INSIGHTS
DIVISION of ACADEMIC AFFAIRS DIVISION of ACADEMIC AFFAIRS SCHOOL of THE ARTS AND PROFESSIONS SCHOOL of THE ARTS AND PROFESSIONS Department of English and Modern Languages Department of English and Modern Languages Volume 16
Issue 4
December 2010
DEMONSTRATING LEADERSHIP
English Major Excels in Athletics and Academics
When the season came to a close without a
conference championship, the UMES
volleyball team still claimed bragging
rights to an impressive statistic. It was the
top serving team in the country, scoring
more “aces” (non-returned serves) per
game than any other
NCAA Division I team.
It claimed that ranking as
a result of the superior
performance of junior
English major Zoe
Bowens, the top Division
I server in the nation
when the regular season
ended.
Ms. Bowens
Ms. Bowens was
recruited to UMES from Photo by
Long Beach Polytechnic Lloydlee Heite
High School in southern
California. The school boasts an
impressive roster of alumni including a
handful of professional athletes, musical
entertainer Snoop Dogg, and actress/model
Cameron Diaz. The
school can add Ms.
Bowens to its list of
uber-achievers.
“Zoe is our main ‘goto’ person,” said Eric
Hammond, a staff
member in the
Department of
English and Modern
Languages and the
University’s assistant
volleyball coach.
“She’s been a great
leader for us, on and
off the court.”
Ms. Bowens in
action
Photo by Joey
Gardner
In addition to playing every minute of
every game, Ms. Bowens served as the
team’s co-captain, maintained a 3.66
cumulative grade point average, and
represented the volleyball team on the
Student Athlete Advisory Committee.
This was a particularly challenging year
for UMES volleyball. Four players were
dropped from the team just days before
the season began. “It was a little
stressful at times,” Ms. Bowens admits.
“It was a matter of trying to making
lemonade out of lemons.”
The team lost in the semi-finals of the
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
championship last month, but Ms.
Bowens is already planning for next
year.
“We did a lot better than people
expected, but we didn’t get the desired
outcome. However, I believe we have a
great core of girls returning next year
and some exceptional recruits,” she said.
“ I’m really looking forward to my
senior season.”
MAKING A POSITIVE FIRST IMPRESSION
English Department Participates in Recruitment Fair
The English department was well
represented at the ninth annual Tri-County
College Fair held recently in the William P.
Hytche Athletic Center. A group of faculty
members were joined by students from the
UMES chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, a
national English honor society.
The event brings 1,500 local and regional
high school students to the Princess Anne
campus to meet with representatives of
more than 90 different
colleges and universities.
The teachers and students
who volunteered from the
English department met
with interested high
school students to discuss
(L to R) Honor society member
career options and
Janay Stephens and faculty
academic opportunities.
members Gabriela VlahoviciJones and Susan Cooledge
Photo by Matthew Whittiker
The department’s
recruitment efforts
are bolstered by a
display board
featuring photographs
of current students
engaged in a variety
of academic and
organizational
activities.
PLANNING A CAREER AS A TEACHER?
UMES Master’s Program is a Good Fit for English Non-Teaching Majors
By Barbara Seabrook
English Education Coordinator
English non-teaching majors and graduates
interested in pursuing a career as a middle
or high school English/language arts
teacher should consider the Master of Arts
in Teaching (MAT) program at UMES.
The MAT is a 39 semester-hour
professional degree program designed to
prepare students for initial teacher
certification. It is a collaborative degree
program offered by Salisbury University
(SU) and the University of Maryland
Eastern Shore (UMES). The program is
intended for students who have earned a
non-teaching baccalaureate degree from an
accredited institution of higher education
in an appropriate content area, who now
wish to become teachers.
Registration is done online, and the
deadline each year is October 1. MAT
applicants are interviewed jointly by the
UMES and SU coordinators in
November; acceptance letters are mailed
immediately after the interviews. Passing
scores on PRAXIS I or the SAT are
required prior to being admitted to the
program. Passing scores on both parts of
PRAXIS II are required before the student
can complete an internship.
The MAT program takes less than two
years to complete. All classes meet in the
evening, starting at either 5:00 PM
(UMES) or 5:30 PM (SU). The first class
meets four nights a week for three weeks
during a January winter term; following
that, students take four courses in the
spring semester, one course during the
first summer session (approximately
Memorial Day to July 4), and four
courses in the fall semester. There’s a
comprehensive exam in January, teaching
internships in the spring, and graduation
in May.
MAT candidates must have time during
the day to complete field experiences in
the schools. Some candidates make
arrangement to work while they are in the
program, but this is very challenging
because the program is intense. Working
at another position is not possible during
the internships when teacher candidates
are expected to be in their school
placements all day every day.
Additional information can be obtained
from the UMES Department of Education
home page or from Dr. Mary Agnew,
MAT Program Coordinator.
MASTER OF ARTS
IN TEACHING
CURRICULUM
WORD PLAY:
Winter Term
EMAT 501 Development
and Learning Applied to Teaching
An anagram is a type of word play. It is the result of rearranging the letters
of a word or phrase to produce a new word or phrase, using all the original
letters once.
Spring Semester
EMAT 502 Social and Philosophical
Foundations of Contemporary Education
EMAT 504 Reading and Writing in the
Content Areas I
EMAT 505 Methods of Teaching and
Assessment
EMAT 515 Research and Technology
Summer Semester: First Session
EMAT 506 Inclusive Teaching for
Diverse Populations
Fall Semester
EMAT 503 Principles of Curriculum &
Instruction
EMAT 512 Classroom Management
EMAT 508 Reading and Writing in the
Content Areas II
EMAT 425 Secondary School Methods
Spring Semester
EMAT 507 Internship I
EMAT 509 Internship II
EMAT 511 Seminar
All classes are three credit courses.
Someone who creates anagrams is called an anagrammatist. A serious and
skilled anagrammatist aims to create anagrams that in some way reflect or
comment on the subject. Such anagrams may be a synonym or antonym of
their subject, a parody, criticism, or praise.
Examples:
George Bush = He bugs Gore
William Shakespeare = I’ll Make a Wise Phrase
Statue of Liberty = Built to Stay Free
Snooze Alarms = Alas! No More Z’s
Eleven Plus Two = Twelve Plus One
Christmas = Trims Cash
Garbage Man = Bag Manager
Slot Machines = Cash Lost in Me
Election Results = Lies – Let’s Recount
A Decimal Point = I’m A Dot in Place
What is your skill level as a anagrammatist?*
Try these:
1. ASTRONOMER
4. DESPERATION
2. THE EYES
5. THE MORSE CODE
3. PRESBYTERIAN
*Answers appear on page three.
Word Play, provided by Dr. Barbara Seabrook, is a monthly feature
which explores the creative use of language.
ANALYZING WHAT WE BELIEVE
English Majors Participate in Local Television News Report
When WBOC TV, the CBS affiliate in
Salisbury, Maryland, wanted to talk to
intelligent, articulate young people about
their religious beliefs, the station sent
reporter Lisa Bryant to UMES. Ms. Bryant
produces a recurring segment on faith and
spirituality entitled “Heart and Soul.”
among other things, those with a college
education know more about the practice of
organized religion than members of the
general public.
Of the ten students who participated in the
on-camera discussion, five are English
majors; one is minoring in English. They
included Randall Hill, Naeemah Kitchens,
The recent segment focused on what well
educated young adults really know about
the faith
they
practice.
Her report
followed a
national
survey
conducted
by the Pew
Forum on
Religion and WBOC reporter Lisa Bryant meets with students including (L to R) English
Public Life majors Cherish McMillan, Randall Hill, Robynne Warren, and Naeemah
Kitchens
which
showed,
Photo by Bill Robinson
Cherish McMillan, Keith Savage,
William Wallace, and Robynne Warren.
Mr. Hill, who serves as president of the
English honor society on campus, was
an able champion of education as an
agent of change.
“The Bible says … people perished for
the lack of knowledge. There is so much
bigotry and so much hatred … there are
so many things that we shouldn’t have
because we don’t know,” he said.
ANSWERS TO WORD PLAY
QUIZ FROM PAGE TWO
1. MOON STARER
2. THEY SEE
3. BEST IN PRAYER
4. A ROPE ENDS IT
5. HERE COME DOTS
GET WELL
WISHES
DEGREE
EARNED
HERITAGE &
CULTURE
English faculty
member Ron
Webster is resting
at home in Milton,
Delaware after
emergency heart
surgery.
Spanish language
faculty member
Nydia Gregory
will soon be Dr.
Gregory.
Local middle
school students
will learn about
Native
American
culture when
they meet with
English faculty
member
Mignon
Anderson later Ms. Anderson
this month.
Dr. Webster had
been experiencing
recent bouts of
Dr. Webster
periodic pain
which were originally attributed to a
muscle strain, but which proved to be far
more serious.
His colleagues in the English department
have assumed responsibility for his classes
for the remainder of the semester while he
recuperates.
Dr. Webster has served as copy editor for
this publication since 2003. In his absence,
the current issue has been reviewed by Dr.
Webster’s officemate, faculty member
Bonni Miller.
Ms. Gregory will
join the hundreds
of smiling
graduates
celebrating an
Ms. Gregory
educational
milestone at the UMES winter
commencement ceremony this month. She
will be awarded a doctoral degree.
As part of the University’s Organizational
Leadership program, Ms. Gregory worked
with Maryland’s Division of Rehabilitation
Services (DORS) to research the effects of
leadership style and self-reported
rehabilitation knowledge on
service delivery outcomes.
DORS’ mission is to enable individuals
with disabilities to achieve economic selfsufficiency and independence.
Ms. Anderson, who is a descendent of
Native Americans indigenous to the
Delmarva Peninsula, has been invited to
participate in an enrichment activity at
Wicomico Middle School entitled “A
Mile in Your Shoes.”
“I will bring artifacts...introduce them to
some basics about American Indian
spirit songs, and will explain something
of the breadth of variance of cultural
practices among the many nations that
still exist and thrive...,” Ms. Anderson
said.
MEET THE
FAMILY
IN THE
SPOTLIGHT
Holiday Eller-Samabaly, an English
major who graduated in December of
2007, is unusually busy these days. She
and her husband, Aly, are the proud
parents of twin girls who celebrate their
first birthday this month.
Deborah Meadows
Julien, class of ‘05, has
taken another important
step in her quest to
become a successful
entertainer. A music
industry veteran, “Kv”
has created her first
music video; he’s the
director and
photographer for rapper
Tabi Bonney's
company, Cool Kids
Forever.
UMES DRAMA SOCIETY’S
PRESENTATION OF GOD’S
TROMBONES
Photos by Matthew Whittiker
Ms. Julien
Photo by Smile
On Three
Photography
Adriella (L) and Safina get ready for
Halloween with their mom.
The song she performs is a single from her
debut project "Dream Chaser Pt. 1: The
Streets.” Ms. Julien was inspired to write
the lyrics after a fatal shooting in
Washington, D.C., involved a 14 year old
getaway car driver.
Photo provided by Holiday EllerSamabaly
“I wrote the song as if watching the life of
a teen like that unfold,” Ms. Julien said.
SUCCESSFUL GRADUATE
JOB SEARCH ASSISTANT
WELCOME
HOME
Many soon-to-be
graduates worry about
finding work in a tough
economic climate but
not English major
Keith Savage.
Michael Guy has found
a teaching job where he
feels right at home. The
December ‘09 graduate
has accepted a part-time
teaching position with
the school district where
he attended high school.
He is teaching reading
comprehension and
Mr. Guy
writing at the
Wallenpaupack Alternative/Charter
School in Abington Heights,
Pennsylvania.
Mr. Savage already
knows he’ll be a
management trainee
for Enterprise, the rental Mr. Savage
car company, following
his graduation this month.
It’s not good luck that enabled Mr.
Savage to secure employment before
graduation. He’s a military veteran, a
member of the University’s English
honor society, and he will graduate with
a 3.9 cumulative grade point average.
Rayna Brown earned
her English degree in
May, but she was back
at UMES in September.
The former varsity
basketball player has
accepted a graduate
assistantship in the
athletics department
while enrolled in the
Ms. Brown
UMES Counselor
Education program. “I plan to get my
master’s degree and get into family
counseling or maybe addictions
counseling,” she said.
Ms. Brown, a native of Montclair, New
Jersey, says she can also envision herself
as a basketball coach at some point.
Mr. Guy, named the outstanding student
in the English Department in 2009, is also
an assistant baseball coach at King’s
College in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania.
Insights is written and edited, except as noted, by communications instructor Marilyn
Buerkle. Technical associate Eric Hammond is responsible for desktop publishing.
Copy is proofread by composition instructor Ron Webster. Photos are by Marilyn
Buerkle, except as noted. If you have information you would like to appear in this
publication, contact our editor at 410-651-8349 or email her at [email protected].