Albion College English Department

05/12/2026

04/28/2026

The Albion Pleiad, Albion College’s student-run newspaper, was named the top online newspaper in Division 2 of the 2025 Michigan Press Association (MPA) Better College Newspaper Contest.

Overall, The Pleiad earned 20 awards in the contest, which was judged by members of the Arkansas Press Association. Across the three statewide divisions, 17 college newspapers submitted 548 total entries. Previously, the Pleiad’s single-year high was 10 awards (in 2019).

“Student journalists are journalists — period. Across Michigan, college students provide impactful journalism that informs, enlightens and engages communities and that holds power to account,” said Todd Fettig, student advisor at Grand Valley Lanthorn. “It’s only right to support this essential work, through recognition in the Better Newspaper Contest and from professionals in the field.”

Students who are currently active on the Pleiad and won individual or staff awards are Bonnie Lord ’26, Killian Altayeb ’26, Jocelyn Kincaid-Beal ’26, Bella Fabrizio ’28, and Basil (Sophia) Valchine ’28. Other winners included Oghenefejiro Nakireru ’27, and Bella Bakeman ’25, former Pleiad editor-in-chief.

Pleaid awards included:

1st place — Feature Story: Killian Altayeb for Redefining Gender, Reshaping Minds: The History of WGSS at Albion.

1st place — Sports News/Features: Bella Fabrizio for Breaking Bats and Barriers: Michigan’s Black Baseball History.

1st place — Column, Review or Blog–News: Bella Bakeman for Opinion: Young Voters Matter, Reflecting on the Coy James American History Lecture.

1st place — Front-page Design: Bella Bakeman, Bonnie Lord and Killian Altayeb for February 14, 2025.

1st place — Non-front-page Design: Bonnie Lord and Bella Bakeman for April 21, 2025

2nd place — Investigative Reporting: Bella Bakeman and Jocelyn Kincaid-Beal for Albion College Dissolves French, German Programs, Professor Says ‘It Is a Discredit to Education.’

2nd place — Column, Review or Blog–Sports: Seiji McSwain for Opinion: Nepotism Will be the Downfall of the NFL.

2nd place — Non-front-page Design: Bella Bakeman, Bonnie Lord and Killian Altayeb for February 14, 2025

3rd place — Feature Story: Jocelyn Kincaid-Beal for ‘Everybody Loved Bob and Bob Loved Everybody’: A 106-Year-Old’s Legacy.

3rd place — Column, Review or Blog–News: Jocelyn Kincaid-Beal for Doing Hard Things: Advocating for Trigger Warnings in the Classroom.

3rd place — Column, Review or Blog–Sports: Bella Fabrizio for Opinion: You’re More Than a Student-Athlete.

3rd place — Best Writer: Bella Fabrizio (portfolio: 1, 2, 3)

Honorable Mention — Sports News/Features: Aidan Shapiro for Looking Back on the ‘94 Championship: ‘No One Wanted Credit, We All Just Wanted To Win.’

Honorable Mention — Column, Review or Blog–News: Sophia Valchine for Opinion: Why Toni Morrison’s Works Should be Read, Re-Read; Celebrated.

Honorable Mention — Column, Review or Blog–Sports: Aidan Shapiro for Opinion: Sports Gambling Through the Eyes of a Student-Athlete.

Honorable Mention — Best Writer: Killian Altayeb (portfolio: 1, 2, 3)

Honorable Mention — Front-page Design: Bonnie Lord and Bella Bakeman for April 21, 2025.

3rd place — Original Cartoon–Editorial or Entertainment: Bonnie Lord (portfolio: 1, 2, 3).

Honorable Mention — Best Photographer: Oghenefejiro Nakireru (portfolio: 1, 2, 3).

Honorable Mention — Online Newspaper: Pleiad staff.

03/19/2026

Fiction Reading
Wednesday, March 25, 2026, 5:30 p.m.
Bobbitt Visual Arts Center Auditorium

Sara Maurer’s debut novel, A Good Animal, a Book of the Month Club Exclusive, is out now from St. Martin’s Press. Place deeply informs Sara’s writing, particularly how it influences identity and choice. She attended Albion College and Eastern Michigan University and completed the Stanford Continuing Studies certificate in novel writing in 2022. In 2023, she was selected as a Suzanne M. Wilson Artist-in-Residence at the Glen Arbor Arts Center.

Please join us on Wednesday, March 25, at 5:30 pm in the Bobbitt Visual Arts Center Auditorium (Bobbitt 113) as Sara shares her work.

10/22/2025

Albion College Reading Series - Fiction Reading
Thursday, November 6, 2025, 5:30 p.m.
Bobbitt Visual Arts Center Auditorium

Danit Brown is the author of Television for Women, a novel, and Ask for a Convertible, a linked collection of short stories that was named a Washington Post Best Book of 2008 and winner of a 2009 American Book Award. Her stories have appeared in numerous literary journals including Story, One Story, and Glimmer Train, and have been featured on National Public Radio. She teaches at Albion College.

Please join us on Thursday, November 6, at 5:30 pm in the Bobbitt Visual Arts Center Auditorium (Bobbitt 113) as Danit shares her work.

09/10/2025

Wes Browne & David Nelson
Crime Fiction & True Crime Reading
Wednesday, September 17th, 5:30 p.m.
Bobbitt Visual Arts Center

Albion Alumni Wes Browne ’96 and David Nelson ’10 return to campus for the Albion College Reading Series.

Wes will read from his new crime fiction novel, They All Fall The Same. He has practiced law as a criminal defense attorney, prosecutor, and public defender in Appalachia for over 24 years. They All Fall the Same was named one of Book Riot’s Best Books of 2025 (So Far) and one of 2025’s Biggest Mysteries or Thrillers by Goodreads. His debut novel, Hillbilly Hustle, was named one of 17 recommended lockdown reads by Merriam-Webster in 2020.

David will read from his true crime novel, Boys Enter the House: The Victims of John Wayne Gacy and the Lives They Left Behind. David is a Chicago-based author whose fiction has been published in the Rappahannock Review, the Tishman Review, and Another Chicago Magazine. His work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and received honorable mentions from Glimmer Train. His coverage of ongoing war crime trials and the DNA identification process for victims of the Balkans conflicts was published by the Institute for War and Peace Reporting (IWPR). He is a graduate of Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

05/01/2025

Major congrats to our graduating senior English Literature major Kara Anderson who was honored with one of this year's prestigious Lux Fiat awards. What an achievement, Kara!

Student Senate President Kara Anderson was also selected to deliver remarks at Commencement on Saturday, and Pleiad Editor-in-Chief Bella Bakeman was picked as a speaker for the Champagne Toast and Senior Send Off on Friday. The English Department will be locked in to hear the wise words of these English majors who have demonstrated exceptional campus leadership and achievement, as we celebrate all of our graduating seniors and wish the best of luck to the Class of 2025!

The Lux Fiat Award bears the name of the motto of Albion College and recognizes seniors who have served as role models or “beacons of light” for their peers. The award honors senior Brits who have excelled in the areas of academic achievement, commitment to diversity, service to the Albion community, and campus involvement. Join us in congratulating these five scholars by flooding the comments with congratulations! 🕯️
📷 Left to right: Kara Anderson '25, Andrew Renner '25, Kearney Miller '25, Owen Poling '25, and Ikatari Swope '25. Awards presented by Vice President of Student Development and Dean of Students Leroy Wright.

04/23/2025

This week we were delighted to celebrate two of our most joyful events of the year: The annual Charles Crupi Memorial celebration of poetry and young poets, as well as our senior celebration, at which we applaud all of our departmental graduates and deliver departmental awards. It was a busy and emotional day for students, teachers and lovers of all things Albion College English!

04/18/2025

Flashback Friday! Last week, we were so excited to welcome alumna Katie Boni, '18, back to campus as she received a Young Alumni Award from Albion College. In the afternoon, she met with a big group of English and Pleiad students to answer questions about working in the publishing industry and making tough career decisions from graduation through the early stages of one's career.

Thanks, Katie Boni, and congrats on your many successes!