This spring, 32 students were inducted into the George T. Crutchfield Chapter of Kappa Tau Alpha, a journalism and mass communications honor society. “This is the Phi Beta Kappa of mass communications students,” Dr. Judy VanSlyke Turk told those assembled, illustrating the honor and importance of membership in Kappa Tau Alpha.
Kappa Tau Alpha is meant to foster a high level of scholarship in journalism and mass communications. Therefore, membership was extended by invitation only to juniors and seniors with overall grade point averages in the top 10 percent of their class in the School of Mass Communications.
Turk, the chapter advisor, led the ceremony held in the Temple building on March 21. She read from the chapter’s charter explaining to all of the new members and guests the history and purpose of the organization.
VCU’s chapter was chartered in 1978 and has initiated new classes each year since. With this year’s number of new inductees, Turk commented the new class was larger than it has been in the recent past.
Kappa Tau Alpha was founded at the University of Missouri in 1910 and is the seventh oldest national honor society. It is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies and is the only member dedicated to journalism/mass communications.
According to the Kappa Tau Alpha web site, the organization’s emblem is the key, which stands for knowledge and communication. In addition, the letters kappa, tau and alpha suggest the words knowledge, truth and accuracy. The Greek letters also represent “The Truth Will Prevail” the underlying purpose of journalism and mass communications.
