Rushton Journal of Undergraduate Humanities Research celebrates publication of its second volume and announces call for submissions for third volume
The Department of English recently celebrated the publication of the second volume of the Rushton Journal of Undergraduate Humanities Research. Generously supported by the Edmond and Norma Rushton Endowment for American Studies, the journal accepts submissions from Wayne State undergraduate students and is edited and published by WSU students in the fall cohort of English 5695 (Publishing Practicum). As a required course in the new editing, publishing and writing concentration in the revised English B.A., English 5695 offers hands-on training for students who hope to work in the publishing industry.
Convening at the Humanities Commons in the Adamany Undergraduate Library and joined by Janice Rushton Harvey and Randy Harvey, representatives of the Rushton family, the celebration recognized the hard work of student editors and recognized the winners of the Best Essay prize and two runners up, prizes established and supported by generous donations from the Humanities Center and an anonymous member of the Academic Senate.
Speakers included Jaime Goodrich, chair of the Department of English and director of the Humanities Center, Joseph Torok, faculty advisor to the student-run journal, Arwen Mox, one of the student editors and Janice Rushton Harvey, daughter of Edmond and Norma Rushton.
Harvey recalled her family's deep connections to Wayne State University and talked about her joy in seeing the endowment used to support this journal. Goodrich offered a definition of the humanities, reminding us that it is human nature both to create things and to seek meaning from these things and this work of interpretation is the foundation of the humanities. Torok spoke about the "resilience and the pleasure of creation" he witnessed in the student editors. As he explained, "I hope the product of their individual and collective labor—eight interesting and unique essays about our shared humanity within a carefully and beautifully edited journal—offered them intellectually pleasurable experiences that have enriched their humanity as well as their professional ambitions."
Mox described the experience of being a student editor, recalling both the concrete skills students learned in the class and the feeling of accomplishment in translating these skills into a full journal volume. Mox recounted, "Additionally, the manuscript selection process was a highlight of the course for myself and many others, since it provided the class with the rare opportunity to take an analytical and appreciative look at our peers’ work. During this process, we encountered a wide variety of writing styles and academic topics, helping us come to the realization that there is not necessarily one 'correct' way to share academic knowledge with your community. Instead, it is within this diversity of voices and perspectives that true progress in our understanding of the humanities is born."
Best Essay prize winners for the 2025 Rushton Journal were announced: Elizabeth Woelker won Best Essay for her essay, “Shadows and Seduction: Exploring the Duality of Night in Romeo and Juliet," and Adrienne Navarro and Jane Valente each earned honorable mentions for their respective essays, "Political Posters, Periperformativity, and Power: An Analysis of the Connections Between an Activist Movement's Image and Sound" and "The Implications of Jack Kerouac’s Modern Flâneur in On the Road." Readers can learn more about the prize winners and their essays in a spotlight feature on these student authors.
The journal is now accepting submissions for the next volume of the journal. Students interested in editing and publishing the journal may register for the upcoming fall 2025 offering of ENG 5695: Publishing Practicum. The course may be repeated for credit and is open to students from all majors who have completed their General Education Intermediate Composition requirement.
Wayne State congratulates its student editors and authors of volume three of the "Rushton Journal of Undergraduate Humanities Research!" The journal is available electronically and free copies of the journal are available from the display stands in the English department.