Coon Rapids, Minn. -- An international gathering of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) members provided a window on pop culture for two Anoka-Ramsey Community College (ARCC) students.

Jamie Vigness and Tris Gunderson, two PTK members from ARCC’s Coon Rapids Campus, attended the PTK International Honor Institute held June 28-July 3 at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Phi Theta Kappa members from the Anoka-Ramsey Community College Coon Rapids chapter take part in the honor society’s International Honor Institute held earlier this month at UCLA. Seated, from left, are Tris Gunderson and Jamie Vigness.

The institute attracted about 400 students from around the country interested in studying this year’s topic, “Popular Culture: Shaping and Reflecting Who We Are.” Students had the chance to learn from and interact with internationally recognized scholars on such topics as popular culture and family, television, music, and sports. In addition, they brainstormed ideas for related activities they could sponsor on their campuses.

For more information about Phi Theta Kappa, contact the organization’s ARCC Coon Rapids Campus advisors, Resource Development Director Luanne Kane at 763-422-3478, or Philosophy Department faculty member Gordy Wax at 763-422-3514.

Anoka-Ramsey Community College, with campuses in Coon Rapids and Cambridge, has been a leading provider of higher education and training in the north suburban area of Minneapolis/St. Paul and East Central Minnesota since 1965. Annually, the college serves more than 9,000 learners of all ages as they pursue associate degrees that transfer as the first two years of a bachelor's degree, or certificate programs that lead immediately to rewarding careers. Anoka-Ramsey Community College is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System.