How to Maintain an Innovative Chapter, or Unofficial Year in Review for Sigma Kappa Delta, Psi Alpha Chapter AY 2023-24

I'm in St. Louis to attend the Sigma Kappa Delta National Convention. Sigma Kappa Delta (SKD) is an English honor society with which I'm involved; the Psi Alpha chapter of Odessa College has done incredible work this past year. Friday I will participate in a roundtable entitled "Maintaining an Innovative Chapter." This is a good time to not only list what we've accomplished, but also reflect on what I've learned. I'm frequently stunned by how simple some of the most effective lessons are and how easy they are to miss.

Thanks to our efforts, SKD meetings have been opportunities to teach each other. Crystal and Mallory gave presentations during Banned Books Week which powerfully presented what censorship keeps from us. I talked about Kay Ryan and Robert Frost, specifically how each deals with the theme of nihilism in their poetry. A number of our members contribute by attending virtually. It's really amazing to see a whole room show sensitivity to the needs of those some distance away, everyone working hard to hear each other.

We also run a book club, and through that I've learned about Poe and what makes effective horror, Native American poetry (this post on Joy Harjo's "Granddaughters" references our discussion), and Welsh love poetry (this was wild, honestly).

Of course, the Psi Alpha chapter has done so much more than this. It has, with the help of the campus Learning Resources Center, put on Poetry Night twice. Not only were these well-attended community events, but they featured a number of poets speaking for the first time. (One of the best parts of being a community college teacher is seeing people step up and try. You get the feeling your students can do anything.) We also hosted a Friendsgiving where faculty and students ate incredibly well. I can't say I discussed literature much that day, but I did learn a lot about professional wrestling.

SKD ran a fundraiser where we sold "Irishgrams:" we sold small black pots with lollipops and an attached traditional Irish saying for St. Patrick's Day. The fundraiser was incredibly successful, raising enough money to cover member dues and introducing the campus community to a number of things Conor McGregor might say (I'm almost not kidding. "More power to your elbow" was one of them). We have participated in a number of campus events, reading poetry and prose, for example, at the campus' Globe Theatre.

The Psi Alpha chapter has also volunteered with the Literacy Coalition of the Permian Basin, helping create 1500 bags with literacy resources for new mothers:

There's more to tell you, but I think you get the idea. We're an extremely active and effective chapter and we're deeply committed to literacy. How do we do all this? I have three ideas about what's happening:

1. Thinking in terms of service. When we're thinking about what we want to do, we're focused on who we want to reach and what experience we'd like them to have. Our former President, Valarie, was exceptional in this regard. The "Friendsgiving" we had, arguably our best attended event, was on her wishlist. It helped get a lot of students talking who wouldn't normally talk. Thinking in terms of service, of course, means understanding what specific service SKD provides. It's bigger than a group which reads together. The commitment is to always hearing what's said.
2. Activity and energy. You need more of this when membership is in flux, but the commitment to the principle is what matters. You hold the meeting, you run the fundraiser, you volunteer for things, you show up at people's lectures and performances, you help out other groups. It will feel corny to say "I'm a member of SKD, this is what we value, that's a reason why I'm here," and you don't have to say it. It is visible to any and all. It's strange to think that when membership is flagging that meetings should be held, but it is especially when one needs members that there should be consistent meetings.
3. Show, don't tell. A major reason why there's a lot of "ugh" around one of our greatest writers, David Foster Wallace, is because his fans tell more than show. You'll note that the Psi Alpha chapter is plenty literary–there are ample opportunities to talk about Frederic Jameson or Vonnegut, just ask Dan or Josh–but it shows up as we do things for each other, the campus, and the broader community.

If you're curious to hear more about student programming and getting students involved, I'm always happy to talk about it. I'm not the greatest at paperwork and procedures, and I leave activities and crafts to the professionals. I'm just happy to be part of something that plays to each of our strengths.

Addendum: I was pretty bad at clubs back in the day!