The Andrews University Department of English is full of amazing English professors who specialize in teaching students about literature and writing. One standout in particular is Professor Kylene Cave, an assistant professor who specializes in genre studies, literary cognition and digital humanities.
The Andrews campus, where Cave has been teaching for six years, is near and dear to her heart. Growing up in Michigan and with a family that lives nearby, Cave attended Andrews and earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree. She truly fell in love with the English department and all the professors who taught her. After graduating from Andrews, she moved on to Michigan State University, where she got her doctorate in English Literature. Her area of expertise is 20th and 21st-century literature.
One of Cave’s favorite parts of teaching is watching her students create and come up with fun ideas for their projects and assignments. “I love seeing students who don’t think they’re creative or don’t think they’re good writers really blossom and find confidence in their skills and practice creativity,” she shared. However, her least favorite thing about teaching is the grading. “If I could just teach and not have to grade, I would love that!” she said.
A favorite course that Cave enjoys teaching is Detective Fiction. The course is fun to teach because it is within her area of expertise–genre fiction–and is a subject she loves to teach. Detective Fiction is offered every two to three years, and it is open to more than just English majors. It includes interesting and engaging projects and readings.
“I always get to see some amazing projects with some really creative things that students put together,” Cave shared. “I had one student put together an escape room. I’ve had lots of short stories and scripts. I even had one student make a true crime podcast.”
Throughout her time teaching at Andrews, Cave has made many memories. She enjoys the beginning of the year department vespers as well as all the departmental assemblies that happen throughout the year. She also enjoys going on field trips with her students and summer tours with friends and colleagues.
Cave also looks back fondly on the time she decided to do a walking lecture outside. It had been a nice day, so she decided to just give the idea a try. “I remember it being one of the most memorable lectures that I ever did,” Cave shared. “The whole experience gave my students new ways to be creative and think about different ways to present information.”
In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Cave is the advisor for the Nu Sigma, AU’s English Honor Society, which promotes literature and writing-related activities. She enjoys coordinating the events and special induction ceremony for the group. In the past years, Nu Sigma has done book sales and ice skating outings together. They have also celebrated new members joining the club by going out to eat at Carmela’s, located in South Bend, Indiana.
“It’s a nice opportunity to sit and have a meal with people to celebrate students’ achievements and then have a very awkward induction ceremony where people are reading from scripts in the middle of a busy restaurant,” Cave shared.
Cave has loved seeing her students go from freshmen to seniors. “It’s always a memorable experience to see people start as freshmen and then graduate and see how much they’ve grown,” Cave said. “It’s wonderful to look back and be like, ‘Wow, look what that person did in a span of four or five years and everything they accomplished.’”
A piece of advice Cave wishes to give students, in all departments, is not to be afraid to experiment and go out of their comfort zone because that is where some of the most interesting thoughts and ideas come from and where some of the most interesting projects are produced.
“I think a lot of times students are afraid to experiment because they're afraid of what will happen to their grade,” Cave said. “But I’m always impressed with students who don’t think they’re good writers or have good creativity and then create great things and surprise themselves.” Cave encourages students to explore new ideas as often as they can in college because it is a safe space to do so.
Overall, for Kylene Cave, teaching isn’t just about literature. It’s about helping students explore, experiment, grow and get out of their comfort zone. Through her teaching, Cave continues to inspire students to take risks, think critically and discover their own voices.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.