Shown at the International Phi Theta Kappa convention are, from left, a conference official, Beta Zeta Kappa members Bianca Juarez, Will Smith, Dorinda Brito and Katherine Kurosky, chapter advisor

WARSAW —Beta Zeta Kappa, Ivy Tech’s chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, an honor society for students who attend two year colleges, recently won regional and national awards for outstanding service initiative. Through the society’s Honors and Actions Program, members were given a topic along with 10 different themes to choose from to do a project.

The theme for this year was “Exploration and New Frontiers with themes such as space exploration and the arts. Members of Beta Zeta Kappa discussed several ideas and found that food was a common interest especially since  agriculture is a major part of the community.

So members started researching genetically modified organisms and some of the interesting things scientists have done through GMO such as creating a glow in the dark cat by transplanting the genes of a jelly fish into a cat. Another example was golden rice which as been modified to be higher in Keratin, a protein, along with vitamins A and E. “It prevented a number of nasty illnesses,” explained Dorinda Brito, who participated in the project.

The students wanted to highlight the good uses of GMO, such as golden rice, but they also looked at the problems GMO could cause, such as with a type of corn that was modified with herbicide and pesticides so it would be resistant to weeds and insects. Through natural selection, both weeds and insects became resistant to the herbicides and pesticides, and the chemicals didn’t leave the plant which meant humans were ingesting them.

After doing their research, the students took over the student life room and set up booths featuring their projects on GMO in what they called The GMO Freak Show. One student who did her project on golden rice dressed as a pirate with a treasure chest. Her treasure map explained how GMO was able to provide a nutritious food source.

Student Will Smith featured the glow in the dark cat. The idea being jelly fish genes could used to  highlight different diseases in an organism. He dressed in a lab coat.

Ivy Tech students and the community were invited. “A lot of professors and faculty were impressed said Amber Leavell, advisor to Beta Zeta Kappa. “They learned what a GMO was. They had heard about it but didn’t know what it was,” Brito said.

Beta Zeta Kappa took their project to the Phi Theta Kappa regional contest in March and won six awards and two scholarships. Lori Roe, advisor to the society, said they weren’t sure how they would do at the international convention, held at National Harbor, Maryland, earlier this month, but they decided to try.

GMO Freakshow brought home a third place prize. “That was the most intense thing, I wanted Will to go up, but he moved…There was a red carpet… There were lights everywhere. It was a wonderful experience,” Brito said.

Chapter members were quick to credit GMO Freak Show to Brenda McCool, past chapter president, saying it was her brain child. “She was the glue that held us together,” Brito said. Bianca Juarez also participated in GMO Freak Show

“This was the first International award this chapter has won in its 20 year existence,” Roe said. Beta Zeta Kappa is now ranked 66 out of over 1,200 chapters of Phi Theta Kappa world wide.

This summer a new study topic, “How the World Works: Global Perspective” will be explored. The chapter will be looking for community partnership as they tackle a new theme for their project.

Along with a new Honors and Action program to tackle, Beta Zeta Kappa will be celebrating its 20th anniversary next year and will be searching for alumni to help celebrate.