The Alpha Chapter of Sigma Iota Rho, an international relations honor society founded at AU, is working to make a comeback on campus since its re-establishment nearly two years ago.
Originally founded in 1984 by former Dean of the School of International Service William C. Olson, the honor society was created to recognize high-achieving juniors and seniors majoring in international relations.
Sometime after Olson’s departure from AU in 1986, the chapter began to dwindle. It is difficult for members to pinpoint exactly why the charter chapter of Sigma Iota Rho became all but inactive on its home campus.
“It’s kind of sad to see something that was created at AU sort of die out at AU and launch itself elsewhere,” said Vice President of the Alpha Chapter Gunperi Sisman, a junior in SIS. “There had been some time in which there were no members being initiated. I mean, Sigma Iota Rho was unheard of for a while. This whole sort of legacy just died for a while.”
Sisman suspects that offering membership to only juniors and seniors may have contributed to the fading of SIR. With students constantly studying abroad and graduating, she believes it must have been difficult for members to establish concrete roles within the society and to keep the tradition alive.
After the society faded from campus, students reinstated the Alpha Chapter at AU in 2008 and began an initiative to grow the society’s presence on its home campus.
“What I’m seeing now is that students are more proactive about making this organization their own,” said SIS Academic Affairs Assistant Kathy Rizzo. “It’s become a more self-sufficient organization rather than an administrative organization.”
Since the chapter’s rebirth at AU, members have updated the society’s constitution to include associate categories within the society. This gives freshmen and sophomores the opportunity to participate in the organization as unrecognized members until they can officially be initiated during their junior and senior years.
“We have a freshman running our [public relations] chair, and we are very happy with the time and the effort that she’s been putting in,” Sisman said. “I really do think that by having more associate members, or members at large, that there will be hope for continuity.”
With over 100 members currently initiated into the Alpha Chapter, an active Leadership Board and a new adviser appointed to the society, Associate Dean of SIS Maria Green Cowles, the organization is focusing its efforts on building its reputation not only on campus but also in the larger community.
“This year alone, we co-sponsored the SIS Research Symposium, worked with the SIS Undergraduate Council and the dean’s office, got in contact with other chapters in the nation and continuously advertised the honors society,” said president of the Alpha Chapter and Senior in SIS Karinna Berrospi. “I am very thankful to the amazing Leadership Board that has made our success possible.”
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