Summer is (almost) here - is ever summer in Cleveland? - and many of you are already away, back to your family, friends, doing research, or traveling with our students to fascinating locations abroad. However, I want to take a minute to reflect on this academic year that is ending.

I am always amazed by how much we have achieved every year. This year hasn’t been different. In terms of publications, two books are under contract by prestigious university presses, and a third one was published; eleven peer-reviewed articles were published, seven more were accepted for publication, and others have been submitted. Books of poetry have been published. Our faculty have been invited as guest speakers to different events. Many of our colleagues received grants and fellowships: Barbara Mann was granted a National Endowment for the Humanities award (unfortunately canceled by the USA presidency), Ching-Hsuan Wu, Beth Carter, Elena Fernandez, Barbara Mann and I received Børve grants to develop different projects. Hyun Kyung Kim received Korean Outreach program funding from the Chicago Korean Education Center, an affiliate of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Chicago, to cover the costs of student activities related to the CWRU Korean language program. Gabi Copertari completed a workshop through the Online Undergraduate Learning Community (OULC) to develop an online course as part of a three-year pilot; Margaretmary Daley was appointed as a Visiting Scholar at The Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg for spring semester 2025; Ching-Hsuan Wu was selected as a Baker-Nord Center Faculty Affiliate for the spring 2025 semester; Denise Caterinacci and Jacqueline Nanfito took students to Italy as part of the Slow Food Movement… Many great events were organized through the year, among them our traditional Multilingual Poetry Festival, and we inaugurated a new event: Work-in-Progress Dialogues. The multilingual letterpress studio is a reality, and a writing and oral center is in the making, the Alebrijes Workshop was a huge success… Many new courses have been created, our students have won state and national language competitions, and I can go on and on.

I know that I am leaving out, unintentionally, many other important achievements; I just wanted to name a few to give you a general idea of how much we have grown as a collective, how committed our department is to produce new knowledge, to be more creative, to provide a meaningful and marvelous learning experience to our students. I do believe that such inspirational greatness is only possible because of the people that we are: people who care for each other, and for our collective advancement, talented and devoted people who believe in what we do.

As the academic year comes to an end, I want to reiterate how proud I am of being part of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, how proud I am of every single person in our department, all admirable and unique! Special thanks to our Golden Team: Daisuke and Desiree. All you do for us goes beyond excellence. We are so grateful to have you with us!! And thanks to all of you. It’s an honor to be part of this collective.

~Damaris

Damaris Puñales-Alpízar, Professor of Hispanic Studies and Department Chair

Códigos rojos: geopolíticas de la traducción durante la Guerra Fría. Cuba y el bloque del Este. (Red Codes: Geopolitics of Translation during the Cold War. Cuba and the Eastern Bloc.) The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM.) (2025).

Beth M. Carter, Assistant Professor of Japanese

“Weeping, Wailing, and Writhing: Corporeal Mourning in Premodern Japanese Post-Death Scenes.” Studies in Japanese Literature and Culture, 8, 1-24, 2025.

https://kokubunken.repo.nii.ac.jp/records/20003

Patrick Lyons, Assistant Professor of French

“Working Existence: Review essay of Kristin Ross’ The Commune Form: The Transformation of Everyday Life.” Parapraxis 5, January 2025.

https://www.parapraxismagazine.com/magazine

"The Transformation of Everyday Life Interview with Kristin Ross." Radical Philosophy, 2(17), 51-60, Winter 2024.

https://www.radicalphilosophy.com/interview/the-transformation-of-everyday-life

"Red Threads: a 'Left-Melancholic' Walk Through Paris in Joseph Andras's Afar the Southern Sky (2021)." Nottingham French Studies, 63(3), 327-339, December 24.

https://www.euppublishing.com/doi/abs/10.3366/nfs.2024.0425?download=true&journalCode=nfs

Beth M. Carter, Assistant Professor of Japanese

"Revelatory Eulogy: Shamanic-Based Post-Death Ritual in Genji monogatari." Global Speakers Lecture, Michigan State University. January 22, 2025.

Margaretmary Daley, Professor of German and Comparative Literature

“Schubart und die Liebe. Glücklicher Ehemann oder verblendeter Narzist?”(Schubart and Love. Happy Husband or Deluded Narcissist), Schubart Society Symposium, Erlangen City Library, Erlangen, April 4, 2025.

The event was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the Friedrich August University, and the Erlangen City Library. Presenters included scholars from Belgium, Japan, the USA, France, Poland, and Germany. The three-day event included a concert of songs written and composed by Schubart performed in the Erlangen palace orangery. Professor Daley’s work will be revised for publication by the Schubart Society.

Invited Lecture. “Historical Novels from Central Europe: Concomitant Politics and Costume Dramas.”  Clare Hall, University of Cambridge, England. March 6, 2025.

Invited Lecture. “Interiority and the Idyll in the Age of Emotion.” Jesus College, University of Cambridge, England. March 5, 2025.

Hyun Kyung Kim, Adjunct Lecturer of Korean

“Mediating Factors in ELL Academic Reading: High School Students' Classroom Experiences.” American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado. April 26, 2025.

“Beyond Decoding: The Role of Context in Students' Development of Academic Reading Proficiency and Difficulty.” American Association for Applied Linguistics (AAAL) Conference, Denver, Colorado. March 25, 2025.

Yawei Li, Lecturer of Chinese

“Breaking Boundaries: Tradition and Innovation through the Lenses of Zhejiang Yue Opera.” Chinese Oral and Performing Literature (CHINOPERL) Conference, Columbus, Ohio. March 13, 2025.

Enno Lohmeyer, Lecturer of German

"The Intricate Details of Justice - as Presented in Bertolt Brecht's narrative 'Der Augsburger Kreidekreis.'" The Louisville Conference on Literature and Culture Since 1900, Louisville, Kentucky. February 20, 2025.

Cristián Gómez Olivares, Associate Professor of Spanish

“Nikki Giovanni: no hay olvido. Poesía y violencia en EEUU” (“Nikki Giovanni: There Is no Forgetting. Poetry and Violence in the USA). Talk delivered at Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca (UABJO), Oaxaca, Mexico. February 19, 2025.

Alessandra Parry, Lecturer of Spanish

“Spanish as a Heritage Language.”

Charlotte Sanpere, Lecturer of French

“Teaching Medical French at the elementary level.”

As recent Baker-Nord Institute for the Humanities grant recipients, Alessandra Parry and Dr. Charlotte Sanpere presented their teaching and learning projects at the UCITE colloquium Teaching Forward: An InspirED Celebration, where CWRU faculty shared how they transformed student learning through innovative, research-informed approaches. April 30, 2025.

Ching-Hsuan Wu, Eirik Børve Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics

"Tradition vs. Modernity in Generational Observance of the Lunar New Year Holiday in Taiwan: Speculation and digital adaption." 2025 Asian Studies Development Program (ASDP) 32nd National Conference, Washington, D.C. March 7, 2025.

Invited featured speaker. “Teaching Heritage Learners: Project-Based Language Learning.” 2025 Heritage Language Learning Symposium, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina. February 20, 2025.

Beth M. Carter, Assistant Professor of Japanese

“Salt-Maker’s Fires and Funeral Pyres: Love, Death, and Impermanence in Genji Smoke-Themed Poetry” in the panel Poetry, Death, and Afterlives: Reader Response and Recontextualizing The Tale of Genji (Organizer, chair, and presenter): Association for Asian Studies Conference (AAS) Columbus, OH. March 14, 2025.

Denise Caterinacci, Senior Instructor of Italian

“Collaboration is Not a Class Act.” The talk was one of three in the panel moderated by Ali Fuad Selvi, Assistant Professor, TESOL and Applied Linguistics, Department of English, University of Alabama. 15th Annual University of Alabama Languages Conference, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. February 7-8, 2025.

Elena Fernandez, Lecturer of Spanish

Invited speaker for the Phi Delta Epsilon Fraternity (PHIDE). She highlighted the importance of learning a second language for those pursuing a career in medicine. She conducted a brief class on effectively evaluating patients, covering essential terminology and its practical use. Additionally, Elena discussed the significance of understanding cultural backgrounds and how they influence patient interactions in a medical setting. Case Western Reserve University (online), January 30, 2025.

Damaris Puñales-Alpízar, Professor of Hispanic Studies and Department Chair

Poetry Panel Voices of Ohio. Five talented poets and storytellers discuss the power of language, identity, and place, deep diving into the diverse landscapes and voices shaping the Buckeye State’s poetry scene. Panelists: Ajanaé Dawkins, Yalie Saweda Kamara, Damaris Puñales-Alpízar, and Scott Woods. Moderator: Lyn Ford. Ohioana Book Festival. State Library of Ohio, Columbus. May 3, 2025.

Ching-Hsuan Wu, Eirik Børve Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics

Informative session to recruiting students to participate in the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) for the assessment of their language skills; 35 students (Chinese, Korean, and Japanese) expressed interest in having their speaking abilities evaluated and certified this summer. Our project assistants will start coordinating the OPI tests with students and Language Testing International, Guilford House, Case Western Reserve University. April 9, 2025.

“Use of the Standardized Oral Proficiency Interview to Strengthen World Language Teaching and Learning at Case.” Faculty Work-in-Progress, Baker-Nord Center for the Humanities, Case Western Reserve University. March 19, 2025.

Barbara E. Mann, Hoffman Professor of Modern Hebrew

Keynote lecture. “From Kishinev to October 7th: Translating Trauma in Hebrew and Yiddish Poetry." Crisis Translation Symposium: it included three days of poetry, translation, and letterpress workshops. Davidson College, Davidson, North Carolina. March 18, 2025.

Gabriela Copertari, Associate Professor of Spanish

The documentary for which Dr. Gabriela Copertari was interviewed —“76 89 23”— premiered in the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema. Watch the teaser here!

Hyun Kyung Kim, Adjunct Lecturer of Korean

Dr. Hyun Kyung Kim served as a judge in the area of Qualitative Methodologies at the 2025 AERA Division D In-Progress Research Gala on April 26, 2025. The In-Progress Research Gala (IPRG) offers graduate students the opportunity to present their ongoing research at the AERA Annual Conference. Dr. Kim reviewed and evaluated graduate student posters identified as the top 32 in the 2024 IPRG, offering mentorship and support to graduate student research and scholarship.

Dr. Hyun Kyung Kim served as the contest organizer and a judge for the beginner level panels at the 6th Annual Midwest Korean Speech Contest, held on April 5, 2025, at the Korean Cultural Center of Chicago. The contest was jointly organized by MATK (Midwest Association of Teachers of Korean) and the Chicago Korean Education Center, an affiliate of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Chicago.

Nadav Linial, Lecturer of Hebrew

Dr. Nadav Linial Nadav Linial was invited to serve as a guest editor of the leading Israeli literary magazine, Ho! (הו!) for its 29th issue. The issue, set for print this spring, is dedicated to mythology, and includes poems, short stories, translations and essays about classic, Jewish, and non-western mythologies.   

Alessandra Parry, Lecturer of Spanish

Alessandra Parry graduated from the University of Houston with a graduate certificate in Teaching Spanish as a Heritage Language. The Spanish section can now include heritage language classes in their course programming, which is the first time DMLL has ever offered this type of specialized pedagogy in any of its course programs.

Damaris Puñales-Alpízar, Professor of Hispanic Studies and Department Chair

Dr. Damaris Puñales-Alpízar has been appointed as the inaugural faculty fellow for our fall 2025 CWRU in Madrid - First Semester Abroad.

Dr. Damaris Puñales-Alpízar was awarded The Equity in the Arts Fund grant from the Cleveland Foundation for operations and programming of Trasatlántica. Poetry and Scholarship (part of a nonprofit organization of the same name, of which she is the founder and president). Cleveland, January 25, 2025.

Ching-Hsuan Wu, Eirik Børve Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics

Dr. Ching-Hsuan Wu's EHI grant proposal, titled "Foster Social Good: Multilingual and Intercultural Learning Opportunities for Cleveland Public Schools," has been selected as an awardee in the EHI 2025 Social Racial Justice (SRJ) Category. The project's goal is to enhance educational access for a group of students in our community who lack consistent curricular resources to learn about world languages and cultures beyond their own. This learning is crucial as it provides students with a platform to appreciate diverse values, improve communication skills, and reduce prejudice and discrimination. The project will meaningfully engage with the local community, foster social good, and offer this learning opportunity to 60 public school students. Additionally, it provides 20 CWRU students with the chance to make a positive social impact on the communities surrounding our campus. Dr. Wu also hopes to promote and extend world language teaching and learning beyond the CWRU campus. In a small way through this project, Dr. Wu also aims to expand and enhance world language education beyond the CWRU campus.

Dr. Ching-Hsuan Wu received a 3-year Børve Grant to adopt Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI, a standardized spoken assessment) to strengthen language teaching and learning outcomes in the department. The first phase of the grant will focus on oral proficiency of students in the Chinese, Japanese, and Korean programs. 

Yawei Li, Lecturer of Chinese

Dr. Yawei Li’s research proposal has been accepted by the Chinese Language Teachers Association (CLTA), and she will present at the annual conference in New York City, May 9-10, 2025. Her work focuses on helping students develop greater cultural awareness and communication skills through a series of classroom performance activities. These activities guide students through multiple stages, beginning with structured self-introductions and gradually leading to more spontaneous interactions. Dr. Li emphasizes the instructor’s role in facilitating student self-reflection at each stage, encouraging deeper engagement with the target culture through appropriate verbal and nonverbal behaviors.

Nadav Linial, Lecturer of Hebrew

Dr. Nadav Linial's 3rd poetry book, Eruv (Mixture), will be published this spring, as part of a new book series, Argo, of the publishing house Catharsis. The book explores themes of longing and belonging, uprootedness, Jewish and non-Jewish relations, bilingualism and life and love across languages.

Alessandra Parry, Lecturer of Spanish

“La influencia de Luisa Capetillo en la vida y obra literaria de Raquel Salas Rivera” (under peer-review). Macomère, The Association of Caribbean Women Writers and Scholars.

Hyun Kyung Kim, Lecturer of Korean

Dr. Hyun Kyung Kim’s new course proposal, KORE 312: Korean Popular Culture, has been approved by the CEP. This course examines the development and global circulation of Hallyu (the Korean Wave), focusing on a variety of contemporary Korean popular culture genres, including K-pop music, cinema, TV dramas, webtoons and animation, digital games and esports, lifestyle media, fashion, and food. Students will engage with primary sources such as K-pop music videos, films, excerpts from TV dramas, and other media products, alongside academic secondary readings that provide theoretical, methodological, and contextual frameworks. This course aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of Korean pop culture and social phenomena by exploring diverse K-media products and engaging in academic readings, multidisciplinary discussions, presentations, and a research project.

Talk with Arwa Awan

With generous support from DMLL, Ethnic Studies, and the Baker-Nord Institute for the Humanities, Dr. Arwa Awan visited from Oberlin on April 23, 2025, to deliver a talk on the celebrated poet Aimé Césaire's notion of "Tropical Marxism" developed out of his early-career readings of Marx's humanist writings and cross-cultural dialogue with intellectuals and artists at the 1968 Cultural Congress of Havana.

Poetry for Hope: DMLL International Multilingual Poetry

Festival

DMLL hosted its traditional International and Multilingual Poetry Festival on April 18, 2025. The title of this year's reading was Poetry for Hope. Faculty, students, and guest poets read poetry in English, French, German, Hebrew, Korean, Occitan, and Russian. 

Cuban Cinema: Against All Odds

On April 9, 2025, the movie Ya no es antes screened at the Cinematheque. After the movie, leading actor Luis Alberto García, and cinema critic Juan Antonio García Borrero, talked about the current situation of the Cuban cinema, the importance of alternative audiovisual production, and the National Assembly for the Cinema, an unofficial organization whose aim is to reform the cinema law in Cuba, allow for the independent and out of the country production to be recognized as part of the audiovisual body of the nation, and to create a fund to support cinema producers outside the state ruled industry. Luis Alberto García and Juan Antonio García are two of the nine representatives to the Assembly. This event was organized by CWRU, Baker-Nord Institute for the Humanities, the Cinematheque, and Trasatlantica. 

"The Island by Heart"

Atilio Caballero was in Cleveland on April 1, 2025, to discuss his dramaturgy, narrative, and poetry and his work as a theater director for the previous 21 years. In the second part of the event, local actors, directed by Raul Duran, did a dramatic reading of fragments of a novel by Atilio Caballero, The Last Beach. At the same time, images were projected on a structure designed and prepared by Camilo Villalvilla. The bilingual event took place at the Eldred Auditorium. Thanks to Professor Jacqueline Nanfito for her translation.

Lecture with Allison Schachter

On March 28, 2025, Dr. Allison Schachter (Vanderbilt University) delivered the lecture “Lorraine Hansberry, the Holocaust, and Race in Postwar American Intellectual Life” followed by a reception. This event was co-sponsored by the Departments of English and Modern Languages and Literatures, the Program in Jewish Studies and the Baker-Nord Institute for the Humanities.

International Tea

The International Tea (organized by Fabienne Pizot-Haymore, Elena Fernandez, Tatiana Zilotina, and Clara Lipszyc, with the help of Enno Lohmeyer) took place on March 19, 2025. It was a successful and fun event as over 100 people from the university met, socialized, and ate delicious food from all over the world. It was a great opportunity for students to meet and mingle with DMLL faculty members. 

Work-in-Progress Dialogues

Professors Nadav Linial and Patrick Lyons presented their Work-in-Progress on February 26, 2025 at Guilford House. This was the first event of its kind and a starting point for improving and strengthening our intellectual community through constructive dialogue. The attendance and the conversation afterwards were really good!

Dr. Nadav Linial’s presentation was entitled: “Catharsis, Tragic Recognition and Nation-building in S.Y. Agnon’s Only Yesterday.”

Dr. Patrick Lyons’ presentation was entitled: “The Novel as Psychological Warfare: Driss Chraîbi’s Les boucs (1955).”

Alebrijes

Alebrijes Workshop began on February 7, 2025. This event was organized by Elena Fernandez, with funding from Alianza (ALLA) and the support of Professor Damaris Puñales-Alpízar. We were incredibly fortunate to have the talented Héctor Castellanos as our guide throughout this creative journey, as he taught us how to craft these fantastical creatures.

There were 19 participants in total, making for a wonderfully diverse group of students, faculty, and staff, all working together on this project.

During these meetings, Héctor Castellanos not only taught about the technical aspects of creating Alebrijes, he also shared the rich cultural history behind these fantastical creatures.

Successful 18th year of Italian Film Festival USA - Cleveland at CWRU

April 16, 2025, was the 4th day and conclusion of the 18th edition in Cleveland at CWRU as part of the 21st year of Italian Film Festival USA. 

CWRU students, faculty and staff, the greater Cleveland area community, and others in the NE Ohio area, including children, enjoyed local premieres of 4 recent, acclaimed Italian films and an exclusive program of newly released short films. Most films were preceded by a brief recorded greeting from the filmmaker.

The festive atmosphere was enhanced before each screening by drawings to win gift cards, donated by several of

CWRU's neighboring merchants and restaurants: Arrabbiata's Italian Restaurant, Tasty Pizza, The Original Mario Fazio's Great Neighborhood Dining, Mamma Catena Vino e Cucina, Ferrara's Imported Foods, Casa Dolce Bakery, DiStefano's Authentic Italian Grocery Store, and Bar Italia. Little Italy Wines donated a wine tasting at their location for up to 4 people. 

The 2025 Italian Film Festival USA - Cleveland was grateful for support from the national sponsor Your Italian Passport and local sponsor Liberatore Landscape Construction, LLC, and the Consulate of Italy in Detroit, along with our Department of Modern Languages and Literatures.

The CWRU Program in Jewish Studies and the Department of History co-sponsored the second film, a documentary on the life of Italian senator-for-life and Holocaust survivor, Liliana Segre. The CWRU Film Society has partnered with the Program in Italian for all 18 years of this event, assisting with the promotion and managing the projections & the concession stand.

Italian Film Festival USA - Cleveland has long been an extraordinary collaborative effort and intersection of assorted communities. There are 12 other US cities hosting this year, but CWRU is the only location in Ohio. Thanks to the enthusiastic DMLL colleagues and all who attended. We are looking forward to even more in the future! 

Contact Denise Caterinacci, Italian Section of DMLL, with any questions or comments.

https://italianfilmfests.org/cleveland.html

The Sound of Blooming, A Music Tale of Spring 

On April 18, 2025, students and faculty from the Chinese language program attended a traditional Chinese folk music performance at the Cleveland Museum of Art. The event, hosted by the Chinese Musicians Association of North America (CMA-NA), offered a wonderful opportunity to experience and appreciate the richness of Chinese musical traditions in a lively and engaging setting.

https://www.clevelandart.org/events/chinese-musicians-association-north-america

Lunar New Year Celebration

On January 29, 2025, 80 students and faculty gathered together on the Lunar New Year Day to celebrate the Year of the Snake. We had festive food and participated in traditional activities, such as Mahjong and calligraphy! It was very fun! 

2025 Pi Delta Phi Members Induction Ceremony

On Tuesday, April 15, 2025, the French section celebrated the induction of our new Rho Kappa (CWRU's chapter of the National French Honor Society) members! Our 2025 cohort includes: Hannah Dietrich, Sudi Harbool, Madelynn Melda, Frances Miller, Ha-Yen Nguyen, Adam Rohrer, Béatrice Sampo, and Emese Toth. New members celebrated with the French faculty, their peers, and former Rho Kappa inductees.

https://www.pideltaphi.org/

Ensemble ! with Picasso on Paper at the Museum of Art

On March 1, 2025, our students in French from the USG club Ensemble ! invited their Professors and Instructors/Teachers to the Cleveland Museum of Art for a tour in French of the exhibit "Picasso and Paper."

Sincere thanks to our guide, Candace, who guided us with such flare through the major works in the exhibit and shared interesting insights about Picasso's life and work. Emily Shu and Isabel Zhou organized this event followed by a viewing of Godard's "Une femme est une femme" at the Cinémathèque. Both events were sold out-- and we had a fantastic time!

Hebrew Table

This semester, students across campus had an opportunity to learn about Hebrew and Israeli culture, as part of our "Hebrew Table" series. We discussed the works of artists, poets, photographers and authors ranging from pre-state Israeli artworks, to the work of contemporary artists who explore questions of memory, belonging and national and personal trauma. We are looking forward to seeing the students for our Fall 2025, Hebrew Table program. 

Meeting with Japanese Exchange Students

On March 28, 2025, CWRU students from Japanese classes participated in a cultural exchange meeting with Japanese exchange students from Kindai University. Students had conversations with the Japanese students in both languages. Many students said they felt very encouraged that they were able to use Japanese outside of class with other Japanese speakers. We look forward to hosting another cultural exchange meeting in the next school year!

JASCO Speech Contest at CWRU

First Place Winner

Chih-Cheng Lin, CWRU

Chih-Cheng Lin, CWRU

Junhao Zhen, CWRU

On March 22, 2025, the 2025 JASCO Speech Contest was hosted by the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures at Case Western Reserve University, in collaboration with the Japan-America Society of Central Ohio (JASCO). JASCO is dedicated to "enriching lives by bringing Ohio’s Japanese and American communities together," and has been organizing the annual Ohio Japanese Speech Contest since 1999. This year, 12 finalists competed to promote Japanese language learning in Ohio. Among them were two students from the CWRU Japanese Studies Program, Chih-Cheng Lin and Junhao Zhen, who participated as finalists. Chih-Cheng Lin won first place with his speech, “Japan's Regional Revitalization Policy.” Congratulations to both Chih-Cheng Lin and Junhao Zhen for their outstanding performances! We would like to express our special appreciation to the Japanese studies section and Tsunagari Japan for their efforts in organizing the event in collaboration with JASCO, as well as for the generous support from the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures.

Korean Hangout

The Korean program hosted Korean Hangout on April 22, 2025, providing students with an opportunity to enhance their Korean language skills and immerse themselves in Korean food and culture in a relaxed setting.

CWRU Student Shines at Midwest Korean Speech Contest 

Lauren Dittrick from the CWRU Korean Program won the Excellent Award at the 6th Midwest Korean Speech Contest, held at the Korean Cultural Center of Chicago on April 5, 2025. She received a $500 cash prize and a scholarship for one semester of study abroad at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in Korea. The Midwest Korean Speech Contest is a competition for students learning Korean at universities in the Midwest region of the U.S., co-hosted by the Midwest Association of Teachers of Korean (MATK) and the Korean Education Center in Chicago. This year, about 40 students from 19 universities who passed preliminary rounds competed across three competition levels. Awards included the Highest Standing Awards (one per level), Excellent Awards (one per level), and Honorable Mentions (four for the beginner level and three each for the intermediate and advanced levels). Winners received prize money, scholarships, and gifts. Two CWRU representatives, Jessica Norek and Lauren Dittrick, competed at the beginner and intermediate levels, respectively. They also enjoyed cultural experience activities during the competition, including trying on Hanbok, watching Korean traditional dance and Daegeum (Korean bamboo flute) performances, a K-pop dance performance, and participating in traditional games such as Tuho, Jegichagi, Ddakji Chigi, and more. 

CWRU Korean Program Students Take Part in “Quiz on Korea” U.S. Preliminaries

Four students from the CWRU Korean program attended the U.S. regional preliminaries of the 2025 “Quiz on Korea” competition, hosted by the Consulate General of Korea in Chicago on April 5, 2025. “Quiz on Korea” is a global quiz competition held annually by the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and KBS (Korean Broadcasting System). Preliminary rounds take place in selected countries, and national winners receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Korea to represent their country in the final round. The final is filmed at the KBS studios in Seoul and broadcast on KBS World for some 200 million people in 88 countries around the world. In the U.S. regional preliminaries, the top three finalists received prizes including a Galaxy Watch, a Samsung Bluetooth speaker, and Galaxy Buds. The winner advanced to the final round of “Quiz on Korea” in Korea. Although the CWRU students did not place in the top three, they enjoyed fun activities, participation souvenirs, and $20 Amazon gift cards!

Night in Seoul

On March 1, 2025, students from the Korean program and KASA took a break from studying and midterm stress to enjoy a fun and vibrant evening at Night in Seoul in the Thwing Ballroom! Inspired by Seoul’s iconic nightlife, the event featured Korean street food, mocktails, raffles, and performances. The semi-formal dress code, with theme colors of black, silver, and gold, added to the festive atmosphere. All funds raised from the event will be donated to the Korean American Scholarship Foundation (KASF) at the end of the school year. 

Seollal Celebration

On February 1, 2025, students in the Korean program, along with KASA and KSA members, gathered to celebrate Seollal, Korean Lunar New Year. They enjoyed traditional Korean foods such as tteokguk (rice cake soup), jeon (savory pancakes), and a variety of Korean desserts, while also playing traditional games like jegichagi, gonggi, and ddakji, welcoming good fortune for the upcoming year. 

Live Tour of Dostoevsky's St. Petersburg

On April 1, 2025, students of the Russian Literature in Translation class went on a virtual guided tour of St. Petersburg. The live excursion took them to the sites associated with Fedor Dostoevsky and his works. This activity was part of the Russian program collaboration with the School of Russian and Asian Studies (SRAS). Watch the video here.

Virtual Tour of St. Petersburg - Pushkin and Gogol'

On February 21, 2025, students of the Russian Literature in Translation class went on a virtual guided tour of St. Petersburg. They visited places associated with the two Russian 19th-century classics - Alexander Pushkin and Nikolai Gogol'. After the tour, the students acquired a much better understanding of the impact Pushkin and Gogol' made on Russia culture. This activity was part of the Russian program collaboration with the School of Russian and Asian Studies (SRAS). Watch the video here. 

Spanish 322 Class

On April 26, 2025, Professor Jacqueline Nanfito invited her SPAN 322 (Latin American Short Story) course to a paella dinner at her home to celebrate the end of a delightful semester.

Sigma Delta Pi (Spanish Honorary) Induction Ceremony

On April 16, 2025, 15 students of Spanish were inducted into the Spanish Honorary at Case, SIGMA DELTA PI (Upsilon Mu Chapter). This is the largest group to be initiated in many years. The ceremony took place in Guilford Parlor with former Interim Dean Peter Whiting and DMLL Chair, Damaris Puñales-Alpízar offering brief remarks to the initiates. The ceremony ended with a tribute to Marjorie Agosín (Wellesley College), who recently passed, with 3 of Professor Jacqueline Nanfito's students reading poems by Marjorie Agosín. A reception followed the ceremony.

Spanish Students and Faculty Visit Cleveland Museum of Art

On January 31, 2025, a group of students and faculty attended a guided tour of the "Picasso on Paper" exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art. Participants learned about Picasso's work in paper.