On Wednesday, Nov. 2, the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS) inducted its new members. NSCS is a new organization to the campus of Prairie View. President Andrae James was primarily responsible for NSCS coming to Prairie View after receiving an invitation during an internship in Washington, D. C. “I brought NSCS to Prairie View not for my personal gain, but I wanted the academically elite to be integral parts of bettering our community. Thus, making them well-rounded and ready for life after college,” James said.
Prairie View is the 216th chapter of NSCS’ 218 chapters. It joins the ranks of Spelman, Howard, Morehouse, and Florida A & M University as the fifth historically black college or university (HBCU). However, Prairie View is the first school from the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) to join NSCS.
The National Society of Collegiate Scholars is an honors organization which recognizes outstanding academic achievement among first and second year college students and encourages members to develop leadership skills through community service.
NSCS focuses on three principles: scholarship, leadership, and service. Only first-and second-year students who rank in the top 20th percentile of their class and have a minimum GPA of 3.4 are invited to join, a standard set by the Association of College Honor Societies. Universities provide NSCS with names of eligible members and invitations are then mailed to the nominees.
The ceremony was graced by the presence of the associate director of chapter relations, Virginia Aguilera. Then, keynote speaker Tyra Metoyer, director of university relations, shared some inspiring words with new inductees. “Be proud of the fact that it’s scholarship what you do and what you focus on,” urged Metoyer. “Don’t be afraid to be different,” she said.
Dr. James Palmer, assistant English professor, is the sponsor of the organization. “What I like about NSCS is we are the only interdisciplinary society on campus. Most are focused on biology and architecture, but we encourage the three principles throughout the community instead of one area,” explained Palmer.
Not only are professors optimistic about the future of NSCS, but so are students. “NSCS is an organization that will help uplift African American students in their scholastic achievements,” said sophomore biology major Shavon Johnson.