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I have heard that some parents are booking places for their unborn babies in the pages of elementary school journals. Jim Stokes -----Original Message----- From: Anne Lancashire [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Friday, May 31, 2002 12:00 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: International Undergraduate Shakespeare Journal I have real qualms about the professionalization of undergrad studies: quite apart from the concerns others have already expressed. Against current trends, I believe the university system these days is pushing even graduate students into giving papers at conferences, and submitting papers to journals, etc., too soon and too often; and an undergrad journal moves these pressures back even further into yet earlier academic years. Why should undergrads want to publish academic articles unless they are going to go on (to grad school, to journalism, etc.)?--in which case they will be able to publish from these other venues soon enough (and with more to offer). Whatever happened to the idea of gradual development? Moreover, undergrads thinking about going on to grad studies should be warned against starting a trend whereby, e.g., to get into MA/PhD programs universities may start expecting undergrads to have published something already. Ratcheting up the pressures and demands associated with applying to and getting into grad schools is NOT a good idea. Anne Lancashire