Tower Guard

Tower Guard honor society is a student-run organization at Michigan State University that works closely with the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities (RCPD) in assisting students with disabilities in whatever way possible. It was founded in 1934 as a female organization by May Shaw, former MSU president Robert Shaw's wife, with the intention of serving the needs of visually impaired Spartan students. This long history makes Tower Guard the oldest active student-run organization at MSU. Membership was opened to male students in 1977. Ever since, the top freshman students at Michigan State are invited to apply to be members during their sophomore year. The pillars of the organization are academics, leadership, character, and service. [ [http://www.msu.edu/~towergrd/ MSU Tower Guard] ] [ [http://www.rcpd.msu.edu/Programs/TowerGuard RCPD-MSU Tower Guard] ]

Membership

Each member of Tower Guard is required to dedicate at least 120 hours of service during their sophomore year at Michigan State University. Volunteer work includes working with the disabled in all of the following areas: reading and scribing exams, "e-texting" (scanning textbooks into a digital format so that they are accessible using screen readers, and editing the scanned content for accuracy), assisting with course readings, filling out job applications, giving campus tours, etc.

Membership also involves participating in Tower Guard-sponsored events, such as the annual Shamrock 5K Run, Walk, and Roll, which takes place on a Saturday near St. Patrick's day each year. [ [http://www.msu.edu/~towergrd/run.html Shamrock 5K] ] [ [http://www.statenews.com/index.php/article/2008/03/tower_guard_to_benefit_persons_with_disabilities Tower Guard to benefit persons with disabilities] ] As the only student organization on campus that holds the key to Beaumont Tower, Tower Guard members are able to give tours of the tower during Homecoming; they also make a float for the annual Homecoming parade [ [http://www.statenews.com/index.php/article/2007/10/students_build_homecoming_floats Students build Homecoming floats] ] . Lastly, Tower Guard sponsors other social events throughout the academic year to raise money for the RCPD.

References

External links

* http://newsroom.msu.edu/site/indexer/2609/content.htm MSU Tower Guard welcomes the 2005 members
* http://www.thebiggreen.net/article.php?id=915 Article discussing a visually impaired student's experiences at MSU with the help of the RCPD and Tower Guard
* http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/college/directory/brief/drextras_2290_brief.php America's Best Colleges 2008
* http://www.lansinglowdown.com/index.php/article/645 Lansing Lowdown's "St. Patrick's Day for the under-21 crowd"