For the third time in four years, the History Club/Alpha Delta Nu Chapter at Cal State San Bernardino has been named the best chapter in the nation by the Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society.
The award is given to university chapters that “excel in promoting the mission of the honor society on their campus and in their community,” which is to “promote the study of history through the encouragement of research, good teaching, publication and the exchange of learning and ideas among historians,” according to the honor society’s website.
There are 970 member chapters in the Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society, with more than 400,000 individual members nationwide.
“The award recognizes the activities of our chapter, including the prize-winning student journal, ‘History in the Making,’ under the advisement of Drs. Tiffany Jones (associate professor) and Cherstin Lyon (professor), and the strong relationship between the history department and the Manzanar National Historic Site, the World War II Japanese American internment camp, as guided by Dr. Lyon,” said Jeremy Murray, an associate professor in the CSUSB history department. Murray and Assistant Professor Yvette Saavedra serve as the club’s faculty advisers.
“The prize also recognized the Club/PAT's excellent programming, including prominent guest lecturers and film screenings, in affiliation with the history department, the local World Affairs Council chapter under Dr. Margaret Hill, and other campus entities like the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences,” Murray said.
Last year's officers were: Gonzalo Aguilar, president; Alex Hampton, vice president; Lauren Adams, treasurer; and Casey Lee, secretary. The current officers are: Efren Perez, president; Marmar Zakher, vice president; Gonzalo Aguilar, treasurer; and Elvia Hernandez, secretary.
The History Club is a student organization aimed at promoting the study of history on campus and in the community. It is sponsored by Alpha Delta Nu, CSUSB’s chapter of the national honor society in history, Phi Alpha Theta.
Any student can join the History Club, regardless of major or grade-point average. After taking at least 12 units of history courses, students may qualify for membership in Phi Alpha Theta, the national honor society. Most members join the History Club as underclassmen then, upon meeting the requirements, join the honor society as juniors or seniors.
Members of the History Club and/or Alpha Delta Nu can participate in the same club-sponsored activities; however, honor society members receive additional recognition upon graduation and when applying for employment or graduate programs.
Visit the CSUSB Department of History website for information on the History Club and Phi Alpha Theta, as well as the department’s programs. Also visit the Phi Alpha Theta website for information on its programs.