English Honors Society Hosts First Ever "Letters to the Faculty" Event

Often, university faculty members go unrecognized for their expertise, dedication and countless hours of sacrifice. Therefore, Phi Upsilon, NEIU's English Honors Society, conducted the first ever event to recognize the service of the English departments faculty. On Thursday, Dec. 1, the group held their "Letters to the Faculty" event. Students of the English department wrote heartfelt letters to faculty members who have touched their lives. "Dr. Poll is an idealist, who generously provides all of the students of .:Seeds:. with educational pearls as he advises our club. In his day-to-day, I've watched him go beyond the duties of an educator and become a mentor and friend to many students on this campus," wrote Lakeesha J. Harris, Political Science graduate student and Editor in Chief of .:Seeds:. Literary Arts Journal.

"This was my brain-child. I thought it would be great to do something like this because the English department faculty isn't recognized as they should be. I thought that even if only on one day, for one hour, they deserve this," said Jami Tillis, Vice President. Faculty seemed to appreciate the group's efforts; chair of the department, Timothy Libretti, expressed his ‘near speechless' joy at receiving a deluxe coffee maker for the English department's office from the group.

Professor Timothy Scherman said, "Most of what we hear as faculty members is that graduation rates are terrible, what are you adding to the curriculum and the like. This [type of event] is what keeps us going. This is so important to us. It's wonderful that this occasion breaks that cycle for us. " Many members of the group are either graduating or rising seniors and express the hopes that other members in the group will continue to provide events like these and other activities. "It's all about getting our name out there," said organization president Patricia Dalinis, "we're petitioning to go to the national conference in New Orleans next year. It's a great opportunity. We also hope to bring in more speakers. "

The organization is for English majors only but they are enthusiastic about collaborating with other campus groups to bring quality programs to the campus. Brian Rogers, treasurer of Phi Upsilon, hopes that the group can garner more support by events like the "Letters to the Faculty" and other activities. Since philanthropy is one of their major interests, they hope to raise more money with bake sales and other fundraising ventures.