Lingua Franca

Phi Sigma Iota: The International Foreign Language Honor Society

By Dr. Kristine Doll & Dr. Anna Rocca, Department of Foreign Languages, PSI Faculty Advisors

Phi Sigma Iota recognizes its newest chapter at Salem State College!  We are very pleased to announce the initiation of three outstanding graduate students, ten exceptional undergraduates and four fabulous faculty members.  Our chapter, Omega Alpha, held its first reception and induction ceremony on Thursday, April 29, 2010 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm in the Presidential Room of Alumni House, South Campus, and Dr. Jude Nixon, Dean of Arts and Sciences, was our guest speaker for the evening.

Phi Sigma Iota is the highest academic honor in the field of foreign languages.  The Honor Society recognizes outstanding accomplishment in the study or teaching of the academic fields related to foreign language, literature, or culture. These fields include: Foreign Languages, Classics, ESL, Comparative Literature, Foreign Language Education, Linguistics, Second Language Acquisition and other interdisciplinary programs with a significant foreign language component. New members are recruited by invitation only from established chapters of Phi Sigma Iota.

The Insignia

The Insignia of the Society was adopted in 1935. The words PHI, SIGMA, and IOTA may be understood, respectively, as Philotes (Friendship), Spoude (Zeal for languages), and Idioma (Research and Individuality).

The Key and Pin of the Society are comprised of the following elements:

• A chaplet of ivy, in honor of the birth of Horace (b.65 B.C.), the Roman poet at the height of Augustan literature who was a model for subsequent versification
• A stem at the bottom of which the foliage “grows”
• A five-point star standing for the five languages originally recognized by the Society;
• The Greek letters PHI SIGMA IOTA imprinted over the five-point star.

The shield or coat of arms of the Society is comprised of a summary of the colors and designs of the shields of the language areas mentioned in (3) above. The colors of the Society are purple and white.

2010 Inductees

• MAT-Spanish: Jessica Barber, James Donahue, Rebecca Tiewes
• BA-Spanish: Michael Aliberte, Jessica Cox, Christine L’Heureux, Gissette Polanco, William Vasquez
• Minor in French: Erin Foley, Megan Farmer
• Minor in Italian – Robbin Crandall, Gissette Polanco, Chandra Sheehy
• Professional:  Carlo Cipollone, Director of Educational Programs for the Italian Consulate in Boston
• Faculty:  Michele C. Dávila, Kristine Doll, Anna Rocca, Fátima Serra

View pictures of the ceremony, at the department’s picture page.