Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship

When a great thing is happening, you can’t wait to show others who might be interested. That’s the spirit behind Fire Up For English, an interactive, experiential day the English Department hosted last semester, inviting high school students from around the state who are curious about English and Creative Writing.

“We know there’s an energy and a buzz in the English Department student community that a website or brochure can’t necessarily capture, and we wanted high school students to experience that energy,” said faculty member Robert Fanning, chair of the English Publicity and Recruitment (PR) Committee.  

The PR Committee worked with English student ambassadors for months to plan a day that included faculty interviews, panel conversations, interactive workshops and lessons, lunch at a campus dining hall, an open mic for student readings, and a culminating performance by Daryl and the Beans, a rock band featuring Fanning and English Department faculty members Jeffrey Bean and Darrin Doyle.

Event organizers were not sure how many students would register for the first of what is hoped to be an annual event, but they were thrilled with the turnout. Nearly 50 students from 16 different Michigan high schools traveled from Saginaw, Grand Rapids, Troy, Freeland, Farmington, Ann Arbor and other cities to Anspach Hall to enjoy the day.

“When I spoke to one of the first students to arrive, and she was excited to wake up at 5 a.m. to drive from Troy to Mount Pleasant with her friend, I knew this event was a great idea,” said Fanning.

“Fire Up for English allowed me to show my love for the Central English community to students that I hope to see in Anspach soon," said Shepard.

Brenna Dean, a first year Creative Writing graduate student from Saginaw, agrees.

“Seeing prospective students engage in creative writing activities and experience the community within the English Department was incredibly sweet,” said Dean. “As their excitement for college grew throughout the day, so did my gratitude for my friends and the faculty in our program.”

English Department chair Steve Bailey says that while they wanted the high school students to learn about the benefits of majoring in English at CMU, they also wanted them to have some fun and flex their muscles as writers and readers.

“Judging by the excitement, enthusiasm, and energy of the students who came to the event, I’d say we succeeded in these goals, and then some,” said Bailey.

Josh Adams, Manager of Recruitment and Community Relations in the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, shares that enthusiasm.

"Fire Up for English was a celebration of ideas, creativity, and community, leaving folks who attended energized and excited having explored their shared passion for English with CMU's English department,” said Adams.

Plans are underway for the next Fire Up for English event, and the department hopes for an even bigger turnout of prospective English majors next fall.