This academic year, the English Honor Society Sigma Tau Delta has been busy hosting a Book Sale and a Roundtable on Race Relations at UNCP.

Book Sale

Working to raise money to offset membership fees, Sigma Tau Delta hosted a book sale that drew students, faculty, and staff on September 28th and 29th outside the University Center (UC).

The strong turnout resulted in the organization raising $596, which exceeded fundraising goals.

Members had fun talking about books, and advisor Dr. Laura Hakala noted that, in addition to promoting their organization, the book sale also “ended up being a good way to promote reading for fun on our campus.”

Sigma Tau Delta plans to make the book sale an annual event to raise sufficient funds to attend the national Sigma Tau Delta conference. If you would like to get involved with the honor society or be informed about future events, contact Dr. Laura Hakala at Laura.hakala@uncp.edu.

Roundtable on Race Relations at UNCP

Charged with “transforming the world with words” and providing “cultural stimulation on college campuses,” English Honor Society Sigma Tau Delta hosted a roundtable to discuss race and education at UNCP on October 19th.

Roundtable panelists included Maria Lazaro, a junior accounting major and president of the Black Student Union (BSU); Ashley Benoit, a senior English major and president of Sigma Tau Delta; Brittany Best, a junior political science major and NAACP Community Coordinator Chair; and Angelica Hernandez, a sophomore wildlife biology major and representative of the Office of Inclusion and Diversity.

Participants in the room and on WebEx listened attentively as panelists discussed how race impacts experiences with education, why students have felt uncomfortable talking about race in the classroom, when racial terms have been misused and misconstrued, and what actions UNCP should take to create an equitable campus for students of color.

The conversation was expansive and candid, with panelists and participants sharing upsetting descriptions of micro-aggressions experienced on campus. In addition to calling for increased discussion of racism in the classroom, representatives for the NAACP and BSU said the best way UNCP can support students of color is to attend the events that these groups hold.

Sigma Tau Delta advisor Dr. Laura Hakala described the event as “very productive” and expressed a desire “to see the conversation continue” in future student-led initiatives.