Student: Theresa Larkin, Alessandra Sillo, Anne Tranquilli-Bausher and Christina Tsimortos
Mentor: Professor Michelle Loris
Major: English

Four Sigma Tau Delta student members, Theresa Larkin, Alessandra Sillo, Christina Tsimortos, and Anne Tranquilli-Bausher, wrote essays that were specially selected to be read at the 2008 Sigma Tau Delta Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.  Each of the students, along with three to four other Sigma Tau Delta members from across the United States, presented their essays on a panel unique to the subject area of their papers.  Theresa Larkin was able to present two of her essays at the convention.  The first discussed Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, and the second discussed Herman Melville’s Bartleby, The Scrivener.  Alessandra Sillo presented her creative fiction piece entitled, “The Red World.”  Christina Tsimortos presented her essay which discussed the character of Pearl in Nathanial Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Anne Tranquilli-Bausher presented her essay which discussed the character of Grendel’s mother in Beowulf.

Thanks in large part to their Sigma Tau Delta sponsor, Dr. Michelle Loris, the four students were able to engage in an intellectually inspiring and socially enjoyable conference.  In addition to reading their papers and participating on their respective panels, the students were able to interact with other Sigma Tau Delta members from across the United States.  After all of the students in a panel read their papers, the Chair of that particular session would allow members of the audience to comment and ask questions about the students’ papers.  As a result, each of SHU’s four representatives were able to expand on what they originally put into a maximum 2000 words on paper, and further exemplify their exemplary knowledge of the subject matter about which they wrote.  All it took was one audience member to make a comment about a particular paper, and most everyone involved in the panel actively discussed the importance of the paper’s significance to today’s society, as well as the societal significance of the piece of literature from which the paper was based.  The conference allowed the students’ words to come alive and have an influence on more people than the students would have originally thought.   

The students also attended workshops on other literary works, creative nonfiction pieces and original dramatic works.  This attendance allowed them to fully participate in the critique and discussion portion of the conference.  Students who plan to continue their graduate work in the field of education attended workshops that dealt with contemporary issues of the importance and use of reflective writing in classrooms, and how to use books in the classroom that deal with and come from diverse areas ethnically, sexuality-based, socially, and gender-based.