Four students and an alumna from the University of North Georgia (UNG) participated in the Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society Convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, in March. The annual event offers an array of critical and creative presentation panels, roundtables, career development workshops, author appearances, and social events.

Event attendees included students Barbara Davis, Shea Barfield, Ashley Brooks, and Tara Heimberger from UNG's Alpha Upsilon Phi chapter, 2016 UNG alumna Brittany Barron, and Dr. Leigh Dillard, chapter adviser and professor of English at UNG.

Davis, Barfield, Brooks, and Heimberger each presented a critical essay, while Barron presented a selection of original poetry and other creative writing entitled “Mad Girl on Vacation.”

Davis presented “Holmes and Watson: Consulting Adults” in a panel on "Detecting Identity in Victorian England." Barfield presented “Synesthesia and Objectification in The Book Thief,” a piece initially written for the gateway English course in Intermediate Composition. Brooks presented “Addict: Reaching and Rejecting the American Dream” on a panel about addiction and mental health. Heimberger presented “The Imposed Villainy of Lady Macbeth and Richard III” in a panel "Lessons in Leadership in Shakespeare."

The chapter also received a $100 cash prize for winning the Outstanding Chapter Display award; the display was created by Castiel Dixon, Jennifer Harris, Amanda Ayers, and Heimberger.

Other awards and nominations included Dillard named Regent for the Southern Region, and Barron named assistant student representative. In these roles, the two will work together to facilitate communication with chapters across the 10-state southern region and assist with convention planning for next year’s event.