UD to Host Streamlines Conference
Nov 9, 2010 | University of Dubuque Theological Seminary
On Saturday, November 13, The University of Dubuque will host the third annual Streamlines: An Undergraduate Conference Celebrating Language, Literature and Writing . The event will be held in the Charles and Romona Myers Center on the University of Dubuque Campus.
A collaborative venture founded by the language and literature departments at Clarke University, Loras College, and the University of Dubuque, Streamlines was designed to give undergraduate students of language and literature the opportunity to share their scholarly and creative work. This year's conference features a variety of paper presentations and workshop sessions by 58 undergraduate students from 20 colleges and universities from seven states (Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Nebraska, Arizona, and North Carolina).
"The interest in and success of this conference shows that we have tapped into a growing need of our undergraduate students," commented Jonathan Barz, English department chair and co-organizer of the conference. "There are very few conferences like this across the nation, conferences which allow undergraduates the opportunity to meet other students from throughout the region - and increasingly across the nation - and share the work that they have done. We have three students traveling almost 1200 miles from the University of North Carolina - Wilmington to present their papers. That speaks volumes about how much students value an opportunity like Streamlines."
The conference will feature numerous workshops and panel discussions, including two faculty panels: discussing job prospects and graduate school preparation for college students majoring in language and/or literature; and presenting the scholarly work of one faculty member from each of the tri-colleges - giving students a rare opportunity to see what their professors do when they write the kinds of critical literary essays students are regularly asked to write. A third panel will focus on the process of getting creative work published. Fifty-eight students and nine faculty members will be presenting their work; Barz will serve as the keynote speaker for the event, addressing literary studies as"the Radical Art of Learning How to Be."
"For some students, this is an important stepping stone on the way to graduate school, enabling them both to test their work against that of their peers from other colleges, and to add an impressive item to their application," commented Barz.
This year, a Pre-Conference Poetry Reading and Open Mic session will be held on Friday evening, November 12, in UD's Alumni Hall. Organized by UD's Poet-in-Residence Lauren Alleyne and co-sponsored by Sigma Tau Delta (UD's English honor society) and the Black Student Union, the event will feature Roger Bonair-Agard. The author of two books of poetry, Bonair-Agard is a two-time national poetry slam champion who coached and competed on several national teams, including the renowned Nuyorican Poet's Café team. He co-founded, LOUDERarts, a poetry non-profit in New York City, and is currently its artistic director.
The conference location rotates between Clarke University, Loras College, and the University of Dubuque. The past two years were hosted by Clarke and Loras respectively.
