Meet the Advisory Council!

Villanova's English department cares about community--whether that means discussions about literature in class, chatting about moldy mattresses and other horrors during All About the Bagels, or conversations about internships and upcoming classes at the pre-registration reception. Serving many important roles-- peer mentors, representatives of the English department, social media influencers, consultants, members of the English department's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee, journalists, swag designers--students on the Advisory Council do important work shaping our community. Look for them in classes and at English department events and don't be afraid to ask them about the major or share your ideas for Villanova English with them!

I am a senior English major with minors in History and Public Administration. I grew up in Washington, D.C., but most of my family lives in the Midwest (either around Michigan or in Chicago). Growing up in D.C. definitely shaped my career goals, instilling in me the importance of policy and politics in changing lives for the better. Therefore, I plan to enter the field of public policy (more specifically, education policy). After graduating, I would like to pursue my Master’s in public policy, with a focus on sustainable development. I hope to further promote equal access to quality education for all Americans and world citizens. My extracurricular activities include Blue Key Society and working as a Career Assistant at the Villanova Career Center. Last semester, I studied abroad in Prague, Czech Republic - it was amazing! I love to read, especially historical fiction novels, and one of my current favorites is All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr!

Hi! My name is Rachel Reardon. I am a senior majoring in both English and Political Science. I am involved in Student Government, Blue Key, and am editor in chief of a health and wellness blog called Be Well Nova. This year, I am applying to law school and am also doing a marketing internship! So excited to be on the Student Advisory Council. Feel free to reach out with any questions! My email is rreardon@villanova.edu.

Hi! My name is Catherine Wood and I am a senior English major with minors in Business, Communication, and Writing and Rhetoric. I am involved in the Morale Committee for NOVAdance and Alpha Gamma Delta. This summer, I interned at International Gaming Technology in their Total Rewards department, which was a great learning experience for me and allowed me to use my Business minor. I also went abroad to London for eight weeks which was an incredible opportunity that I highly recommend! After college I am hoping to go into either Human Resources or Editing and Publishing.

Hi! My name is Katie Reed, and I am a senior from Bellingham, MA double majoring in English and Communication. At Villanova, I am the news columnist for The Villanovan, a peer mentor for the COM department, and a Lorenzini Leadership Ambassador for the Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women's Leadership. I love reading, writing, and thinking creatively, so I am hoping to pursue a career in the editing and publishing field. I love any and every opportunity to hype up the English Department, so I am excited to be on the Student Advisory Council for another year and continue to make the department a welcoming and engaging environment. Email: kreed11@villanova.edu

Hi everyone! I’m Sarina. I’m a senior English major with minors in Chinese and Peace & Justice. At Villanova, I work at the graduate theatre department’s costume shop and the Writing Center. I am also an editorial assistant for the Pennsylvania Prison Society’s publication Graterfriends. My favorite books are Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison and There There by Tommy Orange. I’m also a huge fan of the science fiction and horror genres, and recently read Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica, which I would definitely recommend to those readers with a strong stomach! 

I am Kylie Horan, a junior English major with minors in Italian, Creative Writing, and Gender & Women's Studies. I tutor at the Writing Center and am currently serving as the President of Villanova Student Theatre! I am a massive book nerd and enjoy all things literary, but lately I've been particularly interested in pieces of creative nonfiction, like works by David Sedaris or Joan Didion. After completing my undergraduate degree, I hope to get my masters in Creative Writing and eventually teach at a college level.

My name is Erin Kruh and I am a junior double majoring in English and Education. My goals in my career are to eventually become a professor focusing on writing and editing skills with students! Along the way, I might work as an editor in a newspaper or something similar! I am involved in multiple ways on campus: I am an RA on West Campus, I work within the writing center, and I am a member of multiple clubs, such as LEVEL, which focuses on helping students on campus with disabilities. My email is ekruh@villanova.edu, and I am so excited to see where this semester goes! 

Hi everyone! My name is Rachel Rhee and I am so excited to serve on the English Department's Student Advisory Council this year. I am a junior English and Communication double major in the Honors Program with a Communication Specialization in Performance Studies. A writer and performer at heart who is passionate about the intersection between storytelling and education, I am interested in pursuing a career in teaching after graduation so I can share my love of reading, writing, and performing with others! On campus, you can find me planning events as the Director of Programming for Villanova's Student Government Association, discussing curriculum as a student representative on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and tap dancing with NOVAnoise. Over Fall Break, I will be traveling to Queen's University in Belfast, Ireland for a creative writing conference and I cannot wait to discuss the experience with others in the department.

Hi! My name is Jenna DeLeo and I am a senior English major with a minor in Education. As a transfer student to Villanova, I understand how overwhelming it can be to start fresh and choose a new path in life. After switching my major three times, I finally found my home in the English department. Feel free to reach out to ask me any and all questions about adjusting or even exploring a new major/minor! I hope to use my creativity and passion for writing in a future career and to fulfill my personal goals. On campus, I am a member of my sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and also enjoy volunteering with local students through education service hours. Off campus, I love spending time with family and friends, spoiling my golden retriever, and reading/watching anything true crime. While I do not yet know exactly where I will end up, I look forward to potentially becoming an English teacher and working with others to help shape a brighter future. My email is jdeleo3@villanova.edu

Name: Cynthia Choo

Year: Senior

Email: cchoo@villanova.edu

I am a senior English and Humanities double major in the Honors Program with an Education minor. In my time at Villanova, I've participated in the Korean Students Association as treasurer, vice president, and president, in the Intercultural Ambassador Program and Intergroup Relations Program as an ambassador, and in the Writing Center as a tutor! I am also a student-affiliate research fellow for the 'Steenth Street Project under the Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women's Leadership. Last, but not least, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Greece over the summer through the Communications department! Some of my favorite English classes have been Ulysses at 100, Lives of the Undocumented, and Souls for Sale in Modern Lit. My favorite literary genres include memoirs/autobiographies and dystopian fiction, but I really enjoy the vast array of texts I get to read as an English and Humanities major. Upon graduating, I hope to continue my studies in literature, and obtain my masters in Education and teaching certification for grades 7-12! :) 

Karina Zakarian

Senior English Major (Class of 2023)

kzakaria@villanova.edu

I am a senior English major with minors in French and Criminology. I love reading (particularly fantasy and historical fiction) and writing, and will be attending law school following completion of my undergraduate degree. This past summer, I interned for an environmental law firm and received academic credit for another legal internship during the spring semester of my sophomore year. Both experiences have profoundly shaped my interest in pursuing a legal career and exposed me to societal injustices I hope to help mitigate as an attorney. Aside from academics, I am the founder of NOVAnoise, Villanova’s tap ensemble, as well as participate in ASO, Pre-Law Society, and several other on campus organizations. Welcome to the English department! 

Lauren Kourey

I am a senior English and Political Science major from the San Francisco Bay Area. On campus, I'm part of the A Capella group, Nothing But Treble, and I write for the Villanovan. I also work on campus as a Student Philanthropy Associate. This summer, I interned in the Washington D.C. area in the Marketing department for a global mobility management company. After graduation, I plan to work in politics, journalism, or publishing. 

Rehumanizing the world: Olivia Bassetti on the Advantages of an English minor and a STEM major

By Olivia Bassetti

Aside from fun nights with friends, tailgates before games, and much needed iced coffee from Holy Grounds, some of my most formative days at Villanova as an Environmental Science major with a Sustainability Studies minor, were spent in Mendel moving from class to lab. What I didn’t expect was just how important my time in my English classes would become as I picked up an English minor along the way.  

My introduction to the English Department at Villanova took place my sophomore year when I decided to take my required core English class and chose, “Coming of Age in Ireland,” with Dr. Mullen. Throughout high school, science and literature classes were always my favorite classes and while my Villanova required Ancients and Moderns classes were good stand-ins for an English class my freshman year, I was ready to move back into true English Literature classes. 

From the start of that first literature class, I felt the embrace of the English department. I enjoyed the break from the lecture-style classes my STEM courses provided and immersed myself in the engaging discussion-based style of English department classes. I also felt a bit insecure in my writing abilities as an underclassman and wanted to take classes that I knew would improve my writing skills. Additionally, I liked that these classes helped rehumanize the world in a way different from STEM classes, which can sometimes alienate the experience of the average individual person. I have always loved reading and writing so feeling early success in that first class inspired me to look up the requirements for an English minor. 

When I declared the minor, I didn’t want to lose the community and exposure to great literature that my English classes provided, and a break from the monotony I occasionally felt in my STEM classes. I didn’t realize how much of an asset this English minor would become until I started my job search. Many interviewers remarked on what a great combination it was to have a STEM major who supplemented their major with a reading, writing, and interpersonal skills-based minor. 

I now work in the Environmental Consulting division of a large engineering firm where the skills I learned from my English minor have been great assets. One of the best takeaways for me from my English minor was developing confidence in my writing abilities. Before getting an English minor, I suffered from imposter syndrome when I would have to write. However, now in my daily work life, I write up reports where I paint a picture of the environmental state of various sites I visit. These reports are sent to lawyers and higher-ups and there is no time to doubt my writing ability. My English minor provided me with the space to grow my reading and writing skills while reading some truly great texts. I would recommend an English minor to any STEM major to help them become a more well-rounded job candidate and to find success in their job after graduation.

Call for Submissions: Comparative Literature Undergraduate Journal, UC Berkeley

The Comparative Literature Undergraduate Journal is now accepting submissions for our Fall 2022 edition! 

For over 10 years, the Comparative Literature Undergraduate Journal at UC Berkeley has been showcasing the best undergraduate research in literature and media from universities all over the world. We invite papers from those working in, around, or critically engaging with literary topics in a comparative nature, broadly construed. Multilingual submissions and/or papers regarding world literatures are encouraged, but must be written mostly in English. Possible topics include but are not limited to:

·  Papers comparing at least two authors or texts

·  Interdisciplinary research across disciplines within the humanities

·  Research engaging with literary theory and schools of criticism

For more information and full submission guidelines, or to view past issues of CLUJ, please visit our website’s submissions page. 

 

Deadline to submit: October 15th, 11:59 PST

Link to submit: http://tinyurl.com/clujfall22

Call for Student Representatives: English Department Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee

Serve on the English Department Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee. We need your voice! Student applications to the English Department's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee are being accepted now through Friday, September 17th. Interested students should send a one-paragraph statement of interest to Mary Mullen, a member of the DEI committee, at mary.l.mullen@villanova.edu. You can learn more about the committee's work by clicking here and then clicking on “Diversity Statement.” If you have questions, email Dr. Mullen.

Representatives to the English Department DEI committee will serve on the Advisory Council but do not need to be English majors.

Call for Submissions: Laurel Moon

 Laurel Moon, Brandeis University's oldest literary magazine, is accepting submissions for our national issue. This issue follows a simple mission: to feature the innermost voices from a group of diverse, young writers. 

For over twenty years, Laurel Moon has published the best fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry that Brandeis students have to offer. From light-hearted and fun to bleak and desolate, the work from these students ranged widely so that everyone could relate to the meaning behind an undergraduate’s experience. And for the past few years, to truly capture that meaning, Laurel Moon has accepted submissions from undergraduates enrolled at any accredited US college or university. To continue this tradition, we would appreciate if you would forward our call for submissions to students at your university who might be interested in submitting their work.

Call for Submissions


The submissions deadline for the upcoming national issue is October 15, 2022. For this issue, we will be accepting original, unpublished work written in English. We will consider up to five poems and three prose works from each author, as well as up to fifteen pages of content in another form. We will also be accepting ten pieces of artwork and photography per submission.

Additionally, Laurel Moon will be offering personalized feedback to writers who wish to receive guidance on any creative writing piece that they present if they submit before September 17. Writers will receive comments from our many talented editors and have the option to resubmit their revised work for consideration.

To see our full submission guidelines and instructions, please see the submissions page on our website.

Thank you for your time,
Lindsey Odorizzi and Samara Miller
Editors-in-Chief

Submit Now: Gettysburg College Headquarters, an undergraduate research journal

We are glad to announce that the deadline to submit your papers to the Headquarters has been extended. Submissions will now close on September 30th at 11:59pm. The Gettysburg College Headquarters is an open access, peer-reviewed, undergraduate research journal. We aim to publish works from specific fields in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences. As stated we only accept works from specific fields, those being: 

 

Humanities: English, History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies

 

Social Sciences: Anthropology, Economics, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology

 

Natural Science: Biology, Chemistry, and Physics

 

The Headquarters does accept visual art pieces for potential publication. We accept drawings, paintings, sculptures, printmaking, photography, and ceramic. We also accept works that are Interdisciplinary. We require interdisciplinary works to include one of the listed fields above in the submission. Submissions fall into three different formats: Research Articles, Book Reviews, and Visual Art Pieces. Word length for research articles are 5,000 to 10,000 words while book reviews are limited to 900 words or less. We look forward to reviewing your submissions!    

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the editors:

RJ Lehal lehara01@gettysburg.edu  

Marissa Honeycutt honema01@gettysburg.edu

 

The Real Dangers of Conspiracy Fiction by Professor Alan Drew

 The one and only Professor Alan Drew on thrillers, lies, and the power of fiction, for good and evil. Read the full piece here.