English Club
The English Club is an informal organization of interested undergraduates; we hold regular meetings on alternate Wednesdays to discuss literature, film, writing, and any other topics of interest to members. We also sponsor events, service projects, readings, and an interdisciplinary intercollegiate undergraduate journal, Apollon. New members at any class level and of any major are always welcome, so tell your friends! See our projects here.
The ECU English Club is open to majors, minors and non-major undergraduates and graduates. Meetings are very informal and everyone is welcome!
An English Club Tradition
Every year, beginning in 2011, the English department has sponsored a trip to the American Shakespeare Company in Staunton, Virginia. The playhouse is a replica of Shakespeare’s own Blackfriars Theater, which his company acquired after it built the more famous Globe. Staunton’s replica is one of only two in the whole world. Over the years now we have seen many of Shakespeare’s greatest hits, including Macbeth, King Lear, Romeo and Juliet, and two productions of Hamlet; half of the history plays; several plays that are almost never seen on stage; plays by Shakespeare’s contemporaries.
Here is what students have said about previous trips:
“There is almost a transcendental experience to hear Shakespeare’s words performed rather than read. The language becomes alive in a way it just can’t when its being read.”
“It was a real privilege to see these plays performed in this meticulous and unique reconstruction of Shakespeare’s contemporary theater. The performances were brilliant and really made the Shakespeare plays come alive for me in a way that the printed word can never approach.”
“Going on the trip to the Blackfriars Playhouse was unlike any prior theatrical experiences I have had and provided me with the opportunity to witness and learn about some of the elements of Shakespearean theater I had only read about previously.”
“Going to Staunton to see Shakespeare’s plays performed by professional actors was by far the most fun and rewarding event that I have been lucky enough to partake in in college; seeing Shakespeare’s plays performed as well as other plays by different playwrights opened my eyes to and made me appreciate theater and the wonderful literature behind it.”
English Club Projects
As a service project, the English Club holds a book and supply drive for a classroom at Pactolus Elementary School. Boxes are placed around Bate during the Spring Semester, with items being collected and delivered by April.
- Some suggestions for books include:
- Graphic Novels
- High School Musical books
- Non-fiction books
- Scary books – i.e. R.L. Stein
- Strange but True stories
- Captain Underpants
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Reading levels range from 3rd to 5th grade, and other books are appreciated as well. Pactolus Elementary also has a need for glue, construction paper, folders, crayons, markers, and prizes for their class store.