What are YOU going to do with a major in the humanities?

Tribute to Gail Mandell

As you may know, Professor Gail Mandell is retiring after close to forty years at Saint Mary’s. As you also know, she has been a guiding spirit of Humanistic Studies since she started teaching in the program in 1978, and all of you who passed through her classroom will have fond memories of the impact she made on your education and your life.

We thought it would be a fitting tribute to her to gather reflections from those of you who had Gail in some of the hundreds of Colloquiums and other courses she taught over the years. To that end, would those so inclined send us a brief reminiscence of, anecdote about, or greeting to Gail? If you have any relevant photos these would also be appreciated. We will collect these and put them into a presentation book for her. We will also post your reflections on the Hust blog.

If you could send these to us by April 15 (hust@saintmarys.edu), we would be grateful.

With thanks in advance,
The Hust faculty

On Saint Patrick's Day last week, 2010 Christian Culture Lecturer Thomas Cahill published a lively piece in the New York Times Op-Ed page called "Turning Green with Literacy" about the role of early medieval Irish monks and other copyists in preserving much of the literature of Greco-Roman antiquity. It's a re-cap of the argument he made in How the Irish Saved Civilization, the first volume in his "Hinges of History" series whose last volume he will preview in his Lecture on September 22.

In Our Classroom

In Colloquium and Cultural History
In "Lives and Times"
In "Greek and Roman Culture"
In "Asian Influence"
In "High Society"

To be or not to be...Shakespeare?

Hilary Mantel, author of the Booker Prize winning novel, Wolf Hall, reviews Shakespeare scholar, James Shapiro's, new book, Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare? in The Guardian. Both Mantel and Shapiro have hit it big in the "crossover" market of highly popular, academically sound works on the early modern period in England. Mantel's novel tells the story of Anne Boleyn's rise and fall from the perspective of Thomas Cromwell; Shapiro's 1599 accounts for a pivotal year in the life of Shakespeare. All of these find company with Stephen Greenblatt's Will in the World, coincidentally published around the same time as 1599.

HUST Week - March 22-26

Be on the look-out for the HUST Week events. Enjoy bagels and coffee with current students-- on hand to answer your burning HUST questions-- and a Careers in the Humanities Panel and Workshop.

Monday, 3/22 (9-11 a.m.):

Free bagels, coffee and answers to your questions about HUST

(first floor of Spes Unica)

Wednesday, 3/24 (6-7:30 p.m.):

"What will *you* do with a major in the humanities?": 

A Presentation, Discussion and Resume Workshop with HUST Faculty

Refreshments Provided (140 Spes Unica)

Friday, 3/26 (6-8 p.m.): 

HUST Club Meeting
Film (Bright Star), Pizza, and Used Book Exchange

Open to all (140 Spes Unica)

HUST Goes to the Shakespeare Theater, Fall 2009

Humanistic Studies majors attended the Chicago Shakespeare Company's production of Richard III in October, 2009.

Graduate School Resources

Choosing a Graduate School:

• GradSchools.com
  
• “Humanities Graduate School Programs – Masters and PhD Degrees”
  
• “Thinking About Grad School?”: A list of Masters and PhD Degrees in Interdisciplinary
  
• “Grad School Tips: Helping You Choose the Best Graduate School”
  

Keeping in mind the tough job market:

• “Graduate School in the Humanities: Just Don't Go” (Thomas H. Benton, Chronicle of Higher Education)
  
• "Just Don’t Go” Pt. 2
  
• “A Grim Year on the Academic Market for Historians” (American Historical Association)
  
• “Report on the Modern Language Association Job Information List” (MLA)
  
• “Annual Report on the Academic Job Market,” (Association of Writers and Writing Programs)
  
• “Disappearing Jobs” (Inside Higher ED)
  

Alumnae resumes needed!

The Humanistic Studies Department is committed to preparing our current majors for life beyond the Saint Mary's classroom. Our course of study has been designed with this very objective in mind: we envision our coursework in the literature and history of Europe and the Americas as a crucial step in a lifelong learning process. So, too, do we understand the pressures of the 21st-century job market and the importance of translating these valuable HUST experiences and skills to employers, graduate schools, and colleagues.

It is with this in mind that we invite our alumnae to contribute to the Humanistic Studies Resume Archive. This collection will serve as a repository of alumnae resumes, a working pool of sample resumes that current students might reference as they begin the process of composing and creating their own job documents. Our goals are also more immediate: as a part of "HUST Week" activities, the Humanistic Studies Department will be offering a resume writing workshop to current and prospective majors. We feel that your career experiences and life path will be of particular interest to our current graduating class.

Of course, all names, addresses, and personal information will be removed from the documents to maintain anonymity. The archive itself will remain private--only accessible to the faculty and students of Saint Mary's College. The Humanistic Studies faculty and students would be equally interested in learning more about where your HUST degree has taken you. Feel free to offer informal thoughts, reflections, and suggestions to our current majors in our "Share your story" form.

If you would like to contribute, please send your resume or CV to hust@saintmarys.edu. We look forward to hearing from many of you soon.

LinkedIn HUST Group

The Humanistic Studies Department invites current students and alumnae to join our new online alumni group on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is an online social network that connects people through easy-to-use, professional profile pages. In other words, it's a digital resume network. As such, it's perfectly suited to further developing the strong ties that already bind HUST graduates to one another, both past and present. Humanistic Studies has graduated an impressive group of women in its nearly sixty-year history. We are excited to continue to forge relationships among students, faculty, and alumnae in the digital domain.

How does it work?
Each person fills out her own work history, interests, and information; all of this is then "connected" to the profiles and resumes of fellow LinkedIn users. You decide who you connect with and what information is visible. In addition to work history, individuals can post personal webpages, brief bios, blogs, and other digital media related to their fields of work, experiences, and professional interests.

Why join?
With the current economic climate and the rise of the digital age, forging online networks has become more than simply a social pastime (on Facebook, MySpace, etc.). And, if who you know is sometimes as important as what you know, professional websites like LinkedIn offer unique opportunities to network online. Current students might use our HUST network to learn what careers our alums have pursued; past graduates might reconnect with old classmates; "connected" members might share job opportunities or advice. Whether you're just venturing onto the job market for the first time or reflecting on the many opportunities that have already come your way, your participation in our Student and Alumni Group will serve and strengthen the growing community of Humanistic Studies members.

Of course, our network also has the potential for social or even intellectual uses. Members could use the group to announce events (the annual Christian Culture Lecture, talks, concerts, festivals, museum exhibits, etc.), news articles, or even book lists.

How do I join?
Begin by signing up for LinkedIn. Once you have an account, go to the HUST Student and Alumni Network page on LinkedIn: also accessible here http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2623818&trk=hb_side_g. Request to join, and you will receive an approval within 24 hours. In order to protect the privacy of our members, the group will not be public--therefore, there will be a brief delay as we "approve" your request.

We hope you decide to join our digital community. Please email us at hust@saintmarys.edu if you have any questions.

Spotlight on Brigette Mysliwiec

Brigette Mysliwiec is a current senior, majoring in Humanistic Studies and Art History. Brigette spent a delightful semester studying in Rome in the spring of her sophomore year where she was able to grow in her love of history and Renaissance art. When not studying Art History or Humanistic studies, she plays the piano and sings in a choir. Upon graduating, she plans to work at an art museum. Brigette's blog is here.

Spotlight on Hannahbeth Fischer

Hannahbeth Fischer is a member of the 2011 graduating class and a native to South Bend. She is pursuing a double degree in Humanistic Studies and a Student-Designed Major (SDM), approved in May 2009. It is a collaboration of digital media, dance arts and women's studies. (It has yet to be titled. Please email suggestions to hfisch01@ saintmarys dot edu). She is especially interested in interdisciplinary studies, which brought her to Humanistic Studies and an SDM. Hannahbeth co-directs a student dance collective on campus and sits as Ambassador on the River Park Arts Community board in South Bend. She recently received a grant to work with two non-profit organizations in South Bend to install a mural downtown. Before coming to Saint Mary's Hannahbeth took a year to travel with a performing arts company that is based in South Africa and tours in the States. If you cannot find her in the HUST department, dance studio or computer lab, you will most likely find her dancing in the sunshine or drinking coffee with other HUSTers. Hannahbeth's HUST blog is here.

Spotlight on Grace Lape

Grace Lape is a Humanistic Studies major graduating this spring. She spent a semester studying abroad in Seville, Spain in the spring of her sophomore year. Last summer Grace interned in the Bronx and worked with women in crisis pregnancies. Over the past four years Grace has enjoyed the volunteer opportunities Saint Mary's has offered and participated in tutoring, coaching, and other service activities with various clubs. Currently, Grace stays busy by fulfilling her role as Saint Mary's Right to Life president, spending time with the elderly Holy Cross sisters at the nearby convent, and serving on the leadership council for Students for Life of Illinois. After graduation Grace plans on moving to Chicago and starting a volunteer core to work with pregnant women in the inner city.

Spotlight on Hannah Blad

Hannah will graduate with a degree in Humanistic Studies in 2011. Hannah has a minor in Biology and Intercultural Studies. In the summer of 2010, she will go abroad on the Saint Mary's European Summer Study program. After life at Saint Mary's, Hannah would like to earn a Master's in American Studies or a liberal arts program. When not at school, she works as a receptionist at a car dealership.

Spotlight on Kate Simon

Kate Simon, class of 2011, is pursuing a double major in Humanistic Studies and English Literature. Though she grew up in New Orleans, her parents have lived the last few years in Kuwait, a move that afforded her incredible opportunity for travel. This summer, she will be participating in a research program at the University of Michigan, studying gender and race relations in Shakespeare. When not studying HUST or English, she can be found working with Campus Ministry as a peer minister or drinking coffee in the sunshine. You can find her ePortfolio here.

Spotlight on Megan Hooper

Megan Hooper is a senior HUST and Biology double major and Chemistry minor from Traverse City, Michigan. Megan also works at the Saint Mary’s Writing Center, helping other students appreciate and acquire their own writing skills. She has volunteered with various organizations in her four years at Saint Mary’s, including: South Bend Center for the Homeless, Memorial Hospital and Little Flower Parish. Megan will be attending Wayne State University School of Medicine in the fall of 2010, where she will undoubtedly dazzle her medical school colleagues with her knowledge of the humanities, from Icelandic sagas and the Benedictine Rule to Dante and Chaucer. Megan's blog is accessible here.

Spotlight on Meghan Kelly

Meghan Kelly is a member of the class of 2010. She is majoring in Humanistic Studies, as well as double-minoring in Spanish and Sociology. Meghan spent her entire sophomore year abroad in Seville, Spain, and went abroad again during the summer of 2009 to travel China on a generous grant from the HUST department. At Saint Mary's, she works as an assistant for Dr. Alice Siqin Yang in CWIL (Center for Women's Intercultural Leadership) and is also a Eucharistic Minister. She has also been able to find time to play the piano this semester. Meghan is an active member of the Humanistic Studies Club where she can help plan HUST week and bring awareness of the major to underclasswomen. Upon graduating, Meghan will pursue a Master's in Speech and Language Pathology. Read Meghan's blog here.

Spotlight on Molly Haigh

Molly Haigh, Humanistic Studies class of 2011, spent the last year studying abroad in the Saint Mary's Rome Program. Studying abroad has been a great way to "see the history and experience the western tradition first-hand," expanding upon her HUST education. Molly is completing a minor in Studio Art. In the future, Molly would like to work in the publishing industry or earn a Master's in Education. When she returns to campus, Molly will resume a busy schedule of working as a Dance Marathon Committee member, a Resident's Hall Association board member, working a part-time job and playing intramural basketball.

Spotlight on Molly Schall

Molly Schall, class of 2011, keeps very busy studying for her Humanistic Studies and German majors. In addition to being a double major, Molly is receiving a minor in Mathematics. This well-rounded HUSTie is the Secretary of the Around the World Club, Secretary of the German Club, a Resident Advisor in Holy Cross Hall, a Student Ambassador, and an alumna of the Notre Dame Innsbruck, Austria program. Molly's future plans are open, but she continues to foster a growing interest in Education programs and Museology. Read Molly's blog here.