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English honor society chapter President wins prize at international convention

Andrew Bruso

ETA BannerJaclyn Swiderski ’16 (English) represented the SUNY New Paltz English Department at the 2016 Sigma Tau Delta Convention in Minneapolis, Minn., where she presented “Hope for Home Rule,” her research essay on the thematic significance of keys and homes in James Joyce’s classic novel, Ulysses.

“Even though Ulysses is probably the most difficult book I’ve ever read, I decided to write my paper about it to challenge myself,” Swiderski said. “The theme for the convention was ‘Finding Home,’ and my paper focused on how the novel’s main characters’ loss of the keys to their homes reflects their larger loss of their home nation of Ireland, as it is still under British colonial rule.”

Swiderski’s paper was one of more than 500 submissions, and was recognized with a Justin Q. Owen Convention Award for presentations pertaining to the Sigma Tau Delta Convention Theme of “Finding Home.” The honor comes with a $150 prize.

Swiderski is president of the New Paltz chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honor Society with more than 800 chapters and 9,000 annual inductees. Its annual convention brings together hundreds of student and faculty members from around the globe for keynote addresses, workshops and presentations, with awards given for excellent writing and scholarship in a number of categories.

“This was my first time going to an academic conference, so I tried to go in with an open mind so I would be ready for anything,” Swiderski said. “It ended up being a really great experience, with a mix of academic activities and fun events. On the day I presented my paper, I felt like I was representing New Paltz. I was the only person from our chapter to go, and I wanted to give a good impression of the school that has taught me so much in my time here.”

Swiderski will graduate this May and is in the process of applying to continue her education in graduate school.

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