Interview with Liz Oestreich (pictured above) Conducted by Julia Henner May 2012

1.      What made you want to major in English? Why have you chosen your particular emphasis in English?

“In high school, I really enjoyed grammar lessons. It was just fun, something I can’t really explain. When I got to college, I was certain I wanted to teach high school English. But during my sophomore year, I began doubting that I had a true and deep interest in being a high school teacher. I changed my emphasis to professional writing, because some of the classes a person has to take for the major deal with grammar—my favorite! The downside of a professional writing emphasis is finding a job. Employers don’t look for “professional writers,” so students with a professional writing emphasis should work with faculty who know the profession to find an internship or job.”

2. What was your favorite English class at UW-Platteville and why?

“I have a few favorites.

One of my favorite English class was English 3990, Topics in Language, Literature or Writing: Manuscripts. It was a challenging creative writing course. Being a grammar nut, I found creative writing to be challenging. Yet, the challenge was what drew me to creative writing. “Manuscripts” was a fantastic class because only 13 people enrolled. It was perfect for work-shopping poetry and fiction. Each student developed his or her own writing style, and since there were only 13 of us, we could each pick out each-other's style. It was just really fun, and I learned so much.

Another favorite was Post-Colonial Literature with Amanda Tucker. We read so much literature I had never heard of. Diving into the literature was so much fine, like experiencing another culture. I appreciate all that I learned from that class, and just the general understanding that reading can open your mind to how diverse the world is.

Sociolinguistics with Yuanyuan Hu was another fun class. Learning about why people speak how they do and use the words they use really interests me. Each student had to complete a project that included interviews with two or more people. After completing the interviews, the student had to compare the findings, and try to ascertain why the subjects spoke how they did or used the words that they did.

This last semester, History of the English language has been fantastic. Learning about how the English language came to be and discussing what it’s up to now is so interesting! In some cases the language just did what it did out of simplicity, but other times there were real reasons...those are so fun to discuss.

Honestly, if I went through a list of all the English classes I’ve taken, I think I would find characteristics and memories from each class that could make it my favorite.”

3. What expectations have you had to meet in college? What should aspiring English majors expect?

“Anybody can graduate with an English major. But if a person wants to get a great job, that person has to really apply him or herself in school. There are so many opportunities to learn information that can be used in the future. In Technical Writing, students learn all about business writing. I took it as a sophomore, and I was glad I saved some of the notes I took from the course. When I make contact with professionals, I use what I learned in Technical Writing to make the best impression I could. English majors should expect to be doing a lot of reading.

Reading may not be actual homework with a grade and all, but it will be necessary to get satisfactory grades in English courses. Also, English majors should expect to harbor relationships with professors. English is a difficult discipline to get a good job in, so receiving credited advice from people in the field is extremely important.”

4. Why do you feel English (reading, writing, teaching, etc) important? In other words, why should someone want to be an English major?

“I’ve learned from my Spanish major and TESOL minor that to learn about other languages and how they work, one must truly understand one’s own language. Also, with technology and its effect on language, it is vital that the world has scholars who know and understand English. “

5. What opportunities are available to expand your writing experience on campus?

-          “Professional Writing Internship at the Education Abroad Office

-          Jobs at the Writing Center

-          Tutoring

-          Working for the Exponent

-          Working of Public Relations

-          Possibly working with the professors who put together the freshmen composition book?

-          Taking as many different types of English classes as possible!”

6. What do you intend to do with your degree / what do you intend to do after you graduate?

“In the fall I will be attending law school. I was accepted to William Mitchell College of Law in Saint Paul, MN., and Marquette University College of Law in Milwaukee, WI. My background in English helped me a lot. There is a lot of writing involved in applications! I have also heard from lawyers and current law students that there is a great deal of writing involved in law. In addition to that, the broad education I received allowed me to grasp how big the world is, and how different people can be based on a variety of things. But it also taught me that with mutual respect, most people can get along with each other no matter how different they are.”

Interview with Brice Lory (pictured above) Conducted by Julia Henner May 2012

1. What made you want to major in English? Why have you chosen your particular emphasis in English?

“I decided to go into English, and especially into professional writing, for creative writing.  I’ve always been interested in creative endeavor, and the ability to communicate abstract ideas and complex emotions through the written word is such an intriguing thing to me.  I love the sounds of words, exploring the connotations of different words, and combining them in surprising ways.  Writing allows both the writer and the reader to explore the world from a different perspective, which is such a valuable aspect of life.”

2. What was your favorite English class at UW-Platteville and why?

“My favorite English class would be a tie between all my creative writing workshop experiences here.  I love the collaboration that can happen as students grow more open and trusting throughout the semester.  There’s a sense of shared artistic experience that isn’t really there in other academic fields.  We all have something to say, and writing workshops help you to say it.”

3. What expectations have you had to meet in college? What should aspiring English majors expect?

“The biggest thing, especially in English, is to read.  Whether it be literature courses, or writing courses, reading is vital.  And reading literature is a very different method of reading than trying to hack through the droning textbooks for the next bit of information that will be on the test.  The biggest thing is to learn how to read actively, looking for connection, meaning, and even the importance of word choice to help convey another person’s perspective.  And it’s important to remember that even though a book or a poem is not directly relatable to a person, there is universality to human nature; even things centuries old can have meaning for people in the 21^st Century.”

4. Why do you feel English (reading, writing, teaching, etc.) is important? In other words, why should someone want to be an English major?

“English is important both practically and developmentally.  Practically, our country is getting worse and worse at writing and literacy even in the professional world.  Studying English, learning to write, and being truly comfortable with your own language will help you excel in any other profession.  Every career will have writing and communicating with other people.  Studying English will help you get your ideas across clearly and intelligently.  Developmentally, English is important for a person to help understand their place in the world.  By really looking at other people’s understanding of life, a person can learn to analyze their own lives in ways that they may not have been able to before.  By being able to explore another person’s mind through literature and other creative enterprises, we can begin to see how people are similar, different, how we all struggle and triumph, and how the world is so much larger than the world behind our eyes.”

5. What opportunities are available to expand your writing experience on campus?

“There are a surprising number of opportunities on campus, and the most important ones are those that connect you with other writers.  I cannot stress enough how important it is to find other writers, whether they write a similar style or on similar topics or not.  Most of my experiences stemmed from creative writing courses and workshops that connected me to fellow students with whom I was able to form bonds and mutually develop our writing.  It’s really important to keep up these relationships outside of the classroom, as writing is a continual process that doesn’t end as soon as you get the grade on your final.  Other opportunities are extremely important: keep your eyes out for writing contests, guest poet/writer readings, festivals, and other writing-related events that occur all year round.  These are such great opportunities to get exposed to new writing, to get connected to other writers on campus, and to become a part of the community.  For writing assistance, the writing center is a great tool and should be eagerly used.  There are plenty of people there who are happy to help you develop your own writing skills in a one-on-one setting, regardless of writing skill.”

6. What do you intend to do with your degree / what do you intend to do after you graduate?

“While creative writing is a very competitive field, I’m hoping to be able to get into a graduate program for either a creative writing MFA or possibly an MA in literature.  With these, I would look into doctorate programs and becoming a professor.  I’m open to other possibilities, such as editing or whatever may come my way.  One of the great benefits of an English degree is that it is…universally useful.  Many companies are looking for people who can write and communicate clearly and if they know you can do so it’ll only look good for you.”

7. Are there any other questions you wished were on here? If so, ask the question and answer it.

What is the most under-rated aspect of an English program?

“As dry as it sounds, grammar is an extremely important aspect of English to study.  By understanding the underpinnings of our language, a person is able to work with much easier.  Grammar is really the underlying building block of a successful career in English, just like the basic math is to an Engineer, or anatomy is to a doctor.  While a person may speak English naturally, there is a great deal of subtlety that can only be really understood by studying grammar.  It will help your writing, your reading, and your verbal communication.  I can’t stress enough how important I feel grammar is to a well-rounded English education.”

Interview with Mike Lambert (pictured above) conducted by Julia Henner in May 2012

1.      What made you want to major in English? Why have you chosen your particular emphasis in English?

“When I was a kid, my parents asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up.  I told them that I wanted to be a janitor—that was my first response.  I was attending a private, catholic school at the time and the person that seemed to be the happiest was the janitor.  It’s funny now looking back, but I think I may have been onto something.  For me, choosing to major in professional writing represents a course of study with a lot of options.  If we all did what we wanted to do when we were kids, there would be a lot of princesses and dragon-slayers running around, but I think there is something profound in what we consider important as children compared to adults.  Basically, I feel that with a degree in English, one can do whatever they want—custodial artists included.”

2. What was your favorite English class at UW-Platteville and why?
     “For me, it’s less about the class and more about the professor-student relationship.  Each had a different feel, and to try and pick a favorite becomes redundant.  “I’m your favorite, right mom?”  There were some that were ridiculous and fun, others that were more beneficial in a functional sort of way, and still others that I didn’t enjoy, but learned a lot from.”
 
3. What expectations have you had to meet in college? What should aspiring English majors expect?
     “Writing a lot will make you a better writer.  WE THINK WITHIN THE CONSTRUCT OF LANGUAGE.  Expect to write.  And then write more.” 

4. Why do you feel English (reading, writing, teaching, etc) important? In other words, why should someone want to be an English major?
     It teaches you how to think.  Cue the David Foster Wallace speech:
http://101books.net/2011/04/26/david-foster-wallace-this-is-water/

5. What opportunities are available to expand your writing experience on campus?
     There is a vibrant creative writing community here in Platteville, believe it or not.  This campus is chalk-full of resources if one looks in the right places, and this is extremely important for students and professionals alike.

6. What do you intend to do with your degree / what do you intend to do after you graduate?
     I’m planning on eventually getting an M.F.A. in creative writing from a top university.  I’m also considering teaching English in South Korea for a year or so.  Maybe swim to Xanadu on the weekends.  Become a super-hero. That sort of thing.

This is where the UW-Platteville Creative Writing department will share interviews of its talented staff and students.