Students from English Studies Professor Kisha Tracy's The Global Middle Ages course presented posters focusing on their research work as "medievalist for a semester" in the Amelia V. Gallucci-Cirio Library. Additionally, medieval-themed zines from Dr. Tracy's British Literature I: Adventure and Transformation were on display. The work will remain on display through Friday, December 20th, stop by and vote for your favorite - a Viewer's Choice Award will be presented at the end of the exhibit.

Student teams in English Studies Professor Dr. Katharine Covino's First-Year Experience (FYE) course each created a Public Service Announcement (PSA) which were judged, with a PSA about bussing issues coming out on top. Fitchburg Mayor Samantha Squailia visited the class to sign and give certificates to the winning team. Their efforts paid off as Mayor Squailia has already made improvements, and promised a bus stop shelter is ready to be installed on campus.

English Studies Professor Dr. Kisha Tracy's British Literature I class delivered their Medieval Zines to Dr. Heather Urbanski's Writing I class, and Dr. Collin Syfert's Current Events and Service Learning - who had guest speaker Communications Media Professor Kyle Moody presenting to the class. Each student created a zine - a small circulation publication of of minority interest, usually reproduced via photocopier, as part of the course. After distribution, Dr. Kisha Tracy made sure to invite everyone to next week's Global Middle Ages Literature Fair.

This afternoon, Provost Patricia Marshall welcomed those gathered in the President's Hall for  English Studies Professor Kisha Tracy's presentation of  the Harrod Lecture: “Decolonizing the Study of Disability in the Middle Ages” After an introduction by Chair of the English Studies Department Aruna Krishnamurthy Professor Tracy discussed the expanding scope of medieval disability studies into the global world.

 Our Summer Institute for Journalism Education wrapped up today with presentations by English Studies Professor Collin Syfert Web Editor Mike Elfland (Worcester Telegram & Gazette), Editor John Osborn (The Harvard Press), and Communications Media Professor Kyle Moody.

As part of our Summer Institute for Journalism Education, Communications Media Professor Kyle Moody Introduced keynote speaker Author and journalism professor Dan Kennedy at the Fitchburg Historical Society. Mr. Kennedy discussed the future of local news during his keynote address.

Our Summer Institute for Journalism Education, a collaboration between our Communications Media and English Studies departments, is an inaugural program and is focused on the theme of "Teaching Tomorrow’s Citizens Today: News Literacy as a Tool for Critical Education." 

This institute is a wonderful opportunity to develop key concepts in your research, apply new lessons to the classroom, and address educators across the Commonwealth and beyond about issues facing journalism, news literacy, and new media technologies. 

Yesterday, English Studies Professor Kisha Tracy  held a reception for her  Writing II class students, mentors from the university community, as well as mentors from our Adult Learning in the Fitchburg Area (ALFA) Program, as part of this semester's  Heritages of Change exhibition. Students and their mentors discussed their various contribution to the project which is a practice of curatorial activism, bringing attention to the heritages of marginalized and emerging topics. 

The English Studies Department  held their annual High School Writing Awards and Creative Writing Awards Ceremony yesterday afternoon in Presidents Hall. First place and honorable mention writing award winners from area high schools were recognized.  Some of the first place high school winners' writing along with Fitchburg State student writing appear in the latest volume of Route Two literary publication which was available for free at the event.

Author Eveline MacDougall (Fiery Hope : building community with the Amandla Chorus) and renown musician John Clark were recent guests in English Studies Professor Michael Hoberman's Folklore in America class. MacDougall wove together the threads of her formative years as a Québécois and  life with civil right's activists Wally and Juanita Nelson. The two performed a French inspired piece for the class. The course introduces students to the academic discipline of folklore and to a range of cultural traditions found in the United States.