Senior societies at University of Pennsylvania

Senior societies at University of Pennsylvania are a part of Penn student life.[1][2][3]

History

Since 2000 (with the exception of Hexagon which was founded in 1910, and Onyx which was founded in 1974[4]), students have founded ten additional senior societies, seeking to recognize excellence in other spheres of the Penn community.

Senior societies at University of Pennsylvania

The following is a list of senior societies at University of Pennsylvania and a summary of each senior society.

Traditional societies

These societies were first senior societies to be created at the University of Pennsylvania. The three traditional senior societies are Friars, Sphinx, and Mortarboard. Friars and Sphinx explicitly seek campus leaders while Mortarboard seeks to recognize "achievements in scholarship, leadership, and service."[5] Friars and Sphinx are exclusive to the University of Pennsylvania while Mortarboard is a national honor society.

Friars Senior Society

The Friars Senior Society is the oldest undergraduate society at the University of Pennsylvania with over 2,000 alumni in the United States and in 23 countries .[lower-alpha 1] Founded in 1899 by Daniel Keller, Friars was formed to establish uncompromising democracy in University activities. Each class is composed of 1/3 athletic captains, 1/3 performing arts leaders, and 1/3 student government, Greek, publications and community service leaders. Friars promotes interaction between those from all walks of life who have given their time and energies to making the University what it is; hence, the name Friars, for those who sacrifice their time during college to meaningful activities. Throughout history, its members have contributed to many aspects of Penn life, such as the addition of straw hats to Hey Day in 1949 and the creation of Spring Fling in 1975.[7]

Sphinx Senior Society

The Sphinx Senior Society University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1900, is a prestigious honor society at Penn, recognizing the top seniors who have made significant contributions to the university as leaders of the campus. Continuing in this tradition, the society has come to represent all facets of university life and has reflected the changing face of Penn’s student body. Members today include leaders in student government, performing arts, media, service groups, cultural organizations, Greek life, athletics, and other realms of student affairs. Sphinx was the first senior society at Penn to admit African-Americans, doing so in 1952,[8] and in February 1971 [9] was the first to be co-ed.

Mortar Board Senior Society

Mortar Board is a chapter of the national Mortar Board Senior Honor Society. It was the first and only senior society open to women until 1971 when Sphinx and Friars became co-ed.[lower-alpha 2] Mortar Board recognizes juniors and seniors for their achievement.

Cultural/heritage-based

Atlas Senior Society

The Atlas Society was founded at the University of Pennsylvania in 2016 by five international students. The Atlas Society comprises international students who have demonstrated leadership and interest in intercultural learning and global experiences.

Atlas strives to create an ethnically and culturally diverse community of international students from all regions of the world, fostering new connections and relations between students with compatible and complementary personalities and aligned goals.

The founding class includes 21 members from 18 countries and territories.

Onyx Senior Society

The Onyx Senior Society was founded at the University of Pennsylvania in 1974 by seven university students: Claudette Christian, Craig Inge, Sharon Moorer, Linda Walker, Charles Wardlaw, Joseph Watkins and Robert Wilson. These pioneers, with the aid of administrators Provost Elliot, Dean of Students, Alice E. Emerson, and Associate Dean of Students, Harold Haskins, formed the honor society to encourage and provide incentive for high academic achievement and community service at the university. These collaborators sought to recognize and commend outstanding performance within, and outside of, the classroom. The organization has played and continues to play a significant role in promoting academic success and survival for minority students operating in an often competitive environment.

One of the goals of Onyx was to re-establish the Society for African-American Students at the University of Pennsylvania. The society provided an all expenses paid program for black students in the summer before their first year. The program lasted from 1969–72 and concentrated on preparing its participants for the academic mainstream by providing books, room and board, a stipend, and two credited courses. This program later birthed the Pre-Freshman Program. In response to such changes, the goals of Onyx have also changed and developed over time. In the past, Onyx has focused on forums as a means to inform the campus community about black issues. Some topics have included the organization and promotion of networking and support within the black community as well as the provision of mentoring for both the campus and surrounding Philadelphia communities. Onyx hopes to create a positive social experience for blacks at the university and to recognize black achievement past and present. Notable members include Grammy Award winning singer John "Legend" Stephens, former U.S. Congressman Harold Ford Jr., and former mayor of New Orleans and current National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial.

Oracle Senior Honor Society

Oracle, founded in 2003 recognizes outstanding members of each senior class who demonstrate passion, leadership, commitment and achievement as an Asian Pacific student or for the Asian Pacific community at the University of Pennsylvania.[11] The current class selects the new class every year based on the aforementioned qualities.[12][13]

Cipactli Latino Honor Society

The Cipactli Latino Honor Society was founded in 2001 at the University of Pennsylvania by four students: Nancy Calderón, Randy Quezada, Sabrina Harvey, and Shaun Gonzales. The mission and purpose of the Cipactli Latino Honor Society is to acknowledge individual academic achievement, valued leadership, and distinguished service to the Latino community. Cipactli continues its dedication to the Latino population at Penn and in the surrounding Philadelphia community. Cipactli is the only Latino Honor Society in the Ivy League and all of our members, whether of Latino heritage or not, are representative of our mission and purpose. The members of Cipactli are chosen anytime between their Sophomore Spring semester and Senior Fall semester and go through a rigorous application process. They are chosen for their outstanding work both in and outside the academic sphere as well as their deep commitment to helping their communities develop in a sustainable and meaningful way. We represent all four different schools at the University of Pennsylvania as well as a wide spectrum of student groups. Cipactli's philosophy regarding student life is known as "The three pillars of Cipactli" which are Leadership, Academic Achievement, and Community Service.[14]

School-based

Hexagon Senior Society

Hexagon is a senior society devoted to recognizing leaders of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. The society was founded in 1910 to promote fraternization across different engineering majors. Members often lead tours of the Engineering School buildings.

Nightingales Senior Society

The Nightingales Senior Society was founded in 2011. It is a society dedicated to senior nurses who have demonstrated themselves as leaders in the nursing school.

Activity-based

Omega Honor Society

The Zeta Xi Chapter of the Order of Omega was rechartered at Penn in 2014. Unlike its "Omega" counterpart below, the chapter has both a university affiliation with the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, and a national affiliation. Omega is composed of juniors and seniors who best represent the positive aspects of Greek life: character, scholarship, service, and leadership.[15]

Omega Senior Society

The Omega Senior Society, or The O.R.D.E.R., exists to recognize leadership in the Greek community. It is composed of influential members of Greek organizations and other similar student groups (colloquially known as "off-campus fraternities/sororities").

Bell Senior Society

The Bell Senior Society was founded in 2014. The organization brings together leaders of innovation and technology around Penn's campus from all four colleges. New members are selected by the previous class based on potential and passion for technology and entrepreneurship.

Osiris Senior Society

Osiris, founded in the spring of 2013 by Lainie Huston and Jackson Foster, brings together senior leaders and outstanding members of the performing arts community at the University of Pennsylvania. The society draws its name from the god Osiris, who was believed by some in ancient Greco-Egyptian times to have been the god who brought together the 9 muses. Similarly, the society provides a forum for students of different art forms, including vocal, dance, theatrical, instrumental, photographic, and tech among others, to strengthen ties across the performing arts community. Throughout the year, members attend social events and support each other at shows, and each May members perform a senior showcase highlighting the talents of these students and fostering collaborative performance.[16]

Kinoki Senior Society

Kinoki was founded in the spring of 2014. It is an organization that brings together students who are passionate about film and plan on pursuing careers in the entertainment industry.

Other groups

Carriage Senior Society

Carriage, founded in the spring of 2013, is a senior society of leaders from around campus who are members of the LGBT community or allies. Their symbol is the a carriage wheel and members refer to themselves as "Spokes."

Notes

  1. ↑ "Founded in 1899, Friars is the older of the two and has twenty members, while the Sphinx, which got under way in 1900, has the largest membership with twenty-five." [6]
  2. ↑ Mortar Board was a "national honorary organization for women students. The Penn chapter [had] nine members chosen each Hey Day by the graduating seniors in the well known Tapping Service. These students represented represented nearly all activities open to women at Penn such as work on the Dolphin yearbook, the Pennsylvania News, class offices and various dramatic organizations."[10]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.vpul.upenn.edu/osa/honorsoc.html
  2. ↑ Finkelstein, Morgan (April 8, 2010). "Oh, Look, Senior Societies". Under the Button.
  3. ↑ Pollock, Jody (April 15, 2008). "'Tapping' into senior societies". The Daily Pennsylvanian.
  4. ↑ "History". Onyx Senior Honor Society. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "About". Penn Mortar Board. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
  6. ↑ Tamblin C. Smith; et al. (1948). Pennsylvania Pictures, January 1948 Vol. IV, No. 3. Franklin Society Publication. pp. 3, .
  7. ↑ http://www.archives.upenn.edu/histy/features/traditions/heyday/timeline.htm
  8. ↑ NEGROES ELECTED TO SPHINX AT U.OF P|New York Times, May 24, 1952>
  9. ↑ Male Honor Society at Penn Planing to Admit Women||New York Times, February 07, 1971>
  10. ↑ Tamblin C. Smith; et al. (1948). Pennsylvania Pictures, January 1948 Vol. IV, No. 3. Franklin Society Publication. pp. 4, .
  11. ↑ Mission Oracle Senior Honor Society
  12. ↑ Class Oracle Senior Society
  13. ↑ Spring Senior Societies, Round Two Under the Button - April 9, 2012
  14. ↑ http://www.cipactlilhs.org/about.html
  15. ↑ "Constitution and Bylaws : Order of Omega". orderofomega.org. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
  16. ↑ Osiris Senior Society

External links

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