English Major Published in Ohio Magazine

At the end of her interview with Ohio Magazine,  senior English-creative writing major, Alyssa Nieset '16 was offered an internship on the spot.

Nieset spent her summer working as an Editorial Intern with the statewide publication, gaining experience writing for magazines and discovering a possible career path that she hopes to pursue in the not so distant future.

Ohio Magazine published Neiset's articles both online and in print (see photo). Her piece on the Harpersfield Winery in her hometown of Geneva, Ohio, was used as a section of the cover story in the August 2015 issue.

"I was thrilled to be given the chance to write a story of that size," she tells us about the prominent feature, "especially because my family and I have been going there since I was little."

Other articles Neiset bylined included pieces on a cardboard boat regatta, creative bacon recipes, Columbus coffee brewers, and summer fun destinations in Cleveland. Despite juggling some stressful deadlines, Nieset says her overall experience at Ohio Magazine was a positive and rewarding one.

Alumnus Leads Creative Courses From Hamlet to Homelessness

Fee helped students stage a production of Hamlet in the show's
original location, Helsingør.  Above, Fee is holding the skull
celebrities like Jude Law and Kenneth Brannagh used when
performing there.

English alumnus Christopher Fee '89 has forged a reputation for leading creative, immersive experiences as a college professor and Chair of English at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania.

Fee spent the spring semester living and teaching in Copenhagen, Denmark, where he and his students took a deep dive into Shakespeare's Hamlet: Prince of Denmark. This course gave students the opportunity to perform the show in its original setting of Kronborg Castle in Helsingør. Fee developed the experiential course with the help of BW professors Adam Heffernan, Jack Winget, and Susan Oldrieve. He also taught a second course in Copenhagen called Vikings in Britain 793-1066. Students in that  class were given the chance to ride on a replica long ship.

Back in the states, Fee has been featured in the Washington Post and other national media for creating a popular course at Gettysburg titled, Tryin’ to Find a Way Back Home: An Introduction to the Literature and Legacy of Homelessness in America. The service-learning course includes "rigorous academic content, a substantial weekly service commitment in the local community, overnight duty in a local cold-weather emergency shelter, and a five-day trip to Washington, DC to work in urban shelters and soup kitchens." The course has another BW connection; it was established in partnership with BW alumna Gretchen Carlson Natter '96, who serves as Executive Director of the Center for Public Service at Gettysburg College. 

Alumna "Lives Justice" as a Leading Voice for Equality in Ohio

Alana Jochum, Managing Director of Equality Ohio. Courtesy Equality Ohio

Alumna Alana Jochum ’05 has been fighting for LGBT equality long before the recent Supreme Court ruling that legalized same sex marriage. Now an attorney and managing director for Equality Ohio, Jochum was a campus leader on equality as a BW undergrad. She headed up BW Allies a gay-straight alliance that promotes an accepting campus environment for all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. After earning a bachelor’s degree in both English and psychology, she has continued to advocate for LGBT equality for more than a decade.

Following graduation, volunteered in Mumbai, India with the nongovernmental organization, Humsafar Trust, which focuses on advancing LGBT rights in India. When she returned to the U.S., Jochum worked with United Way of Greater Cleveland and volunteered for the Human Rights Campaign.

In 2007, she continued her education at the Cleveland State University Marshall College of Law where she served as Editor in Chief of the Cleveland State Law Review, won a regional moot court Best Brief award and, at her 2010 graduation, was given the very first “Learn Law, Live Justice” award for dedicating her education to the cause of justice.

After practicing law as an associate at Squire Patton Boggs, LLC for four years,  Jochum joined Equality Ohio as managing director in 2014 where she now works full-time as an advocate for statewide LGBT equality.

Spotlight Shines on Author/English Professors

On October 2, Main Street Books in Mansfield will welcome BW professors of English, Michael Garriga and Kevin P. Keating, for "an entertaining evening of book talk," according to an article in the Richland Source. This will be the second year that Garriga and Keating visit Main Street Books, and the store says they are returning by popular demand.

Both professors have been receiving media attention recently for their respective literary successes. Garriga for his work on the online journal, Fiction Southeast, and Keating for his second novel, The Captive Condition. 

Garriga is the a co-founder and editor-at-large of Fiction Southeast, an online literary journal dedicated to short fiction. Fiction Southeast seeks to showcase short works of fiction by both up and coming writers and published writers. Recently, websites such as HuffPost Books have written about the growing success of the Louisiana based online journal. Garriga also continues to find success with The Book of Duels, his flash fiction novel that was published in 2014.

Keating's second novel, The Captive Condition, was published in July. The novel was highly influenced by his upbringing in "the darker" Cleveland in the 1970's and the retelling of his experiences earned him a spot on Cleveland Magazine's 2015 List of Most Interesting People. His debut novel, The Natural Order of Things, was published in 2013.

Student Writer Spends His Summer at Outlook Ohio Magazine

The multi-talented Nathan Cole '17 took his passion for writing to Columbus this summer. Cole, an English major who also writes student and alumni success stories for BW, spent his summer in an editorial internship with Outlook Ohio magazine. Outlook Ohio is a free, monthly publication that is geared for the LGBT and allied community and can be found on newsstands in over 2,000 locations around the state. 

"I have had so many different opportunities to grow in the field of journalism and communications," Cole explains. In addition to contributing to Outlook Ohio's online blog, Cole had articles published in the July and August print magazines, and will have another article published in the upcoming September issue.

He had the opportunity to interview and write about RuPaul's Drag Race Season 7 runner-up, Pearl; fashion director of the Columbus Fashion Meets Music Festival, Horacio Nieto; and Neon Trees lead singer, Tyler Glenn, just to name a few. 

The publishing industry, according to Cole, is nothing like what we see in 'The Devil Wears Prada.' He says that he could not be happier about his summer at Outlook Ohio.

Cole's published article on the 2015 Gay Softball World Series in Outlook Ohio Magazine. 

Internship Creates "Summer of Purpose" for English Major

Senior English major Kristina DeGirolamo '16 is spending her summer interning in a field that she feels truly passionate about: nonprofit work. DeGirolamo is as an advancement (fundraising) intern with Stepstone Academy, a charter school associated with Ohio Guidestone.

The paid, competitive internship is supported by the Cleveland Foundation Summer Internship program which connects undergraduate and graduate students with meaningful, career-related experiences in nonprofit and public sector agencies.

During her first week on the job, she experienced fundraising in action on a large scale at Stepstone's annual Golf Classic event.

Writing on the Cleveland's Foundation's blog, DeGirolamo said, from the beginning, she felt at home with the faculty, staff and students. "I've seen staff who come into work with a grin every day, students who are excited about learning and donors who want to impact the lives of others."

DeGirolamo believes that nonprofits are key to any city, especially Cleveland where organizations such as Stepstone Academy have made it their mission to improve the lives of others in the community. For DeGirolamo, this truly is a "Summer of Purpose."

As part of their "Summer of Purpose," DeGirolamo (2nd from left) and 17 other Cleveland Foundation interns visited Cleveland City Hall and met with Mayor Frank Jackson.

BW Students Coach HS Students to GEAR UP for College Success

Baldwin Wallace University and Strongsville High School have been collaborating to develop an innovative program that helps prepare high school students for college, using BW students as coaches. The benefits of the Strongsville Writing Center/Academic Lab were recently featured at the GEAR UP Ohio Conference in Columbus. GEAR UP is a state project focused on embedding a college-going culture in targeted communities with the goal of increasing the number of low-income students who are college ready.

Susan Oldrieve, Ph.D., a BW English professor and Associate Dean of BW's School of Humanities, and Brian Tumino, Strongsville High School Assistant Principal and Secondary Curriculum Liaison, told GEAR UP conferees that BW student coaches are helping to boost vital reading and writing skills, AND discussing the transition to college life, with tips for making friends, managing time and balancing academics with social life.

The program has been such a success that the collaborators are looking for funding to continue and expand the work to other school districts and other subjects like mathematics. The Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, BW Honors Program and the BW English Department's Kirk Fund all helped support the program last year. 

In addition, College Now, which works with schools throughout Ohio to promote college success, is using the BW-Strongsville writing center project as a model of a successful partnership between secondary schools and institutions of higher learning.

Alum Nominated by President Obama to Lead TSA

Photo Courtesy of Cleveland.com

Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter Neffenger '77 has been nominated by President Obama to lead the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). "He has been a recognized leader in the face of our nation's important challenges and I am grateful for his service," the President said of the Lorain Country native in a White House press release.

Neffenger's appointment must be approved by the U.S. Senate. Unlike many of President Obama's past nominations, members of both political parties are commending his nomination and expressing confidence that Neffenger will provide effective and strong leadership for the TSA, within the Department of Homeland Security.

According to a Washington Post article, the post will put Neffenger in charge of security operations at over 450 U.S. airports, give him oversight of a staff of 50,000 security personnel and leadership responsibility for the Federal Air Marshal Service.

Neffenger graduated from BW with a bachelor's degree in English before going on to earn three additional master's degrees. He still gives back to BW, taking students to an international conference in 2013 and speaking to students and faculty. During his last visit in the Spring of 2014, he spoke to students about how the U.S. can contribute to helping build a peaceful world. He currently serves as the 29th Vice Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Coast Guard Vice Admiral Peter Neffenger '77 speaks to students in Dr. Judy Krutky's classroom,  Spring 2014

BW Professor Makes "Cleveland's Most Interesting People" List

Courtesy Cleveland Magazine

BW English lecturer and novelist Kevin P. Keating earned himself a spot on Cleveland Magazine's 2015 list of Most Interesting People. Being a homegrown Cleveland author, Keating has attracted a considerable amount of attention, intriguing readers and admirers with his dark and atmospheric writing.

Keating's debut novel, The Natural Order of Things, sets its 15 compelling stories in a school which possesses an indiscernible likeness to Keating's high school alma matter, St. Ignatius High School. The book's success--it was a finalist for the 2013 Los Angeles Times Book Prizes' Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction--earned Keating a deal with Random House, which will publish his second novel, The Captive Condition, in July.

Highly influenced by an early job as a boilermaker, by his upbringing in the darker Cleveland of the 1970s, and by his views of the dramadies of life, Keating writes, strikes nerves, and toys with "people's senses of identity," making him an appropriate candidate for Cleveland's list.

Students and Faculty Win Kennedy Theatre Festival Honors

BW Theatre students attending the KCACTF in Cleveland’s PlayhouseSquare

BW students took home several honors at the recent Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival Region 2. More than 1,200 theatre students, faculty and professionals from nine states attended the festival, swarming venues at PlayhouseSquare in Cleveland, the country’s largest performing arts center outside of New York.

Joey Corradi ’16, a theatre-acting major, was nominated to participate in the Irene Ryan Acting Competition for his performance in ROMEO & JULIET. Out of 236 nominated actors, he made it to the final round of 16 and was honored with the Festival’s Classical Acting Award. His scene partner was Kelsey Baehrens '17, and BW Theatre & Dance Department chair, Adam Heffernan, was his acting coach.

Dayne Sundman ’15 a theatre-stage management major, and Brandon Romano ’15, an English major/theatre minor, were named as first alternates for the Institute in Theatre Journalism and Advocacy Award. Dayne and Brandon attended all the invited productions during the festival and wrote reviews under the guidance of The Plain Dealer's Andrea Simakis and region faculty.

Additional honors that were announced prior to the opening of the festival include a Certificate of Merit for Excellence in Directing to Adam Heffernan for BW's production of ROMEO & JULIET and a Certificate of Merit for Excellence in Costumes to the ROMEO & JULIET costume team of Charlotte Yetman (Faculty/Costume Designer), Melanie Boeman (Costume Shop Manager) and theatre major Molly Huey ’16 (Assistant to the Designer).

Adam Heffernan, Joey Corradi '16 and Kelsey Baehrens '17 in the Ohio Theatre at Playhouse Square

BW Professor Conquers Hiking Milestone

Dr. Terry Martin, professor in BW's English department, completed a longtime goal this summer as he hiked the final steps of the Appalachian Trail. Over a six year period, Martin hiked the trail in sections, ending his trek of the 2,160-mile footpath at the northern trailhead in Katahdin, Maine.

The trail, with its southern terminus in Springer Mountain, Georgia, passes through 14 states and accommodates up to 3 million visitors each year. The Maine portion of the trail--Martin's final section--is considered one of the most challenging.

The expedition was about much more than hiking for Martin. "Since I teach nature writing and we emphasize experiential learning for our undergraduates, one might say that this is evidence that BW faculty practice what we preach," he said.

Martin's goal is to turn his pictures and experiences from the trail into an on-campus presentation for student, faculty, and community members sometime later this year. "I hope to inspire some of our students, as well as perhaps members of the surrounding community, to get out on the trail."

Martin's stunning photo below might accomplish that goal all by itself!

BW English Professor's Play Has Big Apple Opening

Baldwin Wallace English professor Dr. Les Hunter is making his mark on the theater world with the opening of his play, "I Like To Be Here: Jackson Heights Revisited, or This Is a Mango," in The Big Apple.

The play, the final installment in a trilogy focused on a multicultural neighborhood in Queens, New York, runs through September 27 at the New Ohio Theatre in New York City. “I Like To Be Here” also marks Hunter’s third writing collaboration as a part of the writing team Theater 167.











As one of seven writers of the play and one of 18 for the trilogy, Hunter sees the collaborative process as an opportunity to grow as a writer and teacher.

"It's not always easy, and the results are sometimes surprising." he says. "It's been good for me for teaching though, because sometimes when collaborating, like teaching, you have to let up on the reins and let the group go where it needs to go."

At BW, Hunter currently teaches a course in playwriting in addition to several others in the English department, and in the spring, he will also be teaching a screenwriting course.

Two of Hunter's other plays, "First Base Coach" (written with Elana Averback) and "Playdate," will also be read at the Dobama Theater in Cleveland September 22, with free admission.

English Professor's "Book of Duels" Takes Off

 BW English professor Michael Garriga is enjoying great success with his debut work, The Book of Duels, which sold out its first printing and has a second edition coming out from Milkweed Editions in the fall. Stories from the book also have been published by Esquire.com, The Southern Review, Oxford American, along with 
"The 10 Greatest Duels in Literature" on the Huffington Post site.

Publishers Weekly  praised The Book of Duels as a "riveting" flash fiction collection that tells the stories of duels, both historical and imagined, from three different perspectives. The book also landed on the summer "must-read" lists of Cleveland Magazine and "Sound of Applause" public radio host Dee Perry.

Garriga joined Perry in the WCPN/ ideaStream studios this week to talk about his inspiration for the book.  If you missed the interview, you can listen to a replay via the WCPN website. Or, tune in for an excerpt on the Friday edition of NPR's "All Things Considered."

Better yet, catch Garriga reading from his work LIVE August 8, from 7-10 pm at the Tremont Artwalk where he'll appear at Visible Voice with BW's own Front Porch band!

BW Alum and English Professor Featured Among Playwrights

BW alumnus, Peter J. Roth, and current BW English professor, Les Hunter, will have their original plays featured in the "Manhattan Project Birthday Bash!" tonight, Tuesday, April 29 at 8 p.m.

The event will feature a series of five brand new ten-minute plays by Cleveland playwrights, including Hunter's "Playdate" and Roth's "The Unicorn at 3:00am."

Student Creativity Celebrated in The Mill

Graham by Erin Jesson '17

BW's English Department has published its annual literary and arts journal, The Mill, featuring art, photography, and creative writing by BW students. Editor-in-Chief Matt Gesicki '14 and the student editorial staff compiled the publication along with faculty advisers Dr. Sharon Kubasak and Dr. Michael Garriga.  

Echo by Robyn Spangler '14

The 2014 edition of The Mill celebrates works by Gesicki and the following students:

Erin Amschlinger, Luke Brett, Russell Brill, Nicole Campeotto, Jane Cooper, Cassie Corridoni, Andrew DiBacco, Talia DiRocco, Dominick Duda, Alexandra Farone, Ashley Hawley, Erin Jesson, Laura Lagania, Shaun O’Neill, Melina Papadopoulos, Lauren Pierce, Alexander Piotrkowski, Kayse Schmucker, Kailey Sherrick, Robyn Spangler, Rob Stammitti and Mary Beth Tweardy.

Ethereal by Cassie Corridoni '15

From BW English Major to 2nd in Command of the US Coast Guard

On the heels of an announcement by the White House that Vice Admiral Peter Neffenger '77 has been nominated for promotion to the number two post at the U.S. Coast Guard, the USCG Deputy Commandant for Operations came "home" to BW earlier this month.

Neffenger told a Plain Dealer reporter covering the visit that he arrived at BW without a career plan. "But 'I was exposed to a world of ideas,' then to the literal world abroad during a junior year in Europe."  That trip abroad was BW's first Humanities Year, the precursor to the Seminar in Europe program.

The newspaper also reported that "Neffenger returned to BW at his own expense because he was so eager to talk with students and faculty. Last year, he hosted two undergraduates, Sarah Brigadier and Charles Henderson, at the International Maritime Organization's biennial meeting in London."

The Chronicle Telegram newspaper also ran a story about the visit by this distinguished BW graduate under the headline, "Elyria native tapped for second-highest Coast Guard post visits Baldwin Wallace."

If confirmed buy the Senate, Neffenger's nomination to be the next vice commandant of the Coast Guard will take effect in May.

Elite Heptathlete Among the Best in the Nation

Baldwin Wallace University sophomore All-American long jumper Melanie Winters is proving herself as one of the nation's best NCAA Division III heptathletes.

Winters earned Division III All-Amercan accolades when she placed third in the long jump at the winter national championship meet. She also qualified in the 60-meter dash, 60-meter hurdles and five-event pentathlon and almost qualified on the high jump. Winters opted to compete in the three individual events for the opportunity to score points for her team.

In addition to earning All-America accolades, the sophomore English major was named as the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division III Great Lakes Region Athlete of the Year!

Read more about this exceptional student-athlete's accomplishments on the Yellow Jackets athletics website.

Beyond the Classroom: Prof Excels in National Photo Competition

Photo Credit: Terry Martin (used with permission)

BW's faculty is multifaceted, often excelling in endeavors outside their teaching disciplines. One recent example is Dr. Terry Martin of BW's English department who enjoys photography outside the classroom. Martin was named runner-up in a national juried photo competition, Chasing the Light: Our Feathered Friends, for his photo, "Dangling in Ding Darling."

Creative Writing Professor Pens The Book of Duels

Michael Garriga, Assistant Professor of English at BW, is preparing to hit the road for a book tour after publishing a collection of flash fiction, The Book of Duels. The book, described as "fierce, searing, and darkly comical," recounts historical and fictional duels from three perspectives; that of each duelist, and a witness. It explores "what becomes of the human spirit in the pressure cooker of a duel."

In his review, Kent Wascom, author of The Blood of Heaven, said, "With his Duels, Garriga defies classification, transcends form, and gives us neither prose, poems, or prose-poems, but a work of unassailable linguistic art."

The book is set for release on March 18, with the national book tour starting in Seattle and ending in Tampa. Visit the website of the publisher, Milkweed Editions, to listen to a SoundCloud of Garriga reading from the book, or to pre-order a copy. 

BW Student Qualifies for World Irish Dance Championship

BW English major, Alyssa Reichert '16, is entering the New Year with an impressive accomplishment. Reichert qualified to compete in the World Irish Dancing Championships in London this April.

"This has been my dream for so many years," Reichert said. To realize this dream, she had to follow a strict schedule balancing her life as a student and an award-winning dancer. Reichert practices everyday whether it be dancing in her dorm room; hitting the gym for cardio and weight-training; taking private lessons; or teaching others.

Held at the Hilton Metropole London, the international event brings together dancers; their families and friends; and enthusiasts from across the globe. About 20,000 people are expected to attend, with organizers promising “an extravaganza, presenting all that is best in Irish Dancing.”

Now that the competition is only a few months away, Reichert is able to reflect upon her achievement. "When I learned I had qualified, I was in disbelief and cried my heart out. This was my dream. This was the moment I had imagined while I practiced, that had told me to keep going. Nothing compares to being in that moment."