Sul Ross HONORS

ALPINE Twenty-two Sul Ross State University students were inducted into the Texas Chi Chapter of Alpha Chi National Honor Society April 27.

As a general honor society, Alpha Chi admits to membership students from all academic disciplines. A member institution, which must be a regionally accredited, baccalaureate degree-granting institution, may invite to membership no more than the top ten percent of the junior and senior classes with grade point averages no lower than 3.3.

Alpha Chi, which traces its origins to 1922 with the founding of the Scholarship Societies of Texas, is now a nationwide organization with active chapters on more than 300 campuses in 45 states and Puerto Rico. The Texas Chi Chapter at Sul Ross, which was founded in 1926, is one of the oldest chapters in existence.

New inductees and their hometowns are:

Alpine: Veronica Alvarez, Lorenzo Bárcena, Rhonda Burch, Zachary Criddle, Julie Lejsal, Grace Strachan, Nicole Teague, Melinda Valenzuela.

Balmorhea: Jo Gina Gallego.

Midland: Travis Fletcher.

Presidio: Elvira Hermosillo, Jacob Ramirez. 

Sugar Land: Benfard Hicks, Jr., Monte Piper, III.
Returning members include: Christian Celis, Marfa; Adriana Galindo, Presidio; Julie Hester, Snyder; Stephanie Jackson, Spring; Karen Lastovica, Alpine; Veronica Ruffier, El Paso; and Rick Villarreal, Alpine.

Members elected officers for the 2009-10 academic year are: Hermosillo, president; Piper, vice president; Smith, secretary; and Valenzuela, treasurer.

Four scholarships were also awarded during the induction.

Celis received the Gene and Lucille Hendryx Alpha Chi Scholarship for the 2009-10 academic year.
The Hendryx Scholarship, which was created in 1993, has grown to be the largest scholarship awarded by the Texas Chi Chapter of Alpha Chi and is one of the most prestigious scholarships given at Sul Ross.

Bitner was awarded the Bertha Irene Harrell Scholarship. Piper and Smith received the Highest Ranking Senior Alpha Chi Member Award; and Teague and Gallego received the Highest Ranking Junior Award.

R. Vic Morgan was also recognized and honored for his support of Alpha Chi throughout his tenure as Sul Ross President.
Alpha Chi advisors are: Jim Case, professor of political science, and Ira Blanton, assistant professor of English.