The English department and the English majors and minors club hosted an open house, during which people could learn more about the department and the club while shopping for books, hearing live poetry from faculty and enjoying free food.
The event occurred on May 9, 2024, in the P building quad on the liberal arts campus.
Professors Anthony Starros, Margaret Shannon, Natalie Burgess and Kathryn McMurray are some of the few who read poems or stories during the event.
Burgess read an excerpt from the 1st chapter of her memoir about her battle with cancer.
The English Majors and Minors Club sold softcover books for $1 and hardcovers for $2 to raise money for their club.
The books are donated by students, club members and professors. They also take donations during club hours on Thursdays from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
“We wanted to bring awareness to our club that’s here on campus, it’s a way to find common-minded individuals who like reading and writing,” said President of the English majors and minors club, Areli Chavez.
The club does monthly open mic nights that are open to anyone in the community. You don’t have to be a member or even an English major to participate. It’s a place where people can come together and share their work.
The club also takes field trips, hosts guest speakers and organizes book and food sale events.
On Friday, a book fair was held in collaboration with local bookstores like Bel Canto Books. Authors talked about their experiences while selling their books. The crochet club was also there to demonstrate their work.
“The best part is being around people who share the same love for literature, books and English because growing up I didn’t have that. It’s nice to be able to meet people and talk to them about it,” English majors and minors club member, Matthias Dela Cruz said.
The English department has a few upcoming events, such as the physical release of the Saga Literary Journal on May 30, 2024.
The journal is a collection of works by students, it serves as an opportunity to get their poetry, fiction, prose and artwork published.
The Drury Awards, an award ceremony honoring students’ achievements in essay composition and creative writing will be held on May 23, 2024.
“I hope people start appreciating literature more cause there’s a wonderful underrated beauty to it that a lot of people don’t realize unless they really delve deep into it I get that that takes a lot of patience and a lot of effort, but the end of the day I feel like its worth it cause when you come out of it you sort of have a new outlook on the world,” said Dela Cruz.