Mortar Board chapter earns national recognition

^{Carson-Newman’s nationally recognized Panathenees chapter of Mortar Board is advised by Dr. Christine Dalton, left, and Dr. Kara Stooksbury, right. Elizabeth Campbell, center, serves as chapter president.}

The Panathenees chapter of Mortar Board at Carson-Newman University captured its sixth consecutive Golden Torch Award at the 2013 Mortar Board National Conference held in Atlanta.

The honor recognizes the most exceptional chapters that accomplish significant results in chapter management and contributing meaningful service to their institutions. Carson-Newman’s chapter also received a Project Excellence Award for the third year in a row. The honor recognizes the success of the chapter’s annual “BOOST 5k” fundraiser, which raised $950 for the Bonner Out of School Time (BOOST) after school program.

“It signifies that we have gone above and beyond in our commitment to advancing scholarship, leadership, and service,” said Dr. Kara Stooksbury, faculty advisor. “Our chapter exemplifies the university’s twin pillars of academic excellence and Christian commitment along with our ethic of service.”

Mortar Board is the only honor society on campus for which students must excel in scholarship, leadership, and service in order to be selected for membership, said Stooksbury.

“It might be easy to excel in one of those areas, but Mortar Board members excel in all three,” said Stooksbury.

Established in 1974, Carson-Newman’s Panathenees chapter currently has 23 members. Mortar Board is the premier national honor society recognizing college seniors for outstanding achievement in scholarship, leadership and service. Since its founding in 1918, the Society has grown from four to 230 chartered collegiate chapters with more than a quarter-million members across the nation.