Final Convention Schedule Revision

A revised version of the 2012 Sigma Tau Delta International Convention program schedule has been posted on the website. It contains the names of Session Chairs and Moderators.

This is the final version of the tentative schedule before we put the program to bed. And that means that the Convention Chair must hear from you no later than Wednesday, February 1 if you want to have even a glimmer of hope that a problem can be addressed.

Once the program is finalized and sent to the printer, we will not be able to make any changes, so check the program carefully for any errors.

Summer Internships

Allie Reznik
Student Advisor, 2011-2012

While it feels that spring semester has just begun, with initial papers due and spring break so close yet so far, it’s already time to start planning your summer. As a Sigma Tau Delta member, you have special access to the Better World Books internship in Alpharetta, Georgia, and Penguin Group USA internship in New York City. While many internships are unpaid, recipients of these great opportunities are paid for their work and receive a stipend from Sigma Tau Delta to supplement their expenses.

As English and creative writing majors ,we’ve all been told, on most likely more than one occasion, that internships are essential to professional development and networking. Interning is also, of course, a great way to build your resume. You can also explore multiple career options and shadow professionals in your areas of interest. My own experiences with interning have helped me determine the landmarks of my professional journey. As an undergraduate I interned with Pennsylvania Presenters. I had the wonderful experience of working closely with the conference director to write articles, take photographs, and direct artists, presenters and agents to various sessions.

Another incredible internship experience of mine includes working with Dr. Lynne Bruckner on her co-edited, recently published book Ecocritical Shakespeare. While the majority of my work included line editing text and formatting the bibliography in Ashgate Publishing style, the stimulating conversations that I had with Dr. Bruckner illuminated my understanding of the academic field. Thanks to this internship I now have a credit in print and a more comprehensive understanding of academia that will influence the rest of my academic career.

Have you had an internship that has influenced your future career decision? Share it with us! If you haven’t yet, consider applying for a Sigma Tau Delta internship!

Applications are due by January 31, so be sure to look at the applications (http://www.english.org/sigmatd/awards/index.shtml) and take advantage of these great opportunities!

Leadership Positions Available

by Lauren Brandeberry
Associate Alumni Representative, 2011-2012

Next year's student and alumni leaders will be chosen at the the Sigma Tau Delta 2012 International Convention. These leaders are fundamental to shaping the direction of Sigma Tau Delta, and these positions represent a great opportunity for students to network, gain valuable leadership skills, and learn how Sigma Tau Delta functions at the regional and international levels. All active student and alumni members attending convention should be eligible to run for one or more
of these positions.

January 31 is the deadline for applications for Student Advisor. This is Sigma Tau Delta's most prestigious and challenging student position, a two-year term as a full voting member of Sigma Tau Delta's Board of Directors. Student Advisors guide and mentor all of the other student leaders and serve as advocates of student interests.

Student Advisor Duties and Application

In addition, Student Representatives and Associate Student Representatives will be elected to represent each of Sigma Tau Delta's six regions, and an Alumni Representative and Associate Alumni Representative will be elected to represent alumni members. These representatives attend Board meetings, serve on committees, provide resources and leadership for their regions, produce the Student Leadership Blog, organize regional events, and help organize the annual convention. These positions are one-year terms, though incumbents may choose to run for a second term.

Elections for Student and Alumni Representatives will be held at the convention during the Formal Regional Caucuses on Friday, March 2. Applications to run for any of these offices will be accepted until Thursday, March 1, however candidates are encouraged to send them in before February 22 in order to take advantage of opportunities for online promotion.

Student Representative and Associate Student Representatives Duties
and Application

Alumni Representative and Associate Alumni Representative Duties and
Application

All chapters attending convention will have a chance to vote for their region's student leaders and can earn $200 by attending both regional caucuses and the General Business Meeting. More information on the candidates can be found at
http://sigmataudeltastudentleaders.blogspot.com/p/leadership-candidates.html

For more information about running for office, or general information about the open positions and election procedures, contact
lbrandeberry@niu.edu

Keeping it Short: Flash Fiction

by Ashlyn Wells
Midwestern Region Student Representative, 2011-2012

I was first introduced to flash fiction while reading a local arts and entertainment magazine—the editors were accepting short story submissions of 500 words or less as part of a contest.  At first I thought it would be easy to write something that short, but when I tried to whip something up, I realized it wasn’t so simple. As a creative writing major, I have gotten very comfortable with the short story, with having several pages I could use to flesh out my character arcs and plot; covering all that in 500 words was a real challenge for me. Having to boil the story down to its most essential elements and focus on each individual word was a great exercise, and one I found fun and useful.

Flash fiction, also known as the short short story, sudden fiction, microfiction, micro-story, or postcard fiction, is a type of short story that uses as few words as possible. Its word limits can range from as few as 55 words to as many as 1,000. Flash fiction pieces include all the traditional story elements such as character and plot, but the word limit often forces the author to imply some elements they would normally write out. One great example of implied elements can be seen in this short short penned by Ernest Hemingway: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

Flash fiction contests like the one I first encountered are becoming more and more popular, and one of the places members of the Midwestern region can submit flash fiction is to Sigma Tau Delta’s Midwestern Regional Journal, “Ex Medio.” In addition to flash fiction of up to 750 words, this online publication is accepting poetry and artwork (photography as well as original artwork). The deadline for submission is January 31. View the complete Call for Papers.  As the current editor of the publication, I encourage you to submit or email me with your questions.

Whether you're a creative writer by trade or a casual writer looking for a new and interesting format, flash fiction is a fun twist on a genre we know and love.Try it out and see what the buzz is about!

Prizes Announced for the Tweet the Convention Contest

For the Most Prolific competition, first place will receive a $35 Amazon.com gift certificate. Second place will receive a Cafe du Monde coffee mug.

First place for the Most Popular competition will receive a $50 Amazon.com gift certificate. Second place will receive a Cafe du Monde coffee mug.

Twitter Contest Rules

Tweet the Convention

The Tweet the Convention Contest is back, and it's better than ever! Simpler rules! Better prizes! Contestants help pick the winners! Don't delay, sign up today!


http://sigmataudeltastudentleaders.blogspot.com/p/blog-convention-contest.html

Scream Slam

Nick Miller
High Plains Associate Student Representative, 2011-2012

I would like to take the opportunity to inform everyone of a very successful and fun event that the Sigma Beta chapter managed to put together: a Halloween themed open mic that we dubbed “Scream Slam.” This is not the first year that we have put together this event, but over the last couple years it has not been as successful due to sudden blizzards and mix ups with room reservations and catering.

We started planning this event in September, deciding where and when we were going to host Scream Slam this semester. Deciding on a room was difficult because we wanted to ensure we would have enough space for everyone, but we also felt that it was important to ensure the event had an intimate feel to it. Once the room was decided, it was time to figure out how we were going to organize the categories for prizes. For last year's Scream Slam we had three different categories: poetry, prose, and original work, and we figured that we should also have a costume contest as well to encourage everyone to dress up for this event (something we did not do last year, unfortunately).

After we decided on the categories for the readings, we had to get our hands on some prizes. We usually give out books full of fun and spooky short-stories but decided that gift cards were a better idea so that the recipients could pick what they wanted. In addition, we also received two books and an Amazon Kindle from the CSC English and Humanities department, and we used those as prizes for the best overall reading and the costume contest. A week before the event itself, we picked up a few Halloween decorations and different snacks (chips, dip, cookies, brownies, etc.), and then we focused our attention on putting up fliers all over campus and spreading the word.


On the day of Scream Slam, I came to the student center decked out as Bob Dylan with my frazzled hair, dark sunglasses, and Beatle boots, and carried the various decorations and snacks into our room. A lot of people from the local chapter were there helping out, stringing up spider webs, lights, and other various spooky decorations. It was not very long before people began showing up, and the room rapidly filled. We even ran out of chairs, and some of those that were late coming in were forced to stand.

Once the lights went out, I headed towards the podium. Despite the reading light on the podium, the audience appeared to me as dark, shapeless figures because I still had my sunglasses on (it was part of my costume after all). There were a lot of readers on the list, and many people read more than one piece of literature. The readings themselves were entertaining, which made judging the winner hard, but the event wasn't called Scream Slam for nothing, and I felt like a huge weight was off my shoulders after the winners were determined.

Events such as this take a lot of planning and work to get off the ground, but spreading the joys of literature around campus is well worth it. Open mics are usually very popular at Chadron State College because they present people with a creative outlet for their work and an opportunity for constructive advice. Couple this with a Halloween theme, free food, and prizes, and it makes for a very successful event. I hope other chapters that want to implement this event have just as much luck as we did!