Meet Another WPA

Hey All,

I'm Andrew Kopec, a WPA for the upcoming school year. I'm from southwest of Dayton, Ohio (Miamisburg, OH) but have called Columbus home for the last three years. In 2008, I finished my MA in American Literature to 1900 at Ohio State and am beginning the second year of my PhD studies. In addition to being a WPA, I'm in the "planning stages" (scare quotes are indeed required here) of a dissertation that focuses on nineteenth-century American literature and am studying for my Candidacy Exams. I'm looking forward to meeting everyone soon and getting to know you over the course of the academic year!

This year you'll be able to find me in the DMP, the newly renovated Thompson Library, or Cam's Cafe at the Wexner Center.

Meet A WPA

Hi, everyone. My name is Ali Salerno, and I'm one of the student Writing Program Administrators that will be helping you out during Pre-Quarter Workshop. I'm originally from Eastchester, NY, and I'm a first-year graduate student in the MFA program in fiction here at OSU. I have enjoyed teaching this past year and I hope to get to know all of you through this process and ensure that you have a great transition into teaching English 110. You can usually find me in 419 Denney Hall, the DMP, or the Clintonville Cup O Joe (seriously, it's the best Cup O Joe, and I don't even live in Clintonville). See you all in a week!

Weekend

Most of the First Year Writing folks are taking a long weekend and enjoying their few last days of summer. Scott went to see the big tennis tourney in Cincy, Ali has family in town, Eddie is 'on the road', but I'm not sure where to, and Andrew is working out of DC this week. I spent a day on campus, running errands and wrapping work on my summer classes.

Campus is starting to fill up; the oval is full of sun bathing ladies and preachers (plus lots of backpack carrying students), the new Thompson Library has more studiers than tour takers, and the RPAC no longer houses camp kids, but actually students and athletes. I also had the privilege of waiting in line for about an hour at Financial Aid. They are definitely gearing up for Fall Quarter (and all the admin issues that come with such a big university). I finally realized why they never answer the phone-- there's a line of about about 20 people and 2 receptionists. My number was 55.

Finally, back to home base, Denney Hall and the home away from home for the WPAs, the Digital Media Project (DMP). The air conditioning is working full force, most of the offices are cleaned and painted, and all the pieces of furniture living in the hallway this summer found permanent homes.

There's a point to this rambly Friday afternoon post: we're getting ready for you. The University, the Department, and the First Year Writing Program.

I'm gonna join the rest of the staff and take the weekend off blogging before our last big prep week before you get here. Hope you all get a chance to take a few days for yourself too.

See you Monday.

Cbus

This time last year, moving to Columbus, I resolved to get out and enjoy the city before the cold northern winter I was so afraid of set in. I did venture out, but not nearly as much as I'd hoped to. This August I'm re-resolving to see a little more of the city and spend some time outdoors.

I also have to do it on the cheap (don't we all). Here are a few links to get newbies started exploring Columbus and to get those of us who have been here awhile outside of our comfort zones and regular routines.

I also remember that there was a new things group last year that met for a few months and got people together for things like cooking, festivals, and new movies. If people are interested PQW would is also a great place to organize other grad students.


Experience Columbus AND the Experience Columbus Blog
Experience Columbus is the official website for the Convention and Visitor's Bureau. A lot of the info is about touring companies and shows (which cost money), but they also publicize arts events, and festivals that are free. I subscribe to the monthly e-newsletter so I know what's going on in town.

Columbus Parks and Recreation (Park Guide)

Yay Bikes

Columbus Festivals Guide

Columbus Underground
News and reviews of clubs, bars, and restaurants in the Columbus area. There's also a nice feature where you search articles and happenings by neighborhood-- your new neighborhood.

Under the Table
Food guide from Columbus Dining Guide.com and the Dispatch. Check out the posts on the farmers markets and local summer foods.

The Columbus Dispatch Blogs
The biggest newspaper in Columbus, maintains a site with dozens of news, sports, and entertainments blogs.

Professional Columbus Sports Teams
the Columbus Crew (soccer)
the Blue Jackets (hockey)
the Columbus Clippers (baseball)


Arts Blogs from OSU
The Wexner Center for the Arts and The Wex Blog
Check out the free outdoor movies series and the performing arts Fall calendar.

The Urban Arts Space and UAS Blog

WOSU Arts Blog

Feel free to post more in the comments section.

Meet the Associate Director

Welcome new teachers to the First-Year Writing Program! You'll meet meet me in a week or so when the workshop begins, and I will be doing everything I can to get you ready for your first day of teaching English 110. I have been working with the program since 1998 , and before that I was the grants manager for an arts organization. My background for working in this field is a little unusual because my PhD was in lit (Victorian) and I also have a Master of Music degree. I'm still a musician (cello!), but when I'm at my day job I teach a range of writing classes, work with grad students in their professional development, contribute to the writing curriculum, and help out the department with transfer credit evaluation and "other duties as assigned." Looking forward to meeting you all!

Call for blogs

As you might have guessed one of the projects you'll work on with your students in English 110 is a class blog. Don't worry, if you've never blogged before we'll take you step-by-step through the process in Pre-Quarter Workshop (and for expert bloggers, wait to create your class blog until you get the guidelines from us). For those of you who blog, read blogs, or feel inspired to start, post a list of blogs you read casually, are addicted to, or those you despise. I'm interseted in academic blogs, celebrity blogs, personal blogs, news blogs, any blog that catches your attention. I'll collect a list and put it together in the blog links section. Thanks!

T-Minus 15 and Counting...

Future English 110 teachers.

I'll start my blog post with a flashback to August 2008...

With two weeks until my move to Ohio I had mostly cleared out my old office, trashed the empty coke cans, cleared the music off my hard drive, and packed up hree years worth of pictures, posters, and conference trinkets in case I ever had my own office again.

My apartment was packed, but not cleaned. I was in the process of a break-up, but I had a new aptartment, a U-haul rented, and plenty of good-bye dinners on the schedule.

The only clues about my new life were two packets, one from OSU and full of graduate student paperwork, and the other a textbook and a letter from Scott DeWitt of the First Year Writing Project. I stared at the book and the new letter hoping that it would provide me some insight into my new life, but I only felt a little overwhelmed.

I thought I'd start off the blog with an invitation for you to post. Where are you and what part of the transition are you in? While the majority of you are new to OSU and Columbus, there are students coming off of fellowship and new graduate students coming from OSU undergraduate.

Welcome.