English | North Central College

Student represents North Central at Chicago poetry festival

An English literature major will represent the College at the 12th annual Citywide Undergraduate Poetry Festival.

Contact: Ted Slowik, director of PR and media relations, 630-637-5307, tjslowik@noctrl.edu

March 17, 2011—Amy Elisabeth Olson of Sycamore will represent North Central College at the 12th annual Citywide Undergraduate Poetry Festival on April 7 at Columbia College Chicago.

College hosts three speakers during April

Guest speakers give talks in April on comparisons between New Orleans and Chicago, adventures along the Appalachian Trail, and bicycling advocacy.

Contact: Nancy Dunker, associate director of public relations, 630-637-5306

March 15, 2011—North Central College has invited three speakers to campus in April to give talks on various topics. All lectures are free and open to the public.

Forensics team excels at state championships

Team members and faculty coaches, from left: David DePino ’13, John Stanley, Nic

North Central’s forensics team won three first-place titles and a team sweepstakes award at Illinois Intercollegiate Forensics Association State Championships.

March 10, 2011—North Central College’s forensics team excelled in this year’s State Championship Tournament, hosted by the Illinois Intercollegiate Forensics Association (IIFA) March 4-5 at Northern Illinois University (NIU) in DeKalb. North Central won three first-place titles and garnered a top prize, IIFA’s George Armstrong Cumulative Team Sweepstakes award.

Nearly 200 students, representing 19 Illinois colleges and universities, attended the tournament. Competition was held in both debate and 12 individual events in order to determine this year’s State Champions.

Navakas gives presentation at academic conference

Francine Navakas gave a presentation at the Association of American Colleges and Universities Network for Academic Renewal Conference in Chicago.

Francine Navakas—Svend and Elizabeth Bramsen Professor in the Humanities, professor of English, director of integrative programs and associate academic dean—presented at the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) Network for Academic Renewal Conference in Chicago March 4. The conference theme, General Education and Assessment, attracted 800 attendees.

Alumna Cynthia Jele wins Commonwealth Writers’ Prize

Alumna and author Cynthia Jele has won the 2011 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for the Best First Book in the African region.

Alumna Cynthia Jele wins Commonwealth Writers’ Prize

March 7, 2011—North Central graduate and author Cynthia Jele has won the 2011 Commonwealth Writers’ Prize for the Best First Book in the African region for her novel “Happiness is a Four-letter Word.”

Jele earns a trip to the Sydney Writers Festival in May, when her book will compete against finalists from other Commonwealth regions for two overall best first book awards.

Three faculty and student publish book reviews

Faculty Sheryl Finkle, Jerry Gems, Zachary Jack and graduate student Stephanie Salerno have book reviews published in “Journal of Sport History.”

Three North Central faculty and one graduate student had book reviews published in the fall 2010 issue of the “Journal of Sport History,” 37:3. Sheryl Finkle, professor of education, reviewed “The Ohio State University at the Olympics: A Biographical Dictionary of Athletes, Alternates, Administrators, Coaches and Trainers” by Rusty Wilson; Gerald Gems, professor of health and physical education, reviewed “The Empire Strikes Out: How Baseball Sold U.S.

Student journalists earn Illinois College Press Association awards

Students journalists from North Central College have earned eight awards from the Illinois College Press Association.

Contact: Ted Slowik [tjslowik@noctrl.edu], director of PR and media relations, 630-637-5307

Feb. 28, 2011—Student journalists from North Central College have earned eight awards for excellence from the Illinois College Press Association (IPCA).

Navakas talks about global education

Francine Navakas, Svend and Elizabeth Bramsen Professor in the Humanities, was part of a five-member panel presentation at AAC&U annual meeting.

Francine Navakas—Svend and Elizabeth Bramsen Professor in the Humanities, professor of English, director of integrative programs and associate academic dean—was part of a panel presentation titled “Weaving Global Education throughout the Institution” at the Annual Meeting of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U). Held Jan.

Moran earns prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation scholarship

North Central College student Peggy Moran has earned a prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Foundation scholarship.

Author and entrepreneur Peggy Moran knows the exact moment that triggered her decision to resume her education. It was in 2008, when her college-aged daughter was hospitalized with a life-threatening condition.

“That changed the way I view the present tense,” Moran says. “Everything suddenly became more meaningful, and time became of the essence in a different way.”

NC Review Underground is tonight

Winter term’s first NC Review Underground is happening tonight at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 31, in the basement of the Rolland Center Boilerhouse Cafe. This event will feature a reading by Andrei Guruianu, assistant professor of English, and Amy Elisabeth Olson ’12, with musical guests Tony Wadas and Justin Spencer.

Students especially are encouraged to bring and share your writing, comedy, instruments or just show up and unwind with friends and free refreshments. Also, the fall 2010 issue of NC Review will be released.