The 2019 Festival of Languages

The Festival of Languages has become a part of Monmouth’s annual multicultural festivities, bringing an enrichment of culture and knowledge to campus.

Founded in 1996 by Priscilla Gac-Artigas Ph.D., Professor of Spanish and Latin American Literature, with the participation of students of Spanish, the festival has expanded past a single language into the celebration of many.

With the collective help of students and faculty from the World Languages & Cultures Department, the Festival of Languages was an entertaining, exciting and engaging occasion open to all of campus on Wednesday, Nov. 20. Students of varying majors, as well as video presentations of high school students, were showcased in the event.

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Visiting Writer Taije Silverman

Poet Taije Silverman came to Wilson Hall for the second Visiting Writers Series of the semester on Nov. 18.

Silverman is the author of Houses are Fields, a collection of poems focusing on the themes of intimacy and loss. She is an author who didn’t choose poetry, but poetry chose her.

Silverman has recently finished her second manuscript, which explores many contemporary issues. Silverman said during the reading, “My second book is about sexism and racism, lots of isms but never do I say -ism throughout the book.” She went on to explain that these pieces are to help normalize life when you have so many voices talking around you.

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An Author's Purpose

Literary passion is crafted early in one’s life. For Sarah Jessica Curtis, it was in elementary school. Now, three self-published books later, her literary spark is burning brighter than ever.

Curtis, a freshman English creative writing student, published her latest poetry book this past June, titled Raindrops.

The book is divided into four sections: ‘Clouds,’ which features poems that are sad, dark, and cloudy, ‘Thunder and Lightning’, which is comprised of thoughtful poems, ‘Rain,’ which includes poems that are cleansing and uplifting, and ‘Sun’, which ends the book on a happy note.

Raindrops is Curtis’ third book, following the release of her first two novels, The Silent Silhouettes and its sequel A Second Silence. Not only did Curtis publish these books on her own, but she also created each cover design with the help of her brother.

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Student Spotlight on JP Suttile

Jon Suttile, known by his peers and professors as JP, has an exciting few months to look forward to.

A senior political science student, he was recently selected for an internship with The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia’s Strategic Communications Department. After pursuing the internship from Jan. 27 to April 30, he is set to graduate with his political science degree in the spring.

According to their official website, The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia is the largest US attorney’s office, is responsible for the prosecution of all federal crimes, and represents civil proceedings filed in federal court. Suttile is one of four interns to get accepted into their program.

“To work with such a good organization makes me super excited,” said Suttile, with an impassioned grin that never left his face. “I’ll get to have a lot of perspectives on different things that they do. I also want to see how I like the Washington D.C. life.”

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Born to Study: New Bruce Springsteen Class Is Ready to Rock Monmouth

Grab your pens and your notebooks, because thunder’s rolling down these halls.

Next semester, the University will introduce a new course dedicated to the work of Bruce Springsteen called Bruce Springsteen’s America: Land of Hope and Dreams (HS-398-01) taught by History Professor Kenneth Campbell, Ph.D. As of now, there are still spots available for the class.

Considering the University is home to The Bruce Springsteen Archives and located in the area where Springsteen spent formative years of his career, it’s only fitting that they started to offer a course dedicated to his work.

As universities across New Jersey offered classes on Springsteen, Eileen Chapman, Director of The Bruce Springsteen Archives, felt that we were long overdue for a course on The Boss.

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Blue Hawk Records Artist of the Week: Gabriella Estrada

Gabriella Estrada, a freshman music education student, is one of five artists to receive the opportunity to produce a song for Blue Hawk Records.

Music has always been a part of her life. At the age of four, she began learning classical piano. Now, fourteen years later, she is self-taught on guitar and ukulele, and is studying her passion as a college major.

Estrada described her sound as predominantly indie, which carries into her song on the record. In fact, her favorite genres span from indie to R&B, looking up to artists like Frank Ocean, The 1975, Daniela Andrade, and Tyler, the Creator.

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The Grateful Threads' Revitalized Clothing

If you are a college student on the hunt for cute, personalized, and cost-effective clothing, The Grateful Threads is a must. Created just two months ago by Monmouth University’s very own Cristina Medlin, The Grateful Threads is a unique business that was sparked by Medlin’s love for not only thrifting clothes but also making her customers happy.

Medlin’s company thrives off receptive customer service and personalized sales. Medlin is a senior history education student who has been endlessly devoted to promoting her business.

In fact, the idea sparked from her own interests. She has always loved art, and seeking to pursue other forms of art besides painting, she launched The Grateful Threads. The name takes inspiration from one of her favorite bands, the Grateful Dead.

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Mackenzie Ricca: To Oxford and Beyond

Last weekend, Mackenzie Ricca returned to West Long Branch after winning three individual speaker awards at a Model UN contest in Oxford, England.

A junior political science student with a concentration in international relations, Ricca has treasured her role as president of Model UN for the past two years, winning seven out of eight conferences with the team of 40 students.

Now, Ricca has been invited to study two terms at New College, a constituent of Oxford University, from Jan. 7 to June 30.

According to Ken Mitchell Ph.D., Chair of the Department of Politi­cal Science and Sociology and Associate Professor of Politi­cal Science, Ricca is the first from Monmouth to be invited to study at New College as an undergraduate.

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Former Hawk Drafted by Vancouver Warriors

Sept. 17 was a day to remember for recent Monmouth graduate Gordon Phillips (’19), when he was selected in the sixth round of the 2019 National Lacrosse League (NLL) Draft by the Vancouver Warriors. The former Monmouth Hawks midfielder was the 80th overall pick in the draft. 

“Being drafted to the Warriors means a lot to me,” the Canadian-born Phillips said, “I grew up going to the Vancouver Ravens games (the NLL team at the time), and I idolized those guys. Growing up in Vancouver, I played the majority of my career around there and have always had very strong ties to home, even during my time playing in the States, so coming home and being able to represent my community and province means a great deal to me.”

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Monmouth's Most Exciting Classes

Students are often asked what the most exciting classes at Monmouth are, and that is a difficult question to unwrap.

Some of the classes that never disappoint are the classes in which the students find themselves. Often, students who come into Monmouth undeclared choose their major based on the general education course they loved the most; whether it’s literature, psychology, or information technology.

Everyone has different interests, but students often find that the classes they initially thought were pointless or a waste of time were actually the classes they enjoyed the most.

People often fear that college classes will be tedious, but that is not always the case. Yes, you have the classes that are merely okay and you could live without, and then you have the classes you actually look forward to. You must take certain classes to obtain a degree, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy them.

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