Phi Sigma Iota initiates new members

by Melissa Lessig news editor

The Mansion Dining Roomwith dimmed lights, candles displaying an array of colors, and the five-pointed Phi Sigma Iota star adorning the front of the room-created the scene for the initiation of eight new members to Phi Sigma Iota.

Phi Sigma Iota is the international foreign language honor society that selects students on the basis of academic distinction in their general college course, particularly in one or more foreign languages.

The requirements to be inducted as a member of Phi Sigma Iota are that a student must have at least a 3.0 GPA or higher, have taken at least one 300-level course in a foreign language, and received at least a B+ average in all language courses.

The eight new members were initiated on Friday, Feb. 19 by Dr. Cynthia Halpern, department chair of language and faculty adviser of the Gamma Xi chapter of Phi Sigma Iota, and by the current members of Phi Sigma Iota.

Seniors Vivianna Benitez, president of Phi Sigma Iota, George Badra, vice president, Lori Jarosh, secretary/treasurer, Dina Tartaglia and Anqrea Koch; and juniors Melissa Lessig, Jennifer Shrader, and David Wiley are the eight existing members.

During the initiation ceremony, seven of these members lit candles symbolizing different languages of the world and read passages highlighting these languages and the literature evolving from them.

The new members then received certificates and the existing members pinned them with the five-pointed star of Phi Sigma Iota.

The new members are sophomores Janice Funk, Linsey Heiser, Francis McCloskey, Katherine Mirek, Joanne Morrone and Connne O'Connell; and seniors Raquel Lung and Mildred Metz.

All were honored to be acknowledged for their dedication, hard work and skill in a foreign language.

·•our department is so proud of the initiates,'' Halpern said.

"I am proud and excited," Morrone said. "I feel like I've made an accomplishment in my life."

Other members shared this sentiment. "I feel honored and I feel like it's a great achievement I've accomplished during my years at Cabrini," Metz said.

"It feels very good because I've been doing Spanish for a while now and it's one of my better subjects," Heiser said. "It just reminds me that school is important and I'm good at a subject."

"I feel very honored and this is

The members language society, gather tor a picture at their recent induction ceremony on Friday, Feb. 19. an excellent opportunity to use the skills I'm gaining in Spanish for something positive," Mirek said.

"The food is excellent this evening," she said.

Mirrek also commented on the food, catered by Wood Dining Services.

Likewise, Koch appreciated the food. 'Tm surprised at the quality of the food," she said. "I didn't know Wood was so culturally adept."