Center for Folklore Studies

Folklore Student Association

FSA Mission

It is often difficult for those pursuing folklore scholarship to find other students with similar interests. We are primarily interested in aiding the professional development of folklorists and others doing scholarship in folklore, ethnography, performance, and cultural studies. To this end, by sponsoring a series of workshops, lectures, and roundtable discussions to bring people together, the Folklore Student Association will provide the mechanism through which we can address topics such as research methods, job opportunities, grant writing, publication in academic journals, dissertation/thesis development, and conference presentations. In addition, we are interested in fostering the community of folklorists at Ohio State.

FSA exists to build a productive academic environment around our agenda for the OSU community. We trust a spirited collectivity will emerge from this effort to energize and mobilize the resources of folklorists across the disciplines, across the campus, across the state, and across the world.

We invite all undergraduate and graduate students interested in folklore at Ohio State to become members of FSA. Please feel free to contact any of our officers regarding meeting and membership information:

Officers and Committee Members:

FSA officers:
Co-chairs
Clay Caroon (caroon.1@osu.edu)
Kevin Herzner (herzner.1@osu.edu)

Treasurer
Mike Wiatrowski (wiatrowski.2@osu.edu)

Secretary
Cassie Patterson (patterson.493@osu.edu)

Social Chair
Lauren Ovchinnikov (iarnsaxa@gmail.com)

CFS Liaison
Elo-Hanna Seljamaa (seljamaa.1@osu.edu)

Committee members:
Small Grants Committee
Nicole Musgrave (nicole.p.musgrave@gmail.com)

GIS Committee
Nicole Rearick (rearick.13@osu.edu)

Folklore Minor Committee
Nicole Musgrave (nicole.p.musgrave@gmail.com)
Mike Wiatrowski (wiatrowski.2@osu.edu)

Library Committee
Kate Parker (parker.651@osu.edu)

Outreach Committee
Kevin Herzner (herzner.1@osu.edu)

Activities

Hello everyone,

All graduate and undergraduate students interested in folklore are encouraged to get to know and become members of the OSU Folklore Student Association (FSA). FSA is a great way to meet others with similar interests and foster the community of folklorists at Ohio State.

FSA will hold its first meeting for the 2009-10 school year in September. Please check here for updated information about the time and place for this meeting and for our future activities!

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Student Conference

Spring quarter 2010, the FSA, along with Indiana University's Folklore Student and Ethnomusicology Student Associations, will sponsor a dynamic and stimulating student conference, which will be held on OSU's campus. Check here for information on our 2010 Conference.

Please check the Calendar of Events to see our regularly scheduled meetings. Anyone interested is invited to attend. If you are unable to come but would like to take an active interest in the Folklore Students Association, please contact one of the officers, listed above.

Each year, the FSA sponsors the Folklore Undergraduate Student Symposium, typically held during spring quarter. The very best folklore student papers are presenting with interesting discussion and commentary led by OSU alumni and faculty.

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Amy Shuman Joke Award

Beginning in 2006, The OSU Folklore Student Association has sponsored the annual Amy Shuman Joke Award, given to the person who submits the best answer to the joke prompt for that year. The winner is chosen by a popular vote among the attendees and participants at the annual FSA Student and Alumni Symposium. Past winners of this prestigious award include:

2006: Barbara Lloyd

Other 2006 entries.

2007: Al Berres

Other 2007 entries.

2008: Ray Cashman
Prompt: Write a folklore limerick.

Call it participant observation
I did not abstain from libation
At least that's my rationalization

Other 2008 entries [PDF].

2009: Al Berres
Prompt: "A folklorist walked into a bar..."
A literature professor, an anthropologist, and a folklorist walk into a bar. The lit prof takes one look at the place, snarls "I would never drink in such a low establishment!" and leaves. The anthropologist orders a drink, haughtily picks a bug out of it, and leaves. The folklorist walks up to the bartender and says "Hi! Are you hiring?"

Other 2009 entries [PDF].

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Please check out our FSA membership!

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