Remembering Ken Burrows — Ken Burrows died on the first day of May, but for those of us who had the privilege of knowing him, he will live on in our memories for years to come. Ken ran the summer programs at UNC Charlotte for many years, and it was because of this role that I came to know Ken.
Ken was always ready to experiment with new programs offered during the summer. He thought that the campus should hum with activity during the summer and that the University should offer summer programs for people of all ages, including children. For these reasons, he started our Camps on Campus summer enrichment program. Ken knew of my background in children’s literature, and he asked me if I would be willing to develop a summer camp based on children’s books. I liked the idea and said that I would give it a try. A few weeks later, he contacted me again and said that he thought that the camp should have a tighter focus. At the time the Harry Potter phenomenon was all the rage, so I suggested that we focus the camp on Harry Potter. With Ken’s help, I wrote a description of the camp in which I said that for one week in the summer our UNC Charlotte campus was going to be transformed into Hogwarts Extension. Over the next several months, Ken and I met many times to plan the camp, and our efforts were rewarded beyond anything we had imagined. The kids had a great time, their parents thanked me endlessly for providing their children with this opportunity, and the camp attracted a tremendous amount of press coverage. Running this Harry Potter camp proved to be one of the most memorable experiences in my career at UNC Charlotte, and I owe it all to Ken.
Commencement Notes — Last Saturday the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences held its commencement ceremony. For nearly 90 of our students, this ceremony marked their transition from current students to graduates. A total of 19 of our graduate students are listed in the commencement program, and 70 undergraduate students are listed.
I was especially impressed with how many of our BA students fall under the heading of “Graduation with Distinction.” Of the 70 students, 14 earned the distinction of Cum Laude (GPA between 3.4-3.7), 7 earned the distinction of Magna Cum Laude (GPA between 3.7-3.9), and 4 earned the distinction of Summa Cum Laude (GPA between 3.9-4.0). This total comes to 25 students, which means that 36% of our graduating seniors earned this special distinction. I am very proud of all of our graduating students, but I want to mention by name the 4 students who earned the distinction of Summa Cum Laude. Their names are John Stuart Cloer, Ashley Michelle Helms, Jessica Katlin Lamp, and Taryn Kandace Summer Walls.
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:
Allison Hutchcraft has been awarded the Hillary Gravendyk Memorial Scholarship from the Squaw Valley Community of Writers. She will travel to Squaw Valley, CA, this June to attend their 2015 Poetry Workshop Program. Allison also has four poems appearing this month in a special feature of eco-poetry in the Kenyon Review.
Maya Socolovsky’s Troubling Nationhood in U.S. Latina Literature received a very positive review in the most recent issue of Latino Studies.
Upcoming Events and Deadlines— Here are some dates to keep in mind:
May 18 — Classes for the first summer session begin on May 19.
May 19 — Last day to add or drop a class with no grade.
Quir
ky Quiz Question — In addition to running UNC Charlotte’s summer programs, Ken Burrows also participated in several UNC Charlotte theatrical productions. He played a central role in a production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. What is the name of this character that Ken brought to life?
Last week’s answer: Nathaniel Hawthorne