Seniors present research and creative work at international convention

Four Luther College seniors were selected to present their poems, short stories and research papers at the annual convention of the Sigma Tau Delta International English Honor Society in New Orleans this spring.

Luther College seniors Sea Orme of Seattle; Edie Meehan of Northfield, Minnesota; Katherine Griffin of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin; and Niamh Mee of St. Paul, Minnesota; were selected to present their poems, short stories and research papers at the Sigma Tau Delta 2026 Convention.

The students, Katherine Griffin of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin; Niamh Mee of St. Paul, Minnesota; Edie Meehan of Northfield, Minnesota; and Sea Orme of Seattle are members of Luther College’s Sigma Tau Delta chapter. All of them are majoring in English at Luther.

The students described the convention as an inspiring and informative experience. They enjoyed connecting with their peers from other institutions.

“I had a wonderful time getting to meet and hear the works of other young writers. Everyone was very friendly and had such interesting things to talk about,” Meehan said.

Meehan presented their short story titled “Elsie’s Piano” at the convention. In the story, a humanoid robot named Elsie is hired to work at a soybean farm in a slightly post-apocalyptic future. The farmer’s son, Ben, distrusts technology, and Elsie in particular. By the end of the story, the two come to partial understanding.

“I learned at the convention that there are people my age already getting their work published, and that I shouldn’t be afraid to pursue those things for myself,” Meehan said.

A children’s literature panel provided valuable insight for Orme’s senior project, a children’s book which discusses disability and equity.

“The panel I attended talked about incorporating social issues like these into children’s literature, so it was both informative and prevalent,” Orme said.

Griffin found the convention to be an eye-opening experience for her perspective and mindset.

“Before the conference I had only really interacted with my poetry on an individual level,” she said. “After the conference I saw that even the poetry that I create cannot only be improved but also how my poetry can build connections to other poetry. The conference showed me that I could push myself even further than what I thought.”

Mee presented a comparative analysis of William Butler Yeats and Lady Augusta Gregory’s 1902 play, “Cathleen ni Houlihan,” and Sean O’Casey’s 1923 play “Kathleen Listens In” at the convention.

“Both plays deal with mythological female characters as symbols of Irish nationalism, but neither play gives agency to real women in the fight for Irish independence,” she said. “My research paper addresses this disparity, and the conflict between the social and nationalist views of femininity, as well as the difficulties of feminized concepts of nationhood that promote the subordination of women in Irish life during the early 20th century.”

The Sigma Tau Delta conference was Mee’s first time presenting her research outside of the Learning at Luther Showcase, where Luther students share their work in a supportive environment each May.

“I had never been to an academic conference, and the Sigma Tau Delta conference was an excellent way to gain this type of experience, which I know will serve me well in the rest of my life,” she said.

Marie Drews, Luther College associate professor of English and adviser for the Luther Sigma Tau Delta chapter, accompanied the students to the conference.

“The Sigma Tau Delta conference provides students with an excellent opportunity to interact with their peers and to engage with renowned writers — this year in New Orleans, a city with such rich literary history,” she said. “I was especially impressed with how our students answered questions and talked about the works they presented, demonstrating their readiness to take their Luther education into the wider world.”

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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