Hosting a book and bake sale this past week, the honor society Pi Gamma Mu raised $376 of a $400 goal.

“The goal of the book and bake sale is to raise money so our students can go to a tri-annual conference,” said Lisa Nelson, director of Service Learning and co-adviser. “We use those funds to help get them to the tri-annual conference and then we also do some community
service type work. Often times we will make a donation to the Red
Cross. A couple years ago we donated to the Norfolk Rescue Mission, so it just depends how successful our book and bake sale is.”

Pi Gamma Mu has been on campus at least 25 years, while the book and
bake sale has been transpiring for 20 years. This social sciences honor society includes students who are studying history, geography, psychology, sociology, and social science teaching.

“Usually, it’s just our campus group that donates baked goods,” said Nelson. “It’s the faculty members that are involved in the organization, they were either past members or they’re advisers. We have several co-advisers to the group, and they bring baked goods and so do the students.”

“All of the books we have are donated, so that’s very nice, and because we’ve been doing it for so many years, people in the community and on campus just know it’s a place to donate their books and the sale of those books goes to a good cause,” said Nelson.

Vice President Jayme Krejci jokingly said she didn’t know how to bake, so she helped sell books for two days, cleaned up and put the books away after the sale was over.

Currently there are 35 members in Pi Gamma Mu. New members will be inducted on November 30. Nelson said that this year, there was a really good group of new initiates. Even though they won’t be active members until November, they still helped out with the book and bake sale.

“My favorite thing about the sale is finding all of the books. We have some really strange books in there, there’s always a few surprises,” said President Carla Robinson. Like Krejci, she also
helped with setting up, taking down and manning the sale tables.

The book and bake sale took place Sept. 25 through 27, in the Connell lobby.

“I’m really looking forward to attending the Pi Gamma Mu social
sciences convention in Kansas City soon. A couple students are presenting papers and we’re also going to be hearing some speakers and there’s also some leadership development training,” said Krejci. “Also, we’re pretty involved on campus and host a lot of
cool events, so I like that.”

Randy Bertolas is the main adviser of this honor society, while the co-advisers include Lesli Rawlings, Lisa Nelson and Eric Colvard. Even though the initiator of the honor society, Jean Karlen, is retired, she is still very active.

“If anyone should receive recognition from this, it should be Dr. Karlen because she has been involved with the bake sale since the very beginning and she is a contributor to the trip, so whatever we don’t make in the sales she donates,” said Nelson.

Krejci said she appreciated everyone who came and donated for the book and bake sale and she appreciates the support.