English majors deal with abstract thoughts and theories on a daily basis. After all, the books we read are physical entities in one sense, but ultimately the ideas they convey are abstract. While career counselors, parents, and even some professors insist that studying business, science, and technology are the best ways to ensure a lucrative…
Journalism’s Powerful Future
The following is a guest post written by Junior English major Will Lyons. (If you are interested in providing your own guest post please contact Leah Becker at becker.14@up.edu or Dr. Hiro at hiro@up.edu) Imagine what it would’ve been like to work for the University of Portland’s student newspaper, The Beacon, in 1970. On deadline…
The Genesis of the “Bard’s Book Club”
With graduation just around the corner for many UP senior English majors, the question of how to stay engaged with literature after college is becoming more pertinent. While the freedom to read whatever strikes your fancy may sound appealing now, once jobs, family, and other responsibilities kick in analytical reading might drop on your list…
Alumni Panel Preview: Handling Life After College
Familiar to most English majors is that moment of panic when we think about life after graduation. Some have their careers planned out, whereas some take opportunities as they come along, but leaving college and beginning anew is a universally daunting task. To acknowledge and address these anxieties, the English Department has assembled a panel…
The English Major: What is it Good For?
Many articles have cropped up lately, some of which were highlighted here, that praise the English major, promising lucrative career opportunities after graduation. Most of these articles focus on an English major’s ability to write and the careers best suited to this ability (marketing, public relations, etc). Two recent articles, however, focus not just on…
Keep Calm and Be Merry
We bloggers are heading into hibernation for the holidays, so please stay tuned for more posts after the New Year! We hope that you all enjoy your time with friends and family and take a well deserved break from the stresses of school and work. Although we’ll be resting up just as much as you,…
When in Rome… Travel!
While UP students are gearing up for finals here in Portland, one English Major, Junior Sarah Hansell, is studying somewhere very different. Here is her story: Almost three months after arriving in Rome, I can’t believe that in just three short weeks I will be back on American soil, the people around me speaking English (in…
F-A-N: Philip Ellefson’s Exploration of Writing
In English 317- Composition Theory & Practice the students recently wrote what Dr. Larson calls “Literacy Narratives,” which focus on how one becomes a writer. One such exemplary exploration of writing composed by Philip Ellefson is included below. An introductory note from Dr. Larson: “One of the first things I try to do in English…
A FREE Night At the Movies!
Another novel to film adaptation… for free! Cloud Atlas is officially being released Friday, October 26th, however a free screening will be hosted at the Regal Bridgeport Theatre on Monday, October 22nd at 7 pm. For more information about the screening contact Dr. Brassard (brassard@up.edu), and for more information about the film in general see…
New Fiction Writing Group On Campus
A note from Kari Hill. “I want to create a group where fiction writers of all kinds can get together and help each other to improve. Whether you already have a work in progress, are still in the brainstorming stage, or are simply interested in writing fiction, the group can be a place to bounce…