SEMO HISTORY HONOR SOCIETY RECEIVES AWARD

The Alpha Epsilon Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, an international history honor society, has won the Best Chapter Award for the 1989-1990 academic year in an annual competition sponsored by the society's international council.

The Alpha Epsilon Chapter, chartered in 1942, consists of faculty and students on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University. Student members are selected for the chapter based on academic performance and must rank in the upper 35 percent of their class. Students must maintain "A" and "B" grades in all history courses and have a "B" average in the remainder of their course work.

The Best Chapter Award competition was broken into several divisions based on enrollment on chapters' campuses. The award was given to three institutions including Southeast competing in Division IV. The division includes chapters on campuses with enrollment of 8,000 to 12,000 students.

Sharing the award with Southeast is the Epsilon-Tau Chapter of Phi Alpha Theta based at Northeast Louisiana University and the Lambda-Rho Chapter on the campus of Louisiana Tech University.

The award carries a prize of $250 in books for each winning chapter. Southeast's department of history and the Alpha-Epsilon Chapter may select the books.

George Suggs Jr., faculty adviser to the Alpha Epsilon Chapter and Southeast professor of history, said he is pleased with the honor, adding that the chapter itself "helps enrich the intellectual life of students."

Criteria for the award is based on chapter and general activities, chapter operation and activity by faculty members.

Activity by Southeast's Alpha Epsilon Chapter consisted of local programs, including presentations and readings of papers; regular presentations by Southeast faculty on topics such as "The New Deal in Missouri During the Depression," and "The Historical Significance of the Bombing of Pearl Harbor;" attendance and presentation of papers at an international convention and regional conference; publication of a student paper and an annual chapter newsletter; holding of regular meetings; conducting of an annual book sale; and participation in a Quiz Bowl sponsored by Southeast's Political Science Club.

The chapter also was judged on the active support it receives from the university administration and the special support it receives from the department of history.