For the first time a few years, first-year Honors students have a place to mingle.
Alpha Lambda Delta, an honor society for first-year students, used to have a DU chapter, but it had essentially disappeared about three years ago, according to DU chapter adviser Michael Johnson. But after receiving calls from parents of first-year students whose older children had been chapter members, Johnson worked to re-start the society on campus.
Last January, the DU chapter held an induction ceremony in which more than 225 first-year students became members. A banner with the signatures of inductees is currently hanging in DU’s Driscoll Center.
To be eligible to join the society, students must maintain a 3.5 or higher GPA and be in the top 20 percent of their class during their first year or term in college.
The DU chapter participates in community service projects, such as a school supply drive with DU’s Bridges to the Future and a clothing drive for Project Homeless Connect. The chapter also plans “study tables,” where space will be reserved in Penrose Library for society members.
Johnson believes it is important to have a first-year honor society that encourages its members to participate.
“In some honor societies, the students just get honored,” Johnson says. “This is not just fluff for the resume. They should be involved [in activities] with an academic twist.”
Alpha Lambda Delta was founded in 1924 at the University of Illinois as a way to recognize academic excellence among female first-year students; it became coeducational in the mid 1970s. Today, Alpha Lambda Delta has chapters on more than 250 college campuses throughout the nation.
Students who become members of Alpha Lambda Delta are eligible for scholarships and fellowships through the national organization, including 35 undergraduate scholarships and 23 graduate fellowships. Members may also apply for graduate or professional fellowships.
For more information, visit the chapter’s Facebook page or visit the National Alpha Lambda Delta website at www.nationalald.org.