Catawba College’s Omicron Chapter of Alpha Chi, the national college honor scholarship society, installed new officers and initiated new members during a ceremony Friday. Homilist for the ceremony was Dr. Philip Acree Cavalier, associate professor of English.
New officers installed for the 2009-2010 academic year included president Andrea Clabaugh of York, Pa., and secretary Kyle Ganow of State College, Pa. Candidates initiated into the organization include graduating seniors Claire Elizabeth Alston of Kernersville and Andrew Kenneth Hepler of Knoxville, Tenn. Sponsor for the Omicron Chapter is Dr. Bethany Sinnott, professor of English, while faculty advisors include Dr. Barry Sang, professor of religion, and Dr. Marie Vandergriff-Avery, associate professor of sociology.
Graduating seniors who are members of the honor society were also recognized and included Jill Rose Archambault of Glens Falls, N.Y.; Kenzie Madeline Elyse Brogden of Wilmington; Leah Savanna Farris of Rockwell; Derek Wade Freeze of China Grove; Justine Tyler Lewis of Luttrell, Tenn.; K. Michael Pierce Matthias of Georgetown, Del.; Susan Westmoreland Pugh of Linwood; Paul Christian Saylor of Isle of Palms, S.C.; Shahin Soltan Mohammadi of Gothenburg, Sweden; and Ryan Adam Taccarino of Marmora, N.J.
Alpha Chi, a member of the Association of College honor societies, began at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, in 1922. It became a national honor society in 1934 .
Catawba’s chapter of Alpha Chi was founded in May 1978. To date, 572 members have been inducted. Membership is open only to those students in the top 10 percent of the junior and senior classes.