Spartanburg Methodist College is pleased to announce that three members of the college’s Phi Theta Kappa honor society will present at the Tuesday, February 16 meeting of the Spartanburg Lions Club and again on Wednesday, February 18 at the Spartanburg Area Chamber of Commerce before their Workforce Resources Council.

SMC sophomore students Marissa Fleming, Ian Clevenger, and Glory Pi Bonilla have been writing a project about Somalian Piracy, its causes and origins, evolution, and international response to it. The project itself is being created to present at the Phi Theta Kappa Carolina Regionals Conference in March. Their project focuses on universal themes of crime, poverty, joblessness, the gap between political leaders and lower classes, and the importance of a stronger middle class for forging a healthy community. It analyzes how an understanding of the interconnected of these themes in a worst-case-scenario (e.g. Somalia) has had an impact and how those same things relate to problems in local communities, be they Spartanburg or all the way to the national level. At its most basic, the project’s mission is to holistically study another culture to better understand our own.

SMC chapter’s Phi Theta Kappa stresses academic excellence, leadership, fellowship and service. Membership is limited to students who have achieved a 3.5 or higher grade point average, be of good moral character and possess recognized qualities of good citizenship.  Fleming is the daughter of Christopher and Rhonda Fleming of Spartanburg, graduated from Dorman High School and is pursuing an associate in Arts.  Clevenger is the son of Michael and Brenda Clevenger, of Inman, graduated from Boiling Springs High School, and is pursuing an associate in Science. Pi Bonilla is the daughter of Johnny Pi Pascual and Gina Bonilla, of Simpsonville, graduated from Mauldin High School, and is pursuing an associate in Fine Arts.

Dr. Cole Cheek, SMC Professor of History and Anthropology, as well as advisor for Phi Theta Kappa, shared “our hope is that by presenting the group’s conclusions to a variety of individuals, especially those in business and government, it will promote discussion about relevant themes and issues locally.”