The University of Alabama continues into the third day of Honors Week on Wednesday with festivities focused on achievements of students and faculty throughout campus.
“The purpose of Honors Week is to have an intentional time out of the calendar to recognize the truly gifted and amazing members of the UA community,” said Kirk Walter, assistant director of the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership.
A major highlight of the week is the highly anticipated “Tapping on the Mound” ceremony, a decades-old tradition in which senior University honor societies induct new members. The ceremony customarily takes place on the Mound at the west side of the Quad.
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Representatives from the Blue Key National Honor Society, Omicron Delta Kappa, the Anderson Society and the Mortar Board will “tap” chosen individuals from a large pool of applicants for admittance into their societies.
“The ceremony is important because it allows students who have excelled scholastically, be it through academics, leadership, or service, while maintaining the core values of the Capstone Creed [and] to be recognized publicly by the University of Alabama and other university scholars,” Darius Taylor, president of the Coordinating Council of Honor Societies, said. “They have been dedicated to bettering themselves, The University of Alabama and surrounding communities, and this is a day to say, ‘Thank you, and congratulations!’”
Inductees are held in a state of suspense until the day of ceremony, when their acceptance is announced, Walter said. New members also discover which of the four societies they will join. When an accepted applicant’s name is read aloud, he or she steps up on the Mound to join the new society. Walter, who has never seen the tapping ceremony, said he was thrilled to be attending the event later this week.
“While being tapped into an honor society is a huge accomplishment, it is by no means a scale to judge a student’s accomplishments on this campus,” Taylor said. “Honor societies are meant to serve as an adjunct to a student’s co-curricular and extracurricular activities, not an affirmation of them.”
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Taylor said the CCHS has played a large role promoting and coordinating Honors Week events like the tapping ceremony since 1987.
“The purpose of CCHS is to increase the awareness of campus honor societies,” Taylor said. “We serve as a bridge between the students and the honor societies on campus, while helping to promote and support the events and projects of member groups.”
After months of meetings, deadlines, interviews and selections, Honors Day will be a refreshing and exciting day to meet and tap new members, Taylor said.
“It’s a bit like Coach Saban and the football team getting ready for the first game after months of training and practice. Honors Day is our National Championship,” he said.
Throughout the week, different UA departments, divisions and student organizations will host events celebrating achievements within these areas. Walter said honoring faculty accomplishments is also a key aspect of this celebration.
Beth Riggs, assistant to the director at the School of Library and Information Studies, said her school presents the Best Faculty Member Award during Honors Week.
“It’s very moving for a faculty member to be nominated by students for the [award],” Riggs said. “Last year was the first time that this award was presented, and the faculty member burst into tears. She was completely taken by surprise.”
Riggs said her favorite part of Honors Week is the presentation of the college’s Faculty-Scholar Award, conferred by the faculty to one student from the previous year’s graduating class.
“It’s always a treat for me to see one of our alumni come back and be recognized,” she said. “They have taken the next step into a career, and it’s great to welcome back someone who, in the mind of the faculty, was the most outstanding student.”
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She said the awards given during Honors Week also carry a certain amount of prestige, not only for individual colleges, but also for students going forward in their careers.
“When one student within our school is honored, the school is honored,” Riggs said. “So it’s a great opportunity for us to come together to celebrate what is great among us.”
Honors Week activities will take place throughout campus from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and from 2 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. The “Tapping on the Mound” will begin Friday at 1:30 p.m.
