University’s Mortar Board chapter nationally recognized

^{Carson-Newman’s local Mortar Board chapter was recognized nationally for the seventh year in a row. Representing the honor society are, left to right, faculty advisor Dr. Christine Dalton, chapter president Julie Davis and faculty advisor Dr. Kara Stooksbury.}

(August 27, 2014)– Carson-Newman University’s Mortar Board chapter captured its seventh consecutive Golden Torch Award at the 2014 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 Mortar Chapter, called Panathenees, also received a Project Excellence Award for the fourth year in a row.

The Project Excellence Award acknowledges the success of the University’s “Trading Places: President-Student Swap Day” event, which raised over $7,000 to support BOOST, an afterschool program for children of Jefferson County and coordinated through Carson-Newman’s Bonner Center. A portion of the proceeds also went toward an endowed scholarship, the Janie Swann Huggins Scholarship.

Beyond the fundraising success of the event, Dr. Christine Dalton, faculty advisor, recognized the level of engagement among the student body.

“Everybody loved the idea,” said Dalton of the Swap Day where one student was able to be “president for the day,” and University President Randall O’Brien became “a student.” “Part of the reason it was such a success is because President O’Brien is so in tune with the campus and the students,” said Dalton. “He wants to do everything he can to get students involved.”

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

“These service-oriented groups are an extension of the Carson-Newman mission,” said Dalton. “It is not just in the classroom.”

Carson-Newman’s Panathenees chapter, which celebrates its 40-year anniversary, currently has 19 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.