(St. Mary’s City, Md) Friday, April 28, 2017 – On Thursday, April 20, nine St. Mary’s College students were inducted into the College’s first ever chapter of Pi Delta Phi, the National French Honor Society. Founded in 1906, Pi Delta Phi is, according to its website, “the oldest academic honor society for a modern foreign language in the United States.” Boasting 75,000 members and 360 chapters, Pi Delta Phi aims to “recognize outstanding scholarship in the French language and its literatures, to increase the knowledge and appreciation of Americans for the cultural contributions of the French-speaking world, and to stimulate and to encourage French and francophone cultural activities.”
With Pi Delta Phi Regional Vice President Dr. Eileen Angelini presiding, the nine inductees pledged to uphold the values of the Society and to promote French and Francophone culture at home and abroad. Dr. Angelini presented the official charter for the St. Mary’s chapter (known by the Greek letters “Pi Theta”) and the students received a certificate of membership, pins, and red and blue cords to be worn at graduation.
The inductees ranged from sophomores planning to study abroad in Montpellier and Grenoble, to a senior about to begin the Peace Corps in Francophone, Africa, and another senior who will be teaching English in France.
St. Mary’s College of Maryland, designated the Maryland state honors college in 1992, is ranked one of the best public liberal arts schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Approximately 1,700 students attend the college, nestled on the St. Mary’s River in Southern Maryland.