Sigma Delta Pi, a national Spanish honor society, has been active on The University of Memphis campus since the early 90s.
Sumor Sheppard, graduate student in Spanish literature and vice president of SDP, describes the organization as a place to promote Spanish literature and culture.
“We bring speakers on campus, and we have movie nights which feature foreign Spanish films, music from different countries and politics,” he said.
Members have a chance to interact with fluent Spanish speakers, second language and native speakers. The meetings cover a wide range of topics, according to the president Cassandra Morgan, a graduate student in Spanish literature and president of SDP.
Meeting topics sometimes revolve around political and economic situations. At other times they discuss the differences in pop culture in Hispanic countries.
SDP also creates opportunities for joining the organization, according to Sheppard. SDP awards scholarships to both undergraduate and graduate Spanish students, and helps members get published in Spanish literary journals. One of the advantages, according to Sheppard, is that they have a number of opportunities to be published in El Cid, a national journal devoted to graduate and undergraduate submissions.
“We try to bring the ambiance of a Spanish speaking country to the campus through our meetings and events,” Sheppard said.
Members must have taken, or currently be taking, Spanish courses at the 3000 level or above.
“Once you join, the membership is for a life time, and is useful for undergraduate students whose major is Spanish,” said Morgan.
The organization holds national conventions on language, writing and literature. The SDP chapter, according to Morgan, hopes to attend at least one of those conferences this semester.
“We really are trying to get involved with the national organization much more so than we have in the past,” said Morgan.
The members also hope to promote the study of Spanish on campus. The organization has begun developing a Spanish language library in the foreign language department in Dunn Hall.
“Our hope is to enhance the department, and one day we hope to have enough books to merit our own library room,” said Sheppard.
The organization usually meets every week on Thursday at 1 p.m., in the Dunn Hall faculty lounge on the fourth floor.
