Delegates Hear from History-Makers
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ALPHA SUMMER 2010 CHI Newsletter National College Honor Society for All Fields—Box 12249 Harding University, Searcy, AR 72149-2249 Delegates hear from history-makers Alpha Chi’s first-ever “super-regional” convention was a hit with the more than 400 delegates who met in Little Rock March 25-27 for a program that combined elements of a large national event with those of smaller meetings of the society’s seven regions. Taking advantage of Little Rock’s historical and philanthropic connections, organizers chose the theme “Multiple Talents, Multiple Opportunities,“ alluding to members’ diverse academic fields and various avenues of social responsibility open to them. Especially well received were featured presentations by guest speakers Carlotta Walls LaNier, a member of the Little Rock Nine who integrated Little Rock Central High School in 1957; Carol Rasco, president and CEO of Reading is Fundamental (RIF), the national literacy organization; and panelists Rasco, James L. (Skip) Rutherford, and Janis Kearney, all former officials in the administration of Arkansas native President Bill Clinton. LaNier, youngest of the nine black students who made history during the Central High crisis, shared part of her story and read excerpts from her 2009 memoir, A Mighty Long Way: My Journey to Justice at Little Rock Central High School. She spoke of being inspired by her family to get the best education possible and paid tribute to the parents of the nine students for the courage to allow their children to endure the hostile environment they faced at school. After hearing a talk by one of the Little Rock Nine, delegates (continued on page two) tour Central High School and the historic site's visitor center. Counterterrorism expert to receive top award for alumni Heather Triplett Biehl, a 1989 graduate of issues. analysis was sent to the White House and Westminster College, Missouri Delta, has After leaving was the CIA’s blueprint for efforts through been chosen to receive the 2011 Alpha Chi the CIA, Biehl 2009. Distinguished Alumni Award. has continued Married with two children, Biehl is After completing her bachelor’s degree to focus on also a cellist with the Merrimack Valley in history, Biehl worked for the Central i n t e l l i g e n c e Philharmonic Orchestra and is active in the Intelligence Agency from 1989 to 1999, issues through Acton, Mass., school district planning process serving as a senior political analyst for the her work with and in efforts to reform educational funding in Office of Near East and South Asian Analysis, two companies, Massachusetts. She also serves as a member as a senior Iraqi analyst, and on Iranian BAE Systems- of the Board of Trustees of her alma mater, and counterterrorism issues, receiving four Heather Triplett Biehl A d v a n c e d Westminster College. awards for exceptional performance. I n f o r m a t i o n Biehl also is apparently the first In her role she prepared daily publications Technologies (formerly Alphatech, Inc.) Distinguished Alumni Award winner to have for the White House and the U.S. State and BBN Technologies, where she is vice attended the Alpha Chi national convention Department and personally briefed Presidents president of intelligence programs. as a student. In 1989 she presented a paper George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. In 2007 the deputy director of the CIA's at the meeting in New Orleans. In addition, she became a full-service counterrorism center personally asked her The award will be presented March 30, clandestine case officer and served as the CIA to write the CIA’s portion of the National 2011, at the national convention in San Diego, liaison to the Boston FBI office on terrorism Counterterrorism Implementation Plan. Her where Biehl will also speak. PAGE TWO Alpha Chi Newsletter SUMMER 2010 Convention . (from page one) LaNier, who graciously used her honorarium to give each delegate a copy of her memoir, spent time on two days autographing books. Rasco served the convention in multiple ways, including a featured speech on the state of literacy in the country. She explained that the idea of RIF is not “learning to read,” but “reading to learn”—imparting the love of reading by distributing books to children so they can discover the ability to learn that comes through reading. Rasco, who served President Clinton when he was governor and went to the White House with him in 1993 as domestic policy adviser, also assembled the panel of Clinton veterans Clockwise: Delegates tour the Clinton Presidential Library; a young patient at who spoke to Alpha Chi delegates in a special Arkansas Children's Hospital enjoys a book event at the Clinton Presidential Library just given to him as part of Alpha Chi's literacy blocks from the convention hotel. service project; Carlotta Walls LaNier pauses Joining Rasco on the panel were for a photo with a delegate for whom she's Rutherford, past president of the Clinton autographing a copy of her memoir about the Foundation—which built the presidential 1957 school integration crisis; Janis Kearney, library and supports the many health and Skip Rutherford and Carol Rasco following economic initiatives of Mr. Clinton around their panel discussion "From the State House the world—and now dean of the University to the White House: What Was It Really Like to Work for Bill Clinton?" of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service; and Kearney, a young Arkansas journalist who went to Washington as the first presidential diarist. The panelist’s remarks ranged from the nature of the jobs they did for President Clinton and what it was like to do that work, to anecdotes about their relationships with the President and his family. Following the hour-long, standing-room- only session in the meeting hall of the library, delegates were given after-hours access to the exhibit areas of the facility, including replicas of the Oval Office and the Cabinet Room, displays on public policy issues, and numerous state and personal artifacts from for gifts to patients or distribution in area and proceeds from a trivia contest held Friday the Clinton years. pediatricians’ offices. Partnering with RIF, night, Alpha Chi collected $2,500 for the Another convention highlight was a group of students and faculty members purchase of livestock to be given to families support for a pair of service projects on joined Carol Rasco on Friday afternoon to in some of the many countries where Heifer literacy and world hunger and poverty. The deliver books to the hospital and hand many has projects. Since the convention hotel, the literacy project continued the practice of of them out to patients in the playroom or Peabody, features its signature mallard ducks donating children’s books, begun in 2009 their hospital rooms. swimming daily in the lobby fountain, Alpha at the national convention in Indianapolis. The hunger and poverty effort was Chi’s presentation to a Heifer representative During the school year Alpha Chi chapters coordinated in Little Rock with Heifer came in the form of a symbolic check held reported collecting about 3,000 books, with International, whose headquarters is next to in the beak of a toy stuffed duck. nearly half of them brought to Little Rock the Presidential Center. From campus fund- (continued on page three) and given to Arkansas Children’s Hospital raisers, contributions made at the convention, PAGE THREE Alpha Chi Newsletter SUMMER 2010 Convention . (from page two) 35 chapters earn 'Star' The majority of the program schedule was Thirty-five chapters received Star Pacific University, Friends devoted to concurrent sessions of student Chapter Awards last year, honoring University, Gardner-Webb academic presentations. Faculty judges their activity in the 2008-09 school University, Grace College, critiqued the some 200 presentations, and at year. Harding University, Hawaii Pacific the convention’s closing session 22 students A Star Chapter must fulfill the University, Huntington University, received prizes for presentations rated as the following: have a sponsor and a John Brown University, Lipscomb top 10 percent of those from their region. student at the national/regional University. Regions met in separate Friday luncheon convention, have at least one student sessions to conduct business, including Lyon College, McMurry election of officers for 2010-12: president, presentation at the convention, have University, Methodist University, vice president, and student representative to a fellowship or scholarship nominee, Midwestern State University, the National Council. In addition, Regions sponsor a scholarly program on Milligan College, Roanoke College, I and V elected secretary-treasurers for the campus, register members, and file Sam Houston State University, term 2010-14; the secretary-treasurers of the an annual chapter report. Strayer University, Texas Lutheran other regions are in four-year terms that run The winners are: University, University of Arkansas until 2012. Secretary-treasurers also serve Anderson (Ind.) University, at Monticello, University of North on the National Council. Angelo State University, California Texas, University of Texas at San Region I elected Dr. Karl Havlak of Angelo State University--Bakersfield, Antonio, University of Texas at State University as secretary-treasurer, Carson-Newman College, Cascade a position left vacant by the unexpected Tyler, West Liberty State College, death in November 2009 of Dr. Bill Short College, Catawba College, Westminster (Mo.) College. of McMurry University. In Region V, Dr. Chowan University, Christian Four chapters have earned a Paul Michelson of Huntington University Brothers University, East Central Star Chapter Award every year succeeds Dr. Blake Janutolo of Anderson University. since the program began in 1996: University. Janutolo will remain on the Evangel University, Freed- Anderson, Carson-Newman, East Council until 2011 by virtue of his current Hardeman University, Fresno Central, and Huntington.