Lee senior, William Hurst, received first prize for original poetry at the convention. Hurst submitted a variety of poems, including “Carnival,” “Quotient,” and “Breaker,” and received a perfect score on his submission, earning the excellent rank in all three categories, which put him into contention for the award.
Associate professor of English, Dr. Kevin Brown, received the Outstanding Sponsor Award for the Southern Region at the convention. This award recognizes sponsors who foster a spirit of scholarly exchange and give of their time, talent and creativity to their local chapter.
Sigma Tau Delta officers nominated Brown stating that he “is the one who truly makes our department, and our chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, a family.” They added that “his leadership is the catalyst for the commitment Sigma Tau Delta members make to the pursuit of outstanding English scholarship.”
In addition to award presentations, more than 1,100 students and faculty members from around the world presented both critical and creative papers at the convention. Students heard from former poet laureate Kay Ryan, well-known non-fiction writer Dave Eggers, and memoirist Lorene Cary speak on and read from their published works. Ryan also met with a smaller group of students, which included Lee students and faculty, for a question and answer period.
Lee’s chapter Alpha Beta Iota was also invited to set up a display of their chapter events for being named as “one of the most active, vital chapters in the country.”
Sigma Tau Delta is the International English Honor Society, founded in 1924, honors overall academic merit and outstanding achievements in English.
