Contests and Challenges
Convention Bingo, Wednesday, 3:00 p.m. - Saturday, Noon
(Pavilion Landing, L2)
Upon registration, attendees will be given a convention bingo card full of activities intended to enrich your convention experience. As you complete the activities, mark them off on your card. Once you have completed a row (a bingo), you may turn your card in at the registration desk for one entry into our prize drawing. Alternately, you may complete the entire card and turn it in for 10 entries into the drawing. Entries must be submitted by the close of registration on Friday, and winners will be drawn at the Gala dinner on Saturday.
Bad Poetry Contest and "Dry T-shirt" Merchandise Skits - 9:00 p.m.
(Pavilion IV-V, L2)
View information about the Bad Poetry Contest and "Dry T-shirt" Merchandise Skits
Convention Story Contest
Share your convention story! In order to create and preserve an accessible archive of cultural and historical data, and to develop awareness and appreciation of the rich cultural identity and intellectual traditions of Sigma Tau Delta, we are inviting all convention attendees to submit your convention stories. We are seeking short blogs (100-400 words) detailing your experience and what the convention meant to you.
For inspiration, check the winning stories form the 2014 Convention:
1st Prize: #SigmaTauDeltaConvention2014, by Ellen Watts
2nd Prize: Embrace It, by Sara Labor
3rd Prize: Embracing Mistakes: Daniel Mendelsohn and Storytelling, by Amy Pollard
Prizes
A first, second, and third place prize will be offered in the amounts of $100, $60, and $40 respectively. At the judges’ discretion, up to two runner-up entries will be considered.
Rules
- Entrants must be a member of Sigma Tau Delta, and must have attended the 2015 convention.
- Limit one entry per person.
- Prizes will be awarded by May 1 and winning entries will be published on WORDY by Nature.
- Winners will be paid in the form of a check, so be sure to indicate to whom you want the check made out to if different from your signed name.
- The deadline for all blog entries is April 15.
Format and Pictures
All written entries:
- Must be 12-point, Times New Roman font
- Must be no fewer than 100, and no more than 400 words
- Must be submitted as a Word document (.doc or .docx)
- Must be submitted as an attachment, and in the email to which it is attached, you must provide:
- Your name
- Email address
- Name of school and name of your Sigma Tau Delta chapter (see Chapter Directory)
- Year you were inducted into Sigma Tau Delta
- Must follow the Sigma Tau Delta Writing Style Guide and MLA
- Should skip a line between paragraphs
- Must be accompanied by a headshot of the writer
- Must include at least one relevant original photo
- Must identify any people featured in submitted photos
- Must have the following header:
- Title
- Author (list first name and last name)
- Office (if applicable: e.g., President, Secretary, Chapter Sponsor)
- School Name
Submission Instructions
- Visit the 2015 Convention Story Contest Submission Link.
- Click "Browse" to locate your story (.docx or .doc)
- Click "Attach"
- Next to "Graphics" click "Browse" to locate your headshot.
- Must be a color picture in .jpg format. The file needs to be named YourName.jpg (Example: JohnSmith.jpg)
- Click "Attach"
- Upload up to three images that pertain to your story
- Click "Browse" to locate the first picture, then click "Attach." Repeat this process for the other images.
- Must be a color picture in .jpg format. The file needs to be named YourName-Blog1.jpg, YourName-Blog2.jpg, YourName-Blog3.jpg
(Example: JohnSmith-Blog1.jpg, JohnSmith-Blog2.jpg, JohnSmith-Blog3.jpg)
- Fill in all the fields.
- Click "Save Changes"
- Click "Submit"
Evaluation Criteria
In addition to the criteria that the article address the contest topic, and meet the requirements listed above, articles will be judged according to a rubric which incorporates many, if not all of the following criteria:
- Inspires appreciation of words, language, and literature
- Furthers, promotes, or highlights one of the objectives of the Society
- Provides original content (does not duplicate the website)
- Shares relevant and useful information for Society members
- Contains a takeaway or key thought for members
- Includes a call to action or a question that promotes conversation
- Logical, clear, and accurate
- Written from a personal perspective (first person narrative)
- Informative and/or persuasive in nature
- Utilizes multimedia (pictures, videos, and web links)
- Well written, professional, and representative of the high standards of the Society
- Simple
- Descriptive
- Eye-catching, grabs the reader’s attention
- Meets a need (the reader feels like he/she needs to read it)