Archive for September 2008
Publication at Salt River Review
Loving the ending on this one. It’s my fav!
Add comment September 30, 2008
Emailing Professors, Thank You NYT
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/21/education/21professors.html
In 2006, the New York Times wrote an article about students emailing professors. Reading it, I was a bit astonished to find myself guilty of many email sins. But, then i am remembered that I have grace, so it’s okay. More importantly, I have reasons for emailing. And here they are…
1. I am a female. You may wonder what gender has to do with email. Well, when you have a non-female professor, email is safe. Honestly, I am feel uncomfortable with office hours if it is a male professor. I get nervous, sick to my stomach, and don’t sleep the entire week before hand. Why would I want to subject myself willing to that, when email will suffice?
2. My personality comes out in my email. Meaning, I love to write to encourage people. Cards and notes are a bit out dated and expensive when you have a lot of people to encourage. So, emails are great!
3. Jesus would totally email.
4. It helps me remember things. Again, because of the nerves, I never remember what a professor has said. So, I email. This covers two bases–I have a record. I SAVE every email (muhaha) so I can remember things.
5. Unprofessional, whatev. I choose to have grace with myself and with my professors. If everyone is always so concerned about being professional, books would never be written, tears of blood and sweat would never be shed. Umm… yeah…
FLASHBACKING… to memories of creative writing happenings… and I am supposed to be professional? The things I’ve seen these people do. ROLLS EYES HUGELY AND INTENTIONALLY…
More later, I could go on, but I think that email is important. And, yes, there are times to be very VERY professional. I get that, especially as a current faculty member, but I also get that sometimes you need to be human. Email is great for that. I’m okay with that.
Add comment September 30, 2008
The Year of Magical Thinking
Joan Didion is such a beautiful writer. I think because she is so direct. And simple. Right now I am reading about her experiences with her daughter’s illness and her husband’s death in The Year of Magical Thinking. A friend mentioned this book is excellent for dealing with grief and since I am currently experiencing living in an apartment by myself, I am experiencing some level of grief. But, mostly, I am remembering what it was like when Michael died.
And then I read this… “I could deal with “autopsy” but the notion of “obituary” had not occured to me. “Obituary,” unlike “autopsy,” which was between me and John and the hospital, meant it had happened” (31).
Recently, I had a paper accepted for student research day at UWM which means I will be flying back to Milwaukee to present on a paper I wrote while I was in graduate school. The title of my paper is Loss and Language: Information Seeking Behaviors in Grieving and Traumatized Individuals detailing the idea that during the grieving process, people use different words. Professionals in the information field need to be cognizant of this and work with information seekers to assist them in choosing to use the best and most comfortable words possible during the grieving process.
Thanks, Joan, for the directness and the simplicity.
Add comment September 14, 2008
I am in LOVE with a college campus!
Pretty flowers and what I thought was a church…
My caption was going to be, “See, Jesus likes it here,” but I discovered this is the athletic center. Ah well.
Practicing my, “Oh, that’s cool. I got accepted face.”
Practicing my “Heck yes!!! I got accepted!!!” face. Some guy walked by as I was taking this and I am pretty sure he thought I was full of myself.
The English department from the outside (as best as I can tell by the architecture of the building from the inside…)
A wooden sign! Who has a WOODEN sign announcing their English department?
I felt the need to salute or sing the national anthem or something.
The amazingly beautiful campus with red brick everywhere!
More of the absolutely DREAMY campus!
Where Denver Quarterly receives their mail. Totally scoping out the competition!
Of course! The University of Denver Writing Center! I didn’t want to get in trouble by taking pictures of their actual center, but you can see inside. It’s really pretty and BIG!
Yup… DU has stolen my heart.
Add comment September 3, 2008
Denver University
Shh… I am in the Penrose Library at Denver University, checking out the competition and wowing at the amazingly beautiful campus. They have BRICK everywhere! And flowers! I am feeling seriously intimidated.
More in picture form later. 
Signing out from DU,
Sarah
Add comment September 3, 2008
I’m Engaged!
While I have many passions, one of my most intense has always been community. Specifically, I find it fascinating when students/professors can engage in the academy. As a student, I pushed my professors in regards to community (I am unsure if this yielded the best results, but I think it at least put my heart out there) and as a professor I desire to give 199% to my students. If not more.
At Cornerstone, engagement was a buzz word (yes, Chuck Swanson, I still remember). I think most smaller, private Christian campuses naturally engage. Publishing is not a big deal, so interacting with students becomes the central focus.
At UW-Milwaukee, I pushed for engagement. I knew that it had to look different than CU, but I wasn’t and still am not sure how that “different” looks. Eventually, I would *love* to go back to a larger university and interact in a way that I think is appropriate, Christ-like, and 100% enagagement worthy.
Until then… I have my students at CCU, and I am SO excited to be able to apply what I am sure most of my prof’s at UW were like, “Sarah… really? REALLY? No… you don’t understand”. And yet, they were very kind to just let me vent and email my little heart out. And even to work on community while publishing. Wow. Seriously, this community thing is tough work, so kudos for trying. And doing! Serious kudos. I’m not even full time and I am drained from the energy (I think it’s this first year thing and all of the changes, etc…). But, I still love it and am going to put forth every effort (of course, in Christ) that I can to push my students forward in engagement.
http://www.sjcme.edu/magazine/fall06/syllabus.htm
(Mostly) Practical ways I see this working:
* Personal notes.
* Lots of chocolate 
It’s an 8 am class!
* Showing up for events (musical, sports, etc).
* Being available during, after, and before office hours.
* Jesus. Them. Me.
* Discovering personal truths about each of them so that I can encourage them in the best way possible.
* Love.
Add comment September 2, 2008
