Five members of the UMES

English department are taking

the concept of “lifelong

learning” to heart. Department chair Richard

Keenan and faculty members

Marilyn Buerkle, Sandra

Johnston, Bonni Miller and

Ronald Webster are all

auditing foreign language

courses this semester. Dr.

Keenan and Ms. Johnston are

studying French; the others

are attempting to learn

Spanish.

This is not the first time

professors have sat in on

language courses. Some use

the opportunity to brush up

their skills in preparation for

PhD programs, others see the

exercise strictly as fun. “I am

studying German...and I

thought it would be

interesting to see how the

two languages (Spanish

and German)

complement...one another,” explains Dr.

Webster.

Ms. Miller is joined in

Spanish class by some of

her advisees and two of

her current students. She

is well aware that as a

student she is modeling

study skills and habits so, as

she says, “I had better mind my p’s and q’s.” Ms.

Johnston also finds a

current technical

writing student as a

classmate in French

102. “I have found

that knowing some of

the students provides

some camaraderie

and moral support,”

she says. “It helps

to be among friendly faces.” She

says it also helps to

see the world from a

student’s perspective.

According to Ms. Johnston,

“It’s good to switch roles

occasionally.”

Dr. Keenan is pleased

faculty members are taking

language courses. He

believes it communicates that

“language has value, that it

offers rewarding challenge.”

He hopes students recognize “studying the language of

another culture reinforces the

importance of structure,

expression, and sensitivity to

other cultures, and that

combination remains

indispensable to truly

effective communication.”

Four semesters of foreign

language are required of English (non-teaching)

majors. Spanish professor

Carole Champagne sees that

as an opportunity. “I stress

the non-linguistic aspects...as

they relate to ...career goals

and a global education,” she

says.

Très intéressant, n’est-ce

pas?

Buenos Días Profesors Faculty Members as Foreign Language Students

The Year of Languages The 2004-2005 school year

has been designated “The

Year of Languages.” A

congressional proclamation establishing the celebration

says foreign language study

should be “promoted and

expanded in elementary

schools, secondary schools,

institutions of higher

learning, business and

government programs.”

Language instructors point

out that this year-long

focus on foreign language

study comes at a

particularly fortuitous time; experts hope it will get

government leaders to

connect fluency in

languages to our

heightened concerns for

homeland security.

Plans for a booklet of ideas

to promote foreign

language study was part of

the informal discussion at the

spring technology conference

of the Maryland Foreign

Language Association (MFLA). Susan Cooledge,

UMES’ French language

instructor, is a member of the

MFLA board of directors and

attended the conference

entitled “Techfest at Bowie:

The Sequel” on Saturday,

March 13, in Bowie,

Maryland.

INS

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Volume 3 Issue 3

April 2004

Over the shoulders of Ms. Bonni Miller (far left) and Dr. Ron Webster (far

right) in Spanish 101.

Dr. Richard Keenan and Madame

Susan Cooledge in French 101

WANTED: STUDENT

POETS

The Department of English and Modern

Languages will hold its annual poetry contest on

Thursday, April 29. Students from all campus departments are invited to enter and present original

works.

INTERESTED?

See Dr. Barbara Seabrook in Wilson Hall for entry

information.

UMES students enrolled in ENGL 238, Television Production and

Programming, got a live demonstration of the professional skills they are

developing in class. The students

recently visited WBOC TV, a locally owned CBS affiliate in nearby

Salisbury, Maryland.

The group toured the facility with

Assistant News Director Steve

Hammond. Following the tour, the

students were invited to the studio and

the control room to observe the live

production of the station’s seven p.m.

local news. After the show, the class

met with the evening news, sports and

weather anchors for an informal question and answer session.

Across the board, the WBOC news

department employees stressed the need

for hands-on internships. Melanie

Lawson, Mr. Hammond’s co-anchor, told

the students she completed three

internships before her college graduation.

The UMES TV production students were

familiar with some of the technical

equipment they encountered at WBOC.

They have been trained in a small

production studio housed in Wilson Hall.

There, the class serves as crew for a weekly campus news program produced by the

UMES student government association.

by a three-year-old

grandson.

Ms. Christian has easy access to her

computer, so feel free

to communicate with

her by email through

her UMES account.

She expects to return

to fulltime teaching

responsibilities

this fall.

Students Tour WBOC TV

after two weeks of hobbling

around with that injury, she

fell at home and strained the

hamstring in her left leg. (Ouch!) Now she’s staying

put until both legs heal.

Ms. Christian’s get-well-

regimen includes three

physical therapy sessions per

week, plenty of reading,

some poetry writing and

tender loving care delivered

We’re pleased to report

faculty member Sandra

Christian is working her

way back to good health. Ms. Christian is sidelined

this semester, recuperating

from multiple leg injuries.

On February 4, she took a

fall on a patch of ice while

walking her dog. That spill

resulted in a torn hamstring

muscle in her right leg;

FACULTY MEMBER “ON THE MEND”

UMES students in WBOC newsroom

News anchors Steve Hammond and Mela-

nie Lawson answer student questions

Students on WBOC news set (L to R): David Atsebha, Michael Wilson,

Diane Richardson, LaToya Fewell, Emanuella Lazard, Tiana Bragg,

Camille Nesbitt, Shannon Lee,

Michelle Dupree and Devon Beck

Ms. Christian, temporarily out of commission

Photo credit: Barbara Seabrook

Insights is edited by faculty

member Marilyn Buerkle with the

assistance of instructional design

specialist Kaye Pinhey. If you

have information you would like

to appear in this publication,

please contact our editor at 410-

651-8349 or mlbuerkle@umes.edu

TESTING LITERARY KNOWLEDGE UMES English Tutor Wins Jeopardy Competition Being the official tutor of the UMES

Department of English and Modern

Languages appears to be a distinct

advantage when competing in the

Jeopardy tournament sponsored by the local chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the

national English honor society. Michael

Cooper was the runaway winner at the

recent competition held in the Student

Services Center. Cooper is employed as

a part time tutor for the department.

Sabrina Richardson and Kyana

Woolridge, officers of Sigma Tau Delta,

did their best impressions of TV host

Alex Trebeck. They questioned

contestants in a series of categories including American literature,

literary terms, grammar and world

literature. Like the popular TV show,

UMES Jeopardy contestants were quick

to “buzz in” with their answers, earning

points for correct answers and penalties

for incorrect responses.

Diversity Conference Held

English faculty member Clement Okafor attended a recent

conference on diversity, sponsored by the Faculty Initiatives

Committee of the University System of Maryland.

The day-long event was entitled “Teaching Diversity/Thinking Diversity 2004” and was held on

Saturday, March 13 at Bowie State University. Among the

wide ranging topics discussed were preparing culturally

sensitive teacher candidates; developing culturally

appropriate language for classroom use; assisting in the

acclimation of diverse faculty members; and, recognizing the

special diversity issues related to online learning.

English teacher candidates and students who would like to

become English teacher candidates, take note and mark your

calendars. Successful passage of the Praxis I and II tests is

critical to your future.

All students who wish to apply for the UMES teacher education

program must take and pass Praxis I. The test can be

individually scheduled at the Sylvan Learning Center; if the

student chooses to take the test at a university site, there are

only two remaining dates that will provide scores before the

start of the fall semester. Although registration for the test to be

held April 17 closed last month, there is still a June 12 test date.

Don’t procrastinate; registration for that session closes May 11.

UMES students who are already teacher candidates must pass

the Praxis II test before they can begin their internship. That test can only be conducted at a university site. Praxis II tests

will be held on April 17 and June 12, with the same registration

deadline as the Praxis I tests.

Praxis Deadline Looms

A series of

playoff rounds

were held,

winnowing the

field to four contestants in a

final

championship

round. Mr.

Cooper scored

early and often,

holding his

fellow contestants scoreless for a

significant portion of the final round.

The department’s faculty advisor to the

honor society, Miriam Gyimah, inaugurated the Jeopardy competition as

a fun way to reward academic

scholarship.

Hosts Kyana Woolridge and Sabrina Richardson question panelists (L to R) Michael Cooper,

Reginald English, Earl Holland and Tiana Bragg

Dr. Gyimah serves as

contest judge

TO REGISTER TO TAKE PRAXIS I OR II

SEE MICHAEL NUGENT

UMES PRAXIS COORDINATOR

ROOM 1121 LIDA BROWN

manugent@umes.edu 410-651-8362

Scholarship $ Available

The Chesapeake Associated Press Broadcasters Association

offers help to aspiring journalists through its annual

scholarship competition. Juniors and seniors interested in

careers in electronic journalism compete for a $2,000 award.

Students attending college in Maryland, Delaware or the

District of Columbia are eligible to apply. They will submit

essays to be judged by a panel of professionals currently

employed in the Chesapeake region of the Associated Press.

In addition to the cash award, which can be used for school

expenses or for the expensive process of beginning a job

search, the winning candidate is invited to attend the group’s

2004 convention, an annual event held each summer in

Ocean City, Maryland.

Entries must be submitted by May 1. The winner will be

announced May 15.

The UMES academic team, coached

by English faculty member Jack

Thomas, had its best finish yet at the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge,

held March 25-29 in Orlando, Florida.

The five member team, including

English major Earl Holland, placed

second overall and earned more than

$25,000 in prize money for the

University.

The team competed in the final round

against Morehouse College after

emerging from a field of 64 teams, all

representing America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities

(HBCU).

The Honda corporation sponsors the

annual competition, showcasing the

intellectual acumen of the HBCU

students who compete. Over the last

13 years, more than 15,000 students

have participated. During three days of

intense round-robin Jeopardy-style

competition, the players answer a range of

tough questions across the academic

disciplines.

In addition to Mr.

Holland, the UMES

team includes

Janiece Blackmon,

Matthew Lang,

Quinnisha Smith

and Mumbi

Thande-Kamiru.

Mr. Lang, Mr. Holland and Ms.

Thande-Kamiru are

all seasoned

veterans of the

Honda Classic.

Dr. Thomas says,

“Hard work and

dedication pay off.”

UMES’ African Language Research

Project held its annual spring

workshop/seminar at the Sheraton

Inner Harbor Hotel in Baltimore,

Maryland, March 5-6. The event was entitled “African Language Software

and Publications: Past, Present and

Future.”

English faculty member Chester

Hedgepeth directs the project and

delivered the welcoming remarks. A

progress report on research efforts to

develop software that automates the

translation of certain African

languages included presentations from

representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Lockheed

Martin Corporation.

Faculty member Clement Okafor

attended the presentations.

Induction Scheduled There will soon be four new members of UMES’ Psi Mu

Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the national English honor

society. A formal induction ceremony will be held April 9 in

the Student Services Center. The theme of the induction

ceremony is “The Essence of Scholarship.”

Four young men— Michael Cooper, Michael Durant, Paul

Willey and Ralph Kimbrough— have been invited to join the

group based on their academic achievement and their

performance during a rigorous application and interview

process.

Both Mr. Cooper and Mr.

Willey are English

majors; Mr. Durant is an

education major with a minor in English, and Mr.

Kimbrough is a business

major.

Sigma Tau Delta was founded in 1924. What began as an

English club at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell,

South Dakota, is now an international organization with over

470 chapters located in the United States, Canada, Europe

and the Caribbean.

Dr. Mary Fair Burks, Professor Emeritus, founded the Psi Mu

Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta at UMES in 1974. Dr. Burks wanted to highlight exceptional students who appreciated the

study of English and literature. Each year the chapter selects

the students most likely to continue the purpose of Sigma Tau

Delta and the vision of Dr. Burks.

Hawks Soar in Florida

PLANNING CALENDER

Honors Convocation April 1

English Faculty/Staff Meeting April 6

Dinner Theater April 15-16-17

Commencement May 16

Coach Thomas (center) at a recent

regional competition with UMES academic

team member Mr.

Holland (R)

A.L.R.P. SEMINAR HELD IN

BALTIMORE

ENGLISH JUGGERNAUT ENDS

A ll good things must come to an end; so, this month, a new Mr. and Miss UMES will be selected, ending the

reign of a pair of English majors:

Sabrina Richardson

and Halim Mustafa.

Even though there is not an English major running for Mr.

UMES in the upcoming competition, the majority of

candidates for his counterpart, Miss UMES, are English majors.

So, it’s possible at least one of the high profile university ambassadors

will remain a representative of the UMES Department of English

and Modern Languages. Keep your fingers crossed!

Outgoing Miss & Mr. UMES

AC ADEMI C T EAM SC ORES BI G W I N