Of all the student organizations at Southeast Missouri State University, the Black Mask Honorary Dramatic Society is the oldest, with its origins predating the first World War.

According to records at Kent Library, the organization was first called the “Dramatic Club” and was begun in 1913. Eight years later, the name was changed to the “Black Mask Dramatic Club.” Since those early years, the organization has sought the best and brightest theater students to fill its ranks and to generally promote excellence in the dramatic arts.

Kelli Jaycox, the organization's current vice president, said the society's age makes membership even more prestigious.

“It's sort of like the elite of the theater department,” Jaycox said. “It's also the oldest organization at SEMO, which is a really big honor that we try to let people know every single year that they're coming in, that it's a big deal to be a part of this organization while in theater.”

Jaycox said in the past, the society has been more secretive regarding its membership and activities. In the past year, however, the society's leaders have attempted to make the organization more open and apparent.

“Within the past years, we've sort of had it as a secret society. So it was very sort of closed off. But within this last year, me and the current president and the treasurer, and even the rest of the group, we agreed we want more involvement. We're a very small group and we want to get more people involved. So that's when we decided we wanted to host more events, we wanted to sort of take the ‘secret society’ part of it [out].”

In an attempt to bring more attention to the society, the members held a formal event called the “Black Masquerade” on April 1st(?). The masquerade, called the “River Campus Prom” by some, was held in the Cultural Arts Center at the River Campus. In lieu of an entry fee, the society required that attendants wear a mask.

Jaycox said the society sponsors other events, even in it’s more secretive past. These events include an end-of-the-year picnic for the theater department and a senior night for the department's soon-to-be graduates.

On April 16, the society held its induction ceremony at the River Campus. According to the Grace Taylor, the society’s president, seven new members were inducted. This induction nearly doubled the society’s current membership, but Taylor said because some of the members are graduating, there will be nine active members next school year.