By Dalton Greene ’22 and Kira Schukar ’22

Welcome back to The Words, dear readers! The student workers, faculty, and staff in the English Department are excited to greet new and returning faces to Old Main 2 this semester. We hope to see you soon at some exciting in-person events!

Our first event of the year is just around the corner: the annual English Department Fall Luncheon! Join us from 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM on September 21, where we will have the Paella Depot food truck on the Leonard Center Portico. This is a terrific opportunity to enjoy good food, meet new people, and kick off the new academic year with the best department on campus! 

Last spring, the Macalester English Department released the first season of its podcast, The Ramblings! This semester, the department’s podcast producers are already working on Season Two, which will feature the department’s faculty and highlight their research projects, classes, and hobbies. Check The Words for updates and release dates!

And of course, we are thrilled to be bringing back our Coffee House, the department’s signature event. Every Wednesday from 4:30 – 5:30 PM, English majors, minors, and casual dabblers are invited to the fourth floor of Old Main for treats and good company. Each week will have something new to offer (we’ve been known to celebrate holidays, hear live music, and much more in the past), and we are always looking for new ideas! 

Speaking of new ideas, keep a lookout in your email in the next couple of weeks for our interest survey! All majors and minors are encouraged to give the department feedback about upcoming events and programs so that we can make our transition back to in-person gatherings as successful as possible.