By Taniya Harwell |Staff Writer|

Phi Alpha Theta History Honor Society was awarded first prize in the Gerald D. Nash History Journal competition for its student journal, “History in the Making.”

This marks the fourth year of academic honors for the history society.

The Alpha Delta Nu chapter of Phi Alpha Theta also took home the 2014 award for best student journal.

“History in the Making” is comprised of essays, articles and literature reviews written and edited by CSUSB students.

The journal, sponsored by Phi Theta Alpha, is published each spring.

“We are delighted to announce that through a genuine department-wide effort, our students once again produced an award-winning journal,” said Cherstin Lyon, according to news.csusb.edu.

Dr. Lyon is a CSUSB professor of history and advisor to the editors of the publication.

The award was accompanied by a $500 check that the society plans to use to further fund their chapter.

This is the fourth year the honor society has succeeded in producing a noteworthy journal with their 2012 journal taking second place and earning third place awards in 2009 and 2013.

“We are a professional society whose mission is to promote the study of history through the encouragement of research, good teaching, publication and the exchange of learning and ideas among historians,” according to the Phi Alpha Theta mission statement.

The journal covers all topics of history from all over the globe. This includes African history, racial theory and a new section highlighting how world leaders are remembered after their deaths.

Producing the journal is a year-long process. An editorial board is selected every fall quarter.

During winter quarter students submit work to the editorial board who approves or dismisses submitted entries.

Chief editors complete the journal in fall and it is sent off for review.

The entire process culminates in July when journals are reviewed and awards are given to different honor society chapters.

Students that contribute their work to the journal, or donate their time to being an editor, do not receive course credit for their work. Instead students are given the prestigious honor of having their work published and are given the chance to win a nationally recognized award.

Dr. Lyon started the journal at CSUSB in 2008.

“The journal started as an experiment” said Lyon.

This quarter, Phi Alpha Theta is back at work selecting student submissions to be in this year’s journal.

When asked what was next for the chapter, Lyon shared that she hoped to “continue to get awards and keep students excited.”