Orange is the New. . . If you have been in the English Department lately, you have surely noticed the change in the main office’s color scheme. The three people who spend the most time in our front office area are Monica, Jennie and Angie, so it seemed fitting to me that they pick the new color for the office. All I asked is that they pick a cheerful color. They selected a cheery shade of orange. Eddie Seegars, the painter, is applying the third coat this afternoon, and we expect to have this project finished up in the next week or so.
I know that for people who grew up surrounded by beige or white walls, our new orange walls must seem a bit on the dramatic side. For me, however, orange walls bring back the days of my youth. My mother’s favorite color was orange, and the mountain house where I grew up had orange walls in the kitchen and dining area and a bright orange front door. My mother died some years ago, but yesterday was her birthday. If she were still alive, I would have called her yesterday and I would have been sure to tell her about our new orange walls. I am sure she would have been pleased.
New Display Case — For a number of years, we have had a display case in main office, and we have used this case to display recent books by members of our department. I am aware, however, that not all members of our department write books. Some faculty members publish in fields in which most scholarship appears as articles in journals. In an effort to celebrate the recent journal publications, I have arranged for a new display case to be installed near our current case. This new case will be used to display recent articles by members of our department. If you have a recent article that you would like to have displayed, please provide me with a copy of it in the next week or two.
Kudos— As you know, I like to use my Monday Missives to share news about recent accomplishments by members of our department. Here is the latest news:
Daniel Shealy published an article titled “Louisa May Alcott’s World” in the most recent print edition of Exchange: The Magazine of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Angie Williams recently completed an obstacle course race along with Shannon Zurell from the Honors College. Officially called the Ridiculous Obstacle Course Race, the event took place at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Quirky Quiz Question — The office’s new color scheme brings to my mind a classic fiddle tune about a train. Can anybody guess the name of this tune?