ECU's STD Numbers are Growing

From left to right:  Lindsey Dugan, Robert Darling, Noelle Hurt, Jaime Worden, Macy McDonald, Sarah Berger.

Seven members of ECU's English and Languages department were inducted into the Upsilon Pi chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the International English honor society at our last meeting of the year on Friday, including:   Sarah Berger,  Robert Darling, Lindsey Dugan, Noelle Hurt, Macy McDonald, and Mary Newport.  We also celebrated the service of lecturer Jim Hunter, who has actively supported ECU's STD events these past two years (and will be moving to greener pastures next fall), and Dr. Trisha Yarbrough, a long-time member of Sigma Tau Delta, who is retiring after 25 years at ECU.  We gave Jim a commissioned word-art portrait (thanks, Jim Benton!) with a French-theme, in recognition of Jim's work on ECU's French Film Festival; it features words and phrases we hope he will remember us by and others we will will remember him by (many of them curse words).

"A life should leave / deep tracks..."

We gave Dr. Yarbrough a framed print of a poem, "Things Shouldn't Be So Hard," by Kay Ryan, in recognition of Dr. Yarbrough's infectious love of literature, and the countless poems she has shared with the ECU community during her tenure here (click here to read the full poem).  Dr. Yarbrough honored us with a reading of Ryan's poem and later regaled us with tales of departmental mischief from days of yore.  (My favorite quotation of the afternoon has Dr. Yarbrough insisting, "I am not going to let you handcuff me!")

Thanks to all who turned out, brought food, broke bread with us, contributed to the art projects, and otherwise supported STD activities over the past year.  Our next meeting is Friday, September 7th (with subsequent meetings to be held on the first Fridays in October, November, and December).  Hope to see you then!

And if you can help with our  service project,the Better World Books Drive, by donating books or helping us box and ship them, please let us know!  Our collection bin is outside the ECU bookstore.