Some like to analyze baseball statistic or discuss science fiction, others like to argue about the best Shakespeare quote or whether two commas belong in a three-part series.
For those in the latter group, there’s the newly chartered English Club.
Due to low enrollment numbers in higher-level 200 courses, the Pierce English Department decided to charter a club in which English and literature majors and enthusiasts could meet and share their interests and career goals.
“It is a safe space to discuss literature, film, theater, anything having to do with the written word,” said English Club President Tristan Eisenberg. “We have multiple professors in every meeting, so if we have some crazy question, we can ask them. One of them will know the answer.”
Maeve Kiely, the English Club off-campus activities co-coordinator, said that the English instructors began the club as a response to class cancellations.
“They had pretty bad enrollment in some of the more specialized literature classes, and a lot of classes that people needed got canceled,” Kiely said. “This was a way to boost enrollment and create an English community on campus.”
Club Secretary Hollen Raynor said that because it’s new, they are still deciding on the club’s main goal. In addition to having literature-related outings and events, English Club also focuses on helping students achieve in that major, she said.
“We’ve had past English majors come speak to us. We can ask them what they are doing with their degrees, what schools they transferred to and how they went about finding what part of the major appealed to them,” Raynor said. “It’s about helping English majors succeed and learning more about literature.”
The club hosted its first event on Thursday, Oct. 26. Because of the season, a Halloween movie night was deemed appropriate, and members came in costume to eat candy and watch some flicks in the Great Hall.
The English Club is planning future events related to literature such as, a winter ball based on “The Great Gatsby,” and outings to renaissance fairs, The Last Bookstore on Earth, and the Getty Museum.
“We are hoping to host more events. With events such as this one, we are hoping to make a presence on campus,” Raynor said.
Eisenberg said there are about 90 members signed up on the campus page, and 25 to 30 attend meetings every week.
“We are getting together people that love English and storytelling, and we are exploring what literature is in all of its forms,” said Sergeant-in-arms and co-off-campus events coordinator Adi Vildorf.
Kiely said that members become closer to the instructors and advisors in the department, and they also have the opportunity to mingle with like-minded individuals.
“If you’re in the English Club, you are in there with a bunch of people that like English and have a love of literature. You already know that you’re going in with a bunch of nerds who like what you like,” Kiely said.
