News and Events
2019 National Shakespeare Competition
National News
April 30, 2019 — New York City: April 29th may have been a normal Monday for most high school students, but for Maria Guardino Schreiner from Hawken School it will be a day to remember forever. Maria, student of Julia A. Griffin, won the 36th Annual National Shakespeare Competition on William Shakespeare's birthday while competing against 50 students from around the US on stage at the Mitzi E. Newhouse Theater at Lincoln Center Theater. The event is the culmination of a year-long competition hosted by the English-Speaking Union (ESU).
Maria received a full scholarship to attend the Midsummer Conservatory Program at the British American Drama Academy (BADA) in Oxford, England as the first place award for performing as Rosalind from Shakespeare's As You Like It and reciting Sonnet 29 in the final round of competition.
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Celebrate Immigrant Heritage Week April 15-21, 2019
National News
Immigrant Heritage week is an annual celebration of the unique contributions and diverse cultures of immigrant communities in New York City. It is a chance to recognize the many immigrants, past and present, who have contributed their talents, skills and hard work to our city and country. Immigrant Heritage Week also aims to build cross-cultural understanding between native New Yorkers and immigrant communities. It highlights what makes our city one of the most vibrant and inclusive cities in the world. Immigrant Heritage Week recognizes the day on April 17, 1907 when more immigrants entered the U.S. through Ellis Island than on any other day in history.
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Conversations Across the Country: English in Action in the Branches
National News
Multicultural conversations are taking place in ESU branches across the country. Long-term English in Action programs continue in Seattle, Portland, Central Pennsylvania, Columbus and Lexington, and other branches are joining in. Kansas City's brand new English in Action program is growing in partnership with the Kansas City public library, and in Monmouth County, a similar program kicked off last fall.
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International Council Meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia
National News
The English-Speaking Union of the Commonwealth has distributed initial details for the 2019 International Council Meeting, to be hosted by ESU Russia, in St Petersburg from Wednesday, September 25 to Sunday, September 29, 2019.
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The Andrew Romay New Immigrant Center (ARNIC) Community Lounge
National News
The ESU Andrew Romay New Immigrant Center opened its doors in 2013 and has welcomed over 1,250 members to our home. Here participants can improve their English and access professional development opportunities, while meeting other new immigrants and native New Yorkers. Highly accomplished in their countries of origin, many ARNIC members are unemployed or working survival jobs in New York City. They look to ARNIC to open up paths to success.
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2019 ESU National Shakespeare Competition Underway at Branches
National News
The Research Triangle Branch's winners were: first place, Xiao-Ming Porter; second place, Morgan Swales; third place, Riley Simutami. Research Triangle President Bob Leak presented Miss Porter with a beautiful crystal award, generously sponsored by long-time ESU supporter Alice Irby.
Across the country, ESU Branches are holding their regional National Shakespeare Competitions. Approximately 2,500 teachers and 20,000 students in nearly 60 ESU Branch communities participate each year. Here is a selection of photos from some of their community-level competitions.
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ARNIC concludes the third cycle of its professional mentoring project
National News
On February 7, the ESU Andrew Romay New Immigrant Center (ARNIC) concluded its third cycle of professional mentoring with a graduation ceremony at World Education Services (WES). This special project matches ARNIC members with professional mentors, all of whom are staff at WES. In addition to being an ARNIC community partner, WES is the leading provider of foreign credential evaluation in the U.S.
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ESU Branches Welcomed Wrench TLab Speaker Freebury-Jones in January
National News
At the end of January, the second English-Speaking Union Wrench TLab speaker, Dr. Darren Freebury-Jones, undertook a weeklong tour to five ESU Branches. Freebury-Jones is an acclaimed lecturer at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust's Shakespeare Centre in Stratford-upon-Avon and a faculty member of the ESU TLab one-week travel and learn program that will take place in July. In Philadelphia, Freebury-Jones conducted a workshop for approximately 30 students at the Academy at Palumbo, the high school of last year's local Shakespeare Competition winner. After, he delivered his "The Life, Works and Legacy of William Shakespeare" talk at the Philadelphia Club for the members of the ESU Philadelphia Branch. On Friday, January 25, Ralph and Meta Wyndrum hosted Freebury-Jones at their home on behalf of the ESU Monmouth County Branch where he offered an intimate view of The Bard in Stratford-upon-Avon and in London. Darren reviewed Shakespeare's life chronologically in Stratford and in London from his birth (1564) to his death (1616).
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ESU Honors Washington D.C. Branch Member Marjorie Williams
National News
The ESU was pleased to honor stalwart member Marjorie Williams on reaching her 100th year. Of British parents and born in India, Marjorie has exemplified the international nature of the ESU and has enjoyed a life that spans our history. We celebrate her career in medicine and service to the Veterans Administration and are grateful for her almost 70-year membership in the Washington D.C. Branch. Her time in the Branch was highlighted by her efforts in starting its National Shakespeare Competition in the 1980's and running the competition for more than ten years. A certificate was presented to Marjorie in her home on Friday, January 25th. May she enjoy many more years in the comfort of family and friends.
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Luard Morse Scholars win $75,000 in Scholarships to Study in England
National News
Mr. Artimus Cunningham, an English Major from Sycamore, IL, a sophomore at Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA; Ms. Janelle Green, a Religion and Philosophy Major from North Charleston, SC, a sophomore at Claflin University in Orangeburg, SC; and Mr. Nicholas Whiteside, a Business Administration Major from Memphis, TN, a sophomore at Fisk University in Nashville, TN, have each been selected as recipients of an English-Speaking Union Luard Morse Scholarship. Karen Karpowich, Interim Executive Director of the English-Speaking Union, announced the winners, noting that each scholar will receive $25,000 toward a semester of study at any university of their choosing in the United Kingdom during the 2019-2020 academic year.
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