A mark of highest distinction and honor was bestowed upon 12 Hampden-Sydney College (H-SC) students recently as they were initiated into the national leadership honor society known as Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK).

A Hampden-Sydney press release noted that ODK, which is for both college men and women, initiated the 12 students Sunday, Oct. 28, and they included seniors Lucas O. Blankenship, David Arias Hernandez and J. Reed Mingione and juniors Jared N. Dunlap, David G. Fluharty, Thomas D. Gorman, Shelby T. Hanna, Garrett P. Ramsey, Elijah W. Strong, Brian D. Tarnai, Ryan A. Tomlin and Charles A. Wolfe.

It was officials in the release that cited that the Lambda Circle of ODK was established at Hampden-Sydney in 1924 and that membership is “a mark of highest distinction and honor.” They added that selection of members is based on their influence as campus leaders to better campus life and to encourage high standards in all activities.

Lambda Circle Coordinator Michael Wolyniak said, “It is exciting to be a part of an organization like ODK because you get to be a part of a group of students that genuinely care about the community around them and want to work to make it better in every way. The students in this organization serve others because they enjoy doing so. While ODK members must be in the top 35 percent of their class, it is far more important that they prove themselves as leaders on campus and in the community as a whole.”

Dunlap, one of H-SC’s 12 recent ODK initiates, elaborated on the significance of his new status.

“ODK means that a member has been selected from their peers to continue and improve their history of high moral fortitude, leadership and academic success at the college,” he said. “Now as a newly chosen member of ODK, we are recognized for the effort, the work and dedication that we have put in as underclassmen, but we must now realize that people may be more publicly looking to us for our leadership both in and out of the classroom. This exposure means we must continue to approach every opportunity to better ourselves and our community with confidence and passion, but also remain dignified and humble as a way to reflect a positive light on ODK and its members.”

He concluded by noting that “it is a wonderful opportunity to be a part of such a traditional, critical and honorable society such as ODK.”Mingione, another of the 12 recent H-SC initiates, said that as a senior student, “I have worked alongside many Omicron Delta Kappa members before joining and the degree of leadership among members is consistently exceptional.”

“The exclusiveness of the society is solely due to the rarity of practiced leadership,” he continued. “My new membership signifies the level of participation and the experience I have gained during my time as an undergraduate. The society also forms a nationwide network of leaders that, otherwise, would not exist. Membership in this society has allowed me to engage with leaders from every discipline and, hopefully, we will be able to create some interdisciplinary events and better the education of the student body as a result.”