Carson-Newman University President Randall O’Brien stands with senior Analyn Borthick in the president’s office. The two took part in an April 3 “Trading Places: President-Student Swap Day.” To begin the event, O’Brien presented Borthick with his regalia robe and presidential medallion. In return, Borthick presented O’Brien with a back pack to take to class. Borthick took on special presidential duties during the day, while O’Brien attended class, served coffee in the campus café as a student-worker, and finished by playing video games in a residence hall with students. The event was part of a fundraising effort by the University’s Mortar Board honor society chapter, which raised $7,000 toward establishing an endowed scholarship and to benefit BOOST, an after school program for children of Jefferson County.

Mortar Board is the premier national honor society recognizing college seniors for outstanding achievement in scholarship, leadership and service. Carson-Newman has one of the leading chapters in the nation, having won six consecutive Golden Torch Awards from the governing body. Since its founding in 1918, the Mortar Board has grown from four to over 220 chartered collegiate chapters with more than a quarter-million members across the nation.

Carson-Newman University is a private, Christian liberal arts institution. Founded in 1851, Carson-Newman is located in Jefferson City, Tenn., among the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. The University has 2,045 students and offers 50 undergraduate majors, as well as bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees. The institution’s website is cn.edu.