The Arkansas Tech University chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the national collegiate Hispanic honor society, has been named a Sigma Delta Pi Honor Chapter for its activities during the 2019-20 academic year.
Only 11 chapters across the United States earned the Sigma Delta Pi Honor Chapter distinction for 2019-20. This is the fifth time that the Arkansas Tech chapter has earned the award. It was also recognized as an honor chapter in 2011-12, 2012-13, 2015-16 and 2018-19.
According to information from Sigma Delta Pi, all 627 chapters across the United States are asked to submit an annual report each summer. The Sigma Delta Pi national executive committee selects approximately 10-to-15 honor chapters on an annual basis.
The recognition as a Sigma Delta Pi Honor Chapter is based upon “the caliber of chapter projects that reflect the Sigma Delta Pi mission of honoring excellence in the study of the Spanish language, contributing to cultural understanding and upholding the goals of the society.”
As part of their pursuit of those goals, ATU’s Sigma Delta Pi students hosted a Hispanic expo for 147 high school students representing five Arkansas communities on Oct. 17, 2019.
Students from Arkadelphia, Dover, Lamar, Pottsville and White Hall learned more about the language, cultures and customs of eight Spanish-speaking countries: Argentina, Costa Rica, Cuba, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama, Peru and Spain.
Additional ATU Sigma Delta Pi chapter activities during the 2019-20 academic year included participation in the university’s Hispanic Heritage Month kickoff event, displays and celebrations commemorating the 100th anniversary of Sigma Delta Pi, a collaboration with Crawford Elementary School to expose students there to Hispanic culture and volunteer activities at the Pope County Library.
Dr. Alejandra Carballo, associate professor of Spanish, serves as the Sigma Delta Pi advisor at Arkansas Tech. The chapter was established on campus in 2010.
Sigma Delta Pi traces the origins of its national organization back to Nov. 14, 1919, when it was founded on the campus of the University of California at Berkeley.
Learn more about Sigma Delta Pi at www.sigmadeltapi.org.
