The English department threw an event for LBCC students in the P Building courtyard so professors could talk to students about spring enrollment, classes, clubs, while answering questions over food and music.
“The English open house is an invitation to students to see what they are teaching in any particular class and answer any questions students may have about the spring semester,” creative writing professor Jeff Epley said.
Open house gives students and professors a chance to speak outside of class and answer any questions students may have about the literary programs and classes LBCC has to offer, including information about different learning cohorts the college has to offer.
“I teach literature for learning communities that identify as men of color and Latinos –these programs are designed to help them find a sense of belonging in the community on campus, the classroom and make that connection,” Jeff Rivers an English professor who teaches classes for LBCC’s Puente and Male Success Initiative cohorts said.
The English departments open house is very informative for students with an undecided major or just students seeking more information about the English department programs and resources.
“It’s important to make that social connection, especially with students who are in the same peer groups and get to interact with teachers on much more of a human basis– Many of us who like to read and write are introvert, so it’s great for students to interact with people like them who can identify as they do,” Ryle said.
Not only were there English majors and minors who attended but students of other majors as well, like Gabriel Ebrahimi an LBCC Engineering student.
“This event is great, it’s not your 2nd street ad on a billboard – It’s more like a funnel because little by little it goes into specific classes and promotes the classes to let you know what’s available to you,” Ebrahimi said.
The event also hosted a book sale for the students with many books to choose from at low cost, the deal that had students lining up left and right ready to purchase them.
LBCC students looking at flyers about classes for the upcoming spring semester at the English open house event on the Liberal arts campus held in the P building.(Tenoa J. Stewart)
“I think it’s a good place to learn about English, it’s better to come out and learn hands on than online, you connect better that way,” Nandini Reddy, English major and president of the English majors and minors club, said
Students tend to think that these types of events can be very big help to those who have not decided their majors yet.
“My time with the English department has helped me figure out what I wanted and needed for my education. I made my decisions and I hope that more people would join the English community,” Jocelyn Campos, English major, said.
The English department is a mix of everything from creative writing to journalism located in the P building offering workshops at the writing success center and unique classes like ‘New Testament literature.’
New Testament Professor Jeff Wheeler encouraged brings people who are English majors as well as non-English majors who want to read the Bible from a literary perspective.
“It’s storytelling, we break down different stories from how they constructed it to how they are built,” Wheeler said.
The event provided an excellent perspective of different out of the ordinary classes from student to professor that students might or might not have known about.
Marty Triplett, journalism major, said,“I do like that English and journalism majors are in the same department, it’s nice mixing up with people going to similar industries.”
“I like all the professors here, they show what they have to offer for next semester, I liked the children’s story class. It gives you options to learn new things,” Triplett said.
The thrill of English had professors excited for the spring semester as much as the students were.
“I think it is great we are advertising Spring classes and I am able to answer a lot of questions. It’s bigger than last year’s term too,” Daren Smoley, creative writing professor said.
Events like the English open house can most likely give students and professors a chance to talk about transferring options to different schools.
“It helps students with the connection between student and professor, we also have been helping students with plans to transfer,” Smoley said.
The English department even hosts workshops in the Writing and Reading Success Center to help students get better at writing, which could be good for students who struggle.
“There are all kinds of resources in the writing success center, it’s an excellent place to study. They hold raffles where students can win a $100 Visa gift card,” Smoley said.
Smoley helped create the Center and helps to host the workshops that may help students with writing projects.
“Creative writers get feedback and suggestions from their peers, ‘is this working or not’…they foster a network forming their own writer group collaborations which could be good for sparking more novels with each other down the line,” Smoley said.
There are rooms in the writing success center that can be used for group projects equipped with big screen televisions that can be hooked up for presentations so students can practice.