University of South Carolina Libraries
" ’T Freshman honor society promotes success by Zach Ashcraft Engineering Sophomore Press stories on students during their college years often do not reflect the value of excellent grades and involvement in academic honor societies. Lead ership, service, interaction with the academic community, supplemental learning and scholarships are all benefits of honoraries. USC offers more than two dozen honor soci eties, several of which are for freshmen earning excellent grades in their first semester and then main taining those grades. Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society’s chapter at USC in 19%, and again in 1999, received the out standing chapter in the nation (Order of the Torch) award. Inducting about 400 USC freshmen annually who earn a 3.5 grade point average or above, ALD is also the largest honor society on campus. Cost for joining is $25, which covers lifetime national and local chapter dues. ALD serves as a first step toward academic suc cess and leadership on campus. Many ALD mem bers join other upperclassmen professional, leader ship, and honor organizations in their junior or senior year at USC. Chapter research has shown that the majority of student leadership roles at USC are held by students r inducted into ALD in their first year at Carolina. After induction in February of their freshman year, new officers and committee chairs coordinate service projects, including Clean Carolina (respon sible for one area of campus), Carolina Outreach (calling admitted freshmen) and Organ Donor Aware ness Days (educating the university community on organ donation). Each fall, ALD members present a “Carolina Welcome” program helping new freshmen become successful, entitled “The Right Way, The Wrong Way, The USC Way.” In September, ALD coordinates widr the Bodybuilding and fitness Club on the distribu tion of Free Sample Bags to new students. The event that requires the most planning, and provides ALD with the most recognition and praise, is the annual USC Challenge, a South Carolina high school academic team cham pionship. Held on the first Saturday in December for the past eleven years, this competition promotes aca demic excellence and prestige for both USC and its students. USC faculty volunteer to help with questions and serve as moderators in the USC Chal lenge. ALD members invite high school teams and i coordinate the twelve rounds of competition. Dur ing the competition, ALD members serve in roles from set-up, welcome, technicians (repair buzzer systems), timers and judges. ALD members, though inducted as freshmen, are most active their sophomore year. Members may choose to remain active serving as junior and senior advisers for the freshman honor society. Active members at USC have earned Alpha Lambda Delta scholarships for undergraduate and post-graduate degree study. (Dancing to Gelebrate 200 years of Garolina with our newest tradition 'V fjft Shooting for the stars :jf? Dancing for the Dreams:if' Giving Hope to the KidsfjfV IISC Dance Marathon 2001 February 23-24 Look for more information coming soon... Get ready for the biggest party of 2001!