Each semester, the English Department offers an English Majors Luncheon, and each year we have an Annual Essay Contest, a Giardina Fiction Prize, and the Marshburn Poetry Prize. You can also publish in the annual Kanawha Review or get experience by working for the Yellow Jacket. A variety of activities are available to you if you join the English Club. If that's not enough, we have two honor societies you can join: Lambda Iota Tau (ΛΙΤ) and Sigma Tau Delta (ΣΤΔ).
English Majors Luncheon
The English Department offers a luncheon each Fall and Spring semester for English majors and minors, English Education majors, and prospective majors, so that faculty and students may meet and visit in an informal setting. In the Fall, we invite speakers who represent various fields you can enter with a degree in English. In the Spring, the winners of the poetry and essay contests read their work. Often there is a book swap during the luncheon, so you can pick up new books and even help clear your shelves of some old ones.
Fall 2009 Luncheon
This semester's Luncheon will be on Tuesday, October 27th, in the Davis Fine Arts Gallery, from around 12:20 until about 1:20.
Annual Essay Contest
The essay contest is held each Spring for currently enrolled WVSU students. Students are encouraged to submit personal narratives or expository essays in one of two categories:
- Category 1 is open to students in English 101 and 102 during the school year. Your personal narrative or an expository essay should be approximately 500-1000 words. The prize is $100.
- Category 2 is open to any WVSU student. Your personal narrative, expository essay, or literary analysis should be approximately 500-1000 words. The prize is $150.
Entries must be typed/word processed and include a Cover Sheet with
- Your name, address, and telephone number
- The title: English Department Essay Contest
- Which of the three contest Categories (see above) you are entering.
The winners in each category will be invited to read their essays at the Spring English Majors Luncheon held in the Davis Fine Arts Gallery. The English Department Essay Contest Committee reserves the right to decide whether to award a prize in a category.
Entries must be turned into the English Department Office (Hill Hall 226). The deadline for entries for the 2009 contest is Wednesday, April 1st at high noon.
Giardina Fiction Prize
You can enter your fiction--one short story--in competition each Fall for the annual prize honoring the service of Prof. Denise Giardina, long-time creative writing instructor at WVSU. The winner will receive $100 and have the story published in the next issue of The Kanawha Review. All entries will be considered for publication in The Kanawha Review. See Dr. Wallace for details. The deadline for Fall 2008 is November 3.
Marshburn Poetry Prize
You can enter your poetry--whether lyrical, narrative, dramatic, or imagistic, and in either free verse or a traditional form--in competition each Fall for the annual prize honoring the service of Prof. Sandra Marshburn, long-time editor of The Kanawha Review and creative writing instructor at WVSU. The winner will receive $100 and have the verse published in the next issue of The Kanawha Review. All entries will be considered for publication in The Kanawha Review. See Dr. Wallace for details. The deadline for Fall 2008 is November 3.
The Kanawha Review
The Kanawha Review is an annual publication of WVSU and is sponsored by the Office of Student Affairs. Contributors to the magazine are students and former students of the University. Selections are made by student editors and an English faculty editor. The editors believe that a variety of styles, voices and views should be represented in the magazine. Students, former students, and alumni are encouraged to submit stories, essays, scripts, drawings, woodcuts, and photographs. Materials to be considered for publication and inquiries should be directed to the faculty editor,
Yellow Jacket
The Yellow Jacket, WVSU's student newspaper, is published at least twice a month during the school year. The Yellow Jacket provides opportunities for students in reporting, writing, editing, advertising, and graphics.
English Club
The English Club is primarily a social organization for members to discuss and spread enjoyment of literature, film and other pertinent subjects both within the group and within the WVSU community. The club provides a great way to meet colleagues in a non-classroom setting. Meetings enable members to interrelate with their professors at a high level of mutual respect which carries over to an excellent resume builder. The English Club has open membership for ALL State students, not just English majors. For more information and to join up, you can always get in touch with
Lambda Iota Tau
ΛΙΤ is an international literary honor society, whose home page is here. Membership constitutes a reward for academic excellence, and students in the Literature and Professional Writing options can join. To join, you must meet some requirements, such as these:
- Completed 12 semester hours of literature courses with a B average or higher
- Submitted to the faculty advisors a research or critical paper on a literary topic (usually this is one you've done in a course)
For more information, contact the faculty advisors:
Sigma Tau Delta
ΣΤΔ, whose home page is here, is an international English honor society reflecting high achievement in language and literature, including writing. To join, you must have
- Completed three semesters, with a minimum of two courses in English language or literature (beyond freshman composition),
- Maintained a B average, and
- Rank in the top 35% of your class
For more information, contact the faculty advisor:
