Better World Books

Sigma Tau Delta is beginning our FIRST ever book drive with Better World Books.  Better World Books is an organization dedicated to promoting global literacy.  They team up with organizations-like Sigma Tau Delta- to help organize book drives to collect books to sell (they give money to fund literacy campaigns and things of the like).  They pay each organization a fee per accepted book that they collect and they recycle any books that they cannot sell or give away.  They also pull books out of landfills and recycle them.  They are doing so much good for our earth!  Check out Better World Books!

Sigma Tau Delta is beginning to collect books this month!  We will kick off our book drive by organizing professor pickups with several departments around Campus.  We will also be asking residence halls, bookstores, and professors to help us promote our event.  If you have any books you would like to donate  email me Sigma Tau Delta would be more than happy to pick them up.

Community Service with Sigma Tau Delta

I have been so lucky to be granted the opportunity to give back to my community through Sigma Tau Delta.  I would like to take a moment to reflect on some of my proudest moments with Sigma Tau Delta.
We work closely with Dr. Allen Pierce (a professor in English) who has founded the Community Literacy Outreach Initiative (CLOI).  Last spring, we read Dr. Seuss books to the children at Hawkins Elementary School with members of CLOI (see left).  I read to a class of mildly attentive first-graders, who seemed to appreciate our willingness to participate in their day of Dr. Seuss fun.  Sigma Tau Delta also hosted a Benefit concert at the Baptist Student Union last Spring and raise over a hundred dollars for CLOI. 

I am most excited, though, about the community service opportunities we have coming up this year.  We are working with Better World Books to collect textbooks for there organization.  We are also planning on working with Sacred Heart High School, and Presbyterian Christian High School to offer free tutoring services to English Students.

Presidential Duties

Last semester, I was nominated as a candidate for President of Sigma Tau Delta, English Honor Society.  I gladly accepted the nomination and proceeded to win the election.  I didn't realize at the time just how much work this job would be! 

Though it keeps me busy, I really enjoy my job as president of Sigma Tau Delta.  Last Thursday, Sigma Tau Delta hosted a Student Teaching Panel.  We invited Dr. Cochran and Professor Kinkopf to speak on our panel and allowed English Licensure students to come and ask questions, or present concerns, about the student teaching process in our English Licensure program.  To our surprise, we had around 15 students show up to share concerns with Dr. Cochran and Mrs. Kinkopf.  The panel ran smoothly and there was never a dull moment!  Students asked questions about how to get the school you want, what to do about your Praxis scores, student teaching dress codes, mentor teachers, grades for student teachers, and more.  This event is just one of many that Sigma Tau Delta will be hosting this year. 

• 
  
  Formal Induction- October 14
• 
  
  How to Get into Graduate School- November
• 
  
  Literary Jeopardy- November
• 
  
  Undergraduate Fiction Reading
• 
  
  Member Holiday Party, and More

Learn more about Sigma Tau Delta!

Center For Writers

     I'm sure that many of you have heard that Rick Barthelme was "not retained" in the Center For Writers this year.  I am deeply saddened by this decision from the College of Arts and Letters, and while I understand that budget cuts are a part of life (especially during a recession) a loss such as this seems rash.
Center for Writers loses Rick Barthelme.

     Rick Barthleme dedicated much of his scholarly life to building the MA and Ph.D program for Creative Writing here at Southern Miss.  Barthelme was the director of the Center for Writers, and the Editor of the Mississippi review, a famous literary magazine.According to most articles I have read about the situation (and the buzz here on campus,) Barthelme was on phased retirement and planning to stay at least three more years.  His did not leave voluntarily.

      As a prospective student in the Center for Writers I am very upset about the current goings on in the Center For Writers.  The Center for Writers will suffer a large loss without Rick Barthelme.  Though his brother Steve Barthelme remains at the University, I fear that the department will not be the same without the two of them as a team.

Southern Miss Football

I am very excited that the first Southern Miss Game is this Saturday! I love game day, and my favorite thing about game day is that southern miss is painted black and gold.  It is so fun to walk the campus and see Eagle fans eating in Seymours, gathering around our beautiful fountains, and showing the Eagle Spirit that all Southern Miss fans share.
Another great thing about game day, is that I get to spend a day on campus without thinking about classes, homework, or school! Southern Miss To The Top!
Fall Football Schedule

Civil Rights in Hattiesburg

This cultural exhibit (which was on display in Hattiesburg this year during March and April 2010) explores photos taken by the late Winfred Moncrief during the civil rights movement in Hattiesburg. It was interesting to learn about the violence that occurred during the Civil rights movement in Hattiesburg. Houses were burned down, people were injured in shootings and fist fights and were sometimes even killed, people were unfairly jailed. These pictures which were displayed are an important part of Hattiesburg’s history, many pictures were of African American Hattiesburg inhabitants protesting shootings or violence which was performed wrongly against their friends and family. All of the pictures on exhibit were black and white and I learned that most of them had never been on display before.


The picture which stands out most in my memory, is that of a young man standing in his smoky yard, looking at his father’s burned down house. It is interesting to learn about Hattiesburg at this period of time. I have always been interested in Hattiesburg’s history in this regard, but my grandparents are not fond of the topic and I usually have to learn in other ways. I appreciated the opportunity to see this exhibit in March and I hope that Hattiesburg continues to display the history of their culture.

Hattiesburg American Announces Exhibit