Fairmont State’s Alpha Phi Sigma earns 3 national awards

Fairmont State University’s Alpha Phi Sigma Epsilon Iota Chapter has received three national awards for their work in the national criminal justice honor society. 

The chapter was awarded the Star Chapter, Unity Award, and Yearbook Award. Each award had guidelines and applications and the chapter will receive a total of $850. Alpha Phi Sigma is an honor society and a membership origination that provides opportunities for professional and educational leadership. It promotes unity, service to others, and friendship. 

Dr. John McLaughlin, assistant chapter advisor, said the students are required to have at least a 3.2 GPA to be a member as well as do volunteer work and fundraise to help others in the community. 

“The students usually compete every March in a different location, this year was supposed to be Texas. They were able to compete by sending in PowerPoints and doing it virtually,” he said. “They’re usually very competitive in the Crime Scene competition, they won the state championship and they were really looking forward to competing in the national competition.” 

Students practice twice a week, once for crime scene and once for the quiz bowl. McLaughlin said the students win frequently in the quiz bowl competitions. 

“They are asked questions about criminal justice events and facts about criminal justice, then they are times and have to answer in a quick manner,” he said. “This is the way that the chapters from school across the country get together and compete. This year they had to do it over email.”

Alpha Phi Sigma the National Criminal Justice Honor Society, is a certified member of the Association of College Honor Societies, and is affiliated with the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences. There are more than 550 chapters nationwide in the U.S. and Canada.