This club is actually lit English Club created in response to class cancellations

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 cocoordinator, 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

Club president Jacqueline Lopez said that this event is looking to show what professors are like. According to Lopez, many students go to the Rate My Professor website and it is not the best place to find information.

“We are trying to give students on campus a better perspective of professors on campus,” said Lopez.

The aim of the event for Lopez is to have peer to peer conversations about what the teachers in the communication department are like. Lopez said that this event will better represent what a teacher is like compared to other means.

Club advisor Robert Loy Jr. said he is looking forward to the event being held, helping to enrich students.

“The idea came from our discussion of what would help students,” said Loy.

Loy said that this will not be a time for students to just talk down teachers. The event will be to have an open dialog on what to look for in professors.

“We want to flip the script,” said Loy. “The Rate My Professor meeting is a way to be more productive when we speak about professors.”

Loy said from earlier teachings that he has found this helpful for students. The meeting is less about students talking about teachers they love, but discussing teaching styles.

“We aim to cater to different learning styles,” said Loy.

The event will be closed to teachers and only available to students. Loy said this is so that students can feel free to speak without the worry of what a professor would think or say.

Loy said that Rate My Professor can be a bit of a hot topic due to the stigma of the sight. Loy is looking for the event to shed that issue with more open ended talking points.

“What we want to do with this meeting is try to address that. Instead talk to your peers about your major,” said Loy.

Chair of the Communication Department Yeprem Davoodian said he is looking forward to seeing how the meeting goes.

“I feel it is important to be well informed,” said Davoodian.

“As a student I want to take the best instructor.” is in all of its forms,” said Sergeantin-arms and co-off-campus events coordinator Adi Vildorf.

Davoodian wants the event to focus on the right questions.

Less of a focus on if a teacher is easy, but on how the teacher actually teaches. Davoodian said that connection is an important part of a good instructor.

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.

“When I ask students do you have a favorite faculty on campus the answer is yes,” said Davoodian. “When I say who and why or just why the first thing they say is well I connect.”

Davoodian said that connection is what should be talked about.

“I think it's good. Let them get together let them talk about it,” said Davoodian. “Knowledge is power.”