Hispanic Heritage Month Poetry Writing Challenge

Sigma Tau Delta is thrilled to partner with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) for a dynamic Poetry Writing Challenge in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month 2024.

LULAC is dedicated to advancing the economic, educational, political, housing, health, and civil rights of the Hispanic community in the United States. Sigma Tau Delta and LULAC are empowering student members to delve deep into the rich tapestry of Hispanic identity. Through this collaboration, all student members of the Sigma Tau Delta community will become more aware of the need to celebrate cultural identities and heritage, explore and reflect upon their own insights and experiences, and craft their own narratives that celebrate and reflect the diversity of the Hispanic experience. LULAC is officially sponsoring Natalie Diaz's convention appearance and offering Hispanic Sigma Tau Delta student members the opportunity to attend their LULAC Academy event.

Our Poetry Writing & Performance Challenge draws inspiration from Natalie Diaz’s first collection When My Brother Was an Aztec (2012). A MacArthur Grant and Pulitzer Prize-winning poet of Mojave and Mexican descent, Diaz’s work resonates with raw honesty and explores themes of cultural identity, language, and personal struggles. From her upbringing in the Mojave Valley to the collegiate and professional basketball court, from an observer of family struggle to a prize-winning creative writer, Diaz's journey is constantly inspiring and transformative.

Join us as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by embracing Diaz’s profound exploration of heritage, identity, and human experience. Let your voice be heard through poetry, honoring the spirit of creativity and cultural expression. Together, we’re shaping a narrative that echoes the vibrancy and resilience of Hispanic communities and cultural identities across the nation and beyond.

Read more about Natalie Diaz.

Eligibility

Applicants must be current Sigma Tau Delta student members affiliated with an active chapter.

Submission Requirements

Student writers should read a selection of poems from Natalie Diaz's When My Brother Was an Aztec. They should craft a poem in response to Diaz's work, of no more than one page in length, that discusses at least one the following themes and motifs included within the collection:

• Addiction and mental illness
• Cultural identity and heritage
• Trauma and healing
• Language and expression
• Spirituality and myth

Submission Process

• All submissions must be made via the Google Form link below before 11:59 p.m. (CT) on Monday, September 30, 2024.
• Student members must upload a Microsoft Word file (.doc/.docx) of the poem written by the applicant.
• All student writers must include a 150-word (max.) third-person biography and high-resolution portrait photo.
• Applicants must agree that they are willing to provide a written report and photos detailing the impact the creative process and award has had on them, which can be used by Sigma Tau Delta to promote this and other opportunities in future years should they win an award.
• All winning submissions will be shared with LULAC.

Evaluation Process

All submissions will be evaluated by at least three members of the Sigma Tau Delta evaluation team.

All submissions will be evaluated against a rubric containing (but not limited to) the following categories:

• Message
• Use of conventions
• Form
• Technique
• Originality

Submission Link