By Mark Flora
The Daily Pennsylvanian
pg. 3, October 20, 1995
In hopes of improving relations between English majors and the department's alumni, the English Undergraduate Advisory Board sponsored the English Major Alumni Career Night yesterday in Bennett Hall.
Nearly 100 majors and 50 alumni attended the event, which was part of the board's attempt to improve academic life within the English Department, according to board member and College junior Christine Goralnik.
"This year we decided to improve relations with alumni -- to revolutionize the
way alumni connect with Penn," said Goralnik who organized the event. "We'd
love to see the alumni come back to Penn and maybe set up some internships
for the English undergraduates."
According to undergraduates and alumni alike, the board has a solid foundation of support from which to build.
"Alumni do a very good job in coming back" said College junior Aysha Ramseur. "I get the English web, and it always has things from the alumni. They're willing to help you."
University alumnus Russell Stumacher said that majoring in English left him open to many opportunities, addressing many undergraduates' concerns about venturing into the unstable job market.
"I think the English major is a good preparation for all kinds of things -- science, the humanities and so forth," he said. "It's very enjoyable, and it didn't hurt me."
University alumna Lorene Cory, a current writer and teacher of fiction writing at the University, said she felt last night's event was a great effort to forge stronger connections between alumni and undergraduates.
"This is great," Cory said. "I would have liked to have met some people when I was an undergraduate with an English major to see what in God's name you do with the thing."
Goralnik said the department is hoping to plan meetings in the spring where undergraduate majors can meet in small groups with alumni to discuss their goals.
Undergraduate English Chairperson Al Filreis said he considers last night's event a first step in improving alumni relations.
He added that he hopes this and future events will encourage undergraduates' wheels to start to turn."
Filreis added that the career night really had a double purpose -- to bring alumni back to the University and to help undergraduates prepare for their futures.
