Honor societies on the Hill

The McDaniel College class of 2013 graduated on Saturday. Though I wasn’t on the Hill to see the ceremony, I did see plenty of pictures of my friends donning their caps and gowns and lots of cords. Seeing all those cords reminded me of how there are plenty of honor societies McDaniel students can join during their time on the Hill. Here’s an overview of them.

Alpha Lambda Delta is a national honor society for students who have achieved a 3.7 or better during their freshman year. Students on the Hill are inducted as sophomores every fall. Once inducted, students are required to complete community service and attend one social event per semester, but it’s not that big of a commitment. I’m a member of Alpha Lambda Delta, and being inducted into this honor society gave me the chance to nominate my academic adviser to be an honorary inductee. (She won the nomination and my nomination submission was read during her induction, which was very exciting for me!)

Departmental honor societies are another way to join honor societies on the Hill. Lots of departments have them, and each department has its own induction and membership requirements. As an English major, I’m looking forward to being inducted into Lambda Iota Tau (LIT), the literature honor society, provided I still meet the requirements next spring. 

Alpha Psi Omega is the theater department’s honor society, but it’s unique in that it’s kind of like a fraternity or sorority; inductees are each assigned a “big” and members proudly wear their letters on t-shirts like other Greek organizations on campus. In addition to various GPA requirements, inductees are required to have been involved with at least three McDaniel productions in two different areas of activity.

Phi Beta Kappa is a national honor society for the liberal arts. It has a whole slew of requirements which you can find here, but its fame and prestige makes it an honor society worth working toward.

Trumpeters is a small McDaniel-only honor society that recognizes leadership. Only a few students are selected for it each year, but being in it is a wonderful honor. Students can apply for Trumpeters the spring of their junior year.

Honor societies aren’t the talk of the Hill, but they’re something worth working toward. They show employers that you are intelligent, hard working, and that you have a commitment to community service. To find out more about all the honor societies at McDaniel, go here!