NCTE, NCTE, don’t de-charter just because you can. Although there are reasons to be heartbroken right now, we’re energized by the possibility of participating in Writing Studies ideation, building midsouth community, and sharing the generous spirit of Dolly in the region she called home. We invite you to join us in Louisville, KY, Thursday, November 5th for Composition and/in the Midsouth: A Regional Ideation Session. This free, 9:30-4:00 (EST)/ 8:30-3:00 (CT) meetup will be held at 21C Hotel and Museum, and is open to all interested folks (all faculty, students, and staff included). Participants will get to know regional colleagues and discuss our disciplinary needs and interests (“so we can rely on each other, ah-ah”), ultimately developing a list of regional priorities to be shared with the WAC Clearinghouse.
While this event isn’t limited to those in the midsouth, it is primarily intended for faculty and students in the region, broadly construed. Can’t come in person? That’s okay! Depending on interest, we plan to have online opportunities to participate as well. Fill out the registrationat https://tinyurl.com/midsouthideation before September 15 to let us know how you’d like to meet.
Reminder, this is just the start of these conversations! We hope this will invite the recognition that you’re “in the same boat with a lot of your friends, waitin’ for the day your ship’ll come in.” To further this work, a primary goal for the meeting will be to build a needs assessment for those in Writing Studies in the Midsouth region. Stay tuned for future opportunities to meet with regional colleagues, including at the 2027 Peck Symposium on Writing and Rhetoric, which will be held at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN in the Spring! As Dolly reminds us, “Cause I can see the light of a clear blue morning, everything’s gonna be all right. It’s gonna be okay.” We look forward to seeing you! Any questions? Reach out to Stephen Schneider (stephen.schneider) or Kate Pantelides (kate.pantelides).
Kate Lisbeth Pantelides
Professor of English
College of Liberal Arts
Peck Hall 365
Middle Tennessee State University
1301 East Main Street Murfreesboro, TN 37132