Student Leadership News

Scream Slam

2012-01-03T07:55:00.000-08:00

Nick Miller
High Plains Associate Student Representative, 2011-2012

I would like to take the opportunity to inform everyone of a very successful and fun event that the Sigma Beta chapter managed to put together: a Halloween themed open mic that we dubbed “Scream Slam.” This is not the first year that we have put together this event, but over the last couple years it has not been as successful due to sudden blizzards and mix ups with room reservations and catering.

We started planning this event in September, deciding where and when we were going to host Scream Slam this semester. Deciding on a room was difficult because we wanted to ensure we would have enough space for everyone, but we also felt that it was important to ensure the event had an intimate feel to it. Once the room was decided, it was time to figure out how we were going to organize the categories for prizes. For last year's Scream Slam we had three different categories: poetry, prose, and original work, and we figured that we should also have a costume contest as well to encourage everyone to dress up for this event (something we did not do last year, unfortunately).

After we decided on the categories for the readings, we had to get our hands on some prizes. We usually give out books full of fun and spooky short-stories but decided that gift cards were a better idea so that the recipients could pick what they wanted. In addition, we also received two books and an Amazon Kindle from the CSC English and Humanities department, and we used those as prizes for the best overall reading and the costume contest. A week before the event itself, we picked up a few Halloween decorations and different snacks (chips, dip, cookies, brownies, etc.), and then we focused our attention on putting up fliers all over campus and spreading the word.

On the day of Scream Slam, I came to the student center decked out as Bob Dylan with my frazzled hair, dark sunglasses, and Beatle boots, and carried the various decorations and snacks into our room. A lot of people from the local chapter were there helping out, stringing up spider webs, lights, and other various spooky decorations. It was not very long before people began showing up, and the room rapidly filled. We even ran out of chairs, and some of those that were late coming in were forced to stand.

Once the lights went out, I headed towards the podium. Despite the reading light on the podium, the audience appeared to me as dark, shapeless figures because I still had my sunglasses on (it was part of my costume after all). There were a lot of readers on the list, and many people read more than one piece of literature. The readings themselves were entertaining, which made judging the winner hard, but the event wasn't called Scream Slam for nothing, and I felt like a huge weight was off my shoulders after the winners were determined.

Events such as this take a lot of planning and work to get off the ground, but spreading the joys of literature around campus is well worth it. Open mics are usually very popular at Chadron State College because they present people with a creative outlet for their work and an opportunity for constructive advice. Couple this with a Halloween theme, free food, and prizes, and it makes for a very successful event. I hope other chapters that want to implement this event have just as much luck as we did!

5 Things You May Not Know About Running A Better World Books Campus Book Drive

2011-12-14T10:02:00.000-08:00

by Lauren Brandeberry
Associate Alumni Representative, 2011-2012

1. It’s not too late to get started!

Most chapters time their drives with the end of the semester, as students sell back their used books and clean out their dorms. Even if finals are already underway (or even over), it’s not too late to pull off a successful book drive. There is still time to get collection bins placed at area book stores for textbook buyback, and to contact dorms about placing collection bins in the hallways or volunteering to help with clean-out. Chapters that have not yet received their orange and green Better World Books collection bins may need to create makeshift bins rather than wait for delivery, but there is nothing to stop them from going out and collecting books right now.

Even more importantly, one of the best sources of used books is just getting underway: professor office clean-outs. Professors collect an enormous number of unwanted (and unused) books over the years, and many chapters find that donations from professors are one of the best sources of books around. Professors often try to clean out their offices after the semester is over, preparing for the new one, and they love offers to help with the cleaning. Get the word out now with fliers, and have a few members commit to sticking around for a few days after finals or coming back a few days before next semester begins to lend professors a hand with boxing up books and taking papers to the recycling bin. It will be well worth the effort.

Better World Books asks for books to be sent in by December 31 to count toward fall book drive totals, but they accept books all year round and books collected in January may still be included in the check for the fall drive. Contact a Better World Books account representative for more information. And don’t forget, it’s never too soon to start thinking about a spring drive!

2. Better World Books campus book drives are completely turn-key operations.

One of the reasons it is not too late to start a drive is because they are “turn-key” operations, meaning Better World Books provides chapters with everything they need to get started right out of the box. Each chapter is assigned an account manager who can provide supplies, guidance, and support. The account manager can help figure out the most effective strategy to get the most out of the short amount of time left. They provide posters, collection bins, shipping boxes (and prepaid mailing labels), and any other supplies a chapter needs. The account manager will even help chapters contact professors and administrators on campus, determine if drives are being run at other local schools, and help with media relations. Any chapter with willing volunteers can get a drive started today by emailing campus@betterworldbooks.com.

3. A Better World Books campus book drive is a fund raiser AND a service project.

Everyone knows Better World Books campus book drives raise money for your local chapter and for Sigma Tau Delta International. Every accepted book earns $1 for the chapter. Last spring alone Sigma Tau Delta chapters raised nearly $15,000 for their local chapters and $4,500 for the Society, which goes to fund events like the annual convention. Eta Theta Chapter from Wayland Baptist University brought in the most accepted books of any Sigma Tau Delta chapter at 1,805, raising $2,260 for their chapter.

What many people don’t realize is that these book drives also help fund literacy programs around the world AND help improve the environment. Each chapter selects one of Better World Books 6 international literacy partners to be the beneficiary of their drive. For every accepted book sold, a portion of the proceeds goes directly to that literacy partner. To date, Better World Books has raised over $10.5 million for literacy programs and libraries around the world.

All books collected, whether they are resold, donated directly, or recycled, are kept out of landfills and put to their best possible use. Over the lifetime of our partnership with Better World Books, Sigma Tau Delta has reused or recycled over 109,000 books. That has saved the lives of an estimated 2,095 trees and prevented the wasting of nearly 1 million gallons of water. These book drives do more than put some much-needed cash in a chapter’s coffers; they have a significant social and environmental impact.

4. In addition to raising money, chapters can win prizes and recognition.

Every chapter that participates in a Better World Books drive will receive a certificate of recognition and an environmental impact report that can be displayed on a website or the English Department bulletin board. These come in handy when it comes time to report chapter activities to the school and make funding requests for next year. The top 25 drives will also be recognized on Facebook.

Top drives in various categories are also eligible to win prizes including Better World Books t-shirts, a $100 donation to the charity of their choice, or a $500 gift certificate to BetterWorldBooks.com.

Finally, the student in charge of the drive that sends the most accepted books will win an all-expenses paid international trip with one of Better World Books literacy partners, so they can see first-hand the impact these drives are having.

5. Students who participate in a drive are eligible to apply for the Better World Books exclusive paid Sigma Tau Delta summer internship.

Better World Books offers an exclusive paid summer internship every year to a Sigma Tau Delta member who has participated in at least one book drive. This is not a “get me coffee and pick up my dry cleaning” internship either. This is six weeks in Better World Books’ main office in Alpharetta, GA. Past interns report meeting with important people inside the company, learning all about its various operations, doing real research, and gaining invaluable experience.

To get a better feel for what the Better World Books Summer Internship is all about, check out this blog article by 2011 Intern Becky Cressy and this interview with 2010 Intern Kerrin Epstein.

The deadline for applications is January 31, 2012, plenty of time to pull off a last minute book drive (remember to take lots of pictures), and then write up a great little story about that challenge to go with your application. Details about the application process can be found at http://www.english.org/sigmatd/awards/internships/bwb.shtml

SLW Chapter Management Breakout Session

2011-04-14T07:58:00.000-07:00

Member Recruitment

Recruiting members is a challenge for any club on college campuses world-wide. However, there are several advantages when it comes to recruiting for Sigma Tau Delta. This workshop will identify the positives of recruiting for Sigma Tau Delta, possible target audiences, and developing a further recruiting plan to bring in more members.

There is clearly a place where possible club members can be found for an English honor society. The English and Communication classrooms are a good place to start. Talk to English Professors about making announcements about events being run by Sigma Tau Delta (and the upcoming convention) while in the classroom. This is a realm where any person that would be interested in joining Sigma Tau Delta can be found.

In order to further recruit for Sigma Tau it is important to shed the stigma now. When some hear the words “Sigma Tau Delta” they will think of a Fraternity or a Sorority. When others hear “International English Honor Society” they think of snobs with white hair that smoke pipes and wear tweed. It is vital that we are clear on what this organization is and truly stands for. Run programs with mass appeal, and be sure to have an area where photographs from the events can be seen.

Sustaining Active Participation

Sustaining active participation is among the most difficult aspects of chapter management. But anyone who’s tried to motivate any group of people to do anything knows two things – 1) how difficult it can be to get a group of people to get involved and stay involved, and 2) how exciting it is when it happens. This section of the workshop will discuss keys to getting or keeping your chapter members active in Sigma Tau Delta such as the following: Take notes on what has worked and what hasn’t – and don’t repeat what hasn’t. Make becoming a member a big deal, and if you need help with ideas, check out www.english.org; under the “Chapters” tab, there are resources and even scripts for induction and new officer ceremonies as well as a host of other ideas for chapter activities. Get new membership involved right away. Start the year off by assigning positions and establishing a clear chain of command. Delegate responsibilities for each activity, and don’t be afraid to rely on those people who do want to participate. Set short-term and long-term goals for your chapter – and then do them. It is critical, however, to listen to your chapter membership; try to get feedback from them, see what they get excited about, and then reassess your short-term goals if you need to. Keep your activities a mixture of the fun and the purposeful. Finally, nothing beats face-to-face interaction and word-of-mouth communication.

Raising Your Campus Profile

How you decide to raise the campus profile will depend on what you want to accomplish. If you want name recognition, then name drop! Write articles with other chapter members under your chapter’s name, about chapter or society-related ideas and events, and get them published in your campus newspaper. Create a chapter Facebook, invite all your college Facebook friends to join it and be creative with how you present the news – get quirky! Write creatively! Look for ways your chapter could join other campus organizations on projects already in the works that you could contribute an English-y edge to. If your goal is funding, then you probably want to focus on getting involved in the sorts of activities that seem to get funding already. What sort of things do you think your department, your university, your student body would be willing to give their money to support? Show your campus you can do things seriously and that you can do them well. If your goal is increased chapter participation or membership you’ll want to play toward the things that would draw a larger group to membership. One key to remember, if this is your goal, is that you do not have to be an English major to be a member of Sigma Tau Delta – so create activities and publicity that emphasize this! Most importantly, listen and observe – what things seem to matter to your campus most? Recycling? Social justice? Stamp collecting? Is there a big artsy populace on campus? Video game-y? Outdoors-y? Figure out how broad – or limited – an audience you want to reach, and come up with ways to interest that audience. And finally, don’t participate halfheartedly – nothing sells like enthusiasm!

Community Profile

It is no secret that getting involved in the community can have a huge impact on the success and fulfillment felt while being a member of a club. The positives of having community involvement can be seen as a way for the club to raise awareness, funds, and do genuine good for the world. This workshop will identify the need for developing a community profile, pointers, and a general discussion about how to establish your club outside of your proverbial campus gates.

Getting involved could be as simple as asking. Better World Book Drives have yielded better results any time that Sigma Tau Delta clubs reach out for help from the community. This has given people a place to recycle unwanted books, raised funds for literacy and libraries, and also raised funds for your club. The same can be found with advertising for other events sponsored by Sigma Tau Delta.

As an English Honor Society it is important to give back to the community. Contacting schools and libraries could open an array of options to benefit the community. There are often areas where student need to be helped, or encouraged in order to further succeed in English classes. Offering a writing contest, or even participating in Read Across America can help do good in your community while helping to develop a positive community profile for the club.