Alpha Kappa Chapter
Andrea Blair sent me this picture of the Alpha Kappa’s Fall 2009 Initiation. Congrats to all your new members from DAPi.
Omega Chapter
Spring 2010 News
The Omega chapter at Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, California, inducted 9 new members in the Spring semester and has 9 members who will be graduating in May. Our net active membership after graduation will be 34.
On April 7th the Omega Chapter’s Spring Events included Day in a Chair with the HeadNorth Foundation. HeadNorth works with individuals who have spinal cord injuries. We had 7 Delta Alpha Pi members spend the day navigating their normal class schedules in wheelchairs. It was a very positive experience for everyone involved. (Our campus is quite hilly with the cliffs above the Pacific Ocean, so that presents an extra challenge.) Chapter members will also be participating as volunteers at the Special Olympics being held on our campus in May. Submitted by advisor – Pat Curley.
Iota Chapter
Fall 2009 News
Members of the Delta Alpha Pi Honor Society, Iota Chapter, from Kutztown University of PA, served on a panel of students with disabilities for a disability awareness event in October 2009. Six students with various disabilities discussed the nature of their disabilities and how they cope on campus. This event was open to the campus community and was well attended. Many students attended and asked questions at the end. The evaluations were excellent! The DAP group counts this as a great way to follow their mission.
Another Kutztown University Delta Alpha Pi member is serving as a friendly mentor to a college student with Autism/Asperger’s Syndrome. She relates her experience: As a senior, I have come in contact with a multitude of students with a variety of learning disadvantages. After becoming a part of DAP, I was asked to peer mentor an incoming freshman with Aspergers Syndrome, which is a high functioning form of Autism. As ashamed as I am to admit this, I had to look up information about the disability, because I was not aware of its severities. ….My original thought about students with this disadvantage, and the outcome of being a peer mentor to the student were two different ideas. The student communicates with me on a daily basis, and now we have moved from a peer mentor relationship, to a more comfortable and relaxed friendship. I found that by acting like the student was the same as I was, the student was more willing to share information that they would otherwise overlook. The student was even able to teach me a little bit more about what they had to go through, and the challenges they face now. I asked him to keep a journal of his daily struggles, and bring it to our once-a-week meeting. I found the student really enjoyed doing this, and was able to open up much more. I am now in the process of introducing the student to social events.
Omega Chapter
Fall 2009 – On November 3, the Omega Chapter held its fall initiation ceremony in the Clara Colt Forum, Point Loma Nazarene University, San Diego, CA. Glen Laster, Assistant Director of Public Safety brought the keynote address. Fourteen undergraduates were initiated. The chapter also recognized five members who are mentoring incoming students for the fall semester.
