Building Literary Community in the North for an Outstanding Chapter Award: Eta Phi Chapter’s Year of Growth and Connection

Eta Phi Advisor Kel Sassi Leading Scholastic Art & Writing Awards Ceremony (2025)

This year represented significant development for the Eta Phi Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta at Northern Michigan University. From our location in Michigan’s rural Upper Peninsula, we remain committed to expanding access to literature, fostering community, and supporting creative work. That commitment took shape in visible ways as our membership increased from 14 to 26 inducted members, and participation across our programming broadened considerably.

A major source of this growth came from three new events that invited sustained engagement with writing and literary culture. Our Writing Marathon, held in collaboration with the Northern Shores Storywork Writing Project, guided participants through a sequence of writing sessions across campus and downtown Marquette. The structure encouraged reflection, generative drafting, and shared discussion in multiple environments. The final gathering at the Ore Dock Brewery allowed participants to read selections drafted earlier that day, creating a meaningful sense of collective accomplishment. The success of the event has positioned it as a future annual tradition.

We also launched the Dead Writers Reading, an evening that blended performance, literary analysis, and creative interpretation. Students and faculty selected a deceased writer, read from that author’s work, and performed in costume. Appearances ranged from Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” to Milton, and our Advisor, portraying Satan, served as emcee. Readings included canonical figures such as Longfellow, Hawthorne, and Keats, alongside writers like Michele Serros, Nakahara Chūya, and Sinéad O’Connor. This mix of voices and approaches attracted a diverse audience and underscored the chapter’s investment in both tradition and innovation.

Our chapter also extended its reach off campus. With guidance from our Advisor, members volunteered at the first-ever Upper Peninsula regional Scholastic Art and Writing Awards ceremony. Supporting this initiative was especially important given the lack of existing opportunities for young writers in rural and Indigenous communities across the region. Two regional awardees advanced to receive national recognition, an outcome that affirmed the significance of bringing awareness to this program.

Our Common Reader Book Club series continued as well. Last year, in partnership with NMU’s Center for Native American Studies, the group read Natalie Diaz’s When My Brother Was an Aztec. This collaboration allowed for rich discussions surrounding identity, language, and cultural memory. This year, the series shifted to Jesmyn Ward’s Salvage the Bones. We held both traditional discussions and we facilitated a writing workshop where various participants engaged with the novel.

Eta Phi members also distinguished themselves at the national level. At the 2025 Sigma Tau Delta Convention in Pittsburgh, three chapter members presented original scholarship and creative work. Two received Convention Awards: one earned the Isabel Sparks President’s Award for Creative Nonfiction, and another received Honorable Mention for the Stemmler/Dennis LGBT& Award. These recognitions reflect both the strength of our students’ work and the supportive community that enables such achievement.

Overall, this year marked a period of steady expansion and purposeful engagement for the Eta Phi Chapter. Our programs, partnerships, and recognitions demonstrate a shared commitment to cultivating an accessible and vibrant literary community in the North. As we look ahead, we plan to continue strengthening this work and supporting opportunities that connect readers, writers, and scholars across our region.

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Outstanding Chapter Award

Sigma Tau Delta’s Outstanding Chapter Award is designed to recognize local chapters that have exhibited outstanding motivation, creativity, and service in the preceding year. Award recipients will receive a check for up to $500 and a plaque. Winning chapters may also receive up to $350 in travel assistance for sending at least one student representative to the annual convention and bringing a chapter exhibit.

Eligibility

Any active chapter is eligible to apply for an Outstanding Chapter Award, but no chapter may receive an Outstanding Chapter Award in consecutive years. Active chapters are also eligible to apply for a Service Award, a Book Club Service Award, and/or a Chapter Service Project Grant and may use relevant information assembled for the Outstanding Chapter Award application when applying for one of these opportunities. Specific application requirements are posted with each award description.

Required Materials

1. Provide a written narrative, not to exceed 750 words, describing your chapter, including
   • List of any chapter activities or events that are not covered on the Chapter Annual Report form
   • List of any honors received by the chapter or by student members of the chapter
   • Description of chapter programs designed for the university and/or community
   • Description of cooperative programs with other local or national honor societies, or other English Honor Society chapters
   • Descriptions of participation in regional or international Sigma Tau Delta conferences and conventions
   • Description of any other activities that you believe are relevant and important
2. Chapter Annual Report for the current year (Save a PDF copy at the completion of your survey report.)
3. Upload up to three (3) items of supporting documentation in Word (.doc or .docx) or in PDF. Examples: flyers, news stories, playbills, photos, web links, journals. Give each supporting item a title that identifies the type of artifact.

Deadline

Applications will be accepted through the AwardSpring Application platform during the Summer Awards Cycle, which will be open June 22 through July 13, 2026, 4:00 p.m. CT.

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Sigma Tau Delta

Sigma Tau Delta, International English Honor Society, was founded in 1924 at Dakota Wesleyan University. The Society strives to

• Confer distinction for high achievement in English language and literature in undergraduate, graduate, and professional studies;
• Provide, through its local chapters, cultural stimulation on college campuses and promote interest in literature and the English language in surrounding communities;
• Foster all aspects of the discipline of English, including literature, language, and writing;
• Promote exemplary character and good fellowship among its members;
• Exhibit high standards of academic excellence; and
• Serve society by fostering literacy.

With over 900 active chapters located in the United States and abroad, there are more than 1,000 Faculty Advisors, and approximately 9,000 members inducted annually.

Sigma Tau Delta also recognizes the accomplishments of professional writers who have contributed to the fields of language and literature.