CELEBRATING A HISTORICAL HALLOWEEN Members of Phi Alpha Theta gather for history games and Halloween festivities Phi Alpha Theta, a national history honor society established in 1921, existed as the Eta Phi chapter at Harding since 1960. Harding's chapter won "Best Chapter" among NCAA Division II schools since 2009. The award reflected the character of Harding's chapter and the effort both students and faculty put into the organization to create an enjoyable and academically rigorous experience. Students who partook in the organization had a zeal for history and enjoyed sharing their interests together. The group created and celebrated many activities and offbeat holidays as a testament to their historical value. Senior Stephanie Boling, vice president of Phi Alpha Theta and an active member for several years, called the club "a place to be a nerd without being a nerd." The group earned the Best Chapter award by turning in a scrapbook documenting the events held throughout the year. The organization's historian was responsible for taking pictures at functions and putting the scrapbook together. The books were taken to a biannual SCEC conference, which six students from the department were invited to attend. Judges evaluated which chapter's book merited the $250 reward. Because Harding competed against other larger schools within the area, according to senior Ashley Shelton, the school's continued victory was a major accomplishment for the chapter and university. "It's awesome being little Harding and being a part of that," Shelton said. If Harding won five years in a row, it would move up a division into a larger school pool and raise the school's reputation, according to Boling. The title was exemplary of the dedication and hard work students and faculty put into the organization, including the scrapbook. Dr. Julie Harris, associate professor of history and head of the Eta Phi chapter, decided how to spend the money after consulting professors on departmental needs and asking students for book requests. According to Boling, the events of the club and the department as a whole made the students feel like a family. Events included Olympics of spring 2012, in honor of the summer 2012 games held in London; the annual celebration of Guy Fawkes Day; a football game between the history and political science departments; and "History vs. Hollywood" movie nights, in which students would watch a film and critique it for historical accuracy. A favorite event of the students was the annual barbecue at home of Dr. Kevin Klein, chair of the history department, and Lori Klein, assistant professor of political science and public administration. "What I love the most is just the connection with other people whether is professor or student," Boling said. The theme of the school year was "Civil Wars in History." Monthly lectures included topics such as "Sports Rivalries as Civil Wars," a lecture presented by Dr. Jared Dockery, assistant professor of history. The main event for the year was a tour of Civil War sites in Searcy, researched and conducted by Professor of History Dr. Paul Haynie. Despite being a small school, Harding had a strong history honor society whose consecutive title of "Best Chapter" was demonstrative of the excellence of the department. Chaney Mitchell Kappa Delta Pi Student Chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children est. 1997: Row 1: S Manning, E. Welfare, M. Cleveland, A. Gonda. Row 2: L. Sawyer, A. Witherspoon, C. Moody, A. Edwards. Row 3: J. Stamps, A. Lane. Est. 1975: Row 1: A. Rozell, B. Bullough, M. McCall, R. Taylor, J. Grace, M. Baker, M. Huffman. Row 2: M. Nelson, A. Fair, L. Ammons, K. Gann, S. Brown, T. Donitzen, S. Arezina, H. Schliffka, C. Loy, J. Reyes, J. Pritchett, B. Cochrum. Row 3: M. Scott, D. Giles, A. Huffman, K. Miller, B. Tabor, H. French. Row 4: R. Perry, S. Kim, C. Moody, A. Davis, M. Evans. Row 5: K. Woechan, M. Wammack, J. Vanderheyden, E. Grubbs, C. Skaggs, L. Brown, C. Smith (sponsor). Education 1239
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