On February 26, 2020, the WKU Department of English participated in the Majors and Minors Fair at Downing Student Union. The fair gave students from WKU and from surrounding high schools the opportunity to learn more about what WKU has to offer. Each department had a booth, and the English Department was in the middle of it all, showing students all the department has to offer. Students also had the opportunity to check in via their myWKU cellphone apps, grab bags of WKU information and merchandise, and greet a host of professors and students eager to meet them.

Junior Bailey Cooke and Department of English professor Dr. Ted Hovet operated the English booth at the Majors and Minors fair. Cooke and Dr. Hovet provided Department of English merchandise and information on how an English major or minor may be useful. While the Majors and Minors Fair is primarily for high school students and undecided WKU freshmen, Dr. Hovet noted opportunities for students already enrolled at WKU with decided majors.

“A lot of students here might already have a major, so we’re trying to push the minors,” Hovet said. “Our minors combine so well with almost anything.”

Hovet’s emphasis on minors resonated well with Cooke. As a student, she agreed that an English minor will open students up to new perspectives and career opportunities. At events like these, the Department of English can be the most helpful, in terms of finding a minor to pair with any degree path. In response to Hovet, Cooke was adamant about the importance of an English major or minor in an increasingly literate world.

“English is all around us,” Cooke said. “Being an English major or minor can help you hone that skill of effective communication, which is essential in any job or workplace.”

Cooke’s emphasis on the workplace and career-readiness are essential to understanding how an English major may be adaptable to any field. Hovet thought that the diversity of literature would also be an enhancement to student’s learning experiences at WKU.

“It’s pretty much impossible to minor in any of the options we have in English without running into texts from diverse authors and cultures,” Hovet said. “It’s a great add on for understanding more perspectives and parts of the world.”

Whether students are looking for opportunities to learn about different cultures, additions to their majors, or ways to improve their writing skills, the Department of English prepares students for the real world. The Majors and Minors Fair provided an opportunity to showcase all the Department of English has to offer, as well as the opportunity to emphasize the importance of an English major or minor.

“It’s hard to imagine any professional who wouldn’t like people who have those skills,” Hovet said.