Over a century after his death, the spirit of one English author and celebrity lives on “across the pond” in the minds of UNC students.
The Student Organization for Undergraduate Literature and the Department of English and Comparative Literature hosted a birthday party for the late Oscar Wilde along with a departmental open house Wednesday in Greenlaw Hall.
About thirty people crowded into Donovan Lounge to eat birthday cake, drink lemonade, and cavort merrily in remembrance of the British writer famed for his sharp wit and foppish behavior.
Several students paid tribute to Wilde by reading passages from his works, including a paragraph from the short story “The Fisherman and his Soul” and the preface to “The Picture of Dorian Gray” in which Wilde gives his definition of art.
Senior Maria Devlin, one of the organizers of the event, read several of Wilde’s letters and acted out the first scene from “The Importance of Being Earnest” with four other students including junior Brett Kessler, who dressed as Wilde in a signature brown blazer with tie, cane, and lapel pocket flower for the celebration.
English Professor Dan Anderson opened the celebration by offering insight for students considering the English major, dispelling myths about the low utility of an English degree.
He informed the audience that students with English degrees routinely enter four major fields — writing, policy, education and business.
“Why do businesses want English majors?" Anderson asked.
"They want people who know how to read, how to write, how to analyze.”
To get the day's news and headlines in your inbox each morning, sign up for our email newsletters.
