English department aims to redefine what an English degree means

By Ivy Choe and Nana Amanfu, contributing writers

The English Department held an Oktoberfest-themed meet and greet in an effort to achieve their recent goal, to break outdated stereotypes and redefine what it means to pursue an English major. 

Once thought to be a niche field focused solely on academic dissertations and classic literature, the program is now highlighting its interdisciplinary nature and the wide range of career opportunities an English degree provides. 

Of most recent efforts, the students of the Multimedia Writing classes and the faculty of Towson’s English Department threw an Oktoberfest-themed meet and greet on Wednesday in the Liberal Arts building. Students were able to win prizes including published books by professors of the English department, various editions of Grub Street and TU English department gear. 

English Professor Carrie Grant PhD was one of the leading organizers of the event.

“Really, it’s a fun way to incentivize having any curious visitor come to the event, and you can learn more from talking to multiple people on their experiences,” Grant said. 

Connecting with senior English majors and current professors, prospective students had the opportunity to learn more about what the English department is currently offering. Including information on class registration, campus job opportunities related to English and available internships.

Senior Gianna Espinoza is an English Writing major and spoke about her excitement leading up to the event.

“The seniors that are involved with this event are just so cool and fun people to talk to. Truly, I think it’ll be so worthwhile for all prospective English majors or those who are undecided to attend,” Espinoza said. “An event like this is important because it’ll be filled with information I wish I had when I first decided to become an English major. I didn’t learn about opportunities like the GIVE Project until last semester during my junior year.”

The Grantwriting In Valued Environments (GIVE) project is a career opportunity organized and offered by the English Department that aims to connect coursework with the professional writing needs of small, nonprofit organizations in the Baltimore region.

Grant speaks on these various professional routes and captures how applicable the English major is to any professional and creative future.

“We have students who are involved in the whole spectrum of English major experiences including journalism or publishing internships, working on our Grub Street literary magazine, looking at secondary education as a track, working with the GIVE grant writing program and getting into fellowship roles with the writing center,” Grant said. 

Despite the opportunities available, stereotypes about the impracticality of an English major persist. 

 “The evolution of the university has become much more professionalized in ways where students are, understandably, more concerned about their job prospects with their degree. Because there isn’t a direct job title associated with the degree, like there is with computer science, students feel that the degree isn’t practical, unless you look into secondary education to become a high school English teacher,” Grant said.

Students like Espinoza, professors like Grant and the other faculty of the English department are continuing to work towards redefining the English major, starting with this event. 

“There’s a wide range to really learn about what is happening within English,” Grant said. “I’m really excited to see what comes next.”