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Morningside was honored at national convention for leadership honor society

Beth Norton (left), Krystal Carlson Bruce Forbes, Jackie Lincoln, Kelci Teut

The Morningside College circle of ODK was honored recently at the organization’s national convention at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

ODK is a national leadership honor society that recognizes and encourages superior scholarship, leadership and exemplary character.

At the “Circle Showcase” the first day of the convention, 20 ODK circles used table displays to share ideas with one another. Students stood with their displays for discussion, and the Morningside display drew some of the largest crowds, said Bruce Forbes, ODK advisor and professor and chair of religious studies at Morningside.

Judges chose the three top displays based on content and creativity, and Morningside received first place in the competition. The Morningside table display featured the circle’s four “signature events” – the Into the Streets campuswide service day, a faculty appreciation dinner, a dean’s list recognition reception and an honors convocation.

Then at the final banquet, the Morningside circle was recognized as a Superior Circle, one of only 18 out of approximately 300 circles. 

Morningside students who attended the convention with Forbes were Kelci Teut, outgoing circle president; Beth Norton, incoming president; Jackie Lincoln co-chair of last year’s Into the Streets event; and Krystal Carlson, co-chair of Into the Streets for this fall.

While at the convention, Lincoln shared information about Into the Streets during a workshop that highlighted service projects at different schools. Forbes served as facilitator of a small-group discussion session, and he provided the invocation at the awards banquet.

“All five of us came away from the convention with the conviction that we are one of the stronger circles within ODK,” Forbes said.