Author Archives: Katherine Wikoff

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About Katherine Wikoff

I am a college professor (PhD in English, concentration rhetoric) at Milwaukee School of Engineering, where I teach film and media studies, political science, digital society, digital storytelling, writing for digital media, and communication. While fragments of my teaching and scholarship interests may quite naturally meander over to my blog, this space is intended to function as a creative outlet, not as part of my professional practice. Opinions are my own, etc.

Cool Google Docs “Insert Symbol” Feature

Posted on January 6, 2018 by Katherine Wikoff

I was just working on something in Google Docs and needed to insert a letter “a” with a circumflex. I clicked on “insert symbol” and searched for “a,” but none of the options were what I needed. Then I noticed … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Grammar, punctuation, usage, mechanics, Learning, Technology, Writing, blogging | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Of dovecotes and pigeonholes and ortolans and extinction

Posted on January 5, 2018 by Katherine Wikoff

In reading a novel set in England around 1815 this past week, I followed two characters into a “dovecote” that had fallen into disrepair. I’d heard that term before and vaguely associated it with some kind of architectural feature similar … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, Food, History, Milwaukee | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Reliving the famous “Ice Bowl” 50 years later

Posted on December 31, 2017 by Katherine Wikoff

Today’s Milwaukee Journal Sentinel contains a fascinating oral history of the December 31, 1967, “Ice Bowl” NFL Championship Game between Vince Lombardi’s Green Bay Packers and Tom Landry’s Dallas Cowboys. Link to the article here. Several thoughts come to mind … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Life, Milwaukee, Popular culture | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Reflecting on the Importance of Imperfection

Posted on December 29, 2017 by Katherine Wikoff

It’s hard to believe now, but it must have rained last week. That’s when I snapped this photograph of/in a puddle on the sidewalk in front of MSOE’s Campus Center. This recurring puddle has been a remarkably fertile source of … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Milwaukee, Photography | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Snowdusted Leaf

Posted on December 28, 2017 by Katherine Wikoff

Taken this afternoon as a light, powdery snow fell across Milwaukee.

Posted in Milwaukee, Nature, Photography | 4 Comments

Yes, every minute matters!

Posted on December 21, 2017 by Katherine Wikoff

Made a Starbucks run during a two-hour break in between meetings and dinner with a job candidate last Thursday. Stopped on the way back to take the first photo when I noticed the striking shadows cast against the lower level … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Milwaukee, Photography | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Mozee After Dark

Posted on December 20, 2017 by Katherine Wikoff

The Milwaukee School of Engineering logo, created by Brooks Stevens (the industrial designer famous for the Jeep Wagoneer and the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, among other things), as reflected in the windows of the old German-English Academy Building last night when … Continue reading →

Posted in Milwaukee, Photography | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Way cool last minute Christmas gifts (thanks, Co.Design!)

Posted on December 19, 2017 by Katherine Wikoff

I have loved Fast Company for at least 20 years. It’s sort of a “new economy” business magazine, but it’s actually more about ideas and people than it is about business, industry, or technology. I cited an old Fast Company … Continue reading →

Posted in Creativity, Grammar, punctuation, usage, mechanics, Life, Popular culture | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Red Light, Green Light

Posted on December 15, 2017 by Katherine Wikoff

As reflected in the second-floor window of the MSOE Campus Center across the street from my office around 5:45 last night 😄

Posted in Photography | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

“Slice of Ice” almost ready!

Posted on December 14, 2017 by Katherine Wikoff

County parks workers began putting down the water earlier this week, and today I saw the Zamboni smoothing over the snow we got yesterday. I’m at Starbucks (of course😄), which is apparently the only Starbucks in the U.S. and probably … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Milwaukee, Photography | Tagged , , | 8 Comments