TROY, Ala (TROJANVISION) — Wednesday afternoon, the English department’s honors society, Sigma Tau Delta, held a poetry reading session for students to share some of their well-known or original poems.

You don’t have to be well-versed in poetry to know good writing when you hear it. Wednesday’s poetry reading saw both familiar and unfamiliar faces presenting pieces that mean something to them.

“We had a lot of readers, some of our club members, but quite a few people that aren’t a member of Sigma Tau Delta that got up and shared poetry, too,” said faculty sponsor, Professor Anna Orlofsky. “One of the highlights is always when students resent their original work so that for me is always at the top.”

Sigma Tau Delta holds several readings throughout the year, most of which involve students reading prose from the pros, but secretary and treasurer Michelle Perez says poetry is a different circumstance.

“I was really surprised by the couple originals we had, I think if anything the poetry [reading] is the one where students will bring original work.”

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Of course, you don’t have to write poetry to enjoy it; plenty of students brought some of their favorite classics to read as well.

“I didn’t love poetry until I got to college, and I kind of took more classes on it and got to appreciate it more,” Perez told TrojanVision. “I fell in love with it when I took a class maybe my freshman or sophomore year, but I usually enjoy just reading it more than writing it.”

For some students it may not be lack of interest that stops them from attending. Often many people experience stage fright or embarrassment at the thought of reciting to a group. Sigma Tau Delta President Hailey Alcathie says this fear is not forever.

“I think it’s hard to get up there in front of people you’re not comfortable with, but since we put on so many of these events I kind of feel like I know who I’m looking at whenever I’m speaking to everybody, so it doesn’t seem as scary anymore, but it definitely seems scary at the beginning.”