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Conferences
Pioneers of The New Millennium
Sigma Tau Delta's 2001 International Convention promises to be a real treat for all attendees. Located in Corpus Christi, TX, the convention will be literally across the street from the Gulf of Mexico. A sub-tropical clime, fantastic beaches, lively local night life, and last but not least, the exciting activities planned for the convention will combine to make this an event of a lifetime. Convention Information
Accommodations:We will be staying at the Omni Corpus Christi Bayfront Tower, located in the heart of the Marina District. The Omni boasts of two restaurants: the Glass Pavilion, offering steak, seafood, and pasta; and the Republic of Texas Bar and Grill, a multilevel rooftop restaurant with spectacular views of the city. Other amenities include a health club, sauna, whirlpool, outdoor heated pool, and indoor racquetball courts. Every room provides toiletries and a hair-dryer, and each room has a view of the bay.All convention attendees are responsible for making their own hotel reservations. When making reservations, be sure you ask for the special Convention rate; indicate if you are sharing a room and with whom you are sharing. IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE CONVENTION RATE, RESERVATIONS MUST BE MADE NO LATER THAN FEBRUARY 22, 2001. RATES ARE ONLY VALID WHILE ROOMS IN OUR BLOCK ARE AVAILABLE, SO DON'T DELAY! Convention Rates:
Check-in time is 3 p.m., although some rooms may be available earlier; checkout is 12:00 noon the day of departure. Rates are available from March 14-18, 2001. PLEASE verify cancellation policy when making your
reservations (must have credit card to reserve rooms): Roommates: Your roommate request MUST be received NO LATER THAN February 16, 2001. Meals: Attire:As always, the best-dressed people attending tours and convention sessions are those wearing a chapter t-shirt or other article of Sigma Tau Delta clothing! Once again, this year's convention will feature a (dry) t-shirt competition, so bring your chapter t-shirts and get those skits ready!Presenters should wear business or professional attire for their presentations. We recommend informal Western wear for this year's Saturday banquet: dress for Texas! (Cowboy hats optional) Paper Submissions:All active members and active alumni are encouraged to submit papers or proposals for panels. Select those great papers and send them in! This convention provides a wonderful opportunity for students to present good analytical or creative work. The official Call for Papers has additional information, as does the Convention Committee's Special Invitation for Papers and Panels. Submissions must be received by December 15, 2000. Preliminary Schedule:Official convention sessions run from 1:30 p.m. Thursday to 7 p.m. Saturday. Included in the convention will be informal open mike sessions for students to present original fiction and poetry. Don't forget to bring your chapter's t-shirt, and be prepared to present a skit at the dry t-shirt contest Thursday night. Saturday morning there will be time and space available for chapters to sell t-shirts and other items. Look for many additional events.When you register, you will receive a more complete schedule. Final schedules will be available at the convention. Registration:Early registration forms for the convention must be post-marked no later than February 16, 2001. Later mail-in registration and on-site registration will be accepted, but the cost will be higher.Early Registration Fees:
Speakers and Presenters:Ernest J. Gaines, author of such novels as The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman, A Lesson Before Dying, and A Gathering of Old Men, will be this year's keynote speaker. The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman has been made into a film starring Cicely Tyson, and A Lesson Before Dying is currently in production. Mr. Gaines has been honored with the National Book Critics Circle Award for A Lesson Before Dying as well as with a MacArthur Foundation grant for his work. Benjamin Alire Saenz is the author of Calendar of Dust, Dark and Perfect Angels, House of Forgetting, and Carry Me Like Water, among other works. A writer of fiction and poetry, both of which are included in the preceding list, Mr. Saenz has been awarded a Wallace Stegner Fellowship from Stanford University, a Lannon Poetry Fellowship, and an American Book Award. Currently Mr. Saenz is an instructor at the University of Texas at El Paso. Dana Sachs has written articles on Vietnam for such publications as Mother Jones and The San Francisco Examiner, and co-directed an award winning documentary about contemporary Vietnam, Which Way Is East. Her memoir of living in Hanoi, The House on Dream Street (an excerpt of which won the Associated Writing Program's Intro Award for Non-fiction), will be published this fall. Ms. Sachs currently teaches journalism and Vietnamese literature at the University of North Carolina/Wilmington. Special Tours:The following special, optional tours will be offered to convention-goers:Sunset Cruise on Capt. Clark's Flagship: Ahoy, mateys! Come cruise the bay and watch sail boats, freighters, and sea life on Captain Clark's Flagship. Ship sails at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night and returns to port (one block from the Omni Bayfront Tower) at 9 p.m. Cost per person: $10 King Ranch Tour: Get a real taste of Texas at the world famous King Ranch. Take our tour bus through the oldest (and one of the largest) working cattle ranches in the US. Enjoy a real ranch BBQ lunch at the cowboy camphouse. We'll even tour the King Ranch Museum. Tour leaves from the Omni Bayfront Sunday morning at 8:15 a.m. and will return by 2 p.m. (___ reserves the right to cancel the tour if we do not meet minimum booking requirements. In case of cancellation, your payment would be refunded in Corpus Christi.) Cost per person: $35.00 Mustang Island: Enjoy fun in the sun on picturesque Mustang Island. Walk the beach, join a game of beach volleyball, or even go for a horseback ride (for an additional $25, payable that day). A beach picnic (hotdogs, chili, veggies, chips and s'mores) will be provided. Vans leave the Omni Bayfront Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. and will return by 2:30 p.m. Cost per person: $35 Tickets must be ordered through Sigma Tau Delta's Central Office with your early registration, by February 16, 2001. Tour registration is non-refundable. Tour Web Sites Travel:For those traveling to Corpus Christi by air, Southwest Airlines is offering a 10% discount on most of its already low fares, for travel to and from the Sigma Tau Delta International Convention. For reservations, you or your travel agent may call Southwest Airlines Group and Meetings Reservations at 1-800-433-5368, referencing the ID code B3181. Reservations Sales Agents are available Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Additionally, Continental Airlines is offering discounted tickets for travel to Corpus Christi. For reservations with Continental, you or your travel agent should call Continental MeetingWorks at 800-468-7022 and provide the reservations agent with reference number JRDER5. Fares are subject to terms and availability, so make your reservations early!You are not obligated to use Southwest or Continental Airlines. Shop around for the lowest fare possible. Check with your local travel agent, and ask if your college or university has an institutional contract with an airline. Arrival by air: Arrival by car: |
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(C)2000 Sigma Tau Delta, Eta Chi Chapter. Design and layout by Shawn Rider.