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A newsletter for the students, faculty and staff of the Collin College. Published monthly. For information or submissions, call 972.599.3142. Cougar News welcomes student and faculty submissions. Next deadline: May 10 All submissions are due by 5 p.m. on the due date. Photos cannot be returned. Text should be emailed to mrobinson@ccccd.edu or sent on disk. Please submit copy that is proofed, edited and saved in Word format. Cougar News staff: Lisa Vasquez, director; Mark Robinson, editor; Marcy Cadena-Smith, contributor; Dana Schmitz, contributor; Sydney Portilla-Diggs, campus correspondent; Stephanie Hall, student correspondent; Heather Darrow, special contributor; Sandy Suvannachakkham, special contributor; Kathryn Martin, special contributor; Nick Young, photographer and layout.
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PTK collects honors at international convention
By Stephanie Hall
Student Correspondent
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| The Collin College Phi Theta Kappa officers attended the international convention in Nashville, Tenn. bringing home some big awards. (From left, front row) Melinda Archacki-Sutter, Stephanie Hall, Audrey Koehler, Danya Salinas, Rachael Carranza and Laura Perdomo; (back row) Chadi El Khoury, Frank Pallone, Angela Putman, Jim Guin, Sidney Owallah and Carlos Valera. |
The Phi Theta Kappa officer team elected for the 2006-2007 school year began their term with big plans on rebuilding the Alpha Mu Tau chapter at Collin College.
The officer team planned several projects this year based on the four hallmarks of Phi Theta Kappa – Service, Scholarship, Leadership and Fellowship. They brought attention to global issues by showing several satellite seminars led by world leaders like Arun Gandhi.
The officer team and its members gave back to the community by teaming up with Keep Plano Beautiful in events like Senior Spruce Up where volunteers performed yard clean up for senior citizens and the disabled. Alpha Mu Tau extended its reach outside Texas borders by initiating a letter-a-day campaign and influencing other Phi Theta Kappa chapters in seven other states to convince their local town mayors to create community standards that live up to the Kyoto Protocol.
“Our officer team took this chapter, and in one semester, transformed it into one of the top Phi Theta Kappa chapters in the world,” said Frank Pallone, the 2006-07 Alpha Mu Tau president. “We donated 600 hours just with our service projects alone.”
Phi Theta Kappa is an international honor society with more than 1,200 registered chapters in the United States as well as countries like Germany, Great Briton and the Marshall Islands.
At the 89th Annual Phi Theta Kappa Convention held in Nashville, Tenn., the Alpha Mu Tau was recognized for their achievements. The chapter was recognized with the following awards:
• The Distinguished Member Award was given to Diana Gonzales.
• The Distinguished Chapter President Award was given to Frank Pallone.
• The Paragon Award was given to Angela Putman for her role as a new chapter advisor.
• The Scholarship Hallmark Award was given to the chapter for all its scholarship activities.
• The Alpha Mu Tau was recognized as a Distinguished Chapter, given to the top 25 chapters in the honor society.
“It was exciting to be a part of rebuilding this chapter,” said Melinda Archacki-Sutter, the 2006-07 treasurer. “I really enjoyed participating in projects that gave back to the community.”
The chapter had not been as active in recent years, and so they weren’t as competitive at the international level.
“We were a determined group,” said Archacki-Sutter. “Never in my life have I worked with just a cohesive, dedicated group. Except for my children, I’ve never been more proud to be a part of something."
The 2006-07 officer team handed their positions to a new set of officers during Alpha Mu Tau’s Spring Induction Ceremony April 22.
“We’re looking forward to a year of dedication and hard work,” said Bethany Ensey, the public relations officer for the 2007-08 school year. “We hope to fill the large shoes of the officers who proceeded.”
[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]
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