The Phi Beta Kappa initiation ceremony took place on Saturday afternoon within the Spingold Theater, welcoming 87 new members to the oldest undergraduate honors organization in the United States. The University houses the Mu Chapter of PBK, meaning it is the twelfth chapter of the society established in the state of Massachusetts. According to the program handed out at the ceremony, the University was granted the privilege of forming a PBK chapter more quickly than any other university in the United States.

Prof. Alice Kelikian (HIST), the president of the Mu Chapter of PBK, served as Master of Ceremonies for the event, and Interim University President Lisa Lynch delivered the welcoming address. Prof. Craig Blocker (PHYS), the chapter secretary, then provided a brief history of the society. He humorously spoke of PBK’s origins as a fraternity in the College of William and Mary and its eventual inclusion of women in 1875, before introducing the new initiates to the Phi Beta Kappa motto: “Love of learning is the guide of life.”

Prof. Kathryn Grady (ECON), the former chapter president, led the Ovations and Declaration of Initiation. 78 members of the Class of 2016 and nine members of the Class of 2017 were individually called to the stage to receive their certificate of recognition and be formally welcomed to the honor society. PBK candidates are selected for membership based on three criteria: academic record, the number of courses taken outside of a student’s major and faculty nominations. Only 10 percent of undergraduates attending institutions with Phi Beta Kappa chapters are invited to join the society.

Prof. Paul Jankowski (HIST), though not a member himself, delivered the PBK Address, reminding the initiates not to fear failure and to value “doubt in the face of complexity.” Kelikian closed the ceremony by touching upon the meaning of the PBK key given to each member, a physical symbol of their academic achievement, and ended the event by recognizing the supportive parents in attendance and offering a final welcome to the new members of the society.

—Sabrina Sung