Wayne State College’s communication arts department attracted English majors and faculty when they held the English Festival on April 10 in the Humanities lounge.

The English Festival is an annual event put on by the communication arts department to celebrate the English language. Poetry readers Sharon Cole and Mikala Farrier kicked off the event, and attendees could find refreshments and random English language facts scattered around the lounge.

“[I hoped] just to hang out with like-minded people and share poetry from my thesis, which I was excited about,” Cole, the graduate assistant for the WSC Press, said.

Grayson Chisham, a freshman, hosted the event, which also featured a panel from past attendees of fiction and poetry slams. An open mic followed the panel, and attendees could also contribute a sentence to a short story on a whiteboard, which was read at the end of the night.

“I really just hope that everybody had a good time,” Chisham said. “It’s really just an event for most people to unwind. I think most people are doing that, so I’m happy.”

Natasha White, a senior at WSC, felt she enjoyed the chill vibe the festival had to offer, and believed the festival provided a nice way to “get into people’s minds.”

“Anyone from any major is welcome to come, write, speak their piece,” White said. “Honestly, the main thing I hope to get is a good time where everyone can speak their piece, read the things that they have written down, even if it’s little scribbled notes.”

Students were not the only participants who enjoyed the festival. The event was also received well by faculty members like Associate Professor Stephanie Marcellus. She felt the event was a great opportunity for students to share their talents.

“I enjoy listening to the students read their work and talk about their ideas for slamming,” Marcellus said. “It’s great to see people excited to share their work, and talk about English and writing.”

Chad Christensen, the director of the WSC Press, felt he had succeeded in putting on the event for students.

“I think what I hoped [was] a positive atmosphere for English majors, minors or people who just love books and hearing people read, coming together to enjoy everything and kind of be a community,” Christensen said.

The WSC Press plans to host more English-related events, like the annual Fiction Slam on April 25 at 7 p.m. at the Max Bar and Grill in downtown Wayne.