The Shauna Gillis Prize
The Department of Languages and Letters awards annual prizes for student essays on literary topics. The annual prizes are named in honour of the late Shauna Gillis, a UCCB English graduate.
Two categories to enter:
» First-year course
» Upper year course
To be eligible, papers must have been submitted for credit in an English course (English 200 or above) between January 4, 2010 and January 31, 2011. You do not have to be in any specific program.
Winners will receive a certificate, a book prize, and a modest cash award.
To enter: 1. Provide a clean, unmarked paper copy of your essay. The paper itself should include the title, but should not include your name or any other identifying information. Students may revise their papers before submitting them for judging, or they may permit instructors to submit essays on their behalf.
2. Include a cover letter indicating your name, address, telephone number, the title of your essay, and the category you are entering.
Deadline for submissions is February 1, 2011. Submit essays to Nat Leach in CC-275, drop them off at the mailroom, or mail electronically to nat_leach@cbu.ca.
For more information, call Nat Leach at 563-1127, or email him at nat_leach@cbu.ca. Or contact any of your English professors for a more detailed explanation of the process.
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The Mary Keshen English Prize
The Department of Languages and Letters is awarding a prize for achievement in the English 100 series composition courses, English 101, English 105, and English 109.
Named after Mary Keshen, who taught English composition at Cape Breton University for many years, the prize will be given out at a special luncheon honouring achievement in student writing at the end of March 2011. The winner will receive a cash prize and a certificate.
To be considered, papers must have been submitted for credit in an English 100 series course sometime between January 2010 and January 2011. Distance Education students enrolled in the English 100 series courses are also eligible to submit. Students do not have to be in any specific program or in any particular year of their degree to enter an essay in the contest.
How to Enter:
Please submit a clean, unmarked paper copy of your essay. Include the title, but not your name or other identifying information. You may revise your paper prior to submitting it. Include a cover letter with your name, address, telephone number, and title of essay. Instructors, with the permission of the student, may submit an essay on a student’s behalf.
The deadline for submissions is January 31, 2011. Submit paper copies or electronic files to Adam Lawrence. Office: C-253; email: adam_lawrence@cbu.ca. For more information, contact Adam Lawrence at the email address provided or call 563-1930.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Monday, November 8, 2010
Director Scott Sharplin talks about Vimy
Vimy opens Thursday, November 11th at the Boardmore Playhouse.
Here is what DoLL instructor Scott Sharplin had to say about his production of the Vern Thiessen play.
Canada's involvement in World War I marked a turning point in our country's sense of nationhood. Before 67,000 men gave their lives between 1914 and 1918, most Canadians identified more with their countries of ancestral origin; they were immigrant British, Scottish, French, etc. The geography of Canada was simply too huge to be thought of as a cultural unit. But after WWI, and particularly the Battle of Vimy Ridge, Canadians had something in common; they had fought and died together, and this sacrifice transformed a vast, multicultural country into a nation.
Vern Thiessen's play "Vimy" comments on this macrocosmic process in an intimate and highly theatrical way. In a field hospital in France, one sleepless Nova Scotian nurse tends to four wounded Canadian soldiers after the battle for Vimy Ridge. The soldiers, who hail from all corners of Canada, are united not only in their love for Labatt's beer and hockey, but also in their trauma. Using the multiple subjectivity of a postmodern memory play, Thiessen gradually reveals how ordinary men and women followed their dreams into the nightmare of war, losing pieces of themselves even as they become part of a greater cause.
I was born and raised in Alberta, and only recently moved to Cape Breton. In the first year following my arrival, I felt as much culture shock as one would likely feel moving to Europe or Australia. Sometimes, if seemed as if Atlantic Canada had nothing in common with the Prairies, except perhaps a mutual grudge against Ottawa. I suspect my experience is a common one; we tend to notice differences before we spot similarities, and it's easy to get hung up on regional differences, just as we often fall prey to prejudices based on race, religion, sexual orientation, and so on. Fortunately for me, my work on "Vimy" has helped me to identify the fundamental sameness of Canadians from different regions -- not only in 1917, when the play is set, but also in the present day.
Vern Thiessen's portrayal of World War I is unflinching. "Vimy" is neither an anti-war play nor a patriotic piece; instead, it places the horrors of war in the context of memory and imagination, and lets the audience decide if the victory is worth the cost. Although many of the characters reach the story's end without finding closure, it is possible for a modern audience to extrapolate their narratives, and to imagine how these damaged but united veterans, and thousands like them, could return to build a country whose military mandate has predominantly been one of peacekeeping, not conquest.
Just as the soldiers at Vimy had only three months to train for their dangerous mission, this group of young artists has, in three months of rehearsal, gone from rough recruits to skilled and hardy heroes. It has been a privilege to work with such a dedicated and talented cast & crew on my first Boardmore production.
Here is what DoLL instructor Scott Sharplin had to say about his production of the Vern Thiessen play.
Canada's involvement in World War I marked a turning point in our country's sense of nationhood. Before 67,000 men gave their lives between 1914 and 1918, most Canadians identified more with their countries of ancestral origin; they were immigrant British, Scottish, French, etc. The geography of Canada was simply too huge to be thought of as a cultural unit. But after WWI, and particularly the Battle of Vimy Ridge, Canadians had something in common; they had fought and died together, and this sacrifice transformed a vast, multicultural country into a nation.
Vern Thiessen's play "Vimy" comments on this macrocosmic process in an intimate and highly theatrical way. In a field hospital in France, one sleepless Nova Scotian nurse tends to four wounded Canadian soldiers after the battle for Vimy Ridge. The soldiers, who hail from all corners of Canada, are united not only in their love for Labatt's beer and hockey, but also in their trauma. Using the multiple subjectivity of a postmodern memory play, Thiessen gradually reveals how ordinary men and women followed their dreams into the nightmare of war, losing pieces of themselves even as they become part of a greater cause.
I was born and raised in Alberta, and only recently moved to Cape Breton. In the first year following my arrival, I felt as much culture shock as one would likely feel moving to Europe or Australia. Sometimes, if seemed as if Atlantic Canada had nothing in common with the Prairies, except perhaps a mutual grudge against Ottawa. I suspect my experience is a common one; we tend to notice differences before we spot similarities, and it's easy to get hung up on regional differences, just as we often fall prey to prejudices based on race, religion, sexual orientation, and so on. Fortunately for me, my work on "Vimy" has helped me to identify the fundamental sameness of Canadians from different regions -- not only in 1917, when the play is set, but also in the present day.
Vern Thiessen's portrayal of World War I is unflinching. "Vimy" is neither an anti-war play nor a patriotic piece; instead, it places the horrors of war in the context of memory and imagination, and lets the audience decide if the victory is worth the cost. Although many of the characters reach the story's end without finding closure, it is possible for a modern audience to extrapolate their narratives, and to imagine how these damaged but united veterans, and thousands like them, could return to build a country whose military mandate has predominantly been one of peacekeeping, not conquest.
Just as the soldiers at Vimy had only three months to train for their dangerous mission, this group of young artists has, in three months of rehearsal, gone from rough recruits to skilled and hardy heroes. It has been a privilege to work with such a dedicated and talented cast & crew on my first Boardmore production.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Watch this space
The focus of this blog is expanding beyond ideas and comment and will soon be bringing you the latest news about the DoLL and related events.
Got news? Let us know! Email Todd Pettigrew: todd_pettigrew[at sign]cbu.ca
Got news? Let us know! Email Todd Pettigrew: todd_pettigrew[at sign]cbu.ca
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Featured Blog: James
Check out English grad James F.W. Thompson and his inimitable blog at The Pudding Store!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Featured Blog: Anthony Casey
Three cheers for English grad Anthony Casey's blog over at If You Can Hear Me, Clap Your Hands.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Featured Blog: Kyle
Kyle is an English major at CBU, and he is blogging about the tragedies and triumphs of that mode of life over at the CBU main site. Check it out.
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