Tarbox Gives Paper at the Children's Literature Symposium at USF

Dr. Gwen Tarbox gave a paper entitled "Iconic Representation in Intermediate and YA Narratives" at the Children's Literature Symposium, held this past weekend at the University of South Florida. Other presenters included WMU alum Dr. Thomas Crisp, now a professor at USF, as well as former WMU English department visiting professors Dr. Lance Weldy (now at Francis Marion University) and Dr. Tammy Mielke (now at UNC, Charlotte). The conference theme, Images and Illustration in Children's and Young Adult Literature, was reflected in keynote addresses by Harry Potter illustrator Mary GrandPre and University of Florida professor Dr. Kenneth Kidd. Dr. Tarbox is pictured above with a group of colleagues from the Children's Literature Association, including Drs. Crisp, Weldy, and Mielke.

Essay contest on "Heroes of Peace"

The Rumi Club of Western Michigan University, in cooperation with Niagara Foundation of Michigan and Diversity & Inclusion of WMU with the sponsorship of SAF, Haenicke Institute and Diversity & Inclusion of WMU, organizes an event, ‘Heroes of Peace’, and Essay Contest.

We would like to invite your college students to participate in the event and contest on the theme of ‘Alliance of Civilizations’. Deadline is March 19th, 2011.  A cash award will be given to 1st place winners. The winners will be given the opportunity to present his/her essay in the event of ‘Heroes of Peace’ on March 30 in Bernhard Center-105 at 6:00 pm. (You and your students are invited to the event as well.) The essay, no more than 1000 words, must be sent to rso-rdc@wmich.edu.

Submitted essays will be judged by a committee led by Dr. Blain Auer and Dr. Steve Covell of WMU.

Please visit the contest web site for further information:
http://www.rso.wmich.edu/rdc/essay.htm

Katie O'Brien to receive 2011 Sigma Tau Delta Award

One of our wonderful undergraduate students, Kathryn M. O’Brien, has been selected to receive the 2011 Sigma Tau Delta Student Leadership Award! This is an organization-wide award, with the recipients -- only two this year -- selected from among the 775 Sigma Tau Delta chapters worldwide. The Student Leadership Award recognizes Katie’s exemplary leadership, tireless work on behalf of the WMU Alpha Nu Pi chapter and its members, and the example she sets for her fellow students in the areas of academic excellence as well as active campus and community involvement. Katie will be honored at the 2011 Sigma Tau Delta national convention in Pittsburgh in late March, where she will be presented with her $250 prize and a plaque commemorating her achievement.

Theatre Kalamazoo New Play Fest

Theatre Kalamazoo! (TK) is proud to announce the first annual New Play Festival February 4-5 at the Epic Theatre in Downtown, Kalamazoo. The festival will feature written work from Kalamazoo College and Western Michigan University students in the form of staged readings. Most the member theatres of the TK consortium will each produce a work in the New Play Festival, including Black Arts & Cultural Center, Centre Stage ofComstock, The Civic, Farmers Alley Theatre, Festival Playhouse of Kalamazoo College, The New Vic, Portage Summer Entertainment Series, and University Theatre of Western Michigan University.

The Festival will begin on Friday with Art Hop and three, 10-minute plays running from 5-7pm. Following Art Hop will be a full-length play beginning at 8pm and another late-night, full-length beginning at 11pm. The Festival will begin on Saturday with a one-act play at 1pm and then all five 10-minute plays at 4pm and finally a full-length play to conclude the festival at 8pm.

WMU English Department alum Ryan Dolley, a playwright and theatre critic for TIMEOUT CHICAGO,will be a special guest respondent to the plays.

The New Play Festival is produced in association with the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo and is generously supported by the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation. Admission to the Festival is FREE of charge, but there is no advance ticketing. The doors will open 20-minutes prior to the performance time. For more information visit www.theatrekalamazoo.org .

Friday, February 4
(Three 10-minute plays during Art Hop)
5:30pm-Dearest Beloved by Marissa Rossman
6:30pm-Writer Block by Marianne Stine
7:00pm-Bluff by Mariel Watson

8:00pm-I’ve Got You Now by Noah Hilgert [WMU] (a full-length play followed by a talkback)

11pm-Lemons by Erin Shelton [WMU] (a 20-minute play followed by a talkback)

Saturday, February 5
1:00pm-Rich Soil, by Micealaya Moses [WMU] (a one-act play followed by a talkback)

4:00pm-five 10-minute plays
Dearest Beloved by Marissa Rossman
Writer Block by Marianne Stine
Bluff by Mariel Watson
Southern Bell by Martin Goffeney
The Violin Case by Allie Semperger

8:00pm-Trinity by G. William Zorn [WMU] (a full-length play followed by a talkback)

WMU Career Fair rescheduled

We have decided to reschedule the WMU Career Fair originally planned for this Thursday, February 3.  The rescheduled date is Thursday, February 17, 2011.  Several recruiters would need to travel significant distances to be on campus Thursday and due to the potentially severe weather, we feel it is best for the safety of all. Fortunately, the Bernhard Center facilities are available and staff has been very accommodating.