The Magazine of IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu July 2017 - 8

STUDENT GOVERNOR COLUMN
Hello HKN! My name is Michael Benson and for those
that I haven't met yet, I'm honored to serve as the IEEEHKN student representative on the Board of Governors
this year. It's hard to believe that we're nearly half way
through 2017! The first half of this year has flown by and
our chapters and alumni have accomplished a great deal
in terms of activities on campus, community service, and
inducting new members. Given this great start, I'm truly
excited to see where we go together in the second half
of the year. However, we need to continue to build
momentum. The summer months are a phenomenal
time to practice the skills learned in the classroom and to
unwind after a fast-paced academic year. It is also a great
time to reach out to alumni. For alumni and students alike,
I implore you to reach out to one another and for alumni
specifically, to re-engage with your chapter of induction.
No matter how far removed you might be from your days
as a student, you have experience and wisdom to share
with our new members. I encourage you to contact our
staff at info@hkn.org to get in touch with your chapter's
current leadership team.
In addition to serving as a voting member of the IEEEHKN Board of Governors, I have two specific charges
that are unique to my position. First, I serve as the voice
of the students and work to ensure that every decision
that we make as a society keeps the student members at
the forefront. And second, I work to keep our collegiate
chapters informed of what the Board is doing and seek
input and feedback. In addition to talking to several chapter
leaders at our annual student leadership conference this
past April, I've also hosted a series of meetings for chapter
presidents. These meetings have focused on topics of
import to individual chapters as well as the society and have
included professional memberships, finances, recruitment,
and more. In addition, I'm privileged to serve on several
our society's committees including the ritual committee
which I chair. A common thread that has emerged from
talking to student members is that, as a society, we don't
do a good job of transitioning our officers or in preparing

our graduating students
to remain engaged
with HKN. That is going
to change. The Ritual
committee is working to
develop new resources
to help chapters
effectively transition
new members into
leadership roles as well
as an optional officer
installation ceremony
which can be used
to add formality and
purpose to a transition.
Similarly, the committee
Michael Benson
is working on a way
to properly recognize
Beta Epsilon Chapter,
g raduating students
University of Michigan
for their contributions
mbenson@ieee.org
to their chapter and
i t s c o m m u n i t y. I
look forward to sharing more on these exciting new
developments as our work progresses.
Finally, as an honor society, we hold three characteristics
above all others: scholarship, character, and attitude. These
are the cornerstones of our society and a set of common
traits that every member shares. Individually, each attribute
is important to being a well-rounded and successful
professional. However, when taken together, these three
attributes combine to set us apart. A strong character and
positive attitude coupled with high scholastic achievement
can mean only one thing: excellence. Be excellent and
enjoy the warm weather!

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Magazine of IEEE-Eta Kappa Nu July 2017