Honors society receives award for 88% increase in membership

ISU's Alpha Lambda Delta chapter received the Gold Membership Award for increase of inductees last year.

"I am very excited, thrilled for students," said Greg Bierly, adviser of ISU's Alpha Lambda Delta chapter.

"Indiana State University chapter's membership increased by 88 percent during the 2007-2008 academic year," said Glenda Earwood, executive director of National Alpha Lambda Delta, in a press release.

Earwood said in 2002 three membership awards have been awarded to chapters; the awards are based on percentage increases in inductees. Chapters with an increase of 10 percent receive the Bronze Award, chapters with a 25 percent rise of inductees receive the Silver Award and chapters with an increase of 50 percent of inductees receive the Gold Award.

"It feels nice to be president of an honor organization of Alpha Lambda Delta," said Jennifer Monarch, former president of Indiana State University's Alpha Lambda Delta chapter.

Bierly said he hopes to have a large induction of students this spring, from what he has seen of this freshman class.

"In 2008, the ISU chapter inducted 77 new members, up from 41 new members the previous year-an increase of 88 percent," said Lee Greenway, director of communication for National Alpha Lambda Delta.

Membership in Alpha Lambda Delta is open to full-time freshman students who earn a scholastic average of 3.5 or better at a four-year college or university, Earwood said.

"Alpha Lambda Delta is a not-for-profit honor society for first-year college students," Greenway said.  "The society recognizes students who have demonstrated superior academic performance in their first year or first term of higher education."

"When the National Office and the National Council of ALD see a membership increase of this magnitude, we recognize that the chapter in question is both increasing the visibility of Alpha Lambda Delta and reaching out to more students," he said.

For more info, go to www.nationalald.org

( Heidi Staggs is a freshman communication major. She can be reached at sascamed@isugw.indstate.edu.)