On Oct. 29 Phi Theta Kappa met for an orientation/game night. The club played ping pong and laughed together as they bonded. In attendance were the president of the club, Patty Murk and the vice president, Eric Pezley along with several other members; both new and old. Eric Rivera, the service coordinator of the group, was also in attendance. Rivera helps the club to organize projects, both community and club related.
“I worked the Commit to Complete (C4) table when we were gathering signatures and mostly just do what the president and vice president need to have done,” Rivera said.
In order to join this organization, a student must be enrolled in a regionally accredited college that offers an associate’s degree, maintain at least a 3.5 GPA, and complete at least 12 hours of coursework that may be applied to an associate degree. Also, an eligible student must be invited in order to join. It is also a requirement for members to follow the moral standards as outlined on the PTK website, www.ptk.org.
“We offer support to students, especially ones that hold a high GPA and join; we try to make it okay to be smart,” Pezley said.
The organization has been around since 1910; originally named Kappa Phi Omicron. In 1918, Phi Theta Kappa was born. PTK started out as chapters at women’s junior colleges only, but after six years they expanded to include all junior colleges. The society had eight charter colleges; Hardin, Stephens, Christian, Lindenwood, Cottey, Howard Payne, William Woods and Central. It was in Hardin that the Alpha charter was established; however it was moved to Stephens College when Hardin College became a baccalaureate granting institution.
“We also do various service projects around; last year we held a multi-cultural week, where we actually worked with some of the cultural clubs on campus,” said Pezley. “We worked with the GSA, the Latino club, and the Pioneers club and helped to promote diversity on campus.”
PTK also does a book collection for any books the Mika Pica Exchange won’t take and they either recycle those books or send them to a third world country that really needs the book.
Nowadays, there are over 1,200 colleges internationally that have Phi Theta Kappa chapters and there is over $37 million in scholarship money for PTK members. Also, if inducted into PTK, members receive a Phi Theta Kappa Golden Key Membership Pin, Certificate, and ID card. They also receive many more benefits such as recognition during the college induction ceremony, a press release that announces members’ academic achievement, and the notation of membership on college transcripts, and the official seal of PTK will be on members’ diploma’s when they graduate.
“Many people see the Greek letters, and think we are a fraternity or sorority. We are neither. We are an International Honor Society;” PTK vice president, Eric Pezley said. “People sometimes think we are exclusive because we are one of the only clubs that you have to be asked to join. But our International heads set the requirements for membership. And membership is based on GPA.”
