We want to send 10 students to the annual convention of Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society in St. Louis, MO on March 27-30, 2019. It’s a huge event, attended by many of the 950+ chapters worldwide. The convention provides opportunities for Ball State English students to present their work in a professional setting, attend roundtables and panels on subjects of interest, meet featured speakers (fiction writer Nnedi Orkorafor and poet Tess Taylor), network with fellow English majors, and plug into Sigma Tau Delta’s extensive resources (fellowships, internships, etc.).

Who's presenting

Allison Akers is a junior creative writing major from Thorntown, IN.  

"I will be presenting: "Masque de Mort," a screenplay. I'm really excited to go and share my work with other writers! I'm also excited to attend the Bad Poetry Slam!"

Taylor Baugh is senior majoring in literature from New Palestine, IN. 

I will be presenting a screenplay titled ANThropology.  I'm most excited about getting to know new people and seeing the Gateway Arch. 

Sarah Bredar is a junior English Ed major from St. John, IN

I will be participating in a roundtable with several peers on what English departments can do to create more meaningful and professional opportunities for English majors.

Lauren DeLorenzo is a junior journalism major with a minor in English. She's from Melbourne, Australia. 

Because my journalism major demands most of my time, the convention will be great opportunity to focus on the creative and critical study of English

 

Erin Goff is a junior English Ed major from Liberty Township, OH. 

I am presenting a collection of poetry called "Mother Knows Best" and will also participate in our round table. I am most looking forward to my first time in a round table panel.

Madison Hart is senior creative writing major 

I'm presenting a paper entitled "Obedience in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest." I'm excited to see what others present, and I am excited to visit St. Louis for the first time!

Rachel Haywood is a senior creative writing major from Fort Wayne, IN.

I'm presenting a collection of four poems titled “Under Development." I’m excited to attend my first academic convention and gain experience in public presentations and meeting like minded students!

Carli Scalf is a senior from Cincinnati, OH double majoring in English studies and magazine journalism. 

I'm presenting a paper entitled “Frankenstein, Feminism and Marginalization." I am most excited about connecting with English scholars from other universities and about sharing my paper with others. I also can’t wait to check out all the cool English swag I keep hearing about!

 

Taylor Townsend is a senior from Avon, IN double majoring in creative writing and video production. 

I'm presenting on our roundtable and a story called “Wellistown” about fictional town and its generational tension between Baby Boomers and Millennials. I really love going to this convention because everyone is so excited to be an English major! Not only do I really want to go because it’s my last chance to as a senior and active member, but also I want to support those who aren’t graduating and lift their efforts so that our chapter can continue to grow! 

Kerigan Williams is a first-year graduate student pursuing her M.A. in creative writing. She's from Mt. Pleasant, MI. 

I'm presenting a piece of original fiction called “Learning How To Be Alone” which takes place in a high school, focusing on one teacher in particular. It is part of a series of short stories that are all set in the same high school. I’m most excited about the opportunity to see what other creative writers are working on, as well as seeing people from my undergraduate chapter of Sigma! The opportunity to connect with other English majors is so much fun because we all are equally excited about the same stuff!

 

What we learned last year

In 2018, four members of the Ball State chapter of Sigma Tau Delta presented their work at the convention, two of whom won awards and were recognized at the awards gala on the last evening.

Thanks to a small, one time grant from the provost’s office, we were able to send a group to the 2018 convention in Cincinnati, and, after attending lots of panels and presentations, our students came to the realization that the quality of their work was as good or better than that of students from other colleges and universities in attendance. This increased confidence in their abilities has resulted in more interest in giving presentations at other conferences, more submissions to journals and magazines, and more interest in giving public readings.

Want to donate offline?

The Ball State Foundation can enter offline donations into ScaleFunder for this project. Send your check to:

Ball State University Foundation

2800 W. Bethel Avenue

Muncie, IN 47304

Put "English 2701 Sigma Tau Delta crowdfund" on the memo line.