Nearly 30 students showed up to a poetry and short story reading in the Writing Center, put on by UTM’s Omega Theta Chapter of Sigma Tau Delta International English Honors Society.

The reading began with Anna Clark, UTM Faculty, who read Ishmael Reed’s “Beware: Do Not Read This Poem.” Other notable readings were an excerpt from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and as could be expected at such an event, Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Raven.”

Many students chose to read stories that scared them as youth, such as Christian Ashlar, president of Sigma Tau Delta. Also, stories were read from the popular children’s books Scary Stories to Read in the Dark and More Scary Stories to Read in the Dark.

“Everyone wants to be scared, especially this time of year. There’s something about scary stories that speaks to everyone, it’s pretty universal. These stories really have a lasting quality,” said Ashlar. “This is the first time we’ve done a reading for Halloween, but we hope to do it every year,” said Ashlar.

Sigma Tau Delta began at UTM in 2004 and currently has eleven members. It is primarily for junior and senior English students with at least a B average in English.

Nationally, Sigma Tau Delta has over 600 chapters with approximately 7,000 members annually, according to the Sigma Tau Delta Web site.

Sigma Tau Delta functions to promote English language and literature, as well as confer distinction on students’ accomplishments. Sigma Tau Delta also recognizes the accomplishments of professional writers who have contributed to the fields of language and literature.

If you are interested in joining Sigma Tau Delta, contact the vice-president Jennifer Fruitt at kinopela@yahoo.com or Secretary Ashley Ragon at ashragon84@yahoo.com.

Alison Caldwell is the UTM chapter’s faculty adviser, and she says she looks forward to students getting involved in the honors society.