Lambda Sigma

Lambda Sigma () is an American college honor society for second-year students. Originally named the Society of Cwens, the society was established at the University of Pittsburgh in Fall 1922 as a women's honors society and became a national organization with the 1925 foundation of chapters at Miami University and the University of Missouri. The society is "dedicated to the purpose of fostering leadership, scholarship, fellowship, and the spirit of service among college students, and to promoting the interests of the college or university in every possible way".

History

File:Thyrsa Amos.jpg

University of Pittsburgh Dean Thyrsa Amos, founder of the Society of Cwens.

Society of Cwens

In the early 1920s, the University of Pittsburgh Dean of Women Thyrsa Amos saw the need for a society for outstanding sophomore women. On 7 November 1922, twelve sophomore women responded to invitations and met at Heinz House, electing to found a society to sponsor activities for all freshmen and sophomore women and to "select for membership in the spring those freshman women who displayed the finest Pitt spirit, showed good scholarship and expressed interest in activities through fine participation in them". The society was named Cwens, from the word cwēn, meaning "lady" or "queen" in Anglo-Saxon. The emblem selected was a golden crown resting upon a scepter.

Soon afterward, Beta and Gamma chapters were founded at Miami University and the University of Missouri, with the first Society of Cwens conference held in May 1925 on the Miami campus. A charter was obtained to certify Cwens as a national organization; a petition was submitted, and on 16 June 1926, the certificate of incorporation was approved and the charter of the National Society of Cwens was recorded in the Common Pleas Court of Allegheny County. Titles of officers in the organization were given Anglo-Saxon names, and a national convention (called the Witan) was held twice annually, rotating among the colleges and universities having Cwen chapters. The society's publication was called The Tid.

The 1972 Witan, held in Pittsburgh on the campus of Duquesne University, observed the Fiftieth Anniversary of the society and climaxed in a "feast" in the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. This ceremony, detailed in the book of rituals (the Hydan-Bok), is a revered event in the history of the organization.

Foundation of Lambda Sigma

However, in 1975, the Title IX Education Amendments mandated the abolishment of single-sex organizations in institutions of higher learning. In October 1975, Cwens chapter presidents gave authority to the National Executive Board to disband the society and to formulate plans for a national sophomore honor society for both men and women. The National Board disbanded the National Society of Cwens, founding the Lambda Sigma Society as a direct descendant on 6 March 1976. The Society of Cwens's goal of fostering leadership, scholarship, fellowship, and service remains the same in the child organization.

Symbols

Lambda Sigma's official symbol is composed of the Greek letters Lambda and Sigma in gold imposed on a blue lozenge. The letters are emblematic of the society's ideals of leadership and scholarship. The society's colors are blue and gold. Its symbol is the blue diamond.

Membership

Membership in any chapter may not exceed 50 students, or 10 percent of the freshman class – whichever is lower. Students who achieve GPA within at least the top 35 percent of the class at the time of selection are eligible for selection in the spring term following their completion of at least one academic term. These new members selected to Lambda Sigma become active during their second year.

Chapters

Lambda Sigma has 39 active chapters. Active chapters noted in bold, inactive chapters noted in italics:

Name	Chartered	Institution	Location	Status	Notes	Reference
Alpha	Template:Dts	University of Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Active
Beta	Template:Dts	Miami University	Oxford, Ohio	Inactive
Gamma	Template:Dts	University of Missouri	Columbia, Missouri	Inactive
Delta	Template:Dts	Pennsylvania State University	State College, Pennsylvania	Inactive
Epsilon	Template:Dts	Allegheny College	Meadville, Pennsylvania	Active
Zeta	Template:Dts	Muskingum University	New Concord, Ohio	Active
Eta	Template:Dts	Carnegie Mellon University	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Active
Theta	Template:Dts	University of Kentucky	Lexington, Kentucky	Inactive
Iota	Template:Dts	University of Mississippi	Oxford, Mississippi	Active
Kappa	Template:Dts	Seton Hill University	Greensburg, Pennsylvania	Inactive
Lambda	Template:Dts	University of Mississippi	Westminster College	Active
Mu	Template:Dts - 2006; March 25, 2014	Eastern Kentucky University	Richmond, Kentucky	Active
Nu	Template:Dts	University of Louisville	Louisville, Kentucky	Inactive
Xi	Template:Dts	Grove City College	New Wilmington, Pennsylvania	Inactive
Omicron	Template:Dts	Northern Illinois University	DeKalb, Illinois	Active
Pi	Template:Dts	Auburn University	Auburn, Alabama	Active
Rho	Template:Dts	Thiel College	Greenville, Pennsylvania	Active
Sigma	Template:Dts	Alfred University	Village of Alfred	Inactive
Tau	Template:Dts	University of Kansas	Lawrence, Kansas	Active
Upsilon	Template:Dts	Morehead State University	Morehead, Kentucky	Inactive
Phi	Template:Dts ?	Union College	Barbourville, Kentucky	Inactive
Chi	Template:Dts	Louisiana Tech University	Ruston, Louisiana	Active
Psi	Template:Dts	University of Central Missouri	Warrensburg, Missouri	Inactive
Omega	Template:Dts	Pittsburg State University	Pittsburg, Kansas	Active
Alpha Alpha	Template:Dts	University of Mount Union	Alliance, Ohio	Inactive
Alpha Beta	Template:Dts	University of Oklahoma	Norman, Oklahoma	Inactive
Alpha Gamma	Template:Dts	Duquesne University	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania	Active
Alpha Delta	Template:Dts	University of Southern Mississippi	Hattiesburg, Mississippi	Active
Alpha Epsilon	Template:Dts	Mansfield University of Pennsylvania	Mansfield, Pennsylvania	Active
Alpha Zeta	Template:Dts	Texas A&M University	College Station, Texas	Active
Alpha Eta	Template:Dts	Penn State Erie, The Behrend College	Erie, Pennsylvania	Active	Template:Efn
Alpha Theta	Template:Dts	Slippery Rock University	Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania	Active
Alpha Iota	Template:Dts	Mississippi State University	Starkville, Mississippi	Active
Alpha Kappa	Template:Dts	Georgia Institute of Technology	Atlanta, Georgia	Active
Alpha Lambda	Template:Dts	D'Youville College	Buffalo, New York	Active
Alpha Mu	Template:DtsSpring 1981	Berry College	Mount Berry, Georgia	Active
Alpha Nu	Template:Dts	Butler University	Indianapolis, Indiana	Inactive
Alpha Xi	Template:Dts	Texas Tech University	Lubbock, Texas	Inactive
Alpha Omicron	Template:Dts	Penn State Beaver	Beaver, Pennsylvania	Inactive
Alpha Pi	Template:Dts	Lawrence University	Appleton, Wisconsin	Active
Alpha Rho	Template:Dts	Robert Morris University	Moon Township, Pennsylvania	Inactive
Alpha Sigma	Template:Dts	Gannon University	Erie, Pennsylvania	Active
Alpha Tau	Template:DtsSpring 1988	University of Alabama	Tuscaloosa, Alabama	Active
Alpha Upsilon	Template:Dts	Mount Saint Clare College	Clinton, Iowa	Inactive
Alpha Phi	Template:Dts	Ferrum College	Ferrum, Virginia	Active
Alpha Chi	Template:Dts	Notre Dame College	South Euclid, Ohio	Inactive
Alpha Psi	Template:Dts	University of Toledo	Appleton, Wisconsin	Active
Alpha Omega	Template:Dts	Westfield State University	Westfield, Massachusetts	Active
Beta Alpha	Template:Dts	University of Montevallo	Montevallo, Alabama	Inactive
Beta Beta	Template:Dts	Mississippi University for Women	Columbus, Mississippi	Inactive
Beta Gamma	Template:Dts	University of Pikeville	Pikeville, Kentucky	Active
Beta Delta	Template:Dts	Middle Tennessee State University	Murfreesboro, Tennessee	Active
Beta Epsilon	Template:Dts	Washington University in St. Louis	St. Louis, Missouri	Active
Beta Zeta	Template:Dts	Pace University (NYC)	New York City, New York	Active
Beta Eta	Template:Dts	Pace University (Pleasantville)	Pleasantville, New York	Active
Beta Theta	Template:Dts	Urbana University	Urbana, Ohio	Inactive
Beta Iota	Template:Dts	Texas A&M University–Kingsville	Kingsville, Texas	Inactive
Beta Kappa	Template:Dts	George Mason University	Fairfax, Virginia	Active
Beta Lambda	Template:Dts	University of North Carolina at Pembroke	Pembroke, North Carolina	Active
Beta Mu	Template:Dts	Alvernia University	Reading, Pennsylvania	Active
Beta Nu	Template:Dts	Minnesota State University, Mankato	Mankato, Minnesota	Inactive
Beta Xi	Template:Dts	Jackson State University	Jackson, Mississippi	Active
Beta Omicron	Template:Dts	University of West Alabama	Livingston, Alabama	Active
Beta Pi	Template:Dts	Jacksonville State University	Jacksonville, Alabama	Active

External links

• Official website
• From CMU's The Tartan: "Sophomore honor society serves community"