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Show A Year of Change The honor society of Phi Kappa Phi held initiation ceremonies for new members and a reception at Weber State College on Tuesday, May 12, 1987. More than 300 guests were in attendance. "Renaissance," a chamber music ensemble, provided the music for the evening. Dr. Neila Seshachari, chapter president, gave the welcoming address. She reminded the audience that although the initiates come from a variety of intellectual disciplines, they "share one common trait a passion for excellence." WSC President Stephen D. Nadauld equated education with a love of learning. He compared occasions like this initiation, a "crop that Weber State was harvesting in the spring," to the crops that agriculturalists harvest in the fall. The featured speaker for the evening was Dr. Sterling McMurrin, professor at the University of Utah. He raised the question as to how we as a society can "achieve a genuine equality without sacrificing other values that are of a sound and lasting worth." People have to face their problems not by avoidance, but through increased knowledge, he said. Four people on the WSC faculty were made honorary members of Phi Kappa Phi. Those recognized for their outstanding contributions to WSC were Nadauld; Dr. Marie L. Kotter, vice president for student services; Vicky York, assistant professor of library science; and Dr. Walther Spjeldvik, associate professor of physics. Membership in Phi Kappa Phi is by invitation from the society. Each person who qualifies must be in "the top 10 percent of graduating seniors and top five percent of juniors from colleges and universities," said Dr. Ron L. Holt, secretarytreasurer of Phi Kappa Phi for 1986-87 and director of the Honors program. This year there were 175 initiates. One of the student officers of Phi Kappa Phi, Beverly Davis, spoke of her past year's experiences as a member. She affirmed that all of the "fuss" made at the initiation had created memories for her that she will never forget. Holt presented Phi Kappa Phi scholarships to Lois Graviet who has a double major in art and English; and to Susan Walker, a communication major with a double minor in gerontology and Spanish. "Continue to love learning," advised Dr. Ben Noid, the new chapter president for 1987-88. He will be assisted by Holt who will continue to serve as secretary treasurer for the coming year. It was announced that Holt was elected to the position of president-elect for the 1988-89 school ((ocro0(a m year with Dr. Maurice J. Burke serving as secretary treasurer. Phi Kappa Phi has been a part of the WSC campus for over 15 years and it has been acknowledged by the national leadership as one of the top chapters in the nation. The society has increased greatly in scope this past year under the guidance of Seshachari. Phi Kappa Phi emphasizes excellence not only in academic fields, but "high moral and ethical standards of behavior in its qualifications for membership," she said. Among its activities this year, PKP sponsored a political debate between Dale Stratford (R) and Dr. Winn Richards (D), candidates for the Utah State Senate; a performance by Madhu Mishra and Prakash Majaraj, native dancers from India; and a lecture on "Pastoral Nomadism in the Middle East" presented by Holt. The Scholastic Society of WSC is an honor society designed for sophomores and juniors. Requirements for membership include a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 and completion of at least 45 and not more than 120 credit hours, 30 of which have been taken at WSC. The society is solely a local organization and activities are geared to the needs of the students on the Weber State campus. Opportunities for campus leadership and meetings with others who have similar academic interests are benefits of membership. Officers for this year included Kathryn Wormsley, president, and Sue Hiatt, secretary. A number of other honor societies with specific fields of academic achievement have chapters on the WSC campus. For more information on any of these, students should inquire seek more information with the individual'department chair. ...;c. p t:i j! j.j. Susan A. Walker Honors !;!: Vi U U Vji' u - v.V i : Honors at Weber State College is a program for students who are idea-oriented and serious about learning. It provides these students with an enriched learning environment (coursework, seminars, and extra-curricular activities) in which they can work in close cooperation with Weber State's finest professors. There are two tracks in the Honors Program. The General Honors track requires the student to complete 40 hours of honors courses, which may include 10 hours of classes taken for honors credit within the student's major department. The second track is called Departmental Honors and requires the student to take approximately 20 hours in their major for honors credit and 10 hours of General Honors classes. The Honors Program exists for three major purposes: 1) To provide academic opportunities that challenge superior students to perform at the highest level of excellence of which they are capable; 2) To establish an environment that will encourage the aspirations of and the achievements by these students and will foster in them critical thinking, scholarship and citizenship; and 3) To extend the benefits of the Honors Program to the wider academic community by focusing attention on quality and excellence, giving faculty members the psychic rewards that derive from working with gifted students, and attracting outside speakers and scholars to the campus. To enter the program, the student must have a GPA of 3.3 and meet our other requirements. Honors students are encouraged to write a senior thesis in order to enhance their undergraduate experience and to lay a strong foundation for graduate school. The Honors Program sponsors the Open Hour Issues Forum and numerous special events. The conference on Conflict in the Middle East was held on Saturday, May 2, on the Weber State campus and included speakers from WSC and the University of Utah focusing on lifestyles and attitudes of that area of the world. The major justification of the Honors Program is not narrow utilitarianism but that it helps make learning and the pursuit of ideas the adventure that we all hoped for when we entered college. Honors offers payoffs now the payoffs of an enriched ability to think and reason independently, to appreciate the world's beauty and variety, and to strengthen one's character. Dr. Ron Holt 14C SignOff Tuesday, June 2, 1987 |