For international English Honor Society Sigma Tau Delta, there was no questioning whether it was "to be or not to be" a night of Shakespeare's Hamlet at the Arkansas Repertory Theater in downtown Little Rock.The event on Nov. 12 was only one of many things the honors society had done together, which "strove to confer distinction for high achievement in English language and literature," the group's motto. What better way to achieve such high standards than to attend one of Shakespeare's greatest masterpieces? "As amazing as it was to see Hamlet performed live, Ithink my favorite part of the experience was getting to fellowship with both professors and students who enjoy literature and theater as much as I do," junior Whitney Dixon said. Sigma Tau Delta usually attended a play every semester in order to benefit the students academically as well. "There is so much about a play that you just can't understand when you just read the text," Dixon said. "Plays are meant to be performed, and you're missing an important piece of the puzzle when you miss the performance aspect." Many of the students who were act1ve in the club planned on becoming teachers, so the plays were 2 20 organizations always inspiration for ways to immerse future students in Iiterature. "Hopefully I can show my students a performance of the play when I teach it," Dixon said. "But at least having seen the play, Ican bring a better understanding to my students of how the text translates into real characters and storylines that you can see." Senior English major Jocelyn McClung agreed that experiencing a Shakespearean masterpiece alongside other like-minded scholars was an experience that should not be missed. "My favorite part of the experience was getting to enjoy a play I love with other people who love and enjoy the experience as much as I do and who are willing to talk about it afterwards," McClung said. When the students voted on which play they would rather see, there no question. "We had to choose between Hamlet and Evita, and I think that most of the students who voted preferred a play to a musical," McClung said. "Also, it's Shakespeare, who could pass that up?" At the end of the night, it was evident that the members of Sigma Tau Delta had made the right choice. Now they were ready for Lorraine Hansberry's "A Raisin in the Sun," the next play showing at the Rep, and prepared to enjoy every minute of it. Caitlin Caldwell
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