Honors students form a new voice

By John Hendel

Published March 10, 2006

New signs around campus display a picture of cow exclaiming, "Moooo-SO!"

The advertisements refer to the new MU Honors Student Organization, MUHSO. The organization, incidentally, has nothing to do with cows.

The organization was founded in late December. Members meet on Wednesdays at 8:15 p.m. in the Gillett Hall Library.

"The main goal was for honors kids to have a presence on campus," Treasurer Karen Ostergren said.

Ostregren said she hopes an honors organization at MU will help with recruitment for the Honors College.

Ostergren is a founding member of the organization. Honors College Student Ambassadors tri-chairman David Atashroo said he first envisioned the club in October.

MU's previous honors organization dissolved 15 years ago, but several underclassmen recently decided to revive the group.

Honors College Director Stuart Palonsky said Atashroo gathered some honors students and Atashroo and the other founders were writing the group's constitution by December.

The founders have set several goals.

"MUHSO basically is an outlet for honors kids," President Julie Mercer said. "It provides an opportunity to participate in sports, in social events and community service."

At Wednesday's meeting, students discussed volunteering for the Missouri Food Bank, the formation of a soccer team and an upcoming social event.

Mercer said the group has a Relay for Life team and a semiformal planned for April.

MUHSO Head of Fundraising Laura Evans presented several letters asking restaurants for food donations for the new organization.

Ostergren also said she hopes to petition for a Missouri Students Association Senate seat for MUHSO.

"It's not a seasoned organization that people know," Mercer said. "We definitely want to become a huge force on campus."

Attracting members and money is still a challenge for the organization, which is mainly populated by freshmen and sophomores.

"We don't have as many members as we'd like to have," Ostergren said.

Ostegren said there are roughly 2,000 honors students at MU but only 40 MUHSO members.

Since its formation, the club has created eight committees and implemented several officers to coordinate efforts.

"I see (MUHSO) as a great source of information about current needs and what would serve students best," Palonsky said.

Palonsky also said such input would help with issues, including whether honors students would want their own residence hall. He said MUHSO is essentially autonomous from the Honors College, but the Honors College would help the club.

Although he said he hoped the organization would succeed, he also hoped honors students would remain integrated in campus life.

"A perfect world is a big campus with lots and lots of mixtures," he said.