The University of Puget Sound is celebrating major milestone anniversaries for three honor societies this year. Phi Kappa Phi is in its 50th year, Phi Beta Kappa is in its 40th, and Phi Eta Sigma (formerly SPURS) is in its 20th. Mortar Board celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2022.
Honor societies are organizations that recognize students who excel in academics, leadership, and service. Alison Paradise ’82 — a math and computer science instructor who is the current faculty advisor for Phi Kappa Phi, Mortar Board, and Phi Eta Sigma — was in SPURS, Phi Kappa Phi, and Mortar Board during her time as a student at Puget Sound. “We always like being recognized when we do things well,” Paradise says. “And so it was an honor just to be part of that.” In addition, she said, there was, and still is, a social component to being part of a society. “This is a way to broaden yourself across campus,” she adds. “When I was a student, I really enjoyed getting to know more people from across disciplines.”
Many national honor societies began recognizing men or women, but today they are all co-ed. There are thousands of Logger alumni who were members of one or more of these societies. SPURS and Phi Eta Sigma were established to recognize achievements in first-year students, while Mortar Board and Phi Kappa Phi recognize rising juniors and seniors, and Phi Beta Kappa recognizes graduating seniors.
Some honor societies also include a focus on service and organize community events on campus. Phi Eta Sigma makes blankets to give to people experiencing homelessness and sews felt hearts to give to hospitalized children. Mortar Board hosts a Last Lecture series for retiring faculty. Phi Eta Sigma hosts a lecture series that invites faculty to answer the prompt “Everything I Need to Know, I Learned From ___.”
Puget Sound’s honor societies are all part of national organizations, and that is also part of their appeal. Ella Tao ’27, the president of Phi Eta Sigma, shares memories of her time at the society’s national convention: “We get to talk to other schools and figure out what they're doing,” she recalls. “We can bounce ideas off each other, and I think it's a really cool way of getting new feedback and figuring out what we can do to improve our chapter.” Paradise says this anniversary year is an important time to celebrate the history and recognize the achievements of the university’s honor societies, while also reflecting on how they can continue to evolve to best serve the Puget Sound community. “We're still here and still working,” she said. “We're still recognizing student achievement as best we can.”
Were you a part of an honor society at Puget Sound? Share your reflections with fellow Loggers by emailing a letter to the editor at arches@pugetsound.edu.
