EGSA Digest 08.30.13
EGSA,
On behalf of President Milburn and the other EGSA officers, welcome to Baylor English Graduate Studies 2013-2014. We hope that your first week of the semester has been delightful and that you’ve felt the warm embrace of the English Graduate Student Association. Figuratively.
For those of you who feel a little lost (or hungry or uncomfortable after that previous paragraph), you’re now reading the EGSA Digest. It will help. It is EGSA’s primary method of communication, and it magically appears in your inbox every Friday to give you delectable guidance and reassurance in your life, like this:
Proven tips for success during this year of graduate studies:
- Pay your dues. Literally. We want expect your money. EGSA Treasurer Christina Boyles is prepared to follow you around and talk about Minnesota until you give her your mandatory $10 donation.
- Read the Digest. Some of you may be tempted, on occasion, to skip it. Don’t be like that. It hurts you more than it hurts me.
- Click here and update your information sometime between now and thirty seconds from now. First-year students, we have an honored tradition here in EGSA of promptly doing this at the beginning of each year. Everyone else, remember how I had to ask you like a dozen times to do this last year? Don’t be like that, either.
- Finally, you may want to consider going to class and writing and looking up things on Wikipedia and stuff.
The Digest also gives you Announcements, like this:
General EGSA Meeting
- You are invited to our first EGSA meeting of the school year. This is an opportunity to meet this year’s officers, hear inspired and possibly even important words from our president, and participate more fully in this fabulous organization.
- More importantly, it is an opportunity to not be tutoring, lesson planning, or writing.
- So make sure you’re in CS 101 next Fri., 6 Sep., at 2:30pm. We’ll keep it short. Plenty of time to get to Jones by 3:30 (see MRRS event below).
Additionally, the Digest informs you of Upcoming Events, like these:
EGSA Game Night & Ice Cream Social, Tonight, 7:30pm, 2500 Marketplace Dr.
- This is a basic, lackluster reminder only. For bright colors and additional details, refer to Sarah Rude’s invitation forwarded earlier this week and conveniently attached to this email.
- Gate code: 5335
- Ice cream toppings and games: requested
- Swimming attire: recommended (for swimmers)
- Black bean burgers: questionable
- Guests: welcome
- Changing room: handy
- Rowdy bouts of chicken fights in the pool and of Scrabble in the community room: highly anticipated
Seminar for Excellence in Teaching (SET), Thurs., 5 Sep., 2:30-3:30pm, MMSCI 250
- Blaine McCormick (Management), “Creating a Culture of Academic Integrity in the Classroom”
- Somebody writes, “The Baylor University honor code challenges students to conduct their academic affairs with the ‘…utmost honesty and integrity.’ Just what does this mean and how might an instructor put it into practice on a daily basis? This seminar will both raise awareness about the amazing Baylor University Honor Code as well as equip instructors with practical, creative tools to promote academic integrity on a daily basis. Special attention will be given to the process of confronting suspicious behavior.”
- I’m still working on creating a culture of students listening to me in the classroom, but this sounds pretty good.
- Also good-sounding are some of the other SETs this semester, which you can view by clicking on thisschedule.
- Be sure to register and tell Ginger Hanchey that I did a good job of encouraging you to go.
 Medieval and Renaissance Research Seminar (MRRS), Fri., 6 Sep., 3:30pm, Jones Library 2ndFloor
- Adam Marshall writes, “Our very own Dr. Hope Johnston will be delivering a presentation entitled ‘Your Own Personal Chaucer: Early Printed Books Customized by Their Owners.’ E-mail Rachel DeSmith, Adam Marshall, or Sarah Rude with any questions.
- At the Leatham home, we have a whole collection of former library books that have been “customized” by our children. It’s expensive, as I’m sure Dr. Johnston will explain.
Autumn in Texas: a Party, Fri., 13 Sep., 7:00pm, Watsons’
- Like all of you, I was happy to learn that forces have combined to place Jim in happier circumstances. Presumably, things with Miss Porphyry worked out. Unfortunately, it leaves us only with what we can decipher from JDW’s communications. Even with their new readability and bullet points, they require something in the way of additional information, like an address: 3821 Lasker Ave., Waco, if I remember correctly.
So, ultimately, the purpose of the Digest is to provide you with important, relevant information in a single electronic correspondence so that you don’t have to receive a bunch of individual emails throughout the week. So let’s maybe give that a shot this year, and if you have something EGSA-related to say to everyone, let me know (Jeremy_Leatham@baylor.edu) so I can include it here on Fridays.
Penultimately, the EGSA Digest is intended for all current Baylor English graduate students. If you do not fit that description, I can remove you from this email list at your request. If you know of anyone who does fit that description and is not on my list, please let me know.
Finally, by the time you finish the Digest, you’ll probably be hungry (again), so remember to bring snacks next time.
See? Wasn’t that deliciously orienting and reassuring? Until next meal,
Jeremy Leatham
EGSA Secretary
