EGSA Digest 04.12.13
EGSA,
Well, it’s been five months. The dust has settled and the economy is recovering, but that hole inside of you will not be filled. Where are the bitter and divisive attack ads? Where is the mud-slinging? Where are the hollow promises? Above all, where is your justification to ignore your seminar papers, thesis, or dissertation? I’ve got your justification (and the sense of purpose and meaning you need to fill that void) right here. Get ready for EGSA Elections 2013.
Announcements
EGSA ELECTIONS – Important Announcement from President Kilpatrick
Hello All:
This year is coming quickly to a close, and the EGSA council has decided to run its annual elections. We are including the descriptions for the open positions, along with the name of the person currently filling the position. If you are interested in the job, nominate yourself; if you know of someone who would be great at the position, nominate them. Either way, get your nominations by email to Jeremy Leatham by Friday, April 19. Once we have all the nominations in and have confirmed with the nominees, we will run the election the following week online.
The last meeting of the year hasn’t been set yet, but it will likely be run by your new officers to gather pressing concerns for next school year. More information on that meeting will come as soon as we have it.
1. Vice President: Open (currently Michael Milburn, who will be President next year)
One year term; in second year, becomes President upon approval of EGSA.
Assists the president and the secretary in their duties as needed; along with the President, meets regularly with the GPD and department chair; promotes departmental and campus events (e.g. graduate faculty/student mixers, Beall Poetry Festival, Scholar’s Week); assists Professional Development Coordinators in developing heteroglossia events as needed; updates the EGSA calendar on the website.
2. Secretary: Open (currently Jeremy Leatham)
Records and distributes minutes of EGSA meetings; publishes an EGSA Digest (via email) with announcements from EGSA, GPD, Dept Chair, or other groups/individuals to graduate students on a weekly or bi-weekly basis; sends and collects emails ballots for open positions or other proposals as needed; gathers signatures for “Thank You†cards to secretaries, GPD, the Department chair, the director of freshman composition, the Writing Center director, and EGSA’s faculty advisors at the end of each year for their support of graduate students; keeps a list of current English graduate students, updating the spreadsheet on the EGSA website each year.
3. Treasurer: Open (currently Heidi Seelke)
Collects membership dues ($10) at the beginning of each year; confers with Lois Avey on the EGSA account and keeps financial reports/receipts for EGSA; assists the fundraising chair as needed and assists with the biannual EGSA Conference Financial Committee.
4. Peer Advisor: Open (currently Danielle Williams)
Serves as the contact person for graduate students who have questions about their specific English graduate programs of study; makes available and explains the worksheets for the PhD program and the MA program; sends reminders about deadlines and dissertation/thesis workshops for the graduate program.
5. Professional Development Coordinators (2): Open (currently DeAnn Barta and Josh Boyd)
These officers serve a one-year term. They offer at least one heteroglossia event per semester, soliciting advice from EGSA faculty advisors and Vice President as needed. (Successful past examples include CV writing workshop, publication/research agenda roundtable with professors, how-to sessions with graduate professor/s…)
6. GSA Representative: Open (currently Julie Ooms)
“This person should have been at Baylor for at least one year, with exceptions for those programs that are only one year long. The representative attends monthly GSA meetings, works with one of the standing committees (Academic, Social, or Policy), and exercises a vote on behalf of the graduate students in their department†(GSA description).
7. GSA Alternate: Open (currently Ryan Womack)
“An alternate may be a new student; usually one who is interested in ‘learning the ropes’ and serving as your department’s Representative the following year. The Alternate preferably attends all meetings with the representative, would be introduced to the activities and issues of GSA, and would have the proxy vote if the Representative is not in attendance.†(GSA description)
8. Technology Assistant: Open (currently Kalani Pattison)
The assistant helps the technology chair with his/her duties while learning the EGSA website in order to take over the Technology Chair position the following year.
9. Fundraising Chair: Open (currently Adam Marshall)
The Fundraising Chair is responsible for planning the annual book sale, which consists of collecting book donations, publicizing the event, coordinating volunteers, and working with Student Activities. Those who assist at any fundraising events are considered part of the fundraising committee.
10. Social Chairs (2): Open (currently Elizabeth Fredericks and Sarah Rude)
The two social chairs organize and promote events such as, but not limited to, a fall picnic, a holiday party, a spring Welcome Back Party, Bad Wine/Bad Poetry Night, etc. The fall picnic and Welcome Back party will be held on the first Saturday of the fall and spring semesters, respectively, and other events will be decided at the first EGSA meeting of the year and added to the EGSA calendar on the website.
20CRS, Today, 2:30-3:30pm, CS 101
- Gerard Carruthers, “Muriel Spark, Fiction and Religionâ€
- Refreshments following
MRRS: Graduate Student Research Panel, Today, 4-5pm, Jones 200
- Laura A. Clark, “Fate, Free Will, and Narrative Structure in Thomas Malory’s Morte d’Arthurâ€
- Christina Iluzada, “A Puritan Woman’s Response to Atomism: Order and Disorder as a Refutation of De rerum natura†Taylor Mazzola: “The Evolution of a Thesis: Digitizing Manuscripts and Developing Research Questionsâ€
- The real treat is attending
Watson Spring Party, Tomorrow, 7pm, Watsons’
- By all means, come celebrate the love of Miss Porphyry, which has healed the wound inflicted by Maggie so long ago, but do be sensitive to those who never have loved at all or pretend they haven’t.
- You’ve got it by now: 3821 Lasker Ave., Waco. Dress better than freshmen (always). Bring something better than edible or something at least potable.
Diadeloso . . .
. . . is closer than it was last week. It’s Spanish for Dayofthebear, but we would probably translate it as Dayyoudon’tgotoclassunlessyourprofessordecidestoholdclassanyway. And it’s the 18th. Buenisimo.
Upcoming Events
PROFF Workshop, Tues., 16 Apr., 3:00-4:30pm, No location posted
- “Primed for Success: Becoming a Quick Starter in Your First Academic Jobâ€
Lecture, Wed., 17 Apr., 4-5pm, Tidwell
- “Was Jesus Married to Mary Magdalene?â€
19CRS, Thurs., 18 Apr., 2:30-3:30pm, ABL Seminar Room
- Panel: “Religion and Literature: Current Directionsâ€
Lecture, Thurs., 18 Apr., 3-4pm, Memorial Drawing Room
- “When Image Is Everything: Aquinas and Augustine on the Vice of Vaingloryâ€
19CRS, Fri., 19 Apr., 3:30-4:30pm, ABL Lecture Hall
- Mark Knight, “A Tale of Two Cities: Dickens’s Tale of Conversionâ€
SET, Mon., 22 Apr., 4-5pm, No location posted
- Service and Learning in a Christian Community
SET, Thurs., 25 Apr., 11am-12pm, No location posted
- Fostering a Learning Community in the Classroom
19CRS, Fri., 26 Apr., 3:30-4:30pm, ABL
- Graduate Student Presentations
Whew. Digest that, EGSA. And then ask not what EGSA can do for you; ask what you (or someone you know) can do for EGSA. And then start nominating.
Jeremy Leatham
EGSA Secretary