Millikin offers three English majors—writing, literature,
and English Education—each emphasizing an innovative
contemporary approach of learning by reflective action.
We celebrate student performance as writers, readers, and
teachers of English—offering an educational journey
through great works of the past, exploring intriguing writings
of the present, and preparing students to write, edit, publish
or teach in the future. See our Majors page for details.
Printed copies of the Summer Reading List are around the University. If you want an electronic version, get it here.
Conant Award Winners
The 2009 Conant Awards were announced at Honors Convocation. The winners are:
Literary Creation
Winner: "Hard Shoes" by Kelle Sills
Honorable Mention: "Los Immigrantes" by Kelle Sills
"at autumn's edges" by Natalie Perfetti
Literary Interpretation
"Earthbound Creatures: Archetypical Oppression in "Under the Feet of Jesus"
by Natalie Perfetti
Conant English Department Award: Natalie Perfetti
Conant Society Achievement Award(s)
Galen Broaddus, Courtney Thompson, and Natalie Perfetti
Congratulations winners!
English Faculty Win Awards
Alpha Lambda Delta Teacher of the Year
Prof. Judi Crowe
JMS Educator of the Year
Dr. Anne Matthews
Honors in English
Seven graduating English majors are to receive Honors in English. Pictured in back, Galen Broaddus, Lauren Krage, Kelle Sills, and Kerry Dueker. In front, Courtney Thompson, Natalie Perfetti, Sam Sinkhorn.
Congratulations on your well-deserved honor!
Decaturian Wins Awards
At the 2009 Illinois College Press Association competition, The Decaturian, advised by Dr. Priscilla Meddaugh, brought home 8 awards, for of them 1st place. Winning awards were
Adam Kosberg, Column, First Place Alex Reed, Feature Story, First Place
Justin Allen, Sports Column, First Place
Kristin Ackmann, Sports Photo, First Place
Britteny DunsonEditorial, Second Place
Ben Dillow, News Photo, Second Place
Samantha Sinkhorn, Feature Story, Honorable Mention
Amy Ackerman, Sports Column, Honorable Mention
Contratulations to the entire Decaturian staff!
Postcard Exhibit & Lecture
Feb. 2-6, 2009
Kirkland Lower Gallery
Lecture by Carmella Braniger & Katie Myers-Wiesen
Feb 2, 2008, 6:00
Kirkland 128
What happens when a community of students, faculty, and staff come together to confess their secrets? In Fall 2008, the entire Millikin campus was invited to post a secret on a postcard. The secret could be a regret, hope, fantasy, belief, fear, betrayal, erotic desire, confession, funny experience, childhood humiliation, or unseen kindness. “Reveal anything!” we said. And you did.
Experience the power of creativity, community, and expression. Please join Hardy Professor Dr. Carmella Braniger, Research Fellow Katie Myers-Wiesen, Staley Library Faculty Debbie Campbell & Joe Hardenbrook, students of Queers & Allies, and students from Collage as we celebrate identity and diversity through unmasking and sharing with each other who we really are.
Photo-Haiga Exhibit
Staley Library
Feb. 3-15, 2009
Haiku Poets Reading Friday, February 6, 3:00 p.m.
What happens when a haiku poet and a photographer let their arts blend together into a new aesthetic experience, the photo-haiga? Find out at Drs. Brook's and Meddaugh's exhibit, where they explore the ways haiku and photography can work together in order to ask us to unmask ourselves in order to feel and see with the freshness of simply being alive.
Each year the Millikin University English Department sponsors a high-school poetry writing contest, with awards announced at the annual Literary Festival. This year's winners are
First Place
Qoc’a Revolorio "The Rain, part II"
Second Place
Haley Stojak "A Star in the Dark"
Third Place
Emily Conklin "Seasons Change"
Honorable Mentions
Ann Abney
Thalia Araujo
Jordan A. Benavides
Hannah Bradshaw
Sabrina DiGiovanni
Emily Glasgow
Casey N. Kennett
Nick Kochetta
Anthony Marvin
Danielle Miller
Marcus Moritz
Andrew Obert
Kelly Pembrick
Carissa Lynne Poplin
Lucy Quagraine
Raven Wall
Congratulations!
2008 Literary Festival
Millikin University's 6th Annual Literary Festival was held November 8-9. Joining our faculty were Lisa Fishman and Will Allison. See the photo archive page for a record of this successful event.
Lisa Fishman signs a book for Dr. O'Conner at the Literary Festival
Dr. Frech discusses poetry with a student attendee at the Literary Festival.
On April 24, 2008, several English students and two faculty members were honored with awards at the 2008 Awards Convocation. See details on the Awards page.
2009 Chicago Humanities Festival
Several English majors were selected to attend this year's Chicago Humanities Festival. English majors Kerry Dueker, Lauren Krage, and Sam Sinkhorn headed to Chicago for a weekend of humanities fun.
English Alum News
Aaron Bynum graduated from Millikin University in 2007 with a major
in writing. At Millikin he was one of the founding editors of Bronze Man Books. Aaron is now
Assistant Editor for Arborist News, a bimonthly (6 times a year) magazine published by the International Society of Arboriculture, located in Champaign, Illinois. He is currently in training to become the Managing Editor.
Maureen Ritter, class of 2006, writes that she has started teaching English at Grayslake Central High School in Grayslake, IL, up by the Wisconsin border. She will teach Freshman Language Arts and Senior British Literature. She also will be coaching a new speech team. Way to go Maureen!
Millikin English and Art majors have joined forces to found a new student publishing company, Bronze Man Books. See the new web site for more details.
Bronze Man Books is open for submissions of chapbooks & book proposals. BMB is also currently open for submissions to the Millikin University Haiku Anthology.
English Faculty News
See the latest faculty news of publications, community service, conference publications and accomplishments by Millikin's English faculty at English Faculty News.
Millikin University’s English department is receiving attention for its innovative curriculum that extends the Millikin’s integration of theory and practice into the English-Writing major.
Millikin University English faculty have been frequent presenters at national and regional conferences sharing the news about its innovative curriculum. Due to the growing reputation of its undergraduate writing major, the Millikin English department was invited to submit a chapter to a forthcoming book, Advance(d) Composition: Undergraduate Majors and the Future of the Discipline, to be published by Utah State University Press in 2008.
