By Alexa Low

Quincy University’s Lambda Pi Eta chapter, Kappa Lambda Rho, had it’s annual dinner the first Sunday in March.

Lampda Pi Eta (LPH) is the National Communication Association’s official honor society.

Four students were inducted for the 2018-2019 school year.

Returning members had the honor of inducting the new members through a ceremony full of lighting candles and gifting the inductees a certificate and pin.

Those members who are seniors received their honor chords in preparation for graduation this May.

Qualifications to become a member include having a 3.0 cumulative GPA with 60 semester hours completed and a 3.25 GPA for communication studies with 12 semester hours completed.

LPH has six distinct goals:

1. Recognize, foster, and reward outstanding scholastic achievement in communication studies
2. Stimulate interest in the field of communication
3. Promote and encourage professional development among communication majors
4. Provide an opportunity to discuss and exchange ideas in the field of communication
5. Establish and maintain closer relationships between faculty and students
6. Explore options for graduate education in communication studies

Faculty advisor of LPH, Barbara Schleppenbach, aligns QU’s chapter with these goals well.

“To be a member of an honor society, that is select and shows that you have done the above and beyond work, is really important. In writing a resume, you should never omit, you never know if you’re going to be interviewing with someone who has also been part of an honors society. You talk about the things you learned, it’s a good conversation starter,” Schleppenbach said.

QU’s communication professors take pride in establishing relationships with their students.

“If nothing else, I get to have dinner with the best people, this is a really good group,” Schleppenbach said when asked what she enjoys the most about LPH.

The students also take notice of their relationships with their professors.

“The closeness with all the professors is my favorite thing about being a communication major. We have all established a good relationship with them and to be able to do something like this is pretty cool,” David Jacob said.

LPH was organized at QU in 2004 by a charter group.

Certain qualifications had to be met to become a Lambda Pi Eta chapter. This process took students about a year to meet the requirements.

Activities put on by LPH differ from year to year depending on the student president and their officials.

“We don’t want to have the faculty be the leaders because that’s what we do in class all the time,” Schleppenbach said.

Previous activities include helping not for profit groups learn how to prepare for interviews, learn to write press releases and get ready for cameras.

The group also held book collections, read to school children, and sent greeting cards to elderly residents in nursing homes.

Schleppenbach said it can be hard to find time to plan events as most LPH members are also involved in other clubs and activities on campus.

“I can live with that because I know we’re doing the campus a lot of good by having our member involved,” Schleppenbach said.

Schleppenbach is excited for the future of LPH as QU’s incoming president, Brian McGee, was a member.