The Nu Omega chapter at Oakland University has been selected for one of Pi Sigma Alpha’s Best Chapter Awards for the 2018-2019 school year. The political science honors society has now been given the Best Chapter award for six years straight.

The award is given every year to chapters that are exceptionally active and impactful within their local communities. 

President of Nu Omega Ghazi Ghazi credits the chapter’s success to a variety of contributions from undergraduate students.

“This award is granted to chapters of Pi Sigma Alpha around the country for programming, membership, participation and overall how the honorary operates,” Ghazi said. “Whether it’s the amount of events we put on, the creativity of these events, how we keep our members engaged … it’s not a set criteria, but we set a rapport.”

The personal accomplishments of Nu Omega members also helps set the chapter apart.

“When our members achieve something, when they have gotten scholarships … that’s one of our achievements, and we have our members doing all this kind of stuff,” Ghazi said. “I think what’s really special about our chapter is how we interact with our members and how we really push them to do their best.”

This kind of personal performance has allowed the Nu Omega chapter to shine so brightly, but Ghazi said with everything they have in store for the next school year, he sees his chapter as a viable candidate for next year’s award as well.

“We are planning a variety of events with other organizations on campus about climate change, we’re also looking to bring in lecturers to discuss international politics,” Ghazi said.

Debate forums and lectures are only a few ideas the students have for the upcoming year, with a small possibility of even getting one of their members who worked at an embassy in Detroit to do a meet and greet. 

Professor Terri Towner is the faculty adviser for the chapter, and she emphasizes the fact that she is proud of the student leadership.

“None of it is my planning, I am simply the faculty adviser,” Towner said. “I just make sure that the students that are involved in the honorary are following the bylaws, I manage the board elections, I am simply a voice of reason. I give suggestions and attend the membership meetings … but this is a completely student-run group.”

Towner echoes the praises of Ghazi in relation to their repeated successes, owing it to the training they do to prepare new and promising members of the honorary for leadership. Due to this training and teaching, and with an election year coming up, Towner said she is confident their chapter will be in the running again.

“There are all kinds of events that the national office is planning in celebration of our centennial,” Towner said when asked about future plans for Nu Omega. 

But no matter what, she makes sure the hard work of the students she advises are the reason this chapter of Pi Sigma Alpha continues to win the Best Chapter award. 

“I just sit back and watch it all happen.”