Established in 1919 at Berkeley, California, Sigma Delta Pi is the nation’s largest foreign language honor society. Requiring the highest of academic standards, it promotes understanding of Hispanic culture and fosters friendship between Spanish-speaking and English-speaking societies. Sigma Delta Pi is represented at more than five hundred colleges and universities.
The Upsilon Psi Chapter at The College of New Jersey was chartered on December 5th, 2001 at 3:30 p.m. in the Allen Drawing Room. Selected students and faculty of The College of New Jersey were initiated into Sigma Delta Pi. During the ceremony thirty two members were initiated. Among the faculty members initiated were: Dr. Marimar Huguet-Jerez, Dr. Luis Gabriel Stheeman, Dr. Regina Morin, Dr. Adriana Rosman-Askot, and professors Melissa Baranoff, Stephen Bishop, Hana Kahn, Eduardo Fernández, Marlene-Lynch and Diane Senerth. Students initiated were: Jennifer Aponte, Justine A. Bassman, Kimberly Lynn Clark, Conor Fortune, Candace Freeman, SusanB. Gunter, Elizabeth Hill, Nelly M. Korz, Elizabeth S Duvernay, Yohanna Fernández, Jennifer R. Maniaci, Kruti Maniar, Sophia Martins, LauraJ. Pepe, Linda L. Richardson, Elizabeth A. Sarlo, Lauren E, Shelley, Daniel A. Siegel, Erin T. Thomas, Guyler M. Tulp, Lori A. Villanova y Heather L. Young. The guest speakers were the Acting Dean of Culture and Society, Dr. Deborah Compte, and the Chairperson of the Modern Languages Department, Dr. Adriana Rosman-Askot. Dr. Marimar Huguet-Jerez and Alvin Joaquín Figueroa read poems by Antonio Machado and Miguel de Unamuno and the violinist Ms. Linda Cramer and the guitarist Warren Gremm from the Music Department performed during the ceremony.
It is an honor to be invited to be part of Upsilon Psi at The College of New Jersey. Students nominated and selected by faculty members must be at least second semester sophomores, and they must show their interest, support and dedication to a deeper understanding of the Hispanic language and culture. Students must, also, have a general GPA of 3.33 minimum, their Spanish GPA must be above 3.5, they should be in the top 35% of their graduating class, and they must have completed a year of Spanish at the 200-300 level, and an advanced (200-300 course) in one of the following areas of studies: a) Literature (SPAN 241, SPAN 311 ó SPAN 312) or b) Culture/civilization (SPAN 303 ó SPAN 304).