Spring 2013

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DiamondA publication of Lambda Sigma National Sophomore Honor Society

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Presidents andAdvisor Represent

Cultures fromAround the World

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Former CWENSMember Serves

as Advisorpage 3

Chapter Travels forService Opportunities

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Service within theChapters

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Upcoming DeadlinesChapter Roster

National Directorypage 10

President’s Messagehe second semester is extremely important for the officers ofthe chapter. Please make sure an exciting program continues asyou are preparing to select the new group. These should berunning in tandem as the chapter needs to continue to remain

active and excited about Lambda Sigma. Having a major service projectwill help to end the year on a powerful note.

The survey at the end of the conference at Ferrum College brought tolight the fact that many chapters do not have a significant training processfor the incoming officers. Many times they enter with no idea how to begin the year andmobilize their members. As president please make sure the officers and committee chairs meetwith the new executive board members and, in addition, hand over a file which will help thembegin the year in a strong position. !

Jane Price HarmonNational President

Caleb Taylor, second from left, joined 940students including other Lambda Sigma membersin collecting 1450 bags of debris after a major

tornado hit the Southern Miss campus.

LAMBDA SIGMASOCIETY MISSION

STATEMENTLambda Sigma Society, a national honor

society for second year students, isdedicated to the purpose of fosteringleadership, scholarship, fellowship andservice among its members as they

promote the interests of the collegesand universities they represent. !

ANational

ScholarshipReminder

pplications for five $500 scholarshipsare due May 1, 2013. Lambda Sigmachapters are invited to nominate oneof their current members for these

Lambda Sigma scholarships for the 2013-14academic year. As you select this person, becertain that you use a fair and open processto choose someone who meets the nationalscholarship eligibility require-ments. Theseinclude a second year student who has:

! maintained high scholastic standards! made significant contributions to the

chapter, university, and community! demonstrated leadership ability

Contributions for the scholarships may besent to Ron Wolfe, executive secretary, at theend of the year with your annual reports andfees. While larger donations are encouraged,a minimum donation of $50 is required to beconsidered for honor chapter status.

Again, applications are due May 1, 2013.For more information contactmark.shotwell@sru.edu. !

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Presidents and AdvisorRepresent Cultures from

Around the Worldwo of LambdaSigma’s currentpresidents bringdifferent

perspectives to theirchapters, as they werenot born in the UnitedStates. They come fromvery different cultures,which enrich the livesof all they interact withincluding the LambdaSigma chaptermembers. The followingare their stories:

Howdy, my name isMaria Lyuksyutovaand I am the proudestmember of theFightin’ Texas AggieClass of 2015! However, I have not always been a Texan.In fact I was born in Koln, Germany (Cologne) to Russianparents. They escaped Russia before communism fell andthey began living in Germany. My father was a physicsprofessor and there was more opportunity for researchin Germany. We also lived a year in Grenoble, France.During this time when we could afford it we would visitmy grandparents in Russia and Ukraine. When I was fiveyears old my father received a visiting professor positionat Texas A&M University for nine months. I begankindergarten, learned English and had some troubleadjusting to the American way of life. I did not own anyof the “cool” toys or the light up shoes everyone seemedto wear, as my family’s income just could not afford it.We never knew if we would be going back to Germany,but finally my father received a tenure-track position andwe finally knew that we were staying.

By the time the decision was made to stay I wasalready in the 8th grade. Then our family applied forU.S. citizenship. It was rather amusing, quizzing my

parents over U.S. history, which I had learned in gradeschool! It was an exciting time when I took the oathduring my naturalization process. I finally would be ableto be in the shorter line at airport customs, in additionto reaping the many benefits of being a U.S. citizen! Many people take being a U.S. citizen for granted.However I think it is a blessing. Not having to worryabout renewing visa’s, or if they even will be approved,or if your green card will be taken away is such a relieffor my family.

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I frequently travel back to Russia and Germany, howeverthese places do not feel like home to me like Texas does. To my amusement some people notice my Russian-Texanaccent and are interested in my story. I enjoy surprisingpeople by speaking Russian, and I have found many goodfriends in Russian immigrants at Texas A&M University.That is one of the reasons why I chose Texas A&M, thehuge student body, 50,000 undergraduates, allowed fordiversity and yet there is a unity among all students atA&M. There is no wonder why we are known as one ofthe friendliest campuses in the nation. I am thankful formy heritage and of the experiences that I have had, and I am excited for what the future has in store.

— ! —

My Name is Elizabeth Ngugi. I was originally born in Nakuru, Kenya. Kenya is famous for its amazinglandscape, comprised of magnificent wildlife like lions,elephants, rhinos, buffalos, leopards and it’s equatorialforests. Kenya shares common borders with Tanzania tothe south, Uganda to the west, Sudan and Ethiopia to thenorth and Somalia to the east. The national language isSwahili. I speak four languages, which are Swahili, English,French and Kikuyu, which is my tribal language.

My dad came to the United States first when l was sevenyears old. He came to the United States for betteropportunities and to further his education. My motherand l followed my dad to the United States three yearslater at the age of 10. The main reason that my parentsbrought me here was for a better education. I have beenin the United States for nine years.

I am currently a sophomore, nursing major at MansfieldUniversity. I chose Mansfield University because of theamazing nursing program, not to mention the scenic beautyof the mountains. I also wanted a university that was in asmall town away from the city. I plan to graduate with abachelor’s degree in nursing, then pursue my masters with a concentration in pediatrics and eventually get mydoctorate. I hope to work outside of the United States, but only time will tell what the future holds.

— ! —

Since 2009 John Barroso has served as the advisor to Alpha Gamma chapter at Duquesne University. He is originallyfrom Brazil but found his way to the United States to pursuehis education. He is CEO of Statistical Precision, LLC and astatistics professor at Duquesne University and the Universityof Pittsburgh. The following is his story:

I was born on a farm, without a doctor. The story goesthat my father wanted me to be a cowboy but I couldnot accomplish that. My ending up in Pittsburgh washighly unlikely in my childhood. I dreamed about soccer,the air force, or perhaps being smart somehow. But thenfate decreed that I was to grow up with an uncle who in

Maria Lyuksyutova, Alpha Zeta president;John Barroso, Alpha Gamma advisor;

Elizabeth Ngugi, Alpha Epsilon president.

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then fairly good and I started to have dreams again of a morequalitative career. I eventually applied and was accepted for aPh.D. at the University of Pittsburgh. I wanted to wake-up tothe beauty of American nature and landscape, to the big mugsof coffee, which we did not have in Brazil, to the peace ofquiet neighborhoods, which were rare in Sao Paulo. Americawas at the same time a refuge for me.

After years of living in the US I became an Americancitizen after marrying my beautiful wife, Pamela. I am abit of a (Brazilian) country guy, but a bit of a metropolitanguy, a bit of a statistician/mathematician and a bit of aliterate, and a bit of other things. Along the wholeprocess one day a Chinese student at Duquesne invitedme to come meet Molly, a member of Lambda Sigma, andthey invited me to be their advisor. I promptly accepted.I should say that I advise students for the love of helpingthose who want to do good deeds, who want to usetheir time wisely and grow. I have no doubt that ourLambda Sigma members will be part of those who willwisely, so we hope, decide the future of this greatcountry, whether in a formal way or simply from livingby example. !

many ways unknowingly showed me that life is a struggle,and so it had been for me as I lost my father at age five,and my mother at age eight. Growing up I slowly andincreasingly learned to appreciate ideas that allowed meto build something, and math was one of those things.

When time came to go to a good high school to be betterprepared to go to college I had to leave and so I did. At age 16, I was on my own in a big city. There I learned andbecame most of what I am. I lived a life of hardship in everymeaning. Once I finished high school, I studied one moreyear to pass the scholarship exam and received a 4-yearscholarship to the most prestigious university in Brazil, theUSP. There I studied Brazilian, American, English, andPortuguese literature and then, once again, I found myself onthe crossroads between a future as a starving artist(I wanted to be a literary critic) and a future with aprofession that had a higher pay. It was clear that I had touse my math to switch my course of study. I dropped out ofUSP and started a new degree in computers and statistics.

After I graduated I made enough money to spend longvacations in my favorite country, the USA. My English was

Former CWENSMember Serves

as Advisoraintaining an organization that servesothers and promotes leadership,scholarship, and fellowship while alsoappealing to prospective members is

not an easy task. To accomplish such atask would require a very dedicated andgoal-oriented executive board and advisor.The executive board of the Alpha chapterhas already demonstrated the verydedication needed to be successful, and so has our newest advisor.

We would like to introduce the LambdaSigma community to a true leader at theUniversity of Pittsburgh, Dr. CherylFinlay. She is a Pittsburgh native, whowas a member of the forerunner toLambda Sigma, the Society of CWENS,while she attended Thiel College.

Finlay believes that being a member of Cwens and various other organizationsduring her college career helped herdevelop her leadership skills. Herleadership is evident anywhere she isinvolved, from her personal life to hercareer. She started her professional career

at Point Park University as the directorof career planning and placement, thentransitioned to the director of CareerServices at Chatham University, and laterpromoted to executive director of theCenter for Professional Development. Herleadership roles do not stop there. Shewas involved in private practice providingcareer counseling services to clients, andthen when her children began school, shestarted working part-time as thesupervisor of professional services at theCareer Development Center in Pittsburgh.Finlay is now the director of the Office ofCareer Development and PlacementAssistance at the University of Pittsburgh.

The outstanding compilation of Finlay’sachievements clearly demonstrates whyshe is going to be a very valuable advisorto Lambda Sigma. Her advice for anyonewho is aspiring to be a leader is to getinvolved on campus and take onleadership roles in any form while makingthe most of those experiences. Theseexperiences will ultimately show thatleaders must be honest, ethical, and havea strong sense of integrity.

The Alpha chapter is very excited to workwith Finlay, and use all of her acquired skillsto make this year one of the best yearsLambda Sigma has ever had at the

University ofPittsburgh.

Her advice forevery member ineach chapter ofLambda Sigma isthis: “It’s notwhether you arean extrovert or anintrovert,exceptional leadersare not defined solely by their personalitytype. Find passion in the work that you do.Without that, your career becomes a job.Leaders need to inspire others…they needto think outside of the box, and encouragetheir team to do the same. Great leaderhave a capacity for sensitivity, compassionand in inspiring humbleness because theydon’t act like they know everything.Leaders know how to lead others byexample. No job is too small for a leaderto do.” – Dr. Cheryl Finlay

With these words, I challenge each chapterto go forth and make this the mostsuccessful year their chapter of LambdaSigma has ever seen! The Alpha Chapterwishes you all the best in your efforts. !

Yaleh AsadiPresident

Dr. Finlay still owns herCWENS Honor Society

gold garnet member pin.

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SERVICE ABROADImpacting Livesthrough MedicalMissions

owdy! My name is JonathanBrewer and I am a sophomorebiomedical science major fromFlower Mound, TX. I first became

interested in medical missions at the endof my freshman year of college at TexasA&M University. I had gone on previousdomestic mission trips during my youthbut had never combined my twopassions (medicine and mission work)until I stumbled across an opportunity totravel to Haiti and work in the disasterrelief zones in the tent cities surroundingPort-au-Prince.

I immediately secured the spot that wouldforever change my life. As I arrived inPort-au-Prince for the first time, Iimmediately was overwhelmed by thetrue poverty. In the United States wealways listen to news stories about foreigncountries and the trials that they face,but no man, woman, or child can trulyunderstand until they are immersed in theenvironment. I wish I could say that thefirst feeling that I felt as I stepped into myfirst day of clinic was exuberance at thework I was about to complete, but theonly feeling that I felt was selfishness. I felt

that in a society where it is completelynormal to sell your body for your nextmeal, I had no right to complain about thefact that my shower wasn’t hot or the factthat I had no air conditioning. Now, by nomeans am I degrading my life in theUnited States. My country has workedextremely hard to obtain the level ofstature that it possesses and I am trulygrateful to have been raised in thiswonderful country. I am merely statingthat America’s “bubble” does not allowevery one of its citizens to observe thetrue face of the world. However, eventhough I observed all of the starvation,violence, and poverty, throughout the restof the week and my following trips, Ibegan to notice how proud the populationof Haiti was. They were proud of the factthat they worked extremely hard eventhough many had lost everything andalmost everyone in the earthquake. Theywere proud of that even when faced witha lack of support from their own corruptgovernment, they were managing torebuild their own country. And mostly,they were proud to be Haitian and felt thesame sense of unity to their peers that wedo at Texas A&M in the Aggie family. To bespecific, during one of my clinic days, in acamp named Cineas I met a 15 year-oldboy named Emmanuel, who had lost hisfather and one of his 4 sisters in theearthquake. He told me that his mother,who worked as a nurse, told himspecifically that the only way that he couldget out of the tent city that he resided inwas through education. Therefore,Emmanuel studied. He worked on thestreets of Haiti selling necklaces in the dayand taught himself at night while hismother taught his siblings. When I metEmmanuel, he could already speak French,Creole, English, and Spanish fluently. Hewas currently working on a program toallow him to afford Haitian medical schoolso that he could support his family whilefollowing the same dream that I share in

becoming a physician. As I sat therelistening to Emmanuel’s story, I envisioneda modern Hollywood movie. I had onlyrarely heard about stories like his, but hetold me that many of his Haitian brothersand sisters were living this same life.Emmanuel lost his childhood once hisfather died, but instead of running, hebecame the man that his family needed.This knowledge and Emmanuel’s story iswhat I initially left Haiti with and why Igrew to love the country and it’s people.

After my initialtrip to Haiti, Iwas driven todo more. Ibeganimmediatelyfundraising formy next tripand finally wasable to travelback to Port-au-Prince inDecember of2012. This time however, I obtained anactual job as an ER tech in the trauma unit at Bernard Mevs Hospital. I began to work on staff and have continued to do so since. The lack of supplies, thedisorganization, and the miscom-munication between American and Haitianstaff is merely a daily occurrence atBernard Mevs, but yet lives are changeddaily. My life was personally changed inmultiple aspects from the hundreds ofpatients that I have treated and thehundreds of stories I have heard. I willnever be able to describe the love I havefor Haiti, my Haitian brothers and sisters,and the passion I have for medicalmissions. The one thing that I can state is that I am going to spend the rest of my life trying to become thephysician that Emmanuel wants to be and the man that Emmanuel already is. !

Jonathan Brewer at work on the night shiftswith some of my friends and coworkers.

Emmanuel and his firsttime trying Pringles.

Please visit the Lambda Sigma website atwww.lambdasigma.org for additional chapter articles.

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uring the fall semester, BetaGamma members collected Tybeanie babies in a drive we calledBears for Haiti. The members of

Lambda Sigma not only collected thesebears but enlisted the help from thewhole campus. Over winter break,

University of Pikeville’s campus ministerand religion professor, Rob Musick,took a group of students to Haiti wherethey delivered the bears we collected.One of our members, Lindsay Gilbert,had the opportunity to experiencethis trip. !

SERVICE ABROAD

Lindsay Gilbert in Haiti to distribute bears.

Beta Gamma Member Participatesin Bears for Haiti Trip

Community ServiceAlpha EpsilonTravels toKensington inPhiladelphia

ansfield University’s Alpha Epsilonchapter recently collaborated with campus ministries to go on a service trip to Kensington,

Philadelphia. We served in St. Francis InnSoup Kitchen for two life-changing days.On Saturday, the first day, we servedapproximately 325 people, but we had an even bigger turnout on Sunday. On Sunday, we attended mass before themeals were served. St. Francis Innserves people from all walks of life, fromthe poor, elderly to the drug addicts andmentally ill. It was truly a reality checkfor all of us that served to see all thepoverty. Despite all their problems, itwas heart warming to see how happyand grateful the people we served were

for just a simple meal. We hope to makethis trip a new tradition for LambdaSigma Alpha Epsilon chapter for manymore years to come. !

Ole MissMembers Travelto New York City

he Iota chapter’s constant searchfor leadership, scholarship, andservice led nearly the entirechapter from Oxford, Mississippi

to New York City, New York during thefirst week of our holiday break. Themajority of our chapter are activemembers in the Sally McDonnellBarksdale Honors College (SMBHC) atthe University of Mississippi. Involved inits curriculum, which essentially mirrorsthe concepts of Lambda Sigma, theSMBC offers a plethora of opportunities

to its involved students in academiaand service. The first week inDecember, many of the Iota membersboarded charter busses headed for thenearest airport in Memphis, TN. Bynoon, we had successfully arrived in ourhotel in Brooklyn to begin our stint ofservice nearly 1,200 miles away from ourcampus. Over the next five days, the Iotachapter worked as Salvation ArmyBell Ringers around Times Square,bookkeepers in non-profit bookstores,and aesthetic mentors for under-privileged children at art camps inHarlem. Although our tasks were varied,the purpose was clear – to help people.By infusing our commitment to serviceand love for travel, the Iota chapterlearned invaluable information aboutourselves by learning and helping withothers. “If I have learned one lessonfrom Lambda Sigma over the lastsemester of leading this chapter, thelesson is that no matter where one maygo, from Oxford to New York, there isstill work to be done for others,” statedChanning Lansdell, president. !

Channing LansdellPresident

Alpha Epsilon members with localresidents at soup kitchen.

Alpha Epsilon members workingat soup kitchen.

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AlternativeBreak ProgramInvolvementBegan withService inLambda Sigma

unior Hailey Lapin is an activemember of the University of Kansascommunity. She is a double majorin theater performance and

journalism with an emphasis in strategiccommunications. Lapin also works as thepublic relations coordinator for theUniversity of Kansas’ Alternative BreaksProgram, a student-run and financedprogram that allows KU students to spendtheir fall, winter, spring or summer breaksvolunteering in communities around thecountry. Lapin, who was an active memberof Lambda Sigma during the 2011-2012school year, says it was Lambda Sigma thatfirst got her interested in service learning.

“I really loved being a member of LambdaSigma,” Lapin said. “Lambda Sigma reallyprepped me to understand the worth ofvolunteerism’s practical applications, notjust as a requirement that needed to bemet. That is something I stress heavily asan executive member of the AlternativeBreaks Program.”

Lapin’s first experience with AlternativeBreaks followed the recommendation ofher Lambda Sigma president, HannahSitz, who is also the executivecoordinator of Alternative Breaks at KU.Over spring break of her sophomoreyear, Lapin went to the Tupac PerformingArts Center in Atlanta, GA. There sheaided in arts education for lower incomefamilies in the Atlanta area.

“It was so cool, and it’s an experiencethat KU students could not have anyother way,” Lapin said. “So, with mybackground in journalism and strategiccommunication it was at that point that I decided to apply to become one oftheir co-coordinators of public relationsfor the 2012-2013 school year.”

Lambda Sigma’s emphasis on personaldevelopment and student leadershipwere attributes Lapin says she took toheart. Lapin’s experience in Atlantaprompted her to get more involved withthe Alternative Breaks Program and seekout leadership positions. This year notonly is Lapin going on a winter breaktrip to Las Cruces, NM, but she will beone of the managers of the trip.

“I will be going as a site leader this year,” Lapin said. We are going to, whatis to my knowledge, the only GLBTQ (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transsexual andQuestioning) Center in New Mexico.They provide both financial and personalresources to members of thatcommunity, legal services and otherservices the community needs. My hope is that I will be able to observe themand then bring back some of the greatnon-profit work they do there, to

Lawrence and the university. I would liketo get involved with the GLBTQ Centeron campus once I know more.”

Lapin acknowledges that it was LambdaSigma that prepared her for the path she is following in college. She even says that it has affected her career path.

“Because of Lambda Sigma andAlternative Breaks I want to go intonon-profit administration as my careerpath,” Lapin said. “I definitely think theresources that Lambda Sigma providedme with academically and within thecommunity spurred me on to thisdecision. Without them I might neverhave discovered Alternative Breaks orthe wonderful friends who have mademy interest in volunteering sorewarding.”

Lambda Sigma has had an enormousimpact on this outstanding junior student-leader. Lambda Sigma’s emphasis onstudent and community development hasclearly not been in vain and is developingmore leaders just like Lapin every day.

“It’s a really great organization thatprovides experiences for members todevelop qualities that will help thembecome leaders in their communities,”Lapin said. “It prepared me for myinvolvement with Alternative Breaks andhas given me an excellent base for the restof my career as a student and beyond.” !

Jonathan JamesHistorian

Lapin (second from right) stands with other students on her Alternative Break trip to Atlanta, GA.The group travelled to Atlanta to aid in arts education for underprivileged children.

Hailey Lapin poses with some of thechildren she travelled to Atlanta to teach.

Community Service

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Alpha Mu EncouragesLeadership WhileServing Others

hile the majority of Alpha Mu members at Berry Collegewere focused on various service events that were beingcoordinated for fall semester, one member learned ofanother cause that interested her. She presented the

idea to her committee first and then to the entire membershipwho was excited about her project, Adopt-a-Family. Theofficers encouraged this member to be the manager of thisproject, a position she was initially unsure about holding. Aftershe experienced some success, she expressed to me herappreciation for the chapter’s support in her leading the chapterin a cause about which she was so passionate. She enlisted thesupport of her church in finding families we might assist and, atbest, distributing any money we might raise. Her churchproposed that we assist the families in a single mothers groupwho were particularly struggling this year.

Next we approached some local institutions about donationsand received a very generous sum from Mount Berry Churchand its members. We also learned that the Art Society at BerryCollege was sponsoring an Art Fair, and they allowed us to havea table at no cost to request donations. For this event, ourmembers baked several desserts that we gave away to thosewho attended the Art Fair while we explained the organizationwe represented and the cause we were supporting. Ourmembers also continued this campaign during the Thanksgivingbreak. An anonymous donor on campus generously gave $126after returning from Thanksgiving.

One of the families we assisted was a single mother whoactually led the support group of single mothers. Shecontinuously assisted the members of her group, despitestruggling herself. The money donation completelyoverwhelmed and surprised her as she was always thinkingabout the other families and not hers. However, she neededthe financial assistance and was overwhelmed by the kindnessshe received.

I chose to highlight this particular story because I believe itreflects the spirit of Lambda Sigma and its members. We are allleaders, though we may lead in diverse ways; we are all caring,though our areas of concern may differ; we are all dedicated,though we may serve our community in various ways; but mostly,we are all young people who are committed to making this worlda better, safer, more pleasant place. We join together in fellowshipand genuine friendships, across socioeconomic, political, religious,ethnic, and gender lines in order to selflessly assist ourcommunities and lead others by our example of personalscholarship and achievements as well as our public service. !

Rachel QuillinPresident

Balloon ExpoBrightens Students’Day at Georgia Tech

ervice can mean differentopportunities to differentpeople. At Georgia Techa Lambda Sigma member,

Anne Meadows, decided that aBalloon Expo could be a wayto inspire students in differentways and to brighten their dayeven for a brief moment. Theresults were uplifting. Over400 balloons were distributedto students one afternoon.Meadows stated, “We hadpeople running up to usasking for their own balloonbefore we even got to them.Students who were hunchedover in their study groups orwalking with their heads down across campus brightened upimmediately upon receiving their own balloon. I hope that gavethem a little more motivation in studying for their test, or alittle more confidence to approach a new group of friends.” !

Omicron AdvisorsCreate Campus-wideDay of Service

his semester is an exciting one, as our chapter facultyadvisors, Dr. Denise Rode and Chris Porterfield, created a Sophomore Days of Service event. The SophomoreDays of Service is school-wide event that encourages

sophomore students to volunteer in a multitude of serviceorganizations around campus over a span of four days. Some of these two or three hour service events include,working at the library and working with Hope Haven, a center that provides assistance to the homeless and campuschild-care. These service projects are led by Lambda Sigmamembers and volunteers will include our chapter members and various sophomores from other organizations. This is the only event of its kind at Northern. As well, the office ofStudent Involvement and Leadership Development is makingSophomore Days of Service an annual part of NIU. This eventreflects the values of Lambda Sigma as a whole. Omicronchapter encourages other chapters to adopt this program toexperience leadership and fellowship within the sophomoreclass or second year students. !

Jared WolskePR Chair

Community Service

Alpha Kappa membersdistribute balloons.

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Beta Zeta Assistantswith Sandy Relief Efforts

eta Zeta chapter offered their help and extended theirreach out into the community affected by the devastatingHurricane Sandy. Since Pace University is locateddowntown New York right by the seaport with both on

campus residents as well as many commuters and close familyand community near by, it was a major volunteer effort that hitclose to home for all members. In November the LambdaSigma Beta Zeta chapter combined efforts with the PforzheimerHonors College and volunteered in Staten Island at the Tunnel2 Towers Hurricane Relief Center. There were over 30volunteers present, including many students from Lambda Sigmawith family members they brought to help join in the effort.The day was a huge success. Members were divided into

groups and were constantly busy with hands on workcollaborating with all the volunteers and supporting thecommunity. Volunteers helped with bringing donations to andfrom cars, organized materials within the distribution center,and worked with individual families to make sure they receivedthe supplies they needed. At the end of the day, the supervisorof the distribution center handed out free tickets to the LouisCK Comedy Show that night in Staten Island. The show was afundraiser for Sandy Relief and free tickets were given tovolunteers to show their appreciation for their efforts. It was a life changing experience to help in such a time of need and was an excellent opportunity to bring the membersof Lambda Sigma closer together and give back to theircommunity in need. !

Amanda GhoshVice-president

Community Service

Beta Zeta members assisting with Sandy relief efforts.

Beta Lambda ChapterOffers Support to LocalChildren’s Home

n Novemberthe BetaLambdachapter at

The Universityof North Carolinaat Pembrokeintroduced theOdum Home,a Baptistchildren’sshelter, to itslist of ongoingcommunity service projects. The Odum Home offersresidential care and security for school age boys and girls,and also family care for single moms with children. TheBeta Lambda chapter felt called to this need since thenational service project focuses on underprivileged andat-risk-youth.

The Beta Lambda chapter became involved through theresidential service coordinator, Kathy Locklear. Locklearexplained the needs of the residents and provided informationon how the chapter could help. In order to fully understandthe impact Beta Lambda would have on the residents at theOdum Home, the chapter took a tour of the cottages andbuildings and met with the staff while the children were atschool. Then the Beta Lambda chapter divided the threecottages among its members and collected items on their listof needs, from hygiene to clothing essentials with some addedrecreational items. After creating the care packages the BetaLambda members delivered them to the children and spenttime educating them on how they were important to itsmembers. It is impossible to explain how appreciative andexcited these children were when they received their carepackages. The chapter was so moved by these children itwas decided that this would not be the end of Beta Lambda’scommitment to the Odum Home, but the beginning of anongoing service event for our chapter as well as the nextinductees. Beta Lambda most recently hosted a Valentine’sDay celebration with the children and families at the OdumHome providing snacks, valentines, and an abundance of lovefor each individual. !

Lauren Blue

Beta Lambda membersvolunteering at Odum Home.

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Chapters Partner to Assistin Tornado Relief Efforts

n October, Alpha Iota members from Mississippi Statepartnered with Alpha Tau members from the University ofAlabama to assist with on-going tornado relief efforts in theTuscaloosa area. It was a tremendous opportunity for

students from both universities to serve the community side-by-side.

Libby Durst, an Alpha Iota member stated, “Partnering with Alpha Tauchapter greatly expanded our service beyond our community andallowed us to step outside of our comfort zone for the benefit ofothers. We truly enjoyed meeting other Lambda Sigma’s and sharingnew ideas. Our teamwork with the Alpha Tau members not onlyassisted with relief efforts, but also strengthened our friendships. !

Connecting withReading’s Youth

lthough Alvernia University lies in the suburb ofShillington, Pennsylvania, all students of Alvernia will tellyou the same, Reading, PA is our city. Being only a twominute drive from the city line, it is where we shop, we

eat, we see movies, and where we fight for athletic supremacy. Asit is, each student of Alvernia takes pride in improving all aspectsof Reading, and much of our community service projects are heldwith the benefit of Reading and its community in mind. The BetaMu chapter of Lambda Sigma at Alvernia is no different.

This year, our Beta Mu chapter dedicated much of our service to aparticular service project sponsored through Alvernia known asThe South Reading Youth Initiative (SRYI). This project takesstudents from south Reading’s St. Peter’s Parochial school, andhouses them for a few hours each day at St Peter’s Church, aftertheir school day has concluded. Keeping these kids out of theinner city streets and in a safe environment is the main focus of theprogram. The kids arrive at 3:00 p.m., and are picked up by parentsat 5:30 p.m. In this two and a half hour block each day, kids spendthe first hour doing their homework before getting a snack, andspending the final hour with weekly exercise, library time, or boardgames. Each day, students from Alvernia participate in this program,and members of Lambda Sigma have made this a priority involunteering our time to such a great program. As president of theBeta Mu chapter, I made a commitment to get involved early in thisschool year. Not only is it a great program to be a volunteer, but it is a period of time each day that is highly anticipated. Manymemories are made and friendships created. Each day at the South

Reading Youth Initiative, the students of the Beta Mu chapter and allAlvernia students as a whole grow closer to our city and ourcommunity. Each day we strive to be a role model for a lively childof south Reading. In return, we get to enjoy the gifts and innocenceof being a kid; a feeling some of us may have forgotten. !

Kirby Turner

Mu Chapter Workswith Underprivilegedand At-Risk-Youth

s a newly reinitiated chapter at Eastern Kentucky University,Mu chapter has charted its path under the guidance of ouradvisor, Dr. Ron Wolfe, and put a great emphasis on childrenin our community. As we started our new year, we decided

there were groups of children in our area that were not supportedby community organizations as much as they should be, and weknew we could change that by partnering with some of theseorganizations. We began by having a Halloween party for children ata local homeless shelter and collecting almost 2,000 used Christmascards for the children of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This semester we decided to begin a long-term project with ModelLaboratory School on campus.

We partnered with Model and the EKU Retirees Association to hosta store for students in their special education program to teach thestudents lessons about money and reward them for positivebehavior. The students are awarded play-money for good behavior;they can then use that “money” to buy fun items from the store. Mu chapter purchased the initial supplies for the store, and chaptermembers are manning it three times each week when the specialeducation students are allowed to make their purchases. Accordingto Mrs. Ellen Rinni, a school guidance counselor, the store is helpingto teach the students some necessary and valuable vocational skills.

From our initial efforts to set up a school store for these students,we learned that many of them were in need of mentoring, so ourchapter has also volunteered to work with these students weekly asour members schedule tutoring/mentoring sessions to complementour efforts with the school store. These mentoring sessions arefocusing on improving the students’ skills in organization andhomework help. !

Emily Coleman and Theresa Vogelsang

Page 9

Community Service

Mu members pose with students from Model Laboratory School and the schoolsupplies they purchased for the school store and the special education students.

I

Alabama & MSU members working together to assist with tornado relief efforts.

NATIONAL PRESIDENTJane Price Harmon126 Seventeenth StreetAtlanta, GA 30309(404) 892-2491 – homeharmonjane126@gmail.comChapters: Zeta, Alpha Epsilon,

Alpha Mu, Alpha Pi

VICE PRESIDENTJohn Hauser 58 Eagle St.Greenville, PA 16125 (724) 588-2474 – home(724) 456-4066 – celljhauser@thiel.eduChapters: Alpha Theta, Alpha Omega,

Beta Zeta, Beta Eta, Beta Lambda

RECORDING SECRETARYDenise Rode, Ed.D.Northern Illinois UniversityDirector, Orientation & First-Year

Experience 023 Holmes Student Center DeKalb, IL 60115(815) 753-6781 – office (815) 751-8256 – cell(815) 753-7480 – faxemail: drode@niu.eduChapters: Pi, Tau, Alpha Zeta,

Alpha Tau, Alpha Psi

EXECUTIVE SECRETARYRon G. Wolfe108 Westside Dr.Richmond, KY 40475(859) 623-5088 – homeEx_sec@yahoo.comChapter: Beta Delta

TREASUER/CONVENTIONLIAISON

Linda Fuerst Lawrence UniversityVolunteer Coordinator711 E. Boldt Way SPC 17Appleton, WI 54911linda.m.fuerst@lawrence.edu(920) 832-6853 – office(920) 731-8937 – home(920) 475-8067 – cell(920) 832-6896 – faxChapters: Lambda, Alpha Phi,

Beta Gamma, Beta Theta, Beta Mu

EDITORBarbara Ross106 Rhodes Dr. Hattiesburg, MS 39402(601) 297-5947Barbara.Ross67@hotmail.comChapters: Iota, Mu, Chi, Alpha Delta,

Alpha Iota

ADVISORSMark Shotwell – ScholarshipsSlippery Rock UniversityDepartment of BiologySlippery Rock, PA 16057-1326(724) 738-2476 – office(724) 372-3082 – cell(724) 738-4782 – faxmark.shotwell@sru.eduChapters: Beta, Eta, Omega, Alpha

Gamma, Beta Epsilon

Neal Edman – Rituals Vice President and Dean of

Student AffairsWestminster CollegeMarket StreetNew Wilmington, PA 16172(724) 946-7110 – office(724) 813-6462 – cell(724) 946-6140 – faxnedman@westminster.eduChapters: Epsilon, Rho, Alpha Eta,

Alpha Lambda, Alpha Sigma

Mark Kidd – By-lawsDean of StudentsNVCC – Manassas Campus6901 Sudley Road MH313Manassas, VA 20109(703) 257-6661 – office(703) 530-8244 – faxmkidd@nvcc.eduChapters: Alpha, Omicron, Alpha

Kappa, Beta Kappa

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVESTaylor ArnoldMuskingum University163 Stormont StreetNew Concord, OH 43762(740) 502-7002tarnold@muskingum.edu

Wilton C. Jackson, II118 College Dr. # 7453Hattiesburg, MS 39406(601) 291-5798wilton.jackson@eagles.usm.edu

Website:http://www.lambdasigma.org

Distribution Lists:LSPresidents@yahoogroups.comLSAdvisors@yahoogroups.com

NationalAddress Directory

Lambda SigmaChapter Roster

Alpha University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PABeta Miami University Oxford, OHEpsilon Allegheny College Meadville, PAZeta Muskingum University New Concord, OHEta Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PAIota University of Mississippi University, MSLambda Westminster College New Wilmington, PAOmicron Northern Illinois University DeKalb, IlMu Eastern Kentucky University Richmond, KYPi Auburn University Auburn University, ALRho Thiel College Greenville, PATau University of Kansas Lawrence, KSChi Louisiana Tech University Ruston, LAOmega Pittsburg State University Pittsburg, KSAlpha Gamma Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PAAlpha Delta University of Southern Mississippi Hattiesburg, MSAlpha Epsilon Mansfield University Mansfield, PAAlpha Zeta Texas A & M University College Station, TXAlpha Eta Penn State Erie –The Behrend College Erie, PAAlpha Theta Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock, PAAlpha Iota Mississippi State University Mississippi State, MSAlpha Kappa Georgia Institute of Technology Atlanta, GAAlpha Lambda D’Youville College Buffalo, NYAlpha Mu Berry College Mt. Berry, GAAlpha Pi Lawrence University Appleton, WIAlpha Sigma Gannon University Erie, PAAlpha Tau University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, ALAlpha Phi Ferrum College Ferrum, VAAlpha Psi University of Toledo Toledo, OHAlpha Omega Westfield State College Westfield, MABeta Gamma University of Pikeville Pikeville, KYBeta Delta Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TNBeta Epsilon Washington University St. Louis, MOBeta Zeta Pace University – NYC Campus New York, NYBeta Eta Pace University – Pleasantville Pleasantville, NYBeta Theta Urbana University Urbana, OHBeta Kappa George Mason University Fairfax, VA Beta Lambda University of North Carolina – Pembroke, NC

PembrokeBeta Mu Alvernia University Reading, PA

UpcomingDeadlines

MAY 1, 2013Scholarship Application.............................................Mark Shotwell

JUNE 1, 2013President’s Report...............................................................Ron WolfeTreasurer’s ReportAdvisor’s ReportInitiate ListNational Dues ($40/member)Convention Assessment ($300)Scholarship Donation (Minimum Donation $50 for Honor

Chapter Status)

All reports and The Diamond articles are to be submittedelectronically. Reports are located on the website. !