Sixteen Francis Marion University (FMU) students and two faculty and staff members were initiated into the Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) Leadership Honor Society during its Spring 2014 initiation ceremony held on April 15.
The new student members are: Mary Elizabeth Batchelor, Pincquetta Brown, Paden Alan Capps, Lukas Crisp, Anthony Gavalas, Darnissa T.J. Gray, John Anthony Guest, Janet L. Hyman, Jessica L. Imbimbo, Steven Larry Jackson, Jr., Paige Perreault, Tim Peter Ruepke, John Michael Schaffer, Emily L. Sears, Caitlin Siney, and Roxanne Y. Stiglitz. Faculty and staff initiates are Dr. Ronald Eugene Miller, Jr. and Dr. Matthew W. Turner.
Founded in 1914, ODK is a national leadership honor society that was established to recognize and encourage superior scholarship, leadership, and exemplary character. Membership into its ranks is therefore a mark of highest distinction and honor.
The society, which was the first national college honor society to recognize the importance of extra-curricular activities and to encourage the development of general campus citizenship, has over 290 active chapter circles. The Francis Marion University (FMU) circle was established and chartered in 1979.
To be eligible for membership into ODK, student candidates must be a junior or senior in the top 35% of its academic class, and must have demonstrated quality leadership in at least one of the following five areas: scholarship; athletics; campus or community service, social, religious activities, or campus government; journalism, speech, or the mass media; and the creative and performing arts.
Solicitation for student candidates goes out to FMU faculty, staff, administrators, and coaches, which also covers the advisers to all FMU student organizations. The selection process for the 2014-2015 FMU ODK class will begin this fall semester, and invitations for membership will go out to students in early spring of 2015. To learn more about the FMU ODK, please contact the FMU ODK advisor Dr. Pete Peterson or the faculty secretary Mr. Julian Young, at lpeterson@fmarion.edu and Jyoung@fmarion.edu, respectively. One may also learn more about ODK at their national website at http://odk.org/.