student profiles
Katherine Bussert
1. What drew you to the major?
I came to the university with the intent to study English and, after I took my first few English classes, I knew it was the right decision. The department offers so many interesting courses that focus on subject matter that one might not even think to find in the average English class. For example, I am also a Film Studies minor and the film classes I have taken are listed under English. There are even classes that focus on fan culture and the graphic novel. I was so impressed with the variety of courses that I found in the department. The professors are all so enthusiastic and highly qualified in what they teach and I find their excitement to be extremely contagious. The classes are also very intimate, in regard to both size and discussion, so I seem to always come out of a course and feel somehow connected to the subject matter. All in all, I only have praise for the major, because it gave me all that I wanted out of the program.
2. What other majors have you combined with English, and how did that go?
I am also a Spanish major and the two work extremely well together. The dual major has allowed me to get the most out of my love for language and it has also helped me to explore literature that I may have overlooked if I were not pursuing both majors. It is also amazing to me that I have been able to make so many connections between the two disciplines; I have yet to take a course that I cannot relate back to another taken for the other major. I was not completely sure that I was going to have the time to make both majors work, but even the required courses were very easy to schedule around each other and I have been able to take at least one course from each discipline every semester. I honestly think that the English major complements many of the majors in the liberal arts and beyond.
3. How has your English major prepared you for life after graduation?
My English major has given me an incredible amount of preparation. I want to teach English, so everything that I learn in each of my courses is preparing me to pass on that knowledge. Even if was not pursuing teaching, my English major would leave me with the capacity to write well and to think creatively and inquisitively, which are abilities that are incredibly important. Employers generally value these skills, as they are relevant and necessary for most jobs.
4. What is it like being an English major at Case in particular, with its perceived focus on the sciences?
I think it is very gratifying. Although it is easy to feel swallowed up by the vast majority of students with majors outside of the liberal arts, being an English major has always made me feel unique. I have always said, and I will continue to say, that, although Case is a science-oriented school, it is a hidden liberal arts gem. The faculty in the English department are academics of the highest caliber, the classes are small and tailored to the needs of each group of students, and, because there aren’t an overwhelming number of students in the major, each student gets individual attention and guidance in a way that might not be so feasible with majors outside of the humanities. I enjoy it immensely.
5. Why would you encourage a prospective English major to sign on?
The English major is very flexible. I was able to come to this school and take 300 level elective courses in the English department my first semester. Basically, you can make your major what you want it to be. So, if you are the type of person who likes the idea of having creative freedom over your academics, and your life in general, and loves to learn awesome things from and with awesome people in an incredibly awesome way, then I would highly recommend the major. I could not be happier with my choice to become an English major, because it is, for lack of a more appropriate word, awesome.
Sabrina Gorse
1. What drew you to the major?
What influenced my decision to pursue an English major stemmed from childhood. When I was a kid, I loved to read. I spent most of my free time reading whatever I could get my hands on and I constantly pestered my parents into taking me to the library. As I grew older, I found that I liked analyzing the plots and literary techniques used in books and, over time, I realized that my writing had improved as well. By the time I graduated high school, I couldn’t imagine a school career without taking a few English courses – not only to develop my writing skills further but to expand my reading materials – which soon led me to finally apply for the major.
2. What other majors have you combined with English, and how did that go?
I am also working on a Classic major for graduation. As of now, the major is going well. In this major, I translate a number of Greek and Latin books so my English experience has been helpful in understanding the grammar and sentence structure. Vice versa, the major has tested me not only on how I should interpret another language through English but how I should view English itself as a written language.
3. How has your English major prepared you for life after graduation?
I haven’t graduated yet, but I expect that my English major has definitely provided me with such reading and writing skills necessary for not only everyday life but also graduate school.
4. What is it like being an English major at Case in particular, with its perceived focus on the sciences?
Conversations become awkward when someone asks what [science-related] major you are. In truth, I’m having fun being an English major. Although the college focuses more on science than the fine arts, the English department has a lot of staff and classes and a sizeable population of other English majors so that I don’t feel like the only fine arts student. Having such a major in a science-oriented campus actually is advantageous. I can converse with people from a wide variety of majors, get help from others in situations that require an advance knowledge of science or math, and, because of the focus on science rather than fine arts, most of my English classes are relatively small or just the right size that I feel like I can actively participate in what I learn and actually know who my Professors are.
5. Why would you encourage a prospective English major to sign on?
Prospective English majors should sign up because the major benefits everyone. It covers a wide variety of topics, exposing students to old and modern ideas and issues. How applicable it is in everyday life depends on the student, but it definitely provides a person with knowledge on how to write (a skill that is very important in today’s society) and how to read books and other texts such as speeches and essays beyond their superficial meaning. All in all, the English major is helpful and fun.
Rachel Hunt
1. What drew you to the major?
I have always enjoyed reading ever since I was 5 and had drawers and drawers of books in my room (the number of books I had outnumbered pieces of clothing). In middle school I participated in Power of the Pen and when I walked out on stage to receive an award, I had no idea where I was going. After shaking hands with one juror he told me, "There's an English major if I ever saw one." So I guess that's where it started. There are other people out there like me? Who love to write, and read, and draw, and are completely klutzy? Sign me up. My affinity for proof-reading and revising were also red flags.
2. What other majors have you combined with English, and how did that go?
I am also an Art History major and an Art Studio minor. I strongly encourage students that are coming into the English program to pick up another major. It is not hard to do both and whatever major that you pick will be complemented by English. Being able to communicate things that you want to say through the written word is an amazing skill to have, and as you go through college you'll realize not everyone has been lucky enough to learn this skill. As an Art History major, I am constantly writing about artwork, and being able to describe works in a creative and engaging way is really a skill that I take from my interest and education in creative writing. The same goes for my own artwork that I create. Half the battle of becoming an artist is supporting your work, and bringing my English background into situations where I have to explain in writing my creative process has helped me and my audiences immensely in trying to understand inspiration, procedure, and my work.
3. How has your English major prepared you for life after graduation?
I wouldn't say that the English major at Case is easy, because it's not, but we do know how to have fun. And all that fun has lead to great networking opportunities, chances to have your work published, and deeper appreciation of arts in the city of Cleveland. I have met many great students and faculty through the English department that I can work with even after graduation. Professors in our department are Cleveland Arts Prize Winners and receive arts grants and have been through the process of applying for grants before. Having these people on your side in the real world is a real benefit to whatever you end up doing after graduation. And because you didn't sit holed up in your room, working on your organic chemistry homework through all of college, you are going to be able to meet life after graduation with hope, and a smile on your face, and with a network of colleagues that know you and your work.
4. What is it like being an English major at Case in particular, with its perceived focus on the sciences?
There is a lot of stereotyping of humanities students at Case, especially by those more science-inclined to think that because we just write all day and don't solve math problems, our majors aren't as hard as theirs. This is totally bogus, and I'm sure it happens at more schools than just Case. However, what this falsehood has done for me has been to encourage me to do as much as possible to prove it wrong. As an English major, you quickly find the people most like you, and due to our small class sizes and time to talk and get to know one another in group discussions, it is easy to find your own small community in a much bigger pool. That being said, there are also so many English-based activities at Case that you can become involved in that most science majors may not be as interested in. It's up to you to harness these opportunities while you have them in college, and you have a much better chance at becoming published or getting involved here than at much larger schools. We have an amazing student-run newspaper The Observer, our campus literary magazine The Case Reserve Review, and many other organizations that support and are supported by English majors that work hand in hand with science majors (such as ESR, Discussions, and our radio station WRUW FM).
5. Why would you encourage a prospective English major to sign on?
The faculty in the English Department at Case are extremely helpful, supportive, experienced, and recognized for their teaching and writing both locally and nationally. It is really the professors in the department and the wide breadth of classes that they teach that make the major fun and beneficial to the entire University. Having Sarah Gridley as my adviser has continually inspired me to push myself and dream big about what I want to do after college. If you like reading or watching films, we have amazing classes that teach you how to appreciate these things from an academic point of view. English, the language and the art is so deeply entrenched in all of our lives, that becoming an English major and learning how to interpret the written word sort of makes you see the world a little bit differently when you look around.
Adam Luhta
1. What drew you to the major?
When considering the benefits of a college education, the power of words and language, especially when applied towards understanding, analysis, and creation of the literary, was a skill that I felt would be the most valuable to me. A student majoring in English is in search of a foundation. Any type of progress or advancement in any area can only be built as an extension of humanity itself. Therefore, our understanding of ourselves is as fundamental a knowledge as one could hope to find, and this understanding can begin with an analysis of our stories. An English major ultimately deals in stories, which since the dawn of mankind, to its end, is our one constant. I see no greater educational opportunity than to study the language of stories; to learn to appreciate them, analyze them, and even create them.
2. How has your English major prepared you for life after graduation?
The deepest universal truths of humanity lie within our ability to understand and articulate human experience. As I said above, I feel that majoring in English is the most direct path within higher learning, to this understanding. In order to succeed in this area of study, you must learn to find the greater implications within a work, and then articulate your findings. It is these critical thinking skills that ultimately transcend and enhance any goal or profession. They are always invaluable if not a necessity. Therefore, I feel that the opportunities after college for English majors are endless, in that they are only limited by one’s own creativity. The path may not be laid out in an internet job search engine, but an understanding of language as a tool that can translate the ideas, beliefs, and desires of oneself as well as others is an ability that is eternally useful.
3. What is it like being an English major at Case in particular, with its perceived focus on the sciences?
In my experience, transferring from a community college to a four year university seemed overwhelming, yet I quickly found a comfortable yet challenging environment within Case’s English department. It is a department that is close-knit yet not exclusive. Students quickly grow to recognize and value their fellow English majors in and out of class, yet the eclectic course offerings always draw in students from different majors so that there are always fresh faces and ideas in each course you take. The faculty is inspiring, in part, because they themselves are clearly inspired by their areas of expertise. From the classics of British and American literature, and International literature, to contemporary genres such as Urban Fantasy and Graphic Novels, there are many different ways to tailor your curriculum. Also, the ever-expanding Film Studies department offers many different courses and a way to analyze stories beyond the literary. So many opportunities within the department create what feels like a full-fledged liberal arts school housed within the overarching math and science institution that Case is known to be. As an English major, you really feel like you are at the heart of things.
4. Why would you encourage a prospective English major to sign on?
A student who develops the critical thinking skills inherent in Case’s English major curriculum will have an advantage in any profession they choose. To be able to articulate one’s thoughts as well as an understanding of a universal humanity is an ability that is not only glowing when it is present, but is glaringly obvious when it is absent. At Case, a love of language and stories will be welcomed, nurtured and challenged. I would wholeheartedly invite any prospective English major to come sift through centuries of stories in language, literature, and film, and find out who you are, as well as who you can be.
Joseph Rooney
1. What drew you to the major?
English – writing and reading – has always been my passion. Although I enjoyed most other subjects I studied in high school, including Biology, Calculus, and World History, my Honors and AP English classes ultimately convinced me to major in English. No other major allows a student to develop both his analytical skills and his creative skills to an equally high degree, and no other major offers as many diverse opportunities after graduation. Unlike other majors, English has a heart and a soul; creative writing is a unique, interactive, and social experience, and reading past and present literature develops a student’s creativity and reasoning. Moreover, English offers a certain amount of freedom, both in class choice and in career choice. I find this freedom very appealing; after all, the very nature of college is one of personal choice and individual fulfillment. Although I am only in the second semester of my freshman year, I already see the Case Western Reserve English Department meeting – even exceeding – my expectations.
2. How has your English major prepared you for life after graduation?
Graduation is still a long way off for me, but I can already tell that my English major is preparing me daily for the rigors and trials of life after graduation. First of all, I am honing my skills needed to complete my major; these skills include critical reasoning, close reading, creative writing, and effective communication. These same skills will be instrumental to my success in graduate school (if I take that route), my future career (whatever that may be), and life in general (for the entire educational process is really a preparation for life after school). Most of all, I have had the opportunity to interact with knowledgeable professors and my fellow students, all of whom have encouraged me and imparted their wisdom to me. The English Department community is one of a kind; it really is amazingly tight-knit, despite the number of students and professors who comprise it. Such a community urges the individual on to continued achievement and triumph.
3. What is it like being an English major at Case in particular, with its perceived focus on the sciences?
Many Case students themselves are unaware that English majors attend their university! This is not due to any failure of the English Department: students are often only interested in their own majors and departments. That being said, I have no doubt that the English department is every bit as competent as any other Case department, if not more so. Perhaps we English majors should become missionaries, spreading the good news of our department to the ends of the campus! (Of course, most students pass right by Guilford House on their way to the dorms, so we would not have far to go!) Here is my stance on the issue: Case obviously deserves its reputation as a university devoted to the sciences, but it is our job to expand that definition. No longer should we be satisfied with the current perception of Case. English majors are brilliant students, and English professors are dazzling teachers. I know that, and everyone involved with the English Department knows that. It is time the world knows that!
4. Why would you encourage a prospective English major to sign on?
I would encourage a prospective English major to sign on because the English Department is committed to excellence. In my short time at Case, the department has already rewarded my investment in it, and I am sure that it will continue to do so for years to come. Prospective English majors need to realize that, if they commit to the department, the department will commit to them. It is a relationship that is constantly growing and evolving. Even when it all comes to an end, the lessons they have learned and the goals they have achieved at Case will forever push them to greater and greater heights. I feel (though I do not see) my future developing day by day, class by class, and paper by paper. Prospective students can also feel their futures develop – but that would require taking a leap of faith and following their instincts. Fortunately, it is not a leap of blind faith; rather, it is entirely reasonable. English at Case has a heart, a soul, and a mind.
