High Plains Student Leadership Candidate

Every year at the annual convention, each region elects a Student Representative and an Associate Student Representative to represent student concerns to the Sigma Tau Delta Board of Directors. SRs and ASRs work closely with their Regent, helping with chapter recruitment and development, and they serve on the Student Leadership Committee, which produces the Student Leadership News blog. At convention, elections will also be held for the Alumni Representative and Associate Alumni Representative, who represent the concerns of alumni members and work closely with the student leaders.

From now until convention, we will be profiling candidates for the various offices, so that our members have a chance to learn a little about them and ask them questions. If you have a question for a candidate, please leave it in the comments section.

If you are interested in running for any of these offices, you still have time! Just go to http://english.org/sigmatd/leadership/index.shtml, read the job description and download the application. Email your application to the central office at sigmatd@niu.edu, or email sigmatd.sa1@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Nick Miller
Candidate for High Plains Associate Student Representative, 2012-2013
Junior, Sigma Beta Chapter, Chadron State College, NE

Positions, other memberships, offices, etc., currently or recently held:

I am currently the Associate Student Representative for the High Plains Region. Also, I am currently the president of the Sigma Beta chapter of Sigma Tau Delta.

Explain why you are running for office and comment on any skills, experience, or personal qualities you possess that would contribute to your performing the following duties: promoting communication among chapters other than your own, producing official publications, assisting your Regent, serving on the Student Leadership Committee. Further comments or ideas are encouraged. Include your region and your first and last name at the top of the page. Please do not include sensitive personal information in your essay. Candidate essays will be displayed publicly before the election. Do not exceed 500 words:

I am running for office because I would like to keep my position as Associate Student Representative. Since my election earlier in the school year, I have realized the amount of work that comes with this position, however, this has truly been a rewarding experience. I am very familiar with how Sigma Tau Delta operates on the local level, because even before I was a certified member, I was helping my chapter put on various activities including open mic events, fundraisers, and other seasonal events. In all honesty, this usually included putting up flyers and decorations, and ensuring that there were refreshments. With that being said, all of the aforementioned tasks are extremely important for any successful event, and I still usually find myself doing these things as president.

Being Associate Student Representative has been a very rewarding experience, and I am glad that I have had the opportunity to work with the other Student Leaders. If I am re-elected, I plan to continue to work with my peers, writing blog posts and planning fun and informative regional conferences. Because the High Plains Region is so large, I think it is very important to promote communication among different chapters. Luckily, the High Plains Regent and myself are both at Chadron State College, so we are able to bounce ideas off of each other in person.

In closing, I am very grateful to have spent nearly five months as ASR, and whether I am re-elected or not, I will always look fondly on my experience in this position.

A Weekend of History and Literature in Red Cloud, Nebraska

Nick Miller
High Plains Associate Student Representative, 2011-2012
Chadron State College

Wind sweeping through the prairie was always a very calming image to me, and I was utterly mesmerized by the “Willa Cather Memorial Prairie.”  The vastly empty and calming stretch of land before me was a stark contrast to the town only a few miles away. This was a recurring feeling as I felt the town itself seemed to be straddling two different time periods. One foot was in 2011 and the other was in 1886, and while there was not a foreboding or melancholy sense in Red Cloud, definitely something declared its presence. The way these extremely old and historical buildings and the modern businesses were juxtaposed made this point clear as we wandered to Cather's actual childhood home.

We gathered in hushed voices as we walked through Cather's old home, and to the credit of the Willa Cather Foundation, the house was full of the furniture and dishes that the Cathers used.  I found especially moving that Willa’s grandmother’s tiny shoes were sitting perfectly next to the bed as if waiting patiently to receive their mistress’ feet. A feeling of reverence washed over me as I took in that ancient air. While everyone was indeed respectful, there was also a tinge of excitement as we walked through multiple historic buildings, especially the Harling House which was full of old paintings and dishes from its original residents (the Miners).

We did not just simply sightsee, however, and we covered quite a lot of ground in just two days. The first night started out with a very insightful presentation by the keynote speaker Dr. Andrew Jewell (University of Nebraska-Lincoln) about a publication that he is working on which features many of Willa Cather's previously unreleased letters. These letters paint a fascinating picture that fleshes out Cather's mysterious character. Following the keynote address was a common reader discussion on Willa Cather's novella “Old Mrs. Harris.” Many people contributed very thoughtful details regarding this novella, and the discussion itself was almost bursting with its array of opinions.

The following day we had the choice either to volunteer help for the Willa Cather Foundation or watch a documentary on Willa Cather. I decided to go with the Willa Cather Foundation because we got to have a behind the scenes look into rooms and buildings that are not open to the general public at this moment. Aside from lifting the heaviest shelves on this side of the Missouri River, the experience was very rewarding, and I am glad that we had the opportunity to lend a hand.

Later that evening was a poetry reading by a fantastic Slam Poet from Omaha, Nebraska, Matt Mason. “Energetic” does not begin to describe the dynamic reading that this very vocal poet treated the audience with. There were moments in his poetry reading that he would raise his voice as if there were no microphone in front of him, and suddenly drop his voice to a near whisper.

This conference was my first regional Sigma Tau Delta experience, and it was refreshing being around so many people that have a passion for literature. Many great things are happening in the High Plains Region, and I cannot wait to see what everyone brings to the table in New Orleans.

Associate Student Representative Bio - Nick Miller

Nick Miller

High Plains Associate Student Representative, 2011-2012
Chadron State College

Expected Date of Graduation: May 2014
Positions, other memberships, offices, etc., currently or recently held:
President of CSC chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, Campus Activity Board Representative for CSC chapter of Sigma Tau Delta.

Hello Everyone!

I first stumbled into the Sigma Tau Delta organization  when I was a wide-eyed freshman, amazed at the professionalism of my peers and professors alike, and equally amazed at the literary prowess these individuals carried. The chapter president decided I would become the Campus Activities Board Representative for the group,  which is an important position for a underclassman to have. As the CAB Rep I had to ensure that the club would get money from the school to host activities (such as Open Mic), and, of course, I was nervous.

Once I began to feel more comfortable with the responsibilities that were bestowed upon me, I wanted to become more involved with the club. It was almost like an addiction. I remember waking up at night debating with myself about which brand of fake spider webs would look better on the podium for Scream Slam (CSC's Halloween themed Open Mic), or which poem to open with at Open Mic. Often I could be seen running around the English Department offices, in a state of bewilderment, trying to print fliers, or running around campus with bucket of chalk in tow to advertise some upcoming event. Eventually I made my way to president (or as my fellow Sigma Tau Delta members at CSC call me, “El Presidente”) and I was determined to do two things: get more English majors involved in Sigma Tau Delta, and figure out how this organization works on a society level.

I am going to sound pretty daft by saying this, but, until a few months ago, I was completely in the dark as to how this English Honor society actually ran. I knew that there was some form of hierarchy above chapter president, but I simply never looked into it. Dr. Miller really pushed me to become more involved with the club, and I took his advice out of a combination of curiosity and a desire to get outside myself. Recently I went to my first Sigma Tau Delta regional conference, and I met some really great people who had a profound level of love for literature. This experience was really inspiring, and gave me that final push to nominate myself for Associate Student Representative. I am very grateful that I was accepted into the position of Associate Student Representative, and I promise that I will work hard with the Student Representative to spread the word about Sigma Tau Delta.

Janine Brooks Candidate Profile

Janine Brooks
Candidate for Student Representative, High Plains Region

Master's Candidate, University of Nebraska at Omaha
Kappa Gamma Chapter  

Expected Date of Graduation: May 2012
Year Inducted: 2009



Positions, other memberships, offices, etc., currently or recently held:
Associate Student Representative, High Plains Region, Sigma Tau Delta
Secretary, Alphabet Soup Kids (ASK), Inc. (an advocacy/family support organization in Nebraska)
Past Secretary, Family Advocacy Movement (advocacy group for disabled in Nebraska)

In no more than 500 words, explain why you are running for office and comment on any skills, experience, or personal qualities you possess that would contribute to your performing the following duties: promoting communication among chapters, producing official publications, assisting your Regent, serving on the Student Leadership Committee:

Greetings—

You start out by presenting a paper in front of a small audience of peers. Your palms are sweaty and your eyelids twitch, and you can almost hear the tinge of a quiver in that suddenly weakened voice. Afterward, you manage to squeak out the answers to a few questions. It is later in the conference when someone approaches you to compliment you on that paper you read that your confidence truly grows. Eventually, you move on to new commitments with larger audiences, but sometimes you want more.

That appears to be the case with me. I confess to presenting several papers at a few conferences and admit that the experience has helped me to grow considerably as a person improving not only my public speaking and leadership skills within Sigma Tau Delta, but also in the community to which I live.

My past experiences in leadership have been more on the public sector; presently I serve as a board member to Alphabet Soup Kids (ASK) and I advocate for the needs of autistic adults needing services in the state of Nebraska.  Within Sigma Tau Delta, I currently serve as the Associate Student Representative to the High Plains Region.  Over the last twelve months I have worked with Michelle Webb (our present SR) to help build the Fall and Spring newsletters, then prepare them for publication. I have also been active on the Facebook newsfeed page posting links to relevant news articles and such.

I am a graduate student at the University of Nebraska at Omaha studying English, Early British Literature. My intentions are to graduate with a M.A. in Spring 2012. I have met most of the graduate requirements, and am presently focused on earning certificates in both advanced and technical writing.  

The biggest problem we have in the High Plains region has to do with communication. Except for a few letters sent out to the chapter presidents, there is little that seems to be said among ourselves. We are English people, part of our culture is to write – I say we need a discussion board on Sigma Tau Delta’s Facebook page. This allows for us to communicate better about what is happening in our chapters and allows for us to get to know each other better while satisfying that ‘English’ desire to write.  

You will probably encounter me in one way or another helping at the conference. Alongside Andrew Moser, I presented “Web Tools” in the Student Leadership Workshop. I hope to stay busy through the conference contributing my time where needed as per my duties as Associate Student Representative.

Next year the adventure is down south in New Orleans, LA. It will be an amazing time as we all parade down the streets with the saints. Make me part of that number and have me represent you on the board as your Student Representative helping to plan another successful conference, serving as your voice on the board in its meetings.

Sincerely,

Janine M. Brooks

Look Ma, we're blogging!

It's official! The Student Leadership News has ditched the semiannual newsletter for a blog which will bring you all of Sigma Tau Delta's student and alumni news in a more timely and interactive way than ever before. We also offer a variety of subscription choices to help you get the news you want, how you want: Facebook, email, or RSS. Check back soon for helpful articles, inspiring chapter updates, and valuable resources for chapters and individuals. For more information, or to submit a story, contact sigmatd.sa1@gmail.com.