News Archive 2019
December 2019
Dr. Heidi Hanrahan, Shepherd University professor of English and 2018 West Virginia Professor of the Year, gave the keynote address during the December 12th doctoral hooding ceremony at her alma mater, University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The address, “We Are All Bound Up Together,” was inspired by poet Frances Watkins Harper’s 1866 speech at the National Women’s Rights Convention. Dr. Hanrahan, who has taught at Shepherd since 2007, received her M.A. and Ph.D. in English from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. We continue to be so proud of our rock star colleague!
¡Vamonos a Mexico! Travel with Shepherd University’s Spanish program to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula this coming May. Students can earn three or six credit hours. The $1,799 cost includes airfare, Spanish classes, family stays, some meals, cooking classes, and excursions to Mérida, Cancún, and the Mayan ruins. Dr. Berenschot will be hosting an information session about the trip on Wednesday, December 11th, at 3:10 p.m. in Knutti Hall’s room 207. If you can’t attend the session or just want more information, contact Dr. Berenschot at dberensc@shepherd.edu or 240 367-2424. In the meantime, take a look at this brochure.
The next meeting of Shepherd University’s Stammtisch will be on Monday, December 9th, at 4:00 p.m. The group will meet at the Blue Moon Café. Stammtisch is a conversation group for German speakers, and everybody is welcome—from beginners to native speakers. For more information, contact Dr. Eva Suárez (esuarezb@shepherd.edu).
On December 4th (the Wednesday after Thanksgiving Break), the second group of English Capstone students presented their work from 5:00 until 6:00 p.m. in Reynolds Hall. That group included Lexy Amaro, who read from her novel Brown-Eyed Girl; Emily Grabill talked about her developing novel, A Midnight’s Horror, and read an excerpt of an early chapter; Bethany Kaetzel read an excerpt from a short story she is developing, a part of a larger collection, Elegy to Myth; and Alexandra Rowe read passages from her critical essay, “Batman, Daffy, Wimpy, and Girls on the Run, Oh My! Postmodernism and the Cartoon World in John Ashbery’s Poetry.” All of the Capstone students did well this year and made the faculty proud.
November 2019
The Department of English and Modern Languages is pleased to celebrate this latest crop of English Capstone presentations. On Wednesday, November 20th, a small group of English Capstone students presented their work. That group included Marilyn Creager, who talked about and read from her collection of Appalachian short stories, Where the Phoebes Fly; Andrea Monsma spoke about the creation of her play, Farewell to the Student Government, and a scene was read by multiple performers; Lena Nuñez discussed the development of her play, Charity, Cubes and Caroline, and a trio of actors performed a scene from it; and Katreena Stracke talked about and read an excerpt from her eco-fantasy work, The Glass Province.
As part of its free lecture series, the Scarborough Society of Shepherd University will sponsor a program featuring Dr. Carrie Messenger on Tuesday, November 19th, at 7:00 p.m. in the Scarborough Library Reading Room. Dr. Messenger will discuss her award-winning collection of short stories, In the Amber Chamber, in which fairy tales and speculative fiction intersect with the hard facts of Eastern European history. A dessert reception will follow the presentation. The Scarborough Society is a friends of the library organization sponsored by the Shepherd University Foundation. Annual membership dues help support library acquisitions, technology, and programs.
On Saturday, November 9th, Dr. Nixon escorted a group of German students and faculty members through a visit of some sites of interest in Washington, DC. The highlight of the trip was a tour of the home of Christian Heurich, a nineteenth-century mansion that is oftentimes referred to as “the Brewmaster’s Castle.” The group saw die Vereinigte Kirche, a protestant church in Foggy Bottom where German-language services are still held, and everybody enjoyed lunch at Café Mozart. Dr. Krantz and her daughter Anna and Dr. Suárez and her husband, Dr. Carsten Krebs, were also on the trip. Es war ein herrlicher Ausflug!
The next meeting of Shepherd University’s Stammtisch will be on Monday, November 11th, at 5:00 p.m. The group will meet at the Blue Moon Café. Stammtisch is a conversation group open to German speakers of all ability levels (native speakers to beginners). For more information, contact Dr. Eva Suárez (esuarezb@shepherd.edu).
The Rude Mechanicals Medieval and Renaissance Players present William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream November 1st – 10th. Performances are Friday, November 1st, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, November 2nd, at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, November 3rd, at 3:00 p.m.; Thursday, November 7th, at 8:30 p.m.; Friday, November 8th, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, November 9th, at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, November 10th, at 3:00 p.m. General admission is $10; Shepherd University students, faculty, and staff get in for free; admission for other students is $2. Tickets will be available for purchase at the door. For more information, contact Dr. Betty Ellzey (304-876-5208, bellzey@shepherd.edu).
October 2019
Our very own Dr. Christy Wenger was the keynote speaker at the Western States Rhetoric and Literacy Conference. The conference was held in Bozeman, Montana on October 25th and 26th. Dr. Wenger’s talk was titled “‘Going on Being:’ Mindful Leadership in Higher Education for Teachers, Scholars, and Administrators.” Dr. Wenger’s talk addressed leadership development within higher education and explored what education leaders can learn from the multi-billion-dollar corporate leadership industry, especially focusing on the growing interest in and application of mindful leadership. Well done, Christy!
On Tuesday, October 22nd, the poet Kathy Mangan visited Dr. Pate’s Introduction to Creative Writing class, reading from her recent book Taproot and discussing her trajectory as a poet. She has been published in Ploughshares and The Southern Review, among other places, and has taught for more than forty years at McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. Dr. Mangan is a Professor of English and the Joan Develin Coley Chair of Creative Expression and the Arts at McDaniel. She lives in Baltimore.
Shepherd University and the Department of English and Modern Languages are both extremely proud to announce that our very own chapter of Sigma Tau Delta (ΣΤΔ), the international English honors society, has been given an Outstanding Chapter award—only one of four chapters worldwide to be so recognized. The Outstanding Chapter Award is designed to recognize local chapters that have exhibited outstanding motivation, creativity, and service in the preceding year. In making the award, Sigma Tau Delta International Honor Society cited the Shepherd chapter for exciting literacy-related programming, significant contributions to the annual convention, and impressive accomplishments by individual members that would be helpful as models for other chapters. Our hearty congratulations to Dr. Hanrahan (the ΣΤΔ faculty sponsor) and the student members for this well-deserved recognition!
On Tuesday, October 22nd, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., Dr. Betty Ellzey and The Rude Mechanicals Medieval and Renaissance Players will offer a sneak peak into this semester’s production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The preview and a presentation by Dr. Ellzey will be held in the Scarborough Library Reading Room. A dessert reception will follow. The event is part of The Scarborough Society Art and Lecture Series.
September 2019
On September 21st, four Shepherd students/recent graduates—Gabrielle Hersey (2019 graduate), Claudia McCarron (2019 graduate), Linnea Meyer, and Caitlyn Sheets—led a roundtable presentation entitled “Nineteenth-Century Women Writers at Work” at the Sigma Tau Delta Regional Conference hosted by Mount St. Mary’s College. Dr. Indrani Mitra, Professor of English at Mount St. Mary’s, emailed us to let us know that she was “very impressed by the quality of their research and their articulate presentations.” She added, “Their personal and passionate engagement with the material made their presentations especially enjoyable. Thank you for sending this impressive team of young women to the conference.” And thanks to Caitlyn, Claudia, Gabby, and Linnea for making us all look so good!
The next meeting of Shepherd University’s Stammtisch will be on Tuesday, September 24th, at 4:00 p.m. The group will meet at the Blue Moon Café. Stammtisch is a conversation group open to German speakers of all ability levels (native speakers to beginners). For more information, contact Dr. Eva Suárez (esuarezb@shepherd.edu).
On Saturday, September 14th, Ashley Hess and Fiona Tracey took part in Hood College’s Discovering the Humanities Conference. Ashley presented a paper entitled “Ovid’s Metamorphoses as a Feminist Text,” which she wrote for Dr. Nixon’s Greek Mythology course, and Fiona presented a paper entitled “Rejection, Emulation and Exploitation: Feminism in the Columns of Fanny Fern and Candace Bushnell,” which she wrote for Dr. Hanrahan’s American Literature to 1900 class. Congratulations to these two women, and thanks to them for making us look so good!
August 2019
The next meeting of Shepherd University’s Stammtisch will be on Wednesday, August 28th, at 4:00 p.m. The group will meet at the Blue Moon Café. Stammtisch is a conversation group open to German speakers of all ability levels (native speakers to beginners). For more information, contact Dr. Eva Suárez (esuarezb@shepherd.edu).
The Rude Mechanicals Medieval and Renaissance Players announce auditions for Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream on Wednesday, August 28th, and Thursday, August 29th, from 8:00 to 10:30 p.m., in Reynolds Hall. There are multiple roles (both large and small) for all genders and all levels of experience. Tech crew, singers, musicians, dancers, artists, and videographers are also needed. Shepherd University students earn 3 credits for acting or being on tech crew. For more information, contact Dr. Betty Ellzey (bellzey@shepherd.edu; 304-876-5208).
July 2019
The next meeting of Shepherd University’s Stammtisch will be on Tuesday, July 16th, between 4:00 and 4:30 p.m. The group will meet at the Mecklenburg Inn, specifically out back in the Biergarten. Stammtisch is a conversation group open to German speakers of all ability levels (native speakers to beginners). For more information, contact Dr. Eva Suárez (esuarezb@shepherd.edu).
May 2019
On Friday, May 31st, 2019, the Department celebrated the 200th anniversary of Walt Whitman’s birth. Dr. Hanrahan pulled together a wandering event that began at the Rumsey Monument, stopped at McMurran Hall, and ended at Four Seasons Bookstore. At each stop individuals read excerpts of Whitman’s poetry or pieces inspired by Whitman. Shepherd University faculty, staff, alumnae, and community members participated. Featured readers included Dr. James Pate, assistant professor of English; Ms. Sadie Shorr-Parks, adjunct instructor of English; Mr. Ed Zahniser, Shepherdstown poet; and Ms. Katie Quinnelly, Shepherd alumna. Birthday cake and wine were enjoyed after the reading at the bookstore. Happy Birthday, Walt!
Congratulations to our own Jessica Perez, a 2019 graduate! Jessica was awarded an Honorable Mention in the David M. Prior Award essay contest. You can read Jessica’s essay about the value of a liberal arts education on the web site of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC).
April 2019
On Monday, April 29th, four students were inducted into Shepherd University’s chapter of Sigma Delta Pi (ΣΔΠ), the national collegiate Hispanic honor society. The spring 2019 inductees include Henry Navarrete Méndez, Nicole Merkel, Devin Spinks, and Rosa Raez-García. (Rosa was not available to be in the picture.) The ceremony is held annually, and eligible students are selected for membership by the faculty.
On Wednesday, April 24th, Shepherd University’s College of Arts and Humanities held a Student Recognition Day. Students from all departments in the college were celebrated for their accomplishments. The following students received awards from the Department of English and Modern Languages:
- Claudia McCarron—Outstanding English Major
- Gabrielle Hersey—Outstanding English Major (Creative Writing)
- Paige Conrad—Outstanding English Major (Literature)
- Jessica Friend—Outstanding English Major (English Education)
- Gabrielle Kijewski—Outstanding English Minor
- Rosa Raez-Garcia—Outstanding Spanish Major
- Olivia Barrett—Outstanding Spanish Minor
- Rebecca Kamp—Outstanding Modern Language Minor
- Justin Cole—Outstanding Journalism Minor
- Alexandra McCarron and Linnea Meyer—Nellie Gant Owens Scholarship
- Bethany Kaetzel—Elizabeth T. Brown Scholarship
- Alexandra Rowe—Josephine E. McMurran Kellogg Scholarship
- Marilyn Creager—Vera Malton Scholarship
- John-Paul Bronzi—Catherine Fix Essay Award
We could not be happier to announce that our very own Dr. Heidi Hanrahan, Professor of English, was named the 2018 West Virginia Professor of the Year at an awards ceremony and dinner at the Culture Center in Charleston on Tuesday, April 9th! Dr. Hanrahan’s teaching, as well as her service to the campus and the community, were emphasized in her nomination. The award is bestowed on a selected professor every year by the state’s Faculty Merit Foundation. We are so proud of you, Heidi!
On Tuesday, April 2nd, the honor society for international scholars, Phi Beta Delta (ΦΒΔ)—specifically Shepherd University’s Theta Epsilon chapter—held its annual induction ceremony. One of our own, Dr. Rachel Krantz, was inducted, as was our Dean, Mr. Dow Benedict. 
Dr. Denis Berenschot, Associate Professor of Spanish, is the president of Phi Beta Delta and welcomed the inductees into the organization. Congratulations, Rachel and Dow! Well deserved recognition, indeed!
Congratulations to John-Paul Bronzi, winner of this year’s Catherine Fix Essay Contest, awarded annually to the best essay written for English 101 or 102. John-Paul’s essay, “Queen of the Freak Bikes,” composed for Prof. Sadie Shorr-Parks’ ENGL102 class, is vividly written, compelling, and timely. It uses different kinds of sources (interviews, etc.) to make an academic argument that is also about the “real world.” It incorporates images seamlessly and intelligently into the prose. It teaches readers about a world/culture that they probably know nothing about and makes them want to know more. Congratulations, John-Paul!
March 2019
Shepherd University hosted the 27th annual West Virginia Undergraduate Literary Symposium on Saturday, March 23rd. Students from all over West Virginia—including Concord University, Davis & Elkins College, Fairmont State University, and West Liberty University, as well as eight students from Shepherd—attended and presented their work. Dr. Heidi Hanrahan and Dr. Timothy Nixon organized the event, with the help of their colleagues in the Department of English and Modern Languages and the assistance of English faculty from across the state. Members of Shepherd’s chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honor Society, helped plan the event and served as session moderators. Dr. Carrie Messenger, Associate Professor of English, gave a keynote address and read from her new book In the Amber Chamber. Shepherd students won five of the six prizes, including both top prizes overall. Claudia McCarron, who won for Outstanding Written Essay, also won the same prize in 2017. In the Outstanding Written Essay category, the winners were Claudia McCarron (1st place), Elisha Pidcock (2nd place), and Alex McCarron (3rd place). In the Outstanding Presentation category, Bethany Kaetzel won 1st place, and Bailee Dugan of West Liberty and Linnea Meyer tied for 2nd place.
Shepherd University’s Rude Mechanicals Medieval and Renaissance Players will perform three plays written by Shepherd creative writing students and a short medieval play set in contemporary America from Friday, March 29th, to Saturday, April 6th, in Reynolds Hall. For the full roster of performances and showtimes, visit the Rude Mechanicals web page. Admission is $5 general public; $2 other students; and free for Shepherd University students with a valid Rambler ID, faculty, and staff. For more information, contact Dr. Betty Ellzey (304 876-5208 or bellzey@shepherd.edu).
The official release party of volume 43 of Sans Merci, Shepherd University’s creative magazine, featuring poetry, prose, and art by Shepherd undergraduates, edited by Shepherd undergraduates, will be held on Thursday, March 21st, at the War Memorial Building at the corner of German Street and King Street. The party will be from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., and a reading will begin at 7:00 p.m.
On Wednesday, March 6th, Dr. Eva-María Suárez Büdenbender, Associate Professor of Spanish, received the Storer College Faculty Award, which recognizes a member of Shepherd’s faculty who incorporates diversity and social justice into his or her classroom, research, scholarship, and interaction with students. The award and the ceremony are sponsored by the University’s Diversity and Equity Committee. In her remarks, Dr. Suárez talked about people being grouped in easily defined identity categories—how her research explores that tendency, how her teaching challenges that behavior, and how her life exemplifies that experience. Way to go Eva!
February 2019
On Saturday, February 23rd, Four Seasons Books in Shepherdstown hosted a release party for Dr. Carrie Messenger’s story collection, In the Amber Chamber, which was recently published by Brighthorse Books. There was a reading, a question-and-answer session, and a book signing event. Congratulations Carrie!
The next meeting of Shepherd University’s Stammtisch (German-speaking conversation group) will be on Tuesday, February 19th. The group will gather at The Blue Moon at 4:00 p.m. Speakers at all levels of proficiency, beginners to natives, are welcome. For more information, contact Dr. Eva Suárez (esuarezb@shepherd.edu).
Congratulations to Claudia McCarron, whose essay “The Revelation to Jane: Christianity and Apocalypse in Jane Eyre” was published in the 2019 volume of the Sigma Tau Delta Review! This essay grew out of a paper Claudia wrote for Dr. Hanrahan’s ENGL402 (The Bible as Literature) class. We are very proud of Claudia, the first Shepherd student to be published in the Review!
Congratulations to Lilli Sutton! She was awarded a scholarship to attend a poetry workshop by Maryland’s poet laureate, Michael Collier. The workshop was held on Saturday, February 9th. Prior poems by Lilli have been published in Sans Merci and The Albion Review.
Six Shepherd students have had their work accepted for presentation at the Sigma Tau Delta International Convention in St. Louis in March. The students are Katharine Hardy, Gabrielle Hersey, Sarah Markle, Alex McCarron, Claudia McCarron, and Lilli Sutton. Way to go women!