by RGO
(photo by Michelle Jeanne Caracut)
Responding to comments that it was the only department left at the College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS) that has not yet held a student research colloquium, the Department of English rose to the challenge and organized a one-day academic conference that took on the works of around 30 fourth-year AB English students.
The September 13, 2016 colloquium opened at the CASSalida theater, and was described by CASS Dean Dr. Marie Joy Banawa to be unique as it featured two plenary and six parallel sessions.
The plenary sessions showcased two nationally-acclaimed artists, Dr. Steven P.C. Fernandez of the Department of English and Dr. German V. Gervacio of the Departamento ng Filipino at Ibang mga Wika.
Fernandez, a key personality in performance studies in the Philippines and the director of IIT’s Culture and Arts Studies Center, delivered the Plenary on Intertextuality.
Gervacio, a multi-Palanca Award winner, delivered the Plenary on Truth and Myth: Ang Mito sa Totoo, ang Totoo sa Mito.
Department of English chairperson Dr. Nelia G. Balgoa said that holding the colloquium entitled, Proposals on Language and Literary Studies, was the “marching order” of Dean Banawa as the department had lagged behind other departments in the college.
She described the activity as a throwback to the “glory days” of the department, and a way for it to develop the presentation skills of its students by exposing them to a conference-like atmosphere.
“It is also a strategy to encourage collaborations that we hope later on would translate into publication, ”Balgoa, who just became chair of the department at the start of the semester, added.
The plenaries were listened to by Department of English faculty and all AB English students, including the 30 or so student-presenters who all belonged to the class of English faculty member Prof. Honeylet E. Dumoran.
The colloquium saw the student-participants presenting their research proposals in six different panels on Forensic Linguistics; Culture and Sign Systems; Leadership Con/Texts; Assessment and Language Learning; Aesthetics of New Text Types; and Stylistics.
Each of the students were given 20 minutes to present their research proposals to their respective panels. The members of the panels – composed of Department of English faculty members – would then give their comments afterwards.
An open forum followed every session where members of the audience were given a chance to ask questions.
Dumoran said that a purpose of the colloquium was to help the student-presenters shape their studies, which are the very same ones they would pursue later on as their theses.
“We also want to encourage the other AB English students who attended the colloquium to consider new areas of study for their own researches in the future,” Dumoran added. (RGO)
Topics : CASS colloquium AB English