Students and faculty alike enjoyed the English department’s annual Cogan dinner event on Monday, March 4.  This year’s guest of honor was Martha Mihalick ’01, who is an editor at Greenwillow Books, which is a division of Harper Collins Publishers.  Mihalick graduated magna cum laude as an English major, and spent time working at the University of Denver Publishing Institute.  Her Cogan Alumni Fellowship talk occurred earlier in the day, and was also well attended by students and professors.

The dinner was attended by about 60 students and faculty members, as well as several alumni, according to Christina Socci ’13, a member of the Student Advisory Committee [SAC], which helped to organize the event.

Associate Professor of English Susan Perabo began the evening by welcoming Mihalick and explaining the annual dinner event.  Students sat at tables with professors, in a semi-formal setting.  The food was provided and served by Dining Services.  Students made desserts that had names involving literary puns, and these desserts were on display throughout the evening.

“I thought it was a nice way to interact with professors  in a non-academic setting,” said Matthew Atwood ’15, an English major who attended the dinner.   Students conversed with professors after the dinner as well, interacting with other students and faculty who they did not sit with during dinner.

“I was very happy that the event went so well.  We were really excited to have [Mihalick] come to campus,” commented Socci.
This dinner is held in honor of Eleanor Cogan.  Cogan was a long-time supporter of Dickinson’s English department, taking 32 English classes after her retirement.