Sophomore Evan Burton is

one of a select group of

UMES students chosen to

study abroad this semester at the University of Cape Coast

in Ghana. The students

arrived in Africa in late

January to what Mr. Burton

describes as a “heavily

scheduled” first week of

orientation.

A Baltimore area native, Mr.

Burton is an English major and

a member of UMES’ honors

program. His journey to Ghana is part of a project

President Thelma Thompson

initiated to increase the

opportunities for students at

historically black institutions

in the United States to study in

Africa. The UMES students

will continue to complete

coursework toward their U.S.

degrees, but they will also gain

a wealth of knowledge about the Ghanaian culture and

people.

In order to assist students who

might not otherwise have been

able to participate in the trip,

UMES’ Study Abroad

Program provided air fare, a

An African Experience English Honors Student Studies in Ghana

Like the start of a

professional sports season,

the start of the Spring 2005

semester marks some changes on the team at the

UMES Department of

English and Modern

Languages.

No one was traded nor

shipped back to the minor

leagues, but there is a new

faculty member to welcome,

an old friend to welcome

back, and a temporary farewell to extend to a

faculty member who has

taken a leave of absence.

As noted in our last

newsletter, Cheikh

Ahmadou Dieng, a native of

Senegal, joins us as a

visiting Fulbright scholar.

Dr. Dieng earned his

undergraduate degree at the University of Dakar, and

both a master’s and doctoral

degree from

Lille

University

in France. From 1998

to 2000, he

served as

chair of the

Department

of English at

Cheikh Anta Diop University

of Dakar in Senegal.

Rebecca Chalmers earned her

doctoral degree during her absence from the UMES

English department. You

may remember that she

taught here

until the

Spring of

1996. She

moved to

Albuquerque

to study and

teach at the

University

of New Mexico. After

completing her Ph.D., she

directed the literature

program at the University of Mary, a private, liberal arts

school in Bismarck, North

Dakota. Among other

courses, Dr. Chalmers will

teach Literary Criticism and

Theory this semester.

That course

has most

recently

been taught by Miriam

Gyimah.

Dr.

Gyimah

is on

leave

from her position as an

assistant professor of

English and African Studies

this semester. We look

forward to her return to the

UMES campus in the Fall of

2005.

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Volume 5 Issue 1

February 2005

Dr. Miriam Gyimah

Dr. C.A. Dieng

health insurance stipend,

partial support for living

expenses, and immunization

and passport fees.

A budding journalist, Mr.

Burton has agreed to provide

“Letters from Ghana” for this

newsletter. His impressions

will be featured in the March

edition of Insights. University of Cape Coast

(Photo Courtesy UCC)

Keep Your Scorecard Current

Dr. Rebecca Chalmers

Congratulations

to the

December 2004

English Dept.

Graduates

decide what was—and was not— appropriate for their town. The

redevelopment of downtown Berlin is a success story built, in part, on its tasteful,

complimentary, red brick business facades, 1900’s style street lights, and other design

elements typical to the Victorian period. That consistent, attractive appearance was

made possible by the gentle but firm guidance of the town’s historic

commission.

Ms. Hammond’s expertise in appropriate

styles and colors did not go unnoticed. When a group of local entrepreneurs

resurrected the nearly one hundred year old Atlantic Hotel, they, too, looked to her for

help. The refurbished hotel is now listed

on the National Register of Historic Places.

It was the beginning of a part time career as a freelance design consultant, and a

continuing career working with the Atlantic Hotel. The hotel’s décor is periodically

refurbished under Ms. Hammond’s

carefully trained eye.

It wasn’t until her children were grown that Ms. Hammond decided to return to

school to earn a master’s degree in English. She enrolled at Salisbury

University and completed her studies in 1997. She has been using that portion of

her broad, liberal arts background as a member of the faculty at UMES since

1999.

If your valentine is romantic enough to

treat you to dinner or a night’s stay at

the Atlantic Hotel in nearby Berlin this

month, step back in time and soak in

the ambiance of a perfectly appointed

Victorian establishment.

It’s a mood created by carefully

planned details. The color and patterns

of the beautiful upholstery, wall coverings, and draperies are true to the

Victorian period, and carefully selected

by an art historian... actually, an art

historian and UMES English faculty

member.

writers, directors, and performers, as well

as numerous production companies. He

is an adjunct professor at UCLA and a

frequent lecturer on legal issues

confronting the entertainment industry.

He will offer his thoughts on issues as

diverse as, “How do I get permission to

use that location in my movie?” to “Do I

really need an agent to get started?”

Mr. Pierce will offer his unique

perspective on life behind-the-scenes in

Hollywood to the UMES campus

community in late March. Time and location will be noted in Insights’ March

calendar.

Life Outside the Classroom

There are many more jobs in television

and film behind-the-scenes than there are

on-camera, but too often young people

are simply unfamiliar with their options.

Students interested in communication careers, whose parents are twisting their

arms to go to law school, may not realize

that lawyers play prominent parts in the

entertainment industry. David Pierce, a

guest to our campus later this semester,

will spotlight how his career combined

his interest in TV and film with his law

degree from Cornell University.

Mr. Pierce is a member of a Beverly

Hills law firm that represents producers,

A Lesson in L.A. Law

There are 17 guest rooms at the Atlantic, all

representative of the Victorian period

(Photo Courtesy Atlantic Hotel)

ENGLISH FACULTY MEMBER COMBINES ART, HISTORY, AND DESIGN SKILLS IN HOTEL DÉCOR

Editor’s Note: This article marks the first in an occasional series about the

interests and talents of the UMES

English faculty “outside the classroom.”

Page Hammond, a composition

instructor in the UMES English

department, says there are many

parallels between art and

literature. “Composition

and analysis are integral to both,”

she says.

Ms. Hammond

earned her undergraduate

degree in art at the University of Georgia and, after

graduation, took a job in the design department at the Baltimore Museum of Art.

When she married and moved to Worcester County, Maryland, she raised three young

children and taught art classes at Salisbury University. She was also able to put her art

and design skills to work on a newly created historic district commission in the town of

Berlin.

In the 1980’s, after years of neglect, some

Berlin residents were determined to dress up, clean up, and emphasize the historic qualities

of their downtown district to attract the tourists who wanted a break from the beach.

City leaders turned to a local expert, Page Hammond, to chair a commission that would

Ms. Hammond welcomes us into the Atlantic

Hotel’s lobby through its

etched glass double doors

Wally Akinso

Tiana Bragg

Jumaane Green

Robin Hoffman

Jacquelyn Kane

Shannon Thomas

Andre Watson

ENTERTAINMENT LAWYER SCHEDULED TO VISIT UMES

Lagging in Language The news isn’t good. A recent Roper

poll shows a significant decline in

American foreign language instruction,

skills, and funding — this at a time when we are operating in a global

marketplace and struggling with

worldwide diplomacy.

In an effort to close this “language

gap” the American Council on the

Teaching of Foreign Languages

(ACTFL) has declared 2005 The Year

of Languages. The group represents

more than 7,000 foreign language

educators and administrators, as well

as people in government and industry.

Susan Cooledge, the French instructor

in the UMES Department of English

and Modern Languages, is a member

of the board of directors of the

Maryland

Foreign

Language

Association.

She says both groups’ efforts

to celebrate a

year of

language will

shine a

welcome

spotlight on

language

instruction.

Each

month this year will

feature a

specific

topic.

February focuses on “international

engagement.” Sister city relationships

and study abroad programs will be

emphasized.

When the ACTFL president, Keith

Cothrun, announced The Year of Languages at the National Press Club in

Washington, he said “there has never

been a more critical time for Americans

to learn a language other than English…

Americans must stop relying on others

around the world to accommodate us.”

He described the purpose of the yearlong

celebration as making America’s future

business and government leaders “more

able to communicate in a rapidly

shrinking world, and in the process,

make them better citizens in a global

society.”

Editor’s Note: The UMES English major

must successfully complete four

semesters of foreign language instruction

before graduation.

Graphic logo courtesy ACTFL

Madame Cooledge

FELIZ NAVIDAD Spanish language students and

Dr. Carole Champagne enjoy traditional foods from Spanish speaking countries while final

projects are presented

Honor Society Induction Scheduled

The UMES English Honor Society has invited seven

students to join its ranks. An induction ceremony for

the Psi Mu Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta Honor Society

is scheduled for Friday, March 11.

The students who have met the academic standards of the organization and have successfully navigated the

application and interview process include Franklin

Corsey, Latifa Sharif, Ronnetta Stanley, Eriel Jeffery, Samantha Hall, Joi Horn, and Stacy Wood.

Mary Fair Burks, Professor Emeritus, founded the Psi Mu Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta

at UMES in 1974. Dr. Burks wanted to highlight exceptional students who appreciate

the study of English and literature.

Miriam Gyimah serves as faculty advisor to the organization; although Dr. Gyimah is on a leave of absence from the University during this semester, she intends to return for the

event. A reception will be held following the induction ceremony to salute the new

members of the organization.

If you’re watching the Screen Actor’s

Guild (SAG) award show this month,

you’ll see the results of faculty member

Wil Rose’s labor. He is a card carrying,

dues paying SAG member and eligible

to vote in the award competition.

Mr. Rose had a life in the spotlight

before he took to an academic stage. His

pre-teaching career includes roles in film,

television, and theater productions. His

feature film credits list award winning

movies like Tootsie, his TV credits boast

numerous daytime dramas and Kojak,

and he was part of the cast when an

Edward Albee play was produced in

Lagos, Nigeria.

The SAG awards will air February 5 at 8

pm on TNT. We won’t know until then

if Mr. Rose’s picks picked up top honors.

The UMES National Alumni Association

is partnering with the campus Office of

Career Services and Cooperative

Education to present an internship fair entitled Building Hawk Professionals.

The event will be held Thursday,

February 10 from 1-4 pm in the Student

Services Center Ballroom.

Many different kinds of companies will

be represented. Students are encouraged

to have their resumes critiqued in the

career services office before they meet

with employers.

English majors who hope to earn

academic credit for an internship are

reminded that to be eligible to enroll in

the department’s internship program,

students must have a 2.7 cumulative

GPA and must have at least junior status.

community members. With their help,

the equipment has been purchased.

The English department thanks writer

and local philanthropist Mitzi Perdue, Marty Neet from First Shore Federal

Savings and Loan, Spicer Bell at the

Community Foundation of the Eastern

Shore, the Wicomico Rotary Club, and

the Sunrise Rotary Club.

Students enrolled in the English

department’s radio production course

will now be working on the same

digital editing equipment they’ll find

in the “real world” after graduation.

W hen adjunct radio

instructor Bill Reddish

wanted to teach his

students how to edit audio

digitally, he had to take them to the radio station where he works. The UMES

student station, WHWK, used as a lab for

student instruction, was not equipped

with the new technology.

An austere operating budget left little

optimism that the University would be

able to provide the more than $2,000

needed. So, Mr. Reddish started to talk

about his wish list to some generous

Radio Station Goes Hi Tech

MERRY CHRISTMAS DR. K!

Department chair Richard Keenan gets some valuable staff assistance as he unwraps a holiday gift from

the English faculty.

The “unveiling” took place at the annual pot luck Christmas

luncheon held just before the holiday break.

NOVEMBER CALENDAR

Hawk Professionals

Theater Productions

The students in the Acting I class are

hard at work, with the help of

members of the UMES Drama

Society, preparing for a theater

production to commemorate Black History Month. The students are

under the direction of Della Dameron

Johnson, a longtime faculty member in

the English department and advisor to

the campus drama society. The show

will be staged in the Ella Fitzgerald

Performing Arts Center on February

24 at 7:30 pm.

That weekend will also mark another

theater production in the Fitzgerald

Center. A traveling theater company will present Welcome Home Marian

Anderson. That show will be staged

February 25-27. Admission is $5.

Insights is edited by faculty member

Marilyn Buerkle with the assistance

of instructional design specialist

Kaye Pinhey and composition

instructor Ron Webster. If you have

information you would like to appear

in this publication, please contact

our editor at 410-651-8349 or email

her at mlbuerkle@umes.edu.

FEBRUARY CALENDAR 1 English Dept. Meeting 11 am Wilson 2113 4 Drop Period Ends 8 UMES Senate Meeting 11 am Carver Hall 9 Prayer Breakfast 8:30 am SSC Ballroom 10 Internship Fair 1-4 pm SSC Ballroom 11-13 Homecoming Events 14 Add Period Ends (Pssst: Don’t Forget Your Valentine!) 15 Faculty Assembly Meeting 11 am Carver Hall 20 African American Read-In 3 pm SSC 24 Black Heritage Show 7:30 pm PAC

Teacher-Actor Casts Vote

Photo by Joseph Davis