“… And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting on the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door; and his eyes have all the seeming of a demon’s that is dreaming, and the lamp-light o’er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor; and my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor, shall be lifted-nevermore!”
Kicking off with a reading of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven” on Oct. 31 at 7 p.m., Sigma Tau Delta English Honorary Society is holding its annual Edgar Allan Poe-try Reading on the first floor of the Hall of Languages.
Put together by graduate student Rick McCraw, President of Sigma Tau Delta Sarah Rodriguez and English Department Head Dr. Salvatore Attardo, the society invites students, faculty and the Commerce community to come read poetry and short stories of Poe’s, as well as their own work, during the open-mic session, free of charge.
“We wanted to invite everyone. It’s a really fun event and a good time for socializing,” Rodriquez said.
Since the event was started in the late 1990s, its attendance rate has grown to such a large number that the Heritage House is no longer big enough to house it as in years past.
Also different this year is the event being open to the community and those of all ages, including children and any high schools that would like to make a field trip of it. If enough younger children attend, there will be a designated section for them to enjoy the festivities as well.
Throughout the night there will be food and drinks, along with prize giveaways, including free tans, massages, food gift certificates and oil changes from several businesses in Commerce. Those sponsoring the event include: Wal-Mart, Brookshires, the Beauty Bar, Subway, Pizza Hut, Lone Star Pizza and the campus bookstores.
Also for entertainment throughout the night, there will be tarot card readings, costume contests, palm readings, face painting and an unplugged jam session. The poetry and short story reading itself will be held in the student lounge of the Hall of Languages.
“This event is just for fun, but it is a great way to highlight the department and represent what we stand for. It is an outlet for creativity and will allow students to learn to coordinate a complex event,” Kathryn Jacobs, advisor for Sigma Tau Delta said.