I want to open with a SAVE THE DATEfor Thursday, Dec. 5 at 4 p.m. in the Stein Art Galleries. This is when we will join with the Wright State community to celebrate, honor, and remember our colleague Stefan Pugh, Chair and Professor of Modern Languages and Brage Golding Distinguished Professor of Research. We will have music, munchies, open bar, and good conversation as we toast a great scholar and human being.

This event will be the first that will be overseen and organized by Stephanie Dickey, English, who has thankfully agreed to use her tremendous skills as Coordinator of CoLA and CELIA Events. She helped orchestrate the very successful and intricately complex CELIA celebration of the Pride and Prejudice Bicentennial, and we are very excited that she will be managing many of our CoLA events as well. Welcome Aboard Stephanie!

A huge CONGRATULATIONS to Damaris Serrano, Modern Languages, for winning the most prestigious literary prize in Panama, El Premio Nacional Ricardo Miró, for her essay: Panamá: (re)cuentos de la la nación en diáspora [Panama: Retelling History/Stories of a Nation in Diaspora].  Last month Damaris accepted the prize at the Teatro Nacional in Panamá. 

And also THANK YOU to Erin Flanagan, English, Noeleen McIlvenna, History, and Marie Hertzler, Modern Languages, for facilitating the discussion at last week's second CoLA Mentoring Conver-sations on managing work/life balance. The conversations are a chance to meet faculty from across the college, learn about and discuss important topics, and share insights and experiences. The next conversation will take place in January on What You Need to Know about the CBA.

CoLA will be well represented at the Ohio TESOL Conference in Columbus this week with presenta-tions by TESOL Director Chris Hall, LEAP Director Jeannette Horwitz, and many additional English faculty including Darryl Evans, Dayna Foster, Jennifer Huffman, Trisha Pomerville, Irena Joseph, Charis Elliott, Mailinh Nguyen, Lilia Moyer, Tom Fenton, TESOL graduate student Bi Zhang from China, and LEAP graduate Fulwah Bin Sulayyih from Libya.

I am very excited about my Welcome to Wright State Reception next week on November 20 hosted by President Hopkins! The Party takes place over in the CAC Commons from 5:30 - 7:00, and will include open bar (are you all paying attention?!?), less than dainty snacks, some brief words by me, an introduction to the CoLA Leadership Team, and an unveiling of our fantastic student promotional video. I saw the video for the first time this week and it is powerful! Also, ETHOS, our new A Capella group, will be making their big debut. If you heard their fantastic rendition of The National Anthem at Holidays in the Heartland, you know we are in for a HUGE treat! You are ALL invited, and I hope to see you there.

And remember, something Big and Bold is coming!