Roane State honor society members take part in national conference at Disney World

 

Representatives of Roane State Community College’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society unleashed their inner nerd at the society’s national conference, “NerdNation 2014,” at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society for two-year colleges.

Roane State PTK chapter president Georgette Boozer said attending the national conference offered “a chance to explore leadership potential with college peers and a way to have fun with people from all over the country.”

Boozer and fellow PTK members Miranda Chase and Shawn Van Horn attended education sessions, networked with fellow students, and heard renowned speakers such as polar explorer Alison Levine and oceanographer Robert Ballard, who discovered the Titanic in 1985.

The conference was titled “NerdNation” to celebrate the idea that it’s cool to be smart. Pop culture, through shows such as “The Big Bang Theory,” and fashion—bow ties are in, and horn-rimmed glasses are back—celebrate nerd style, or “geek chic.”

As PTK executive director Rod Risley said in a news release about the conference: “Why must we continue to dumb things down? We need societies where being smart is promoted, valued, recognized, and respected. Let’s all commit to developing a global culture where it is cool to be smart. Be a nerd, be a geek, be a ‘dweeb,’ your countries need for you to do that!”

At Roane State, the Beta Alpha Chi chapter of PTK works hard to celebrate smarts. The chapter is active in campus culture, holds a special ceremony for new students inducted into the chapter, and organizes campus events.

To become a member of Beta Alpha Chi, students are required to have 12 hours of college credit and a GPA of 3.5 or above. Students interested in joining are encouraged to contact Georgette Boozer at [email protected].