Source: Casie Adams, casiea@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Rosie Hoefling, 785-532-6415, media@k-state.edu

Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2010

NATIONAL SOCIETY OF COLLEGIATE SCHOLARS RECOGNIZES CAMPUS CHAPTER FOR PROGRAM SUCCESS AND INVOLVEMENT

MANHATTAN -- The Kansas State University chapter of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars has received the society's Bronze STAR status.

The chapter was recognized at the national society's recent 2010 Leadership Summit, a training event for current and prospective chapter officers.

Chapters can attain one of four STAR award levels including bronze, silver, gold or platinum. Each level is determined based on the quantity and quality of events a chapter has throughout the year. The K-State chapter was recognized with the award for its program success, community service, member engagement and on-campus involvement.

"We worked really hard to achieve Bronze STAR status because our club had not received this award in recent years," said Casie Adams, senior in nutritional sciences, Osawatomie, and current president of the chapter. "We held a lot of events this past year and really tried to get our members involved. I think this really helped get our organization back on track. I hope that we'll do even better and achieve Gold STAR status next year."

According to Adams, the chapter's activities included a new member induction ceremony, an adviser appreciation day, a spirit week, a recruitment campaign and an integrity week.

The chapter also participated in community service events. Service activities included "Trick-or-Treat So Others Can Eat," in which members went door-to-door on Halloween to collect canned food donations to benefit the Flint Hills Breadbasket. Members also volunteered with the Manhattan Emergency Shelter and the Hand-to-Hand tutoring program.

The National Society of Collegiate Scholars is an honors organization for high-achieving freshmen and sophomores, with more than 240 student-run chapters at universities across the country. Students are inducted into the organization each year based on a 3.5 grade point average requirement and an academic standing within the top 20 percent of their class.

K-State's chapter has around 2,400 members. Although inducted in their freshman and sophomore year, students are still considered members of the organization as juniors and seniors. The chapter adviser is K-State's Carol Gould, executive coordinator of the Great Plains Interactive Distance Education Alliance.

In addition to Adams, the chapter's current executive officers include:

Rebecca Sims, sophomore in life sciences, Berryton, executive vice president; Jymie Graham, junior in biology, Coffeyville, vice president of the chapter's PACE mentoring program; Kendra Schuler, junior in biology, Manhattan, secretary; Rachel Mallon, senior in finance and accounting, St. George, treasurer; and Lauren Johnson, sophomore in political science and mass communications, Waverly, social chair.

From out of state: Sophia Dongilli, sophomore in arts and sciences-open option, Lincoln, Neb., vice president of public relations; and Katrina Troppy, junior in animal sciences and industry, Fredericksburg, Texas, historian.