How to Write an Abstract Workshop Highlights

Chatterjee's "Art of the Abstract" PowerPoint file is available online for those who were unable to join us!

Categories: AGSE, How to Write an Abstract, Workshop

November Meeting Highlights

We had a fabulous meeting this November. We discussed the Call For Papers for the AGSE Spring conference, "Intersections." We also announced that we are planning on having a panel of first-year students at the conference; we are accepting full-length papers from first-year students. If you teach or SI for a first-year comp class, have your students send us their essays by email (agse.csunorthride@gmail.com). 

We are also very excited about the AGSE workshop on Wednesday, November 20th at 2:30 p.m. in Jerome Richfield 319 on How to Write an Abstract for a Conference, hosted by the brilliant Dr. Ranita Chatterjee. We hope you can all attend.

We also had a very informative discussion, lead by Hannah Jorgenson, about what to do to study for the GRE. Here are a few highlights from that discussion:

1. One of the best books that you can buy to help you study for the GRE is by Manhattan Prep. You can also pay for classes through this company, as well as companies like this, but all of the information that you will need can be found in their prep books.

2.Study the format of the GRE. You need to know how the questions are worded and what kind of answers the test will expect from you. The GRE is written with a specific logic to it that once you understand you will be able figure out what answers the test finds to be the most correct (sometimes there will be several options that look correct on a multiple-choice question). 

3.Studying vocabulary words will only take you so far. It may be helpful to make flashcards and memorize a few hundred of the most commonly used GRE words, but if you only have a limited amount of time, you should stick to studying the logic and format of the GRE.

4.Take lots of practice tests. The more familiar you are with the style and kind of language typically used on the test, the more comfortable you will be on the test day. 

5. Give yourself lots of time to study for the test, maybe a few months in advance, depending on how much time you plan on dedicating to studying each day. 

6. The night before the test, you might want to just give yourself a break because you've probably already studied enough at this point.

Hope to see you next month for our final meeting of the semester on Friday, December 6th from 1:00-2:00 p.m.!

Categories: AGSE, Meetings

"Intersections" Conference CFP

“I, like other queer people, am two in one body, both male and female. I am the embodiment of the hieros gamos: the coming together of opposite qualities within” - Gloria Anzaldúa

The Associated Graduate Students of English (AGSE) at California State University, Northridge is now accepting proposals for our annual Spring Conference. We are interested in critical papers/panels and creative pieces that investigate intersections.

Both similar to but also quite distinct from the border and the crossroad, the intersection is a powerful and provocative space for theoretical queries and figurative imaginings. The body is a locus where varying identities or ideologies intersect. Texts may serve as intersections for seemingly disparate genres. Geographical intersections are paradoxical spaces that embody the characteristics of different cultures that are both distinct yet united. What can we gain from a greater understanding of these locus points? What are the implications of these meetings? What might we discover about power relations, identities, and ideologies? Explorations may include but are not limited to: bodies as sites of intersection, geographical intersections, liminality, interstitial texts/genres, cultural/racial/ethnic intersections, intersections of social injustice, historical periods/events that mark times of intersection, intersections of political policies and ideologies, transitions and hybridity, intersections of classes.

We welcome graduate and undergraduate papers/panel proposals and creative works from a range of disciplines including but not limited to:

• Literature 
• Rhetoric and Composition
• Creative Writing
• Pedagogy
• History
• Philosophy
• Linguistics
• Comparative Literature
• Queer Studies
• Gender and Women’s Studies
• Chicano Studies
• Pan-African Studies
• Asian American Studies
• Ethnic Studies
• Art History
• Film and Screen Studies
• Animal Studies
• Disability Studies
• Popular Culture

Our conference is proud to feature keynote speaker, Dr. Joseph Allen Boone, Professor of English, Gender Studies, and Comparative Literature at the University of Southern California and author of The Homoerotics of Orientalism (2014) and Libidinal Currents: Sexuality and the Shaping of Modernism (1998).

Abstract Submission Deadline: December 23, 2013

Proposals for individual papers and creative works should be a maximum of 250 words. Panel proposals should be no more than 500 words. Please email submissions as Word (.doc, or .docx) attachments to agse.csunorthridge@gmail.com

Conference date and place: March 8, 2014 at California State University, Northridge.

Categories:

October Meeting Highlights

Thank you to everyone who could make it to our second meeting of the semester! It was nice to see our lovely members again!

Our fundraisers did delightfully well. During the book sale, we sold 425 books, meaning we made $425! So thank you all you bibliophiles out there! Our bowling night was also a blast! It was nice to see so many friendly faces, bowling the night away! In the 2 hours we were there, we managed to make $332! Yes, you read that correctly! It was such a success, that we’re considering having another bowling night, this time a little later. Who doesn't love Cosmic Bowling, eh?

Thanks for everyone who came to the Personal Statements Workshop! We had a full crowd and we hoped everyone left with a better understanding of their own personal statements!

We also have our Call For Papers finally finalized! We hope to see everyone’s submission!

Things to look forward to: How to Write an Abstract.
Don’t know quite how to apply to our CFP? Never fear, come to our How to Write an Abstract workshop. The time/date/professor are yet to be decided, but when we find out, you all will be the first to know!

That’s it for now! But we hope to see you all at the next meeting!

Warm, special thanks to Kristin Kaz for providing us these scrumptious, pumpkin vegan muffins! <3

Categories: AGSE, CSUN, Meetings

Getting Personal: How to Write a Personal Statement Workshop Highlights

We just wanted to thank everyone who was able to attend; we hope you all learned some valuable tips for writing your personal statements! A special thank you goes out to Dr. Byler and Dr. Haake for sharing their experiences and invaluable wisdom!

For those of you who could not make it to the workshop, here are some of the highlights!

• If the application maps out guidelines, follow them to the letter!
• Generally, personal statements are around 1-2 pages long. 
• Usually, it is a committee of professors looking at the statements. The committees have many packets to read, so make sure you make your story original and have it stand-out. Make sure to have flawless grammar, be pithy, and coherent. 
• Never put any information about yourself that makes you feel extremely embarrassed or makes you feel like you’re exploiting yourself! 
• Usually what goes in a personal statement is your academic and personal identity, how you developed this identity, and how you expect to continue refining it.
         -Select the most important aspect of your accomplishments
         -Use well selected evidence set in context (how you won award, how you came to succeed, etc.)
         -Have a theme/thesis that runs through the statement, keep things tight and coherent.
• Tone: Confident, not cocky. Discuss your skills and accomplishments, own them! You did it! But don’t pretend to having skills and knowledge that you do not. 
• Really discuss what you want to study, how your past studies have prepared you for this future endeavor, and where you would ultimately like to see yourself (in terms of your studies, the award). 
• Be concrete when telling your story! Put relevant details about your life/information. 
• Don’t forget to proofread! Have trusted friends and professors look over your statement for feedback! 

Although personal statements do not make up the whole application, they are extremely important in making good or bad impressions. They are the written version of a face-to-face interview, which is important, especailyl if there is no interview. If a written sample is not required in the packet, your personal statement serves as a sample, so aim to impress! No matter what you’re applying to, we hope that these tips help! Good luck!

Click here to download the full handout provided at the workshop, by Professors Bylar and Haake.

Categories: AGSE, CSUN, How to Write a Personal Statement, Workshop

September Meeting Highlights

It’s already that time of year again, AGSE’s first meeting. We would like to welcome our new members and welcome back out returning friends! For those of you who could not join us, here are the highlights of what we discussed!

Upcoming Events:

1. AGSE Booksale (Who doesn’t love selling and buying books? We just love feeding a bibliophile’s addiction!)
   September 17-19^th, 10:30am- 3:30pm @ Jerome Breezeway (in between Jerome Richfield and Sierra Hall!)
2. Bowling Night! (A night to relax and bowl away some of that mid-semester stress.) Brunswick Matador Bowl (Off Balboa and Nordhoff!)
   September 20^th, 7-9pm. Download a flyer/ticket form here!
   Pre-sale tickets: $15 (You can buy tickets from any of the officers! And we’ll be selling tickets at the booksale!)
   Tickets at the Door: $18 Brings friends and family! All are welcome! :D
3. Getting Personal (A personal statement workshop.) September 26^th. 12:30pm-2pm. Just show up! J

Events later on in the semester:

1.  How to Write an Abstract (It’s just like it sounds!) Let us know which professors you would be interested in having conduct the workshop! (Feel free to email ages with your suggestions!).
2. AGSE Conference
   
           March 8^th. Theme: Intersections  Keynote Speaker: Joseph Boone (USC, author of The Homoretics of Orientalism)CFPs should be out sometime during October, so keep an eye out for that. Also, we will be collecting abstracts sometime in December.

Information for you to know:

1. If you haven’t done so, please remember to fill out a membership form! (Lifetime Membership is only $10! What a deal!)
2.  Let us know if you’d like to be added on the AGSE blog as a tutor. (One of the many perks of being a member!)
3.  Don’t forget to buy one of our super-adorable shirts! 

Categories: AGSE, CSUN, Meetings

First Meeting of the Year & New Member Info!

Get back into the groove of things and satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time! Join us on Friday, September 6 from 1-2pm in JR 319 for our first meeting of the school year! We'll be announcing some upcoming fundraisers and events, and we're excited to reconnect with everyone and meet new grad students and members, too! And the best part: free cupcakes (and love) for all! :)

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Want to get involved in the English grad community at CSUN? Not only does it help boost your CV, but joining AGSE gives you the opportunity to meet others in the grad program and helps you stay connected in the academic community at large. Stay in-the-know about all of the wonderful activities, fundraisers, and events we have planned for the grad students this year -- fill out an application form and join AGSE today!

Already a member? Help spread the word and invite your friends to join!

Categories: AGSE, CSUN, Meetings

2013 Student Recognition and Awards Recipients

The annual English Department Student Recognition and Awards Reception took place on Wednesday, May 22, 2013. Below is a list of English Department Award recipients. Congratulations to all!

For a visual look at the reception, check out the online album (no Facebook account required!)

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Nina Moon Ahn: the Anamarie Peterson Morley Award, given each spring to a student currently enrolled as an English major at CSUN, who plans to enter the teaching profession at any level.

Chelsy Berry: the Lesley Johnstone Memorial Award, given to an undergraduate CSUN student who is the author of the best written work on some aspect of the natural world or environment.

Freddy Garcia: the Linda Nichols Joseph English Merit Scholarship, awarded each year to up to four undergraduate English majors who have demonstrated excellence in their studies (one of two given in spring 2013)

Eun Hae (Jennifer) Lee: the William L. Wilson Award, given each year to an undergraduate major in English who plans to teach at the secondary level.

Danielle Orozco: the Linda Nichols Joseph English Merit Scholarship, awarded each year to up to four undergraduate English majors who have demonstrated excellence in their studies (one of two given in spring 2013).

Trista Payte: the Professor Mitchell Marcus Prize in English, given each year to the graduate student whose achievements in the study of English are considered by the faculty as the most distinguished.

Sean Pessin: the Mahlon Gaumer Award, given to a CSUN graduate student who is the author of the best critical essay on English or American literature-with an emphasis on the use of language.

Laurisa Reyes: the George Morley/Annamarie Peterson Scholarship Award, given each spring to a student, currently enrolled as an English major at CSUN, who demonstrates the need for financial support to continue his or her studies.

Gina Srmabekian: the Henry Van Slooten award, given to any student in English 258, English 259, English 275, or English 355 who has written an essay (open topic) that best demonstrates "a passion for the English language."

Nicolas Wheaton: The Philip E. Love English 205 Scholarship, given each year to the student whose achievements in the study of Business Communication are considered by the faculty as the most distinguished.

Finally, we'd like to acknowledge Erick Gallegos (BA in Literature and Creative Writing), Dana Cobern Kullman (B.A. in Literature), and Ilyse Kullman (B.A. in Literature and Art), all of whom were chosen as being three of the seven featured graduates featured in this year's graduation festivities as well as in CSUN Today.

Categories: AGSE, Awards Receiption, CSUN

Meet the 2013 - 2014 AGSE Board!

President - Holly Batty

Holly Batty is starting her third year as a grad student in the English Department at CSUN with an emphasis in Rhetoric and Composition. She is a second-year TA at CSUN and has been the Coordinator for the LA Valley College Writing Center for six years. Holly is interested in Critical Animal Studies and is an advocate for the ethical treatment of animals.

Vice President - Susana Marcelo

Susana Marcelo is a known insomniac, coffee addict, and tsundoku bibliophile who switches unexpectedly to the second person, especially when overworked, which is most days when you’re a grad student, a mother, and have two jobs (among other odd jobs) but you still make time to write prose because that’s your passion (laundry be damned); consequently, sometimes you wonder if your dreams are unattainable, such as reading every book you have, because responsibilities will pile up and you have to make sacrifices—tearing bread with one hand, typing with a sick child on your lap, reading while keeping an eye on dinner—that will make you doubt if it’s all worth it because you always burn the beans. Yet, one look of admiration from your children and you know it will be okay, you just have to make it through one day at a time.

Treasurer - Vana Derohanessian

Vana Derohanessian has her bachelor's degree in English literature in 2007 and is currently an English graduate student at CSUN. Vana is interested in the history of children's literature as a reflection of social and cultural values regarding children. Her incessant fascination with Lewis Carroll's classic "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" may be referred to by some as obsession.

Recording Secretary - Wafa Azeem

After waiting for 12 years, Wafa is pretty sure she is not going to receive an owl from Hogwarts. So in the meantime, she moonlights as a second year English graduate student. Not wanting to be outdone by Professor McGonagoll, she will be teaching her first English Composition class this year. With an emphasis in Literature, she enjoys spending time in different worlds and looking at her world with different perceptions.

Press Secretary - Stephanie Lim

Stephanie is an English graduate student at CSUN, where she also works as a Teaching Associate and Supplemental Instruction leader. She enjoys new media, pop culture, critical theory -- Marxist, Post-Modern, and Post-Structural ones, to be exact -- and reading American Literature from the Great Depression on. Although her program emphasis is on Literature, her true passion is musical theatre and, yes, she absolutely loves listening to show tunes!

Historian - Steve Florian

Steve Florian is a graduate student at Cal State Northridge, where he is a member of the Associated Graduate Students of English, the Eighteenth Century Literature Club, and will soon be a Teaching Associate, as well. He was raised in Nebraska and Michigan and now lives with his wife in Los Angeles. Ah, the sunshine!

The 2012 - 2013 Board would like to take a moment to thank our advisors, Dr. Ranita Chatterjee and Dr. Kent Baxter, our members, our supporters, and our awesome grad students for making our tenure as AGSE board members a fantastic experience!

From Lorie, Megan, Gina, Melissa, Holly, and Johnny - the best of luck to the new board and to all our English MA students!

Categories: AGSE, Board Members, CSUN

Workshop Recap: Path to the PhD

AGSE hosted Dr. Kent Baxter to share his journey in getting his PhD. This was a great opportunity to learn a little more about our Graduate Advisor as well as gain some valuable knowledge about the PhD process.

Couldn't make it on May 9th? Thanks to your 2013 - 2014 Recording Secretary, Wafa Azeem, here is a recap of the day's talk!  

Dr. Baxter’s story: 
He received his bachelor’s degree from CSUN in 1983, going from a music major, to Psychology, before finally choosing English. It took him 5 ½ years to get his degree.
He applied to UCLA, UCB, and USC for their PhD programs, getting accepted to USC, then deferring a year to travel in Europe instead.
When Dr. Baxter returned, he wasn't allowed to reclaim his spot at USC, but got incredibly lucky and found a place because someone else had dropped.
Through hard work and perseverance, he received his doctorate.


Some things to consider for a PhD:

• Are you interested in independent and focused learning? Do you work well without a lot of “hand
  
  holding?”: You really, really, really have to love the work that you do and the subject that you’re working on. You’re going to face a lot of obstacles and your passion is what will get you through it. (The programs are also really competitive and this creates a lot of anxiety, so again, you really need to love the work.)
• Think about funding: Teaching English Composition or a T.A.-ship can get tuition waived and sometimes may include a stipend.
• If you’re willing to put in the hard work and effort the program requires, you will do quite well, regardless of background. 
• You learn a lot through teaching, so consider the teaching opportunities the school has.
• Academic relationships are essential, so look at how available the faculty is and how involved they are. 
• Check the requirements of the school; do they require you to have fluency in two languages? 

Job Market:

5% RI- Research schools. (Usually the elite schools like Harvard and Yale).
95% in schools like CSUN (Where research emphasis is lighter than the RI schools. Focus more on teaching).

Questions to ask yourself:

Do you really love the work?
Do you like the graduate mode of study?
Can you be somewhat flexible in your approach to the program? (How broad is the program. Are you willing to explore different avenues of the topic?)
Have you researched programs?
Course requirements?
Languages?
How many people actually finish the program?
Availability of professors?

Thank you to everyone who could join us, and to the 2013 - 2014 board members: Wafa Azeem for her notes, and Stephanie Lim, for her pictures.

Categories: AGSE, CSUN, Path to the PhD, Workshop

Conference Recap: "Innocence and Experience" - March 9, 2013

Our panels this year featured a variety of topics, everything from pedagogy and nature, to Rocky Horror and Peter Pan, we followed our presenters down the rabbit hole to look at innocence and experience from a range of theoretical, critical, and creative perspectives.

Sean Pessin, Vana Derohanessian, and Jaclyn Hymes












Holly Batty, Mary Gifford, and Susana Macelo

Sonia Chumber, Stephanie Harper, and Eric Barnhart

Dr. Haake moderates Trista Payte, Megan Betry, and Jessica Canton

Elizabeth Jurgensen and Jeff West












Yollotl Lopez presents on The Rocky Horror Picture Show

Dr. Chatterjee introduces Laura Beerits, Melissa Palazzo, and Gina Srmabekian










New to this year were two special panels. The first, sponsored by the Northridge Creative Writing Circle (NCWC) featured readings and a Q & A with Creative Writing Alums Theresa Shreffler, Ara Shirinyan, and Joseph Mattson. 

Dr. Irene Clark moderated one of the most poignant and entertaining panels of the day. 

Our five freshmen presenters shared their literary narratives and concluded with a song that brought a standing ovation from the crowd. 

(A huge thank you to Jocelyn Segovia for capturing and sharing Valerie Mok's performance on YouTube! Watch it above)

Dr. James Kincaid's keynote presentation on "'No Cause, No Cause': Plots of Forgiveness" was a look at forgiveness from Dickens to Sandusky. 

(to see the video of Dr. Kincaid's presentation, see our official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/agse.csun)

The AGSE 2012-2013 board would like to thank all our fantastic presenters, moderators, members, and volunteers for making "Innocence and Experience" the success that it was. None of this would have been possible without your help and support! 

A special thank you to our graduate advisors, Dr. Ranita Chatterjee and Dr. Kent Baxter, and to our "just darling" keynote speaker Dr. James Kincaid. 

Next Month: 

Our annual "Path to the PhD" Seminar with Dr. Baxter

and Elections!

Categories: AGSE, Conferences, CSUN

"Innocence and Experience" Program and Information

Located at the USU, 2nd Floor

#26 on the map below

(larger map HERE)

Categories: AGSE, Conferences, CSUN

New to Presenting at Conferences?

Categories: AGSE, Conferences, CSUN, How to Present at a Conference, Workshop

February Meeting Highlights

AGSE is happy to announce our Spring Workshop, just in time for our Spring Conference "Innocence and Experience,"

How to Present at a Conference

Join AGSE and Dr. Spratt on Friday, March 1st @ 2:30 in JR319!

Please bring a paper that you are thinking about presenting at a conference. 

If you will be presenting for the first time, you are at all nervous about presenting, or even if you just need some helpful tips and tricks, this workshop is a prefect opportunity to gain some valuable knowledge about the world of conferences. All are welcome!

Speaking of our Conference, which is Saturday, March 9th, from 9:00 to 5:00 PM (stay tuned for the unveiling of the program!), if you are not presenting but have some free time to help us out, AGSE could always use some extra hands! If you weren't able to sign up at the meeting, let us know via email to agse.csunorthridge@gmail.com or through our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/agse.csun

We are looking for ideas and suggestions for a Spring FUNdraiser! If you know any fun events that will bring money to our organization, let us know. We have some great suggestions that we are currently looking into, including laser tag, bowling, and beer pong at The Draft on Ventura Blvd. Stay tuned! 

We are always taking book donations - anything you donate now will benefit next year's conference and the incoming 2013 - 2014 members! Bring any books to the 8th floor of Sierra Tower - next to the elevator is closet marked "faculty lounge." It's nearly always open, but on the rare occasion is it not, Frank in the English  Department office one floor down will help you out! 

If you'd like to be a 2013 - 2014 AGSE officer, now's the time to start thinking! Elections will be held sometime in April, but until then if you have any questions you can always ask any of our current officers. We'll give you insights into the inner workings of AGSE, just find any of us around campus or send us a note on Facebook! 

Next Month: 

Conference time! 

As always, thank you to all our fabulous members who make AGSE possible!

Categories: AGSE, CSUN, Meetings