Sigma Tau Delta revived after three years dormant

Due to the effort of Vanguard senior, Cody Thomas, the English department has resurrected its honors society, Sigma Tau Delta.

Though Sigma Tau Delta never officially left Vanguard, it has been lying dormant for three years.

Professor Warren Doody, chair of the English department, chose to forego hosting the society in the Fall of 2015 when student participation experienced a dramatic decrease, and he spent too much time following up with students about deadlines.

At first professor Doody was hesitant about reviving Sigma Tau Delta, but Thomas, now president of the honors society, persisted.

“The response so far has been overwhelmingly positive. We went from having zero members to having over thirty students sign up to get involved within one week,” Thomas said.

In order to keep students interested, Thomas is working on setting up campus-wide events throughout the semester, the first of which will be an open mic night held Sept.26th in the O. Cope Budge Library. This event will give each student the opportunity to express themselves to a group of their peers by reading aloud something that they have written.

“When students get together outside of class to collaborate on English major-like activities… it creates a lasting bond,” Doody said. “To be honest, this group of students is showing a greater level of enthusiasm and commitment than any I’ve previously been associated with, so I am encouraged.”

All English students who have completed the minimum amount of English classes and meet the 3.0 GPA requirement are welcome to be a part of Sigma Tau Delta. For a one-time fee of sixty dollars, those who join will receive a lifelong membership in addition to a member certificate and the privilege of wearing Sigma Tau Delta regalia at graduation.

Being a part of the honors society gives students the opportunity to apply for scholarships of up to $5,000, and the ability to submit their work to exclusive publications. Additionally, it’s a great resume builder. Thomas’ long term goal is to create something sustainable that will remain active oncehe graduates in May.