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Activities and News
 International Convention
Phi Theta Kappa members attended the 2009 International
Convention in Grapevine, Texas. During our conference, we attended
presentations led by prestigious speakers such as CNN analyst and
best-selling author, Dr. Fareed Zakaria, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
During our visit, we had the opportunity to tour Dallas and to visit
The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, which records the career and
the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. We are also proud to
announce that Jolene Hoots, a Phi Theta Kappa advisor on the Fulton
campus, was awarded the prestigious Paragon Award for New Advisors.
We are so proud of her, and we are thankful for all of the effort
and excitement that she brings to this chapter. We had a fabulous
time in Grapevine, and we cannot wait until we attend the 2010
International Convention in Orlando, Florida, April 8-10!
Bottle Bash
 For
this recycling project, we collected plastic bottles, which are one
of the hardest products to recycle because they are made of
chemicals and polymers that require more processing to recycle than
do glass and paper products. Recycling a ton of plastic bottles can
save around eight cubic yards of space in a landfill. Between the
months of August and November, we were able to collect .52 tons of
old plastic. The plastic was then taken to the recycling center so
that it could be used for something better than taking up space in a
landfill.
Race for the Cure
 This
fall Phi Theta Kappa joined with the Itawamba Community College
Faculty Association to participate in Twelfth Annual North
Mississippi Race For The Cure. The Komen North Mississippi Race for
the Cure serves an area that encompasses 15 counties, including
Chickasaw, Itawamba, Lee, Monroe, and Pontotoc, all part of Itawamba
Community College's district. Up to 75% of the money raised through
the walk stays in North Mississippi to help medically under-served
women. The money is used towards breast cancer education and breast
cancer screening and treatment programs. Our team included 59
participants, and we raised a total of $1200 from both the Tupelo
and Fulton campuses. This was a wonderful experience and a worthy
cause, and we can't wait to go again next year.
Relay For Life
 Our goal during this project was three-fold: raise money for
cancer research, honor the survivors, and remember the people who
have passed. The theme for 2009's Relay for Life was "Celebrating 25
Years: 1985-2009," and each team was expected to create an
80s-themed campsite. The theme for our campsite was "Live Aid: Rockin' for a Cure," and each of our PTK team members wore a
"Choose
Life" t-shirt to show our support of the Relay for Life's dedication
to eradicating cancer. To decorate our campsite, we hung replicas of
records commemorating the musical hits of the 80s. At nightfall,
there was a candlelight service in remembrance of all the loved ones
who have been lost to this horrible disease. By the end of the
night, our team had raised $2,400, the largest amount that our
chapter has ever raised! The Itawamba County Relay for Life also had
its best year ever, raising over $110,000 for the American Cancer
Society!
 Project Graduation
Using this as our college project, Phi Theta Kappa officers and
members decided this was a good way to involve other members and the
entire campus to help "Conquer Hunger and Illiteracy." Two weeks
prior to graduation, faculty members challenged their students to
help us in our efforts by donating books and canned goods to give to
a local organization in our five-county area. Itawamba Community
College answered the challenge! By graduation, we had collected
4,286 canned goods and 520 books! It took several trips with trucks
and SUVs "packed" to the roof to carry these goods to charities in
our area: Mantachie Methodist Church Food Pantry, which feeds over
50 families each month; Fulton Library, which donates books to
children of all ages; and the Fulton Food Pantry. Due to the efforts
of the entire college, Upsilon Sigma helped our campus conquer
hunger and illiteracy. It was one of the best Project Graduations
ever!
Daffodil Project
 For
this project, we invited an expert, Sherrie Cochran, to better
educate students on how to help keep America beautiful. Ms. Cochran
is the local director of Keep Tupelo Beautiful and has headed "The
Daffodil Project" in the city of Tupelo, MS. Rather than just giving
information, Ms. Cochran encouraged us to help others plant
daffodils and add some green to the neighborhood. On November 21,
members and advisors helped plant over 50,000 daffodil bulbs. Coming
together for this project inspired not only being green, but it
inspired friendships as well. Daffodils are known as the friendship
flower, and we found this to be true as we formed friendships
working for a common cause.
Defeat Diabetes Campaign
 In October, Phi Theta Kappa worked with the Diabetes Foundation
of Mississippi (DFM) to provide awareness about how diabetes is
affecting the lives of so many Mississippians. Currently, according
to the DFM, 346,000 Mississippians have diabetes and 115,000
Mississippians are living with diabetes undiagnosed. Because of this
rampant problem in Mississippi, the DFM is dedicated to fighting
diabetes in Mississippians, regardless of whether the person
affected is a child or a senior adult. Phi Theta Kappa is proud to
announce that the students, faculty, and staff raised $500 for this
organization, and because DFM is an organization dedicated to
Mississippi, all of this money will stay in our state helping our
fellow Mississippians whose lives are affected by diabetes. Four of
our officers also participated in the Walk for Diabetes in Columbus,
MS. Thank you so much for your support and for raising awareness
about this serious health problem in Mississippi. If you would like
more information about the DFM, its web address is
www.msdiabetes.org.
Political Week
 We
hosted several events during our Political Week. First, we held our
annual Voter Registration Drive. We registered 51 new voters from 10
different counties in Mississippi! We also sponsored an online poll
to highlight the concerns and opinions of our fellow students and
our faculty. Over 600 people voted on questions about President
Obama's job performance, healthcare, and the recession. At the end
of the week, we hosted a viewing of Iron Jawed Angels, a film that
highlights the struggles women overcame to obtain the right to vote.
After the movie, we discussed the strong will and determination of
the women, and we talked about how we can use their examples as we
strive to make a lasting impact on our campus, our community, and
our nation.
Operation Christmas Child
 Our
chapter wrapped up Good as Gold week by packing shoeboxes for
Operation Christmas Child (OCC). OCC is an outreach of Samaritan's
Purse, and it provides Christmas gifts to children all over the
world who have very little. Throughout Good as Gold week we,
together with the Modern Foreign Language Club, collected toys and
other items for the shoeboxes. By Friday afternoon, we had collected
enough goods to pack 110 shoeboxes! We also collected over 350,
which we donated to Operation Christmas Child. When we had finished
packing boxes, we had many, many toys leftover, so we were able to
help three other charities as well. We donated toys to the Salvation
Army, to Mission Arlington, and to Angel Tree.
Honors Day
 Honors
Day is a tradition at Itawamba Community College. This event
draws a crowd of hundreds of people whose sole purpose is to
recognize the scholarly achievements of worthy students at this
institution. Departmental and Divisional awards are given to
students who merit this honor. Many students who receive recognition
are also members of Phi Theta Kappa.
Good as Gold Week
 During
Good as Gold Week, we promoted helping our environment in several
different ways. During this week, one day was devoted to cell phone
recycling. The devices we collected were donated to victims of
domestic abuse through the Stop Abuse For Everyone (SAFE)
organization. Flyers were distributed that included recycling tips
as well as information on domestic abuse. Recycling these cell
phones not only saves landfill space but also saves lives. Another
day of Good as Gold week was assigned to the Great American Smoke
Out. This day consisted of giving information to students about
littering with cigarette butts as well as the health benefits of
being smoke-free. We also paired with the Political Science Club to
make a petition to make Itawamba Community College a smoke-free
campus. Another day was devoted to "Another Bright Idea." This
project encourages students and faculty members to replace
incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Flyers were
handed out that stated the environmental and economic advantages of
fluorescent bulbs.
Myrtle Elementary
 Some
of our members went to Myrtle Elementary School to educate children
about the importance of recycling, to show them the uses of
recyclable materials, and hopefully, to form new and better habits
with these children. Our members talked to a class about the
importance of recycling and activities they can do to help our
planet in its time of need. We also helped the children build
birdhouses with recyclable materials. We feel that young students
responded well because they realized that even they can make a difference.
Upcoming Events
- Regional Conference: Biloxi, MS, March 5-6
- International Conference: Orlando, FL, April
8-10
- Scholar's Bowl: February 11
- Formal Induction: April 6
- Habitat for Humanity: Florence, AL, March 19
- Relay for Life: April 23
- TOMS Style Your Sole: April 27
- Battle of the Bands: March 29
- Project Graduation: April 26-May 4
Check back and see all the other wonderful contributions and
events of PTK!
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