The first weekend of the semester proved to be an eventful one. After a week of managing syllabi and meeting students, department events offered many welcome moments of relaxation.

Picnic attendees.

The weekend started on Friday afternoon with the department picnic. Faculty, graduate students, and staff met at White Park to enjoy the sun, snacks, and each other’s company. Many English department pets also made appearances, and some picnic-goers were lucky enough to see Tom Sura’s adorable daughter push him down the slide. Thank you to Marsha Bissett and Cynthia Ulrich for all their work in organizing this event.

Many attendees chose to stay in the shade.

Later in the weekend, Professor Mary Ann Samyn hosted a Meet-and-Greet at her home for all MFA students and faculty. Mary Ann provided multiple snacks, which the creative writers happily munched while catching up. Thank you to Mary Ann for hosting.

The various dishes prepared by Mary Ann for the Meet-and-Greet.

Overall, a lovely weekend and start to the semester.