By Anna Tallarico
It was far from a dark and stormy night, but that didn’t stop Sigma Tau Delta, the English department’s honor society, from hunkering down by the HSC Fireside on the night of Oct. 29, for some snacks, games, and poetry reading to celebrate fall.
The night began with “Poetry Mad Libs,” in which attendees teamed up to fill in the blanks and recite riffs on famous poems such as “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe and “Porphyria’s Lover” by Robert Browning.
Next was “Literary Scattergories,” with categories such as “Shakespearean plays,” “Gothic texts,” “literary ghosts” and “cryptic male characters.” To top off the evening, students and professors took turns reciting both original and classic works.
Sophomore Truleigh Kelly read an old poem of hers entitled “Danger,” and Dr. Jeremiah Webster dramatically recited “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll. Among other famous pieces read were “Christabel,” “Frankenstein” and “Beowulf.”
This is the fourth time Sigma Tau has put on this event, which was open to all students, regardless of their major.
Senior Emily Schlepp, who helped organize the event, explained the mindset behind it.
“We did something similar several years ago, but we brought it back and updated it for our current student body,” Schlepp said. “We wanted to offer a fun, engaging event for lovers of the arts, poetry, and the humanities.”
Sigma Tau is open to all students, not just English majors. NU’s chapter is called “Alpha Lambda Kappa,” and they provide resources and opportunities for both members and non-members.
Professor Joseph McQueen, fourth-year faculty member of the English department, explained that the honor society is open to anyone with an interest in literature or writing.
“We are in the business of helping students make and discover meaning–in the reading of poems and novels, in the study of grammar, in the practice of writing, and really in the whole of life,” McQueen said. “If you love literature or writing and meet a few other small requirements, you can join.”
Sigma Tau has more events planned for the remainder of the year, including the Faith in Humanities Conference taking place in March 2020.
