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Happy New Year from Comp/Rhet at KU!
This past December 28th and 29th, Linda Cullum, Kevin Mahoney and I traveled to the Modern Language Association’s annual conference (this time in Philadelphia) for a first round of interviews, meeting candidates for a position in multiethnic rhetorics. We hope the person who fills this position will add a new dimension to our developing concentration in Composition, Rhetoric, and Literacy Studies.
We met and chatted with a group of very bright, very impressive candidates. I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed the process, even if it left me so exhausted that I fell asleep while eating take-out Chinese food in my room on Monday evening!
I look forward to furthering the conversations we began at MLA. Here’s to a successful search for a new colleague!
~Amy L-B
The English department held its fifth annual Kutztown University Composition Conference on April 3 2009. Our conference theme, “Writers @ Work,” represented our effort to showcase the myriad means we use to compose, as well as the genuine toil required to create. Over 300 students attended the conference.
This year, the KUCC was open to student writers from across all levels of composition courses. More than fifty students enrolled in first year composition, Advanced Composition and Teaching Writing during the 2008-2009 academic year presented original academic works at the conference.
Also new at the 2009 KUCC was our “technology room,” allowing students to present multimodal compositions. Presentations here included a short film; PowerPoint displays; the projection of compositions via document cameras (in order to display their visual elements); and a paper on protest songs culminating in the performance of an original piece of music.
Students in Dr. Chernekoff’s Teaching Writing Course created an impressive poster session, adding a new visual dimension to the day. We also sold copies of the cookbook, A Semester of Seasonings. This text was composed by members of Dr. Chernekoff’s Advanced Composition Course and reimagined by Dr. O’Brien’s Desktop Publishing class. Sales of the text benfit the foodbank of Friend, Inc in Kutztown.
The Keynote Speaker, Prof. Stephen Parks of Syracuse University, spoke to a large and enthusiastic crowd in Alumni Auditorium. His talk, “Once I Was A Washing Machine: Worker / Writer Alliances at the Edge of the Economic Abyss” explored many of the obstacles inherent in pursuing a higher education while working. His account of worker-writer alliances made among his working class Syracuse students was both moving and inspiring.
We should be very proud of our students and campus community! Read more about the event at the Composition Program’s blog: http://kucomprhet.wordpress.com/blog/
Pictures from the conference can be found at: <http://kucomprhet.wordpress.com/2009/04/04/photos-from-kucc-2009/>
My thanks to the English Department Faculty, department secretary Annette Christman, Department Chair Dr. Janice Chernekoff, and the KUCC Committee for making the day a success for our student-writers!
Best,
Amy Lynch-Biniek, KUCC Chair
The conference committee met on Tuesday, 9/16, and together we made out first big decision: the conference theme. This year, we will write, discuss, and dance around the phrase: Writers at Work. (Can’t you just hear a variation on a Men @ Work song as a confernece theme?)
More to come. Stay tuned!
ALB
I just chaired a second panel here at the KU Composition Conference, “Exploring Alternative Literacies.” Irelyn Ackers read a great piece about the literacy of theologians called “You Down with G-O-D?” That lead to a discussion about religious tolerance and ignorance in the United States. Really timely.
Emily Harris opened a lot of eyes with her piece, “A Checkered Past: An Investigation into the Literacy of Piercers.” Did you know that most piercers in the U.S. are not certified in any way? Emily taught us about the dangers of the unregulated piercing world, and advised us to look for piercers who are members of the Association of Professional Piercers–safe, well-educated professionals.
Greg Lawson was kind enough to sit in last-minute and read a creative piece. We were all impressed by his vivid, fluent prose.
Good work!
Amy L-B again. I’ve just enjoyed a lovely lunch here at the KU Composition Conference. Professors and students, AVI pizza, good conversation. Who could ask for more?
Amy L-B checking in from the 4th annual Composition Conference for 1st Year Writers.
I just chaired a great panel called “Writing Autobiography: Learning about Our Writing Selves. Four students from Eng 023, Liz, Lydia, Alexis and Tony, shared stories of struggling, learning, and growing through writing. Each shared personal, insightful anecdotes. The writing autobiography is one of my favorite genres–it allows us to see that writing can be simultaneously a struggle and a release. What’s more, we see that no one comes to writing easily; even those who love to write have to work hard.
What I really like about the writing autobiographies my students have produced is that they value many types of writing, not just school genres. Students write song lyrics and poems, keep journals and blogs, create fanfic and short stories. Everyone is writing something!
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