English department students present papers at Sigma Tau Delta convention

Five Luther College seniors presented papers at the annual convention of the Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society in Pittsburgh this spring.

Five Luther College seniors, (pictured left to right) Ryan Malecha, Jannie Gowdy, Clara Wodny, Leah Koenig and Ashley Imdieke presented papers at the annual convention of the Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society held March 2025 in Pittsburgh.

The students, all English majors, are members of Luther College’s Sigma Tau Delta chapter. Their papers examined an array of works, from Virginia Woolf, Oscar Wilde, and Carson McCullers, to Sudanese author Leila Aboulela, to the 2024 HBO series “True Detective: Night Country.”

Luther students attending were Jannie Gowdy ’25 (Melbourne, Iowa), Ashley Imdieke ’25 (Northfield, Minnesota), Leah Koenig ’25 (Lakeville, Minnesota), Ryan Malecha ’25 (Northfield, Minnesota), and Clara Wodny ’25 (Duluth, Minnesota). Wodny and Imdieke also presented at previous conferences held in Denver and St. Louis.

“Both conferences were wonderful, valuable experiences. The chance to share my work and geek out over various niche literary topics with like-minded peers is always validating,” Wodny said.

Imdieke described her experience as “informative and inspiring.”

“The opportunity to present my paper in front of a room full of English students from across the nation was both a valuable public speaking experience and an honor,” Imdieke said.

Malecha enjoyed the experience, saying the conference “reinvigorated my passion for the discipline.”

“I left the conference with loads of new knowledge and a large reading list. The conference also taught me more about what strong research looks like and how to communicate effectively with audiences,” he said.

Marie Drews, Luther College associate professor of English and adviser for the Luther Sigma Tau Delta chapter, accompanied the students to the conference. She said the students’ presentations “reflected well the dynamic nature of literary studies at Luther.”

“It is so fun to see Luther students in their element, conversing about what they have been learning with peers from across the country,” Drews said. “This set of students presented their work with confidence and professionalism, offering thoughtful close readings and engaging arguments.”

The Office of the Provost, the Center for Ethics and Public Engagement and the English Department provided the funding for the student travel, hotel and registration costs.

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