As we near the Labor Day holiday and the banquet looms in the not-too-distant future, it seems appropriate to recap our chapter’s highlights for the past year.
And what an exciting year it was! There were a few “firsts,” like this blog, our new Website, the Marcus Fundraising Campaign and the Mu Eta Scholarship Boot Camp. We also continued the many projects we began in 2007 and 2008 — Misericordia Candy Days, Mu Eta Chapter Scholarship, Excellence in Teaching & Mentoring Faculty award, and the employer letters for new inductees.
Can you believe in the past two years we’ve awarded $930 in scholarship money via our annual Mu Eta Chapter Scholarship? We gave one student $530 in our inaugural year of the award (2008) and this year two winners split the $400 raised for this purpose. Fantastic!
FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN
Last summer saw the debut of our Marcus Theater Fundraising Campaign, a program we began to help support our annual Mu Eta Chapter Scholarship. A number of ASL members stepped up to the challenge and either took orders or purchased tickets themselves. During the year, we sold 323 tickets for a total $2093.50 and earned $200 profit, which we added to the $200 earned through the Jeans Days fund. This provided each of this year’s winners with $200 towards their tuition for the 2009-2010 academic year. A special thanks goes out to all those who sold or purchased tickets, including our salesperson of the year, Gayle Allen, who sold $442 worth of tickets!
Watch this blog and the Mu Eta Website for information and order forms for this year’s Marcus Ticket Fundraiser beginning in October.
ANOTHER FUNDING SOURCE FOR THE 2010-2011 SCHOLARSHIP
Beginning with the summer term, to augment our fundraising efforts, a portion of our membership fees will be set aside to support the Mu Eta Chapter Scholarship. We are hoping this will help us meet our goal of providing at least $500 to each applicant chosen to represent our chapter in the ASL national competition next March.
MU ETA CHAPTER SCHOLARSHIP CONTINUES
For the second year of our annual chapter scholarship, to encourage greater participation, Professor Camin held two Boot Camp workshops in February focused on helping students learn how to write a winning personal statement (part of the application process).
Once more, faculty stepped forward to write letters of recommendation for applicants, and a group of faculty and staff reviewed the applications to choose the two students who would represent our chapter in the national ASL scholarship competition. A special thanks goes out to Sr. Professor Karen Janik, Associate Professor (now Associate Dean) Ken Schmidt, and Instructor Larry Panozza who took the time to write letters of recommendations. Never an easy task, these three extolled the applicants’ outstanding qualities, which helped make the judges’ decision so difficult. 
We also thank our panel of judges for their generous gift of time: Layton Cooper, Career Services Advisor; Associate Professor Maeve Duffey; Evelyn Hill (Keller); Professor Ed Leipus; Associate Dean Gil Martinez; and Tracy Yukich, Admissions Advisor.
2ND ANNUAL EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING & MENTORING FACULTY AWARD
For the second year in a row, Dean Adam Wittorp (ASL member, 2007) took charge of our annual Excellence in Teaching & Mentoring Faculty award competition. This year he single-handedly organized the nomination and voting process, compiled the votes and ordered the trophy, which will be presented to Associate Professor Deborah Edwards during our annual banquet in September. (Last year he was assisted by Alvin Fritscher, III, another ASL member, 2008, who graduated this past March.) Next year, we’re hoping to use the Mu Eta Forum to generate greater interest and streamline the nomination and voting process.
COMMUNITY SERVICE REMAINS STRONG
Once again, Mu Eta members stepped up to the challenge and volunteered for the annual Misericordia Candy Days event the last weekend in April. Joining volunteers from area hospitals, businesses, schools and Jewel-Osco stores, we helped raise $858,803.00! This marked the third year our chapter has participated in this community service event. Last year, Associate Professor Deborah Edwards joined us.
A special thanks goes out to her and those ASL members who have given their time to this cause, a few volunteering both days or for two or more shifts on a given day: Gayle Allen (2007; 2008; 2009); Lisa Days-Martin (2008); Carlene Ferguson (2008; 2009); Robin Jones (2009); Lyn Moody (2007); Nekia Parchman (2007); Andrea Reed (2009); Soledad Rocha (2008); Lesley Smith (2007; 2008); and Professor Denise Camin (2007; 2008; 2009), who also coordinates our volunteers each year.
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE…
The bar has been set high for the 2009-2010 academic year. Let’s see if we can build a chapter that epitomizes the ASL motto, First in Scholarship & Leadership!
Now, get ready to honor our volunteers, scholarship winners, faculty award winner, new inductees and graduates at this year’s banquet.
Then, begin thinking about the year ahead.
