

Skyler Gibbon, senior English major, read two poems by others as well as one of her own creations.

Brynn Raub, an English Education major, read out a thoughtful reminiscence about how she started as just a number in the school system, and then grew to finally understand what education really meant.

Rob Spicer ended the day’s speeches reminding us all of the power we have in free speech and assembly, and the need to protect that right.

Thanks to everyone who spoke on stage, provided information at tables, read original work, and witnessed the power of publicly calling for education justice.

–Jill Craven
Event Organizer

 

 

Conferences, Literary Events, Publications, Special Activities, Student Activities

You are Inspiring: Over 100 English Students present at Made in Millersville

Folks, this is a banner year for English at Made in Millersville.  We have over 96 separate events (poetry readings, panel sessions, poster sessions, etc.) that Millersville English students are engaged in.  What can I say–you all are rocking scholarship, creativity, and professionalism.

Check out Skyler Gibbon in the student spotlight analyzing Beyonce, Adele, and intersectional feminism!  Congratulate Daniel Dicker, Karen layman, Sara Lipski, and Shaakirah Tate on their publication of the Made in Millersville Journal next week. If you are thinking about studying abroad, go hear about the amazing journeys of Abigail Breckbill, Thomas Joyce, and Jason Leighty.  Or take in Poetry Out Loud with Dr. Corkery and his creative crew.  And check out all of the impressive posters and panels.  It will be a super busy day.

While the English faculty is always super proud of our students, we take it to the next level when we see all of your accomplishments together on one day.  It’s just so fabulous!  We hope you will come out and support each other and let your curiosity roam free!

You can find all the English events listed here: MiM English Events 2019

We’ll have a film crew on site that day to capture some of your accomplishments.  We’re making a video for the website.  Eric Griffin, an MU Art alum who took film classes, is doing the video, so if you see him and his crew, give them a little of you for the video.  He won’t be able to capture everything, but I’ve encouraged him to try to get as much as possible so we can represent our community well.

Thanks for all the positive energy, great scholarship, and creative ideas that you all put out into the world.  You are inspiring.