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Honor society recognized

The University of La Verne chapter, of Alpha Lambda Delta National Honors Society, inducted its first-year members last week. Officers Wendy Schwartz, historian; Hannah Trimbath, secretary; Luis Chavez, vice president;and Meghan Foreman, president, recite the Alpha Lambda Delta pledge to open the ceremony. Alfred Clark, assistant vice president of academic affairs and Gerard Lavatori, professor of French, were present as honorary members. / photo by Adam Omernik
The University of La Verne chapter, of Alpha Lambda Delta National Honors Society, inducted its first-year members last week. Officers Wendy Schwartz, historian; Hannah Trimbath, secretary; Luis Chavez, vice president; and Meghan Foreman, president, recite the Alpha Lambda Delta pledge to open the ceremony. Alfred Clark, assistant vice president of academic affairs and Gerard Lavatori, professor of French, were present as honorary members. / photo by Adam Omernik

by Gloria Flores
Staff Writer

The Alpha Lambda Delta honor society received national recognition for the first time at the induction ceremony last week.

With more than 230 chapters across the United States, Alpha Lambda Delta is part of the Association of College Honor Societies that recognizes academic excellence.

“I feel honored to be chosen as a inductee into this national honor society,” said Amber Peterson, a third year liberal studies major.

Only 15 percent of college freshmen are invited to join Alpha Lambda Delta by being nominated during their first year of college.

“The process of establishing a national chapter was very involved,” said faculty advisor, Gerard Lavatori.

Barbara Jefferson, founding faculty adviser and administrative director, was instrumental in beginning the local chapter at ULV.

After three years as a local chapter, ULV was eligible to petition for the induction of a national chapter, she said.

Kathleen Lamkin, professor of musicology, and Alfred Clark, associate vice president of academic affairs, worked last summer on the application for the national program.

The application asked for a history of the local chapter, a description of the campus environment and letters of support from the president, provost, dean of student affairs and other officials. The petition was approved last fall.

“(This) allows for national recognition of ULV students who excel academically in their freshman year and demonstrates ULVs participation in a community of national universities that promote academic excellence,” Lavatori said.

Membership is offered to students registered in at least 12 units toward a bachelors degree, who rank in the top 20 percent of their freshman class.

Aside from lifetime membership to the honor society, membership benefits include more than $100,000 in available scholarship money, certificates, logo pins, charms and other local and national awards.

At the start of the Wednesday ceremony, friends and family of those inducted seated themselves in Founders Auditorium to the music played by students Masami Tomita on piano and Misa Kitagawa on violin.

Kristian Guzman, the installing officer, who represented the Alpha Lambda Delta chapter at the University of Southern California, led the initiation of ULV’s charter members.

Honorary members were next to be initiated. Their names were read along with a brief summary of their accomplishments.

After the first initiations, ULV chapter officers of Alpha Lambda Delta 2003 were inaugurated. They included President Meghan Foreman, Vice President Luis Chavez, Secretary Hannah Trimbath, Treasurer Kapono Kobylanski, Historian Wendy Schwartz, Editor Chrissy Zehrbach, Senior Advisor Danielle Vernetti and Junior Advisor Roger Recupero.

“It is a great honor to be the first vice president of ULV’s Alpha Lambda Delta chapter because I have the opportunity to set the bar for other officers to come,” Chavez said.

Guzman then installed the ULV Chapter of Alpha Lambda Delta, making ULV an official chapter of the national honor society.

Gloria Flores
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Adam Omernik, Photography Editor
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