The Alpha Omicron Delta Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta at Blue Mountain College (BMC) in Blue Mountain, MS, conducted the Tri-County Literary Competition for Tippah, Benton, and Marshall counties. As these counties are economically challenged and geographically close to BMC, with BMC in Tippah County, we created this competition to encourage writing and the creative arts in North Mississippi. We contacted language arts teachers at schools in those counties with a flyer and rules for submission. We offered creative prose and poetry as our two categories. Though the original deadline was earlier, we extended it to the first part of the spring semester. Even then, we only received about 20 submissions across all the grades from seventh to twelfth. Our chapter members judged the submissions, choosing a first, second, and third places in both categories.
On April 25, 2022, we held a reading and reception for the students, and their teachers, family members, and friends, in the Student Union Building at BMC. About thirty people attended. The winning students read their works to the audience and received a certificate and a monetary prize for their award. We also printed some chap books of the winning pieces. Our chapter members conducted the meeting, announcing the winners and giving them their certificates and monetary prizes. Students, teachers, and family members were all thrilled to have the students recognized for their winning works.
Though this year’s turnout was not as large as we would have liked, students and teachers both expressed interest in us having another competition. Our inboxes were inundated with thank you letters from the participants, all very excited about the opportunity. This fall, we plan to contact the language arts teachers before their classes begin and urge them to incorporate more creative writing in their curriculum. We also hope that the readings, reception, booklets, certificates, and press publicity will encourage more teachers and students to participate next year. We also want to receive all submissions before the spring semester begins to schedule a reading earlier in the semester.
Jamie Henderson
Chapter Project Grant Recipient, 2021-2022
Alpha Omicron Delta Chapter, President 2021-2022
Blue Mountain College, Blue Mountain, MS
Sigma Tau Delta Project Grants
Sigma Tau Delta’s Project Grants are designed to encourage local chapters to be innovative in developing projects that further the goals of the Society. The Society will award a limited number of grants, for no more than $500 each, to support local chapter activities. Funds may be requested for separate projects or for parts of larger projects, and chapters should explore ways to use Project Grants in combination with funds secured from other sources. Funds may be requested for ongoing projects, but there is no guarantee that projects funded during one grant period will receive funding in future grant periods.
Applications must be complete and received by November 07, 2022. No late submissions will be accepted. Award winners will be notified by December 5, 2022, with one-half of the awarded funds mailed in early January; the other half when a final project reflection is submitted. The Final Project Reflection is due May 1, 2023.
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