On April 21st, Sigma Tau Delta's Iota Lambda chapter at Geneseo was happy to induct thirty-three students into the English Honor Society. It was also the official fiftieth birthday celebration for Geneseo's chapter! For family and friends who could not attend the event in person, there was a YouTube livestream where people could watch the ceremony from afar.
Outgoing president Hannah Lustyik welcomed all attendees before inviting to the stand incoming president Diana Morley, who introduced the event's keynote speaker, Dr. Ken Cooper. As probably the first Sigma Tau Delta keynote speaker to incorporate prop comedy, Dr. Cooper dove into what makes Sigma Tau Delta special, from its origins in combating academic elitism to the meaning of our motto: sincerity, truth, and design. His speech was a blend of philosophical and hysterical which encapsulates everything Sigma Tau Delta stands for—through sincerity, truth, and design there is room for lightheartedness and joy.
Following Dr. Cooper's remarks, the e-board members took turns explaining their positions, responsibilities, and accomplishments this academic year. Samantha Miller discussed the work of the PR chair, including for members of Sigma Tau Delta participating in GREAT Day and the annual lecture series, which this year was centered around LGBTQ+ voices in the classroom. She announced the final lecture in the series, Dr. Kelly Keegan's “Graphic Novels and Diversity.” Liz Roos talked about her duties as secretary and her time at the Sigma Tau Delta 2023 convention with the eleven other students who were accepted for their scholarly and creative works, while academic chair Carly Burgio elaborated on how to submit to the convention and announced next year's location in St. Louis, Missouri. Matt Keller, the community service chair, advertised the ArcGLOW membership drive at Geneseo and talked about his experience joining the e-board, creating the English department Discord server, and restarting Geneseo's Creative Writing Club. Treasurer Jillian Kavanaugh discussed the e-board's combined efforts for events such as Hallo-Welles, the annual winter holiday toy drive, and English department merchandise, before advertising the current sale of graduation cords. Diana talked about her time as junior president and becoming close with the e-board, and about how proud she was of the inductees' commitment to literacy, creativity, and community, while Hannah gave her farewell as president and her praises for the e-board soon-to-come.
For the official induction of the new members, Dr. Gillian Paku, Sigma Tau Delta's faculty advisor, outlined the history of the chapter and how it came to be at SUNY Geneseo. After addressing the elephant in the room about Sigma Tau Delta's acronym, she praised the inclusive efforts of the e-board and congratulated the inductees for their own hard work and their valuing of community. The ceremony ended with the call-and-response pledge for Sigma Tau Delta, followed by the gifting of certificates for the new members listed below. And, of course, there was a “Happy Birthday STD!” cake awaiting everyone at the refreshments table, with hopes that our chapter can find many ways to celebrate Sigma Tau Delta's centenary in 2024. We welcome our new members with open arms and cannot wait to work together to foster a creative and kind community here at Geneseo!
- Shannon Altman
- Madison Butler
- Cheyanne Carney
- Adelia Callear
- Isabelle Covert
- Lauren Davies
- Lauren Davis
- Shannon Ervay
- Margaret Flanagan
- Hayley Gambale
- Lili Gourley
- Anna Johnston
- Nicole Kemmett
- Loki Laats
- Zoe Lavallee
- Mar Leeman
- Isabella Lepore
- Emily Loper
- Jessica Marinaro
- Lauren McCormick
- Mollie McMullan
- Emma Mincer
- Genevieve Moulton
- Christopher Murphy
- Elliot Pecora
- Charlotte Salotto
- Lucy SanGeorge
- Olivia Santos
- Jacob Schlau
- Ralph Velasquez
- Sophia Weik
- Sara Wilkins
- Tess Zuchowski