Every year, Oral Roberts University’s Sigma Tau Delta chapter sponsors the English department trip into the woods of Oklahoma. We fondly dub this trip “Walden Weekend,” in honor of Walden by Henry David Thoreau. Like Thoreau’s motivation for Walden, we also “went to the woods because” we “wished to live deliberately.”
With three professors and nine girls in tow, we inhabited a quaint cabin in the woods. The purpose of the retreat is to give students an opportunity to unplug from the technology-infused society and become immersed, instead, in nature. As a part of our two days at the cabin, we engaged in such activities as hiking, cave spelunking, and getting our van stuck.
An important tradition for Walden Weekend is our “Writers Circle,” where we huddle up around a campfire, toasting s’mores and drinking hot chocolate, and share our budding works of art. This year, we heard poems, the beginnings of novels, and even a short story in French! We all pretended we understood the French. The best part of the campfire was when we were visited by two curious armadillos, which incurred responses from the girls such as screaming and awing.
One student said that besides the campfire, her favorite part of the weekend was doing puzzles together and connecting with fellow English students and professors.
Walden Weekend is our opportunity to bond with classmates and professors while embraced by the forest and river. Another student said that the weekend created an atmosphere of peace and camaraderie that was “truly life-giving.” We take time to slow down and retreat from our homework to be reminded of our why.
We look forward to continuing this tradition at Oral Roberts University so every generation of students can be reminded of what it means to live deliberately. We thank Sigma Tau Delta for their Project Grant, enabling us to impact students every year.
Cora Hurst
Chapter Project Grant Recipient, 2019-2020
Alpha Iota Psi Chapter, President
Oral Roberts University, Tulsa, OK
Sigma Tau Delta Chapter Service Project Grants
Sigma Tau Delta’s Chapter Service Project Grants are designed to encourage local chapters to be innovative in developing projects that further the vision and 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 Service 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 6, 2023. No late submissions will be accepted. Award winners will be notified by December 11, 2023, 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, 2024.
Sigma Tau Delta Project Service Grant Resources
More Chapter Service Project Grant Reports
Service Project Grant: Book Banning and Minority Communities
Service Project Grant: Little Free Library
Launching Lit Week: Celebrating Literature with a Project Grant
Honoring Writing and the Creative Arts with a Project Grant
Ravens and RiverMead Read!
When Words Come to Life
Leo’s Little Free Library
Online Tutoring Partnership
Restocking the Military Resource Center’s Lending Library
Writing Contest for Secondary Schools
Poetry Fest
AuthorShip! Writing Contest
Little Free Library
Common Reader Community Discussion
English Careers Event
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