Correction on Potluck Location: DEL RIO 174

My apologies, Kappans!

In the last email, I said the potluck would be held in Wichita 174 -- that is INCORRECT.

The potluck will take place in DEL RIO 174.

Thanks!

Potluck and Campaign on Wed, May the 4th

Well, the end of the year is upon us and it's finals time but that also means ...
 

It's CULTURAL POTLUCK TIME!!

As always, we ask that members please bring a dish (preferably something cultural) to share with the group.  If you are not able to make or buy a dish, do not worry -- you can still join us for food and fellowship.

All you have to do is bring yourself, bring some friends, and/or bring people you want to see join our chapter alliance next year!

The Potluck will be held in DEL RIO 174 from 3:15PM until no later than 7:00PM on Wednesday, May 4th.

Please feel free to bring any board games so that we can also turn this shindig into a game night!

If we do not have games available, I will have a special surprise that has traditionally been a staple of May 4ths.

 

---

Officer Elections

During the Potluck, we hope to have our officer candidates present their 1-2 minute speeches at around 4:00PM.

There is still time to sign-up to be a candidate. You can sign up at the following link: http://ptkaax.blogspot.com/2016/04/2016-2017-hallmark-officer-candidacy.html

Several candidates have shown to be force-sensitive and expressed interest in running for office in the council at a prior meeting HAVE NOT signed up yet.  Please do so ASAP.

Cheers ... and ...

2016-2017 Hallmark Officer Candidacy Sign-Up Form

Orientation, Induction, and Election Information Meeting Re-Cap 04/20/2016

Phi Theta Kappa Meeting Review

Alpha Alpha Xi Chapter – April 20, 2016

The meeting was called to order at 3:18 p.m.

Orientation began with the officers and support team introducing themselves and the advisors.  They explained that Phi Theta Kappa is the largest international honors society with membership requirements that include a 3.5 GPA and 12 or more college credit hours.  A video was shown to inform new members about the organization.  Benefits of joining the organization are scholarships, developing leadership skills through Five Star Competitive Edge and chapter projects, networking, and opportunities to attend yearly conventions.  Please check out some of the free resources available at ptk.org.  

Many scholarships are available to members, including international students, and may apply towards associate’s, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees.  In addition to the numerous transfer scholarships, there are some which are specific only to Richland College such as the Celia Riddle Millemon scholarship.  There is also a scholarship available to assist with the $85 membership fee. 

Officers explained how the organization is divided.  The Richland chapter is called Alpha Alpha Xi and is a part of District II.  District II belongs to the Texas Region, and each region reports to the international level. 

The end-of-semester potluck will be May 4^th from 3:15 – 4:00 p.m. in the regularly scheduled meeting room.  Members were asked to bring a food item of their choice to share with others; cultural dishes are most welcome. 

Officer elections for the next academic year will be held during the potluck on May 4^th.  Those interested in running for an officer positon should plan on preparing a one to two minute speech to present to the club.  All officer and support positions will be open, and current officers spoke a little about what their title entails.  Officer positions include Leadership, Fellowship, Service, and Scholarship.  Support positions are Media Specialist and Secretary.  Students were encouraged to speak with current officers if they have questions.  Members considering an officer position cannot have a schedule conflict with the meetings and need to be at Richland during the next fall/spring academic year.  RCHS students may be members of Phi Theta Kappa but may not apply for officer positions. 

Induction for new members will be this Sunday, April 24th in Fannin Performance Hall.  The ceremony is from 3:00 - 4:00 p.m., however, inductees need to arrive by 1:00.  Business or cocktail attire is appropriate as is cultural dress. Students casually dressed, such as jeans, t-shirts, flip-flops, or tennis-shoes will be turned away.  Ladies were encouraged to wear low-heeled shoes for walking the stage and climbing risers and stairs.  There will be no place to store personal belongings such as purses and jackets, so please make arrangements to leave them in a car or with someone in the audience.  A fellowship dinner will take place after the ceremony, and attendees are responsible for their own meal.  Family and friends are welcome to attend both the induction and dinner.  As a consideration to those being inducted, babies crying during the ceremony should be taken out to the lobby. 

The District II Spring Fling will be on June 4^th from 10:00 – 4:00 p.m. at the Town Lake Recreation Center.  This is a great chance to meet other officers and members from the district. 

Chapter members, Stephanie and Robbie, spoke about what they have gained from being in the organization.  They welcomed new members and encouraged them to become involved in the chapter. 

Email reminders will be sent with information regarding upcoming activities, dates, and times, but members can stay connected to the chapter through Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ptkaax, email ptkaax@gmail.com, website www.ptkaax.blogspot.com, and Instagram @ptkaax. 

The meeting was adjourned at 4:19 p.m.

Meeting TOMORROW (Wed, April 20th) -- Orientation, Induction, and Officer Elections

TOMORROW, Wednesday, April 20th from 3:15-4:00PM (possibly a bit longer) in Del Rio 174, we will have our final ORIENTATION MEETING.

Usually, we ask that room space is reserved for new and potential members ...

--HOWEVER--

This meeting will also cover Sunday's Spring Induction Ceremony and 2016-2017 Officer Elections.

So, if you are going to walk the stage in Sunday's induction and/or interested in being a candidate for OFFICER, please attend this meeting.  If you cannot make it, information will be disseminated by Friday, April 22nd. 

See you tomorrow!

Orientation Meeting Re-Cap 03/10/2016

Phi Theta Kappa Meeting Review

Alpha Alpha Xi Chapter – March 10^th, 2016

The meeting was called to order at 4:06 p.m.

Officers introduced themselves and discussed what Phi Theta Kappa is about - including membership requirements and benefits.  Every year each chapter works on special projects such as Honors in Action and College Project.  Members also have the opportunity to attend regional and national conferences where they can hear special guest speakers and participate in leadership workshops.  Additionally, there are service opportunities that will be will promoted by the chapter, and students may obtain service hours by volunteering.  Phi Theta Kappa is well-known for the multiple scholarships available to its members.  Meeting attendees were shown how to navigate to the scholarship page on the Phi Theta Kappa website www.ptk.org.

Officers spoke about what it is like to hold a Phi Theta Kappa officer position and informed students that elections for the Fall 2016 – Spring 2017 term will take place sometime around April or May.  All officer and support positions will be open.  Those interested in running for an officer positon should plan on preparing a one to two minute speech to present to the club.  The speech should include why you would like to become an officer and what you can bring to the position.  A workshop will be offered soon that will help the transition to the new officer team.

Spring induction will be Sunday, April 24^th in the Fannin Hall Auditorium.  This is a special ceremony that celebrates and recognizes your achievements.  Members who have recently joined Phi Theta Kappa are encouraged to attend the ceremony, but it is not mandatory.  The ceremony is from 3:00 – 4:00, but inductees need to be there no later than 1:00 p.m.  The attire is business, so please dress accordingly; no jeans or tennis shoes.  Jackets and coats should be left in the car as students will not walk the stage wearing them.

Two current chapter members talked about their experiences with the chapter and what they have gained from becoming a member, and students were provided with information on how to contact the chapter.  Alpha Alpha Xi may be reached via Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ptkaax, email ptkaax@gmail.com, website www.ptkaax.blogspot.com, and Instagram.  Students were urged to join the Facebook page.

A globalization conference which will be held in Salzburg, Austria will take place soon.  Two students will be selected to attend, and all expenses will be paid.  The requirements are U.S. citizenship, a U.S. passport, and the student must enrolled at Richland for the Fall 2016 semester.  Those considered only need to be Phi Theta Kappa eligible, so students who have not yet become a member may also be considered.  

The meeting was adjourned at 5:05 p.m.

Texas Regional Conference Recap

Hello all:
 
This past weekend, Richland’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter officers and members participated in the 2016 Texas state-wide Regional Convention, which was held in Waco, TX.
 
Over four hundred attendees from all across the state participated in this important annual convention.
 
Here is a list of Richland students and advisors who travelled with the group:
 
Omar Demachkie, Leadership officer
Kennedy Agusi, Scholarship officer
Jay Saadaddin, Service officer
Jessica Arriaga, Fellowship officer
Forrest Garrett, Media Specialist
Stephen Aigbomian
Samra Tariq
Sokyou Ly
Muhammad Hasan
Qurrat-ul-ain Gul Muhammad
 
Prof Jon Ewing, Advisor
Mr. John Millemon, Advisor Emeritus
 
Certificates and Awards:
 
The following Richland students were recognized with Texas Hall of Honor certificates for District II [North Texas]:
 
Omar Demachkie
Jessica Arriaga
Melissa Savoy, Chapter Secretary
Samra Tariq
 
Our own Ms. Melanie Pruit was recognized with a Texas Hall of Honorcertificate, District II, for her contributions as an advisor to the Richland chapter.
 
Prof Jon Ewing received a Texas Region Distinguished Advisor Awardand medallion in recognition of his contributions as an advisor to the Richland chapter.
 
The Richland chapter, collectively, received a certificate for once again attaining 5-Star status, the highest ranking given in the Texas Region.
 
 
We are able to function as an active chapter in the Texas Region because of the support of Dr. Kay, Dr. Zarina, Mr. Carter Bedford, Office of Student Life, and Richland’s Administrators, Faculty and Professional Support staff. On behalf of the officers, student members and advisors, please allow me to extend our gratitude for such support.
  
Respectfully,
Jon Ewing

Meeting Re-Cap 2015/09/16

from ΑΑΞ Reporting Secretary Melissa Savoy

Phi Theta Kappa Meeting Review

Alpha Alpha Xi Chapter - September 16, 2015

The meeting was called to order at 3:19 p.m.

Today’s meeting began with officer and advisor introductions.  Leadership officer is Omar Demachkie, Jessica Arriaga is the chapter Fellowship officer, and Scholarship officer is Kennedy Agusi.  Alpha Alpha Xi Media Specialist is Forrest Garrett, and chapter Secretary is Melissa Savoy.  Advisor Dr. Jon Ewing was present and gave proxy introductions for advisors Professor Melanie Pruit and Professor Ofori Asante.
Fellowship officer, Jessica, opened with an ice breaker.

Dr. Kathleen Stephens, Honors Academy Coordinator, spoke to the chapter about the Honors Academy and urged students to join.  The Phi Theta Kappa GPA requirement also satisfies the Honors Academy requirement.  Students can apply online and submit a 300-500 word personal statement.  Dr. Stephens provided a list of Honors classes currently available.  Classes are smaller and encourage interaction with professors and peers.  Honors designations available are the Honors Certificate and the Honors Scholar.  The academy works with the honors programs of four-year universities and has reciprocal agreements with a few in the area.  Eight $500 scholarships were awarded this fall, and another eight will be awarded in spring.  The Honors Academy is offering a workshop with The Learning Center on Wednesday, September 23rd at 3:00 and Thursday, September 24th at 3:30.  Workshops are open to everyone, and students may register at M 216. http://richlandcollege.edu/honors-academy/

John Daniels, Community Engagement Programs Coordinator, informed members of the Service Learning program.  The program allows students to become immersed in Richland College and interact with the local community.  Most opportunities are connected with non-profit organizations.  There are many agencies to choose from, both on and off campus.  Students may register by going to the Service Learning page of the Richland College website.  The program helps students develop skills and show potential universities they are engaged in community and service.  Volunteers can qualify for various awards based on their number of service hours. http://richlandcollege.edu/lead/service-learning/

Scholarship officer, Kennedy, informed members of scholarships that opened today.  One of which is the Celia Riddle Millemon scholarship, specific to Richland College Phi Theta Kappa members.  A link on the Alpha Alpha Xi website provides more information.  Ludivina Garcia, the first recipient of this scholarship, thanked the chapter and advisors for the opportunity and for considering her for the award.  Kennedy then navigated students to the Phi Theta Kappa website, went to “Scholarships”, clicked on “Apply” and showed a list of scholarships available. Upcoming workshops will be held to help students complete their fall scholarship application.  The common application, once filled out, will be submitted and will suffice for all of the scholarships available and applicable.  Most of the scholarships are merit based, but a few are need based.  International students may apply.  Forrest advised members to visit the chapter website or Facebook page for GEICO scholarship information.

The first study group for the Honors in Action project is this Saturday, September 19th at 2:00 in 
Sabine.

The election for Service Officer was held to fill the open position.  The floor was opened to candidates who were given two minutes to introduce themselves to the chapter.  Votes were compiled and collected by Dr. Jon Ewing.

Omar, chapter Leadership officer, talked about the upcoming Texas Leadership Conference to be held October 9th-11th and informed members about available spots for the trip.  Email ptkaax@gmail.com if interested

The meeting was adjourned at 4:16 p.m.

Congratulations to Our New Service Officer ...

Congratulations to Jay Saadaddin -- our new ΑΑΞ Service Officer!

Service Hallmark Officer Position Opening

The ΑΑΞ Officer Team has an opening -- the Service Hallmark Officer position!

If you are seriously considering candidacy, please attend our next meeting on Thursday, September 10th at 4:00pm in RLC Del Rio 174. 

Please, take the time over the weekend to consider entering your name into the pool of potential candidates.

If you have any questions, feel free to respond to this post or email the chapter at ptkaax@gmail.com

See you all soon!