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2019 Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society Convention
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Four students from the 澳门六合彩历史记录 Department of English presented their original research at the international Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society convention in St. Louis, MO.
Over four days, March 27-30, English major, chapter president and graduating senior Desiree Steele, of Elgin, IL; English major and junior Emma Dayhoff, of Washington, IL; English major, chapter secretary and junior Kaylee Gundling, of Coyne Center, IL; and English major, chapter vice-president and junior Apryl Moore, of Chicago, IL, presented juried papers and fielded questions from the audience and attended panels of other English majors from among the 900 chapters of Sigma Tau Delta around the world. Only 60-70 percent of papers are accepted annually for presentation at the convention.
Steele presented, "Gender and Sexuality in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild," a revised version of a paper she wrote for English Professor Chris Morrow's Popular Forms of Literature course.
"Attending the Sigma Tau Delta convention was an amazing opportunity to meet others interested in Game Studies and New Media, and to see what sorts of research projects they are working on," said Steele. "I believe that this opportunity has helped me begin to make connections with the people I will work with as a scholar."
In the fall, Steele plans to pursue a master's degree in English, focusing on the field of Game Studies, and she has been accepted to the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee.
Dayhoff presented, "Life Got in the Way," an original piece of creative nonfiction supervised by English Assistant Professor Barb Lawhorn.
"Presenting at the Sigma Tau Delta convention was an educationally rewarding experience that I would recommend to aspiring English majors and minors. It was a very welcoming and supportive environment, and I learned a great deal from attending all kinds of panels," said Dayhoff.
Gundling presented, "Director's Cut (Abridged)," an original piece of fiction also supervised by Lawhorn.
"I had a great time sharing my work and hearing the works of others from around the country," said Gundling. "Meeting so many other people who are excited and passionate about English was a brilliant听experience."
Moore presented, "The Sadomasochism and Meaning of Addie Bundren in Faulkner's As I Lay Dying," supervised by English Professor David Banash.
"I really enjoyed talking to students from other chapters and learning how differently we each interpret the same novels. It's also interesting to see the discussions that come up without the pressure of a classroom setting," said Moore.
During the regional caucus, Moore was elected to serve on the Board of Directors as the 2019-2020 Midwestern Student Representative and will represent the interests of the 150 chapters at four-year colleges and universities in the region.
"I'm looking forward to working with the other elected student leaders in the organization," said Moore. "It's a wonderful opportunity to share the concerns and ideas of my constituents, and to promote student involvement in Sigma Tau Delta throughout the Midwest."
All four students received College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Grants for their trip, as well as funding from the Office of Student Activities and the 澳门六合彩历史记录 Department of English.
Biology major, chapter historian and junior Gayla Bean, of East St. Louis, IL, and English Education major and junior Courtney Bender of South Elgin, IL, also attended the convention, and chaired panels and volunteered at the registration table. Both students plan to submit papers for next year's convention in Las Vegas, NV.
澳门六合彩历史记录 alumna Molly Cameron (2018), who serves as a graduate teaching assistant and is pursuing a master's in English at the University of South Dakota, attended the convention and was awarded best creative response to the Common Reader, Tess Taylor's Work & Days. Cameron also participated in a roundtable on project grants, and she discussed her work last year helping to refurbish the free little library at the YMCA in Macomb.
When the students were not exchanging ideas, and engaging in fellowship with their peers, they toured the Saint Louis Art Museum with chapter advisors, English Associate Professors Timothy and Magdelyn Helwig.
"Sigma Tau Delta provides so many opportunities for our students to professionalize, share their ideas with other young scholars and proudly represent Western on a national stage," said Timothy Helwig, who is serving his second four-year term as Midwestern Regent. "I am delighted that Apryl Moore was elected by her peers to be the Midwestern Student Representative, and I look forward to serving with her on the Board of Directors. Apryl is a bright and talented student who I've taught in three English classes, and I know she will make great contributions to the organization."
2018 Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society Convention
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Three students from the 澳门六合彩历史记录 Department of English presented their original research at the international Sigma Tau Delta English Honor Society convention in Cincinnati, OH.
Over four days, from March 21-24, English major, chapter president and graduating senior Molly Cameron, of Ellisville, IL; senior English education major Tess Tyler, of Pleasant Plains, IL; and junior English education major Paige Rohrback, of Lake Zurich, IL, presented juried papers and fielded questions from the audience, participated on roundtables and attended panels of other English majors from among the 900 chapters of Sigma Tau Delta around the world. Only 60-70 percent of papers are accepted annually for presentation at the convention.
Cameron presented, "Addicted to Happiness: Dystopia as Utopia," which is an excerpt of her undergraduate honor's thesis, directed by English Professor David Banash. She also participated on a roundtable, "Brave New Worlds: Plausible Dystopias," with four other students.
"Presenting at the Sigma Tau Delta convention has been the highlight of the semester," said Cameron. "It's so uplifting to have the opportunity to share my work with a supportive audience and to network with people in my field. Everything was a positive experience, from presenting my paper and conducting a round table discussion, to winning third place in the bad poetry contest and learning about the history of Cincinnati."
Cameron plans to pursue a master's degree in English at the University of South Dakota in the fall.
Tyler presented "Prospero: Man of Otherness in 'The Tempest'," supervised by Associate Professor of English Chris Morrow, and Rohrback presented "Home Away From Home," a paper on the organization's common reader, Cristina Henriquez's "The Book of Unknown Americans," and supervised by Assistant Professor Magdelyn Helwig.
"Attending the Sigma Tau Delta convention was an incredibly enriching experience because it not only gave me the opportunity to present my academic work, but it also allowed me to network with other English majors and hear about their scholarly research on topics like Teaching Shakespeare to Children, Popular Culture and Mental Health, and Getting Published," said Tyler, who will begin her semester of student teaching next fall. "I believe that the information I gained from the panels will assist me in my future as an English teacher. Keeping up-to-date with research in the field is very important to English teachers."
Rohrback said the Sigma Tau Delta convention was an amazing opportunity to present an original piece to English majors and professors, and to connect with people who are also passionate about literature.
"It was wonderful to be in an environment that fostered discussion and confirmed my career aspirations," she said.
All three students received competitive College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Grants for their trip, as well as funding from the Office of Student Activities and the 澳门六合彩历史记录 Department of English.
When the students were not exchanging ideas, and engaging in fellowship with their peers, they toured the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center with chapter advisors Tim and Magdelyn Helwig, and they received a private tour of the Harriet Beecher Stowe House.
"This is an amazing opportunity for our Western students to present their critical and creative writing on a national stage, and to make lasting connections with other like-minded students from around the world," said Associate Professor Tim Helwig. "The fact that Western fully supports this valuable educational experience for our talented students each year is greatly appreciated."
Magdelyn Helwig said the Phi Delta Chapter received a project grant from Sigma Tau Delta to assist in completion of a service project to refurbish the Little Free Library at the McDonough County YMCA. The students were then invited to create a chapter display at the convention to showcase their work.
2017 Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society听Convention
Sigma Tau Delta Goes to Louisville! And presents eight juried papers, wins one convention award, and has one member elected to a national Student Leadership position. Over four days (March 29-April 1, 2017) at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, eight 澳门六合彩历史记录 students鈥攕even undergraduates and one graduate student鈥攑resented their critical and creative writing at the juried Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society annual convention. The student presenters were Katelin Deushane, Rebecca Graham (QC), Haley Helgesen, Arielle Henry, Max Keil, Bryce Swain, Rachel Troyer, and Laura Winton (QC). Read all about it here.
2016 Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society听Convention
Eight students presented their creative and critical work at this year鈥檚 Sigma Tau Delta international convention in downtown Minneapolis:
- Molly Cameron - critical paper - sponsored by David Banash
- Kirsten Dillender - creative writing - sponsored by Barbara Ashwood
- Haley Helgesen - critical paper & roundtable presentation - sponsored by Tim Helwig
- Justin Kim - critical paper - sponsored by David Banash
- Natasha Morgan - creative writing - sponsored by Magdelyn Helwig
- Tanya Nimz - creative writing - sponsored by Magdelyn Helwig
- Brandon Nizzio - creative writing - sponsored by Barbara Ashwood
- Jared Worley - creative writing & roundtable presentation - sponsored by Barbara Ashwood
Our excellent student, Haley Helgesen, was elected to serve as the Midwestern Student Representative, a one-year position that involves duties at the national and regional levels of the organization. She will serve alongside Tim Helwig, the organization鈥檚 Midwestern Regent. This position is a great honor for Haley, and for our department.
At the convention's closing awards ceremony, our amazing student, Jared Worley, won second place ($300) for the Best Convention Paper on Diversity in Creative Writing, and our recent graduate, Natasha Morgan, won third place ($150) for the Best Convention Paper on Diversity in Creative Writing. This is the first time our chapter has won a competitive Convention Paper Award, so this is a great accomplishment for the individual students and for our local chapter and department.
We are thankful to all the English faculty who have sponsored, advised, and worked with our English students over the years. They couldn't have done it without you!
2015 Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society听Convention
Dr. Helwig shares his sentiments after attending the Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society Convention:
鈥淎s the Midwestern Regent for Sigma Tau Delta and an essay reviewer for the convention, I was impressed with how well our six Western students performed on this international stage in Albuquerque, while also taking advantage of opportunities to listen to renowned authors like Gary Soto. I watched as our students read and took questions from the audience about their poetry and creative non-fiction pieces, and I moderated a panel with two of our students presenting outstanding literary analyses from their literature classes in the QC. I hope we have at least as many Western students going to the annual convention next March when it will be held even closer to us in the great city of Minneapolis.鈥�
Read an article from The Mirror and the Lamp about this convention:
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