(BEAVER FALLS, Pa.) – Geneva College’s Communication Department inducted the first members of its newly established chapter in the Lambda Pi Eta (LPH) honor society last month in the West Reading Room of the McCartney Library. LPH promotes and recognizes excellence within the study of Communication.

The six members of Geneva’s new LPH chapter are (l to r): Benjamin Kennedy, Daniel Kreitzburg, Regan Scott, Michael Kearney (President), Grace Marras (Vice President) and Natalyn Chamberlain (Secretary/Treasurer). Assistant Professor Dr. Joel S. Ward is the faculty advisor.

Kearney says that Geneva’s LPH Chapter hopes to serve the Communication Department and the entire campus for years to come. “Our goals include promoting student-led book discussions and mentoring activities between upperclassmen and underclassmen. Not only should our membership in Lambda Pi Eta sharpen our own communication scholarship, it should also encourage us to contribute to the improvement of the college as a whole.”

Membership in Geneva’s chapter of LPH is offered to Communication majors and minors who are junior or senior status, have completed at least 60 credit hours (12 credits in Communication), and have maintained a 3.4 GPA or better.

In addition to the requirements outlined in the LPH handbook, Geneva’s chapter has a few unique requirements. In order to be admitted, a student must write an essay on what honor means to them, attend chapel weekly and mentor younger Communication students.

Geneva’s chapter expressed its own identity in the ceremony. Kearney explains that a typical LPH induction ceremony involves the lighting of three candles to symbolize logos, pathos, and ethos. He says, “We lit a single candle, reminding us that all truth comes from Christ.”

Dr. Ronald Arnett, Chair and Professor of the Department of Communication & Rhetorical Studies at Duquesne University, was the featured speaker. Dr. Arnett spoke on the topic of honor and how it is given and received. He impressed upon the students the duty of recognizing and thanking those who play a role in shaping their honorable character.

Part of the ceremony included singing the Alma Mater, indicating that the induction “marked an important occasion in the history of Geneva College,” says Kearney. The ceremony was concluded by singing from Psalm 119, which expresses the believer's heartfelt desire to know the ways of God and to let his Word guide our lives.

The name Lambda Pi Eta is derived from Aristotle’s three principles of persuasion: Logos (Lambda) or logic, Pathos (Pi) relating to emotion and Ethos (Eta) or character, credibility, and ethics. The LPH handbook outlines six goals of the Honor Society, all aimed at promoting logos, pathos and ethos within the discipline.

Geneva College is a Christ-centered academic community that provides a comprehensive education to equip students for faithful and fruitful service to God and neighbor. Offering over 40 traditional undergraduate majors and programs, Adult Degree Programs with fully online and classroom options, and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality. U.S. News & World Report ranks Geneva as a Top Three Best Value Regional University with one of the Top 100 engineering programs in the nation. Adhering to the truth of Scripture, a Geneva education is grounded in God’s Word as well as in a core curriculum designed to prepare students vocationally to think, write and communicate well in today’s world.