Convention Stories

Allie Martin
Southern Region Associate Student Representative, 2011-2012
Freed-Hardeman University

Fifteen hours in a packed Toyota Camry was not my idea of a great trip. Nevertheless,  three other English majors from Freed-Hardeman University, our faculty sponsor, and I wedged ourselves into the car and headed toward Pittsburgh, PA, for the 2011 Sigma Tau Delta English Convention. This was my first convention, and I did not know what to expect.

When the convention committee chose Pittsburgh as the site for this year’s convention, they definitely knew what they were doing. I don’t know if I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting a city with so much culture! Several times my group went to Market Square to eat lunch or supper during our breaks.  Restaurants around a quaint square with its cobblestoned streets, Market Square stood in stark contrast to the skyscrapers surrounding it. My Philly burger at The Primanti Brothers’ restaurant was my favorite meal:  the famous Primanti Brothers’ offering with slaw and French fries ON the sandwich.

My group was also able to meet up with students and faculty from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, to ride the Incline up the mountain. I’d never been on a lift like that before, and although the new experience was exhilarating, I was hardly able to revel in that for being distracted by the incredible view. The Ohio river encompasses the triangular tract of land that houses the downtown area, and bridges of various sizes and grandeur lead from the residential areas to the sky scrapers. The students and sponsor from my school and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire students have been involved in a collaborative project for the last six months, and getting to share this moment with fellow English majors (whom we had not meant in person before this convention) was gratifying.

Lorene Cary, author of the convention’s common reader Black Ice, spoke Thursday night, and hearing her accounts of teaching in the Pittsburgh prison system was inspirational. I’ve never considered teaching in any capacity in the future, but many of the audience members asked her questions about this work and mentioned they were looking into similar activities. In fact, many of the sessions I went to advocated world literacy. So many English majors at the conventions cared about sharing their passion for English with the world.

I didn’t know what to expect as our small group from western Tennessee set out towards Pittsburgh. What I found was a sense of camaraderie unparalleled by my previous experiences. Everyone who attended the Sigma Tau Delta convention had a zeal for literature and the English language. I was blessed to be elected as Associate Student Representative for the Southern Region. The next year ahead is sure to be a learning experience, but I am thrilled to be a part of it.

Scholarship and Academic Award Applications Now Open

Sigma Tau Delta is pleased to announce that active members are able to apply for Scholarships and Academic Awards for Fall 2011. Students and alumni will use the new Scholarship and Tracking Review System (STARS Online) to apply. Instructions for our online application process and a link to STARS, to enable students to begin applying, is now available at: STARS Application Process.

The submission deadline is Tuesday, November 8, 2011.

Thanks for your attention,
Dr. John Kerrigan
Chair, Scholarships and Academic Awards Committee

Convention Stories

Sarah Faulkner
Far Western Region Student Representative, 2011-2012
Chapman University

I was thrilled when I heard that my critical paper had been accepted to the 2011 Sigma Tau Delta International Convention. I was even more excited when I confirmed that the papers and creative works of thirteen of my peers had been accepted as well, and that eleven of us would be flying to Pittsburgh in late March. This would be my first Convention, my first presentation of an accepted paper, and my first experience in such a large community of driven and talented English scholars.
The preparations were hectic. Trying to find funding, helping people book flights and hotel rooms, and comprehending that Philadelphia was not the same place as Pittsburgh consumed much of my time prior to convention. When I showed up to my group’s meeting spot at 4AM on March 23rd to wait for our taxi, I was nervous about the week ahead. The flight was long, and we landed into chaos. Pittsburgh was in the midst of a great storm, and we were delayed on the tarmac for an hour and a half, only to be welcomed into the airport by TVs flashing with tornado warnings. After another grueling hour of collecting bags and waiting for our shuttle, I was having my doubts about the wisdom of going to the convention.

We were awed on first emerging from the airport into Pittsburgh. Its impressive skyline and high population of yellow bridges struck me as different from anything I’d seen before. We were shuttled to the Grand Wyndham in Downtown, a beautiful and extremely accommodating hotel. With so much travel trauma, we had missed that day’s registration and decided to venture out in search of food. We stumbled upon Primanti Bros., where I experienced a sandwich containing two fried eggs, cheese, coleslaw, and fries. I was officially in Pittsburgh.

The week quickly turned into one of the best of my life. The Student Leadership Workshops were extremely useful and fun, and I discovered many brilliant ideas and people from across the nation.  We then did more exploring of Pittsburgh, including riding the tram up the hill to Mt. Washington and exploring Station Square. It was also on this day that I attended the unofficial regional caucus and debated if I should run for Student Representative and was, of course, persuaded to do so by the amazing opportunities and possibilities for growth.

On Friday, I attended the Scholarship/Awards Ceremony to discover that I had received the Far Western Regent’s Scholarship, a very pleasant surprise. We then moved to the Regional Caucuses, where I was elected Student Representative  for the Far Western Region. As all the representatives met for lunch in the Executive Suite (which I had been eyeing from the 24th floor for a while) I began to get truly excited about the Student Representative position and its potential. The day continued with an amazing trip to the Andy Warhol Museum, dinner with my chapter, and hearing Kay Ryan read her soothing and inspiring poetry. 

Saturday opened with the nervous excitement of presenting my paper. After listening to my best friend read her creative piece at 8:00AM, I felt a little easier, and we presented next to each other at the 20th Century British Lit. Critical panel at 9:30AM. After my paper on Yeats was delivered, I traveled all around the Wyndham with my chapter to see  five different presentations, including the brilliant panel on Harry Potter.   

The women from my chapter and I then got ready for the Gala, putting on our finest black and red dresses.  We sat at dinner with our chapter, awaiting the announcement of the convention winners. One of the graduate students from our chapter won second place in original fiction, news which was met from us with a great roar of cheers.  We enjoyed the sense of community and accomplishment felt throughout the room filled with over 1000 dedicated leaders and scholars. After the Gala, we heard Dave Eggers give a marvelous talk about his life and work, and the Convention was officially ended. I said goodbye to the wonderful new friends I had made throughout the week and prepared to make the trip back to California.

The four days I spent in Pittsburgh at convention were amazing. The week was filled with opportunity, knowledge, growth, and truly inspiring people. I am so thankful for the opportunity to attend, and I look forward to implementing the positive ideas and attitude I gained into my own chapter and my own life. I am very much looking forward to the next convention in New Orleans! Until then, I will remember convention as one of the best experiences of my life.

Convention Stories

Joseph Asbury
Far Western Region Associate Student Representative, 2011
Utah State University

Beyond Words.  That could be an appropriate description of my experience at the convention.  The members of our chapter had never been to the convention before, so we really had no idea what to expect.  

Our brave troop went on to enjoy the four day convention.  

I attended the Leadership Workshop, and I could not be more pleased that I did.  The workshop gave me a lot of ideas about how to make the Rho Tau chapter more active in the community and within the English majors and minors.

The Bad Poetry Contest was a highlight.  All three students from our chapter presented a poem.  I enjoyed the contest in its entirety.  I can see why the contest is a favorite from year to year.  

The panels enlightened me.  I had no idea that there would be such a selection from which to choose.  The topics appealed to people from across all disciplines of English.

The experience I had at the convention allows me to extol the virtues of Sigma Tau Delta.  Seeing the society operate as a worldwide community helps me better clarify to my school why Sigma TD is such a great organization.  People come to discuss and present what interests them.  Opportunities abound for making new friends and new insights into the world.  If all that fails, being a member of an international honor society looks good on a resume.  

Southwestern Call For Papers

Sigma Tau Delta
Call For Student Papers

Southwest Region Conference

November 4-5, 2011 in Archer City, Texas
Theme: Faces of the West

Guest Artist: Texas Poet Laureate
Dr. James Hoggard

All student members of Sigma Tau Delta are invited to submit papers for the upcoming SW regional conference. We hope to offer sessions in the creative writing of short fiction, poetry, and non-fiction AND in the critical analysis of literature of all kinds (including non-print media such as film, TV, and videogames). Your essay does not have to address the conference theme in order to qualify for presentation.
Please keep your submissions to 10 pages or fewer. You may send paper copies or submit electronically by e-mail attachments. Send paper copies to the following address:
            Sigma Tau Delta Southwest SR Jolie Hicks
            c/o Dr. Victoria Gaydosik
            SWOSU Language and Literature Department
            100 Campus Drive
            Weatherford, OK 73096
For e-mail submissions, attach a .doc, .docx, or .pdf file to an e-mail message and send it to victoria.gaydosik@swosu.edu .
You may also submit your name to participate in a workshop session if you wish to attend and do not have a completed paper in hand. Send an e-mail message to the address above.
Chapter sponsors may join a sponsor workshop with President Sidney Watson. Send an e-mail to the address above to join the sponsor workshop.

DEADLINE: October 21, 2011

Participants selected must be members of Sigma Tau Delta and must pay a registration fee of $20 to cover materials and a conference luncheon. Lodging in Archer City is limited to the Lonesome Dove Inn or the Spur Hotel. Additional lodging is available 25 miles away in Wichita Falls, TX. Everyone who submits papers will receive additional information about schedules, lodging, dining options, and conference activities.
Hope to see you in Archer City!

Midwestern Region Call for Submissions

Midwestern Region
Journal Title - Ex Medio
Call for Entries

Submission Due Date: January 6, 2012

The 2012 edition will be electronic and is open to original poetry, artwork and (NEW this year) flash fiction from members of Sigma Tau Delta's Midwestern Region. Contributors are welcome to submit up to three entries from each category. If submitting multiple entries, each must be sent as a separate email.

Convention Stories

Sigma Tau Delta International Convention 2011: Beyond Words
By Katherine Williams, Associate Student Representative: Southwest Region

On an uncharacteristically chilling week of spring, yellow bridges dotted the Allegheny and Monogahela rivers of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As silvery air-filled pillows floated effortlessly in the Andy Warhol Museum, countless thousands of college students dotted the downtown business district of the former industrial city, but rather than wearing the colors of yellow and gray of the city, they chose to wear cardinal and black to show off their pride in Sigma Tau Delta. On the last full week of March, Sigma Tau Delta members from chapters across the country met at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh hotel and convention center to present papers, attend student leadership workshops, and meet other like-minded college students for this year’s theme, “Beyond Words.”