Red River Graduate Student Conference set
Students from area universities will gather for the third annual Red River Graduate Student Conference Feb. 17 in the Meadowlark Room of the Memorial Union.
“ We’ve invited graduate students in English studies programs from South Dakota, Minnesota and North Dakota to attend — it’s basically seen as a low-pressure opportunity to practice and participate in a conference.… Conferences are a big part of an English-studies field,” Michael Tomanek, graduate student and member of the organizing committee for the conference, said.
The event is free and open to the public, and will feature 20 to 30 presenters who will speak on a wide variety of topics. In previous years, topics have ranged from speaking in tongues to creative writing to the popular HBO series Sex and the City.
“ Some students will present poetry and drama that they’ve written; other people will present papers on literature topics, such as British literature, American literature,” Dani Kvanvig, graduate student and member of the organizing committee for the conference, said.
The presentations will be done in a panel format consisting of three presenters. Each panel will last approximately one hour. The panels will be grouped according to similar topics so that the audience can choose which presentation to attend. Following each panel, the audience will have the opportunity to evaluate each presentation.
Fliers will be hung around campus listing the different panels and times, Jen McKenzie, committee member and presenter for the event, said.
Not only is this conference a chance for students and faculty to see the work that area students are doing, but it is a learning experience for students interested in going into an English studies field or a Ph.D program. The conference provides a friendlier environment for graduate students to share their work before moving into a more high-pressure situation, McKenzie said.
“ If any graduate student intends to go on to a Ph.D program or to a university job, it is a chance for them to share their ideas and to continue research,” Tomanek said. It also looks good on resumes, Kvanvig said.
Beyond being a learning experience for the graduate students, it helps them to see what others in their career are doing.
“It gives us a good chance to get out there and see what the literary community is like, so we know if this is something we still want to pursue,” Kristin Garis-Johnson, committee member and presenter, said.
Last year’s conference was on a Saturday, during the weekend of President’s Day, so the campus was deserted.
Despite the lack of students on campus, around 50 people were still in attendance. Since this year’s conference is on a weekday during normal hours of school operation, organizers are expecting a good turnout, McKenzie said.
For more information on the conference, contact Michael Tomanek by e-mail at Michael.Tomanek@ndsu.edu.