UW-Eau Claire will continue its tradition of recognizing academic excellence in students with Honors Week from April 23 to 28.

The 29th Annual Scholastic Honors Week is the time set aside by the university to recognize students of high scholastic achievement.

Retired foreign languages professor Roma Hoff and the late Vice Chancellor Ormsby Harry started the tradition in 1973.

Hoff was president of Phi Kappa Phi, a junior and senior scholastic honor society. Harry was the group’s secretary.

“Ormsby was always the one who wanted to have an honors week,” Hoff said.

They started with just an Honors Day, but it eventually blossomed into a whole week of events.

Hoff still plays an active role in planning Honors Week.

“It has been a very rewarding experience,” she said.

The week began with nine honor societies. Now, there are a total of 31 honor societies at Eau Claire.

Each of the honor societies will be hosting different events throughout the week, which the public are welcome to attend for free.

Senior Jacob Gapko is this year’s chair of the Honors Week Steering Committee.

Associate Dean of Students Robert Shaw is this year’s coordinator of Honors Week.

April 28 is designated as Honors Day, when students are initiated into the different honor societies.

The Honors Banquet will be held at 5:30 p.m. April 28 in the Spruce/Tamarack room of Davies Center. University faculty, deans and Chancellor Donald Mash are scheduled to be among the guests.

This year’s speaker for the banquet is senior Catie Brockman.

Brockman won the annual competition that is held to find a speaker for the Honors Banquet.

Parents of honor students are encouraged to attend the banquet to help support the students who are being acknowledged.

At the banquet, awards and individual recognition will be handed out, accompanied by entertainment.