18 August 2006

Longwood Mortar Board Chapter earns national awards

Mortar Board, the national college senior honor society, recently recognized the Longwood University chapter, Geist, with the Silver Torch and Project Excellence Awards for 2005-06. Mortar Board is a national honor society that recognizes college seniors for outstanding achievement in scholarship, leadership and service.

Geist was one of 40 chapters selected for the Silver Torch Award, presented to chapters executing timeliness and dedication while exemplifying the ideals of scholarship, leadership and service. In addition, Geist was among only 27 chapters nationwide selected to receive the Project Excellence Award for coordinating Oktoberfest, Longwood's annual campus-wide celebration promoting school spirit and unity.

"It is so fitting that our Geist chapter of Mortar Board receive the Sliver Torch Award and Project Excellence Award as they are truly recognized at Longwood as authentic Citizen Leaders," said Dr. Tim Pierson, vice president for student affairs at Longwood. "The annual Oktoberfest Celebration that they plan, promote and offer to the campus is noted by our students, local community, and alums as the signature event of the year. We are all proud of this chapter's accomplishments and more importantly how they model the values of academic excellence and service while having a great time."

Susan Sullivan, adviser to Geist and director of the Student Union, said, "It is a great honor for the Geist Chapter of Mortar Board to be a recipient of the Silver Torch Award which recognizes chapters who meet all national standards. The Project Excellence Award recognizes outstanding projects that Mortar Board chapters across the country are doing and the Geist Chapter received the award for the planning and execution of Longwood's Annual Oktoberfest celebration. Many months go into planning such a large scale event and the members of Mortar Board put a lot of time and energy into one of Longwood's most long-standing traditions. It is nice to see them get recognized for all of their hard work."

Since its founding in 1918, Mortar Board has grown from the four founding chapters to 214 collegiate and 43 alumni chapters with more than 240,000 initiated members across the nation. The Geist chapter of Mortar Board at Longwood University was chartered in 1993.

Mortar Board provides opportunities for continued leadership development, promotes service to colleges and universities and encourages lifelong contributions to the global community. Some notable Mortar Board members include former President Jimmy Carter, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Lance Armstrong, former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.