Arizona

Arizona Alpha just initiated 35 new brothers this spring, and four of the initiates were legacies. In fact, one of the men, Trevor Cohen, is a triple legacy. His father, Russ, is the blood brother of Eminent Supreme Warden Brad Cohen. Their father was an honor California Psi honor initiate in 1988. Alumni assisted in the Initiation Ceremony, and ESW Cohen guided the initiation team through the ceremony so they could perform it flawlessly. Greg Vinikoor (’86), who serves as the alumni adviser and alumni-commission chairman, attended the event as well, which took place at the chapter house. The men enjoyed lunch in the courtyard with the housemother following the ceremony.

Bradley

Illinois Epsilon earned five of its university’s Grand Chapter Awards for the past academic year. They won the Highest Overall GPA Award with a chapter grade-point average of 3.14 and the Four-Star Chapter Award for their public-relations efforts. In addition, Steve MacArtney earned Scholar of the Semester, Lou Waller earned Outstanding IFC New Member and Kevin Davidson was awarded the IFC Unsung Hero Award.

Connecticut

Connecticut Beta brothers partnered with the Child and Family Guidance Center of Bridgeport to raise funds and adopt a family for the holiday season. The members provided two underprivileged children and their single father with everyday essentials and Christmas gifts. Then, a few days before Christmas, 20 brothers went to their home with all the hand-wrapped gifts, dinner and even someone dressed as Santa Claus in tow.

George Mason

The men of Virginia Delta earned many top honors during the Standards of Excellence recognition program and dinner at George Mason University. The accomplishments were even more meaningful for the group since they’ve only been a chapter for one year. Among the awards: Third-Highest Fraternity GPA (Spring 2010); Top Fraternity GPA (Fall 2010); Community Standards Awards for Academics and Scholarship, Organization Growth and Retention, Leadership and Risk Management; and a Chapter Achievement Award for Community Standards. Last fall, Virginia Delta achieved the highest overall GPA out of all 16 fraternities on campus, and a third of the active membership placed on the Dean’s List.

IUPUI

Members of Indiana Iota-Pi earned the highest grade-point average among all Greek-letter organizations on campus this year. In addition, Litha Msikinya, one of the group’s Founding Fathers, was crowned Homecoming King while Trevor Ciboch was crowned Big Man on Campus. In other news, Pich Seekaew organized a fundraising campaign called Be Haiti, which helped to raise funds to construct a new hospital in Haiti. The men raised $7,000 during the benefit.

Louisville

Kentucky Sigma participated in the largest sorority fundraiser on campus, the Chi Omega Chili Cookoff that benefited the Make-a-Wish Foundation. The men earned the award for most participants and received two top-ten finishes in the chili contest out of a field of more than 80 cooks. Furthermore, Kentucky Sigma participated in the University of Louisville’s Dance Marathon, an all-night event that starts at 6 p.m. and ends at noon the next day. The group also earned accolades for most participants as well as an award for raising the most money—this year, $5,100.

During the spring semester, North Carolina Epsilon experienced more success than expected. In addition to receiving their charter, members were recognized as Appalachian State University’s Fraternity of the Year in the very first year of their eligibility. Furthermore, the university congratulated the men on their alumni involvement and community-service work, and Province Omicron bestowed the group with its Chapter Zeal Award. In September, two past Eminent Archons, Matthew Jordan and Kevin Leitch, visited the chapter and delivered the original North Carolina Epsilon charter as well as a handmade flag and recruitment shirts from 2001.

Cal State-San Marcos

California Alpha-Gamma embarked on an ambitious journey this past summer. About 20 brothers traveled to New Orleans with the goal of community service, assisting an organization in rebuilding a school damaged from Hurricane Katrina. The members restored a room in the building to a multi-purpose facility. During its efforts, California Alpha-Gamma also spent time with some of the children who shared their experiences about the tragedy and expressed their gratitude for the service work. The chapter spent a total of 1,000 community-service hours for the charter schools. It also used the trip as an opportunity to play in the SAE World Series as part of a brotherhood-building event.

Centre

Kentucky Kappa participated in Can-Struction, a community-service event organized by a brother and held in conjunction with the Interfraternity Council. The members were part of the winning team along with Phi Kappa Tau and raised the most cans from any fraternity. The entire event yielded more than 4,000 canned-food items to help those less fortunate members of the community who need assistance, and the chapter earned recognition from the college for their efforts.

Cincinnati

Brothers from Ohio Epsilon hosted their annual Haunted House for students from the local Coryville Recreation Center. The brothers set up the themed event throughout the first two floors of the James Gamble Nippert Memorial Lodge. Ladies from Kappa Kappa Gamma led the students through the house as the brothers dressed in different costumes to help scare the kids. In addition, the chapter’s Mothers of Minerva provided dinner and Halloween goodie bags for the students.

DePaul

In October, Illinois Delta-Pi volunteered at the Midwest Eye-Banks’ Aviators’ Night for Sight, an event that raises money in support of the restoration of sight for children. More than 20 brothers participated in the fundraiser, which took place in a private hangar at the Chicago Executive Airport with some of Chicago’s most prominent businessmen. The evening included a private viewing of two Marquis Jets, an exotic car display, a fashion show, live entertainment and raffles. The event raised more than $600,000 in support of its cause.

Hampden-Sydney

John Robert Chambers, a sophomore member, received the Omicron Delta Kappa Award from President Christopher Howard. The ODK Award, established in 1974, is awarded annually as a scholarship to a sophomore who demonstrated leadership in his or her freshman year. Chambers served on the Student Senate during his freshman year, plays offense for varsity football and is a Dean’s-List student in addition to his membership in Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

After an extended absence on campus, Sigma Alpha Epsilon returned to the College of Charleston this past spring when South Carolina Upsilon was recolonized in April 2009. With the tremendous help of area alumni, the 30 Founding Fathers joined the ranks of the Fraternity as active members of South Carolina Delta and Georgia Alpha assisted. The men spent a Saturday afternoon at a beach house on Sullivan’s Island, followed by the colonization ceremony at the college’s Stern Center. The night was capped off with a grand celebration at the Fleet Landing restaurant on the bank of the Cooper River with more than 30 alumni present.

Cincinnati

Ohio Epsilon is having an exciting fall quarter, topped by its 30-man pledge class, its largest since the 1960s. The new members include honors scholars, AP scholars, varsity athletes and former student-body presidents. The men are also in the midst of a multi-million-dollar project to renovate and expand the size of the chapter house, which is due to be completed in spring. The chapter has also been very active in the community, raising $1,500 for the Big Brothers program through its Slam Jam Dunk Competition and transforming the house’s lodge into a haunted house for the children of the Corryville Catholic Elementary School.

Miami (Florida)

The brothers of Florida Alpha raised $12,000 during their yearly Paddy Murphy event, surpassing last year’s total by a wide margin. The money was donated to the Children’s Miracle Network and will directly benefit the Miami Children’s Hospital.

Miami (Ohio)

Over the past summer, Ohio Tau brothers from the 2008 pledge class took their brotherhood a step farther. Rather than waiting for the school year to reunite, the men decided to meet for the Fourth of July holiday in the nation’s capital. A brother in Vienna, Virginia, agreed to host his pledge class, and men drove from as far as Denver for three days of cooking out, sightseeing and enjoying each other’s company.

Oregon State

The men of Oregon Alpha, along with a spring 2009 class of 12 new members, doled out some awards to the most deserving brothers in the chapter. At the annual awards ceremony in May 2009, Jake Gudger received the Benj F. Schumacher Distinguished Service Award, John Williamson the Burke Hayes All-House Scholarship Award, Brian Errico the Darrell A. Carlson True Gentleman Award, Eric Kranda the Skip Bedell I.M. Award and Mitch McClain the Bob Blair Freshman of the Year Award.

Princeton

Kyle O’Donovan, in addition to his duties as New Jersey Alpha’s Eminent Archon, is also the backup catcher for the Princeton baseball team. On April 29, 2009, Cook Regional Director Jason Andrick had the chance to watch a one-game playoff between the Princeton and Cornell squads. Cornell proved to be too much, putting up nine runs in just the first inning, but the lopsided score allowed O’Donovan to get in plenty of practice in the bullpen.

South Carolina-Columbia

The men of South Carolina Delta have been busy improving their academic standing on campus. During the 2008-2009 academic year, the average chapter GPA was 2.72 and, in just more than a year, have increased that average to 3.1 — a large improvement from the 3.0 goal the men had set. For such an increase, the men received a special letter of commendation from the Greek Life office.

The New York Alpha chapter has been involved with the university’s Creating Chapters of Excellence program, which helps coordinate efforts among Greek organizations to help with all aspects of chapter life, from philanthropic events to member-education seminars. Eminent Archon Curtis Roddy, along with CCE’s liaison, has been assisting in planning a textbook-buyback program and a tree-planting project for the campus. In addition, Cornell has approved funding for New York Alpha to create outdoor-education events — one in the fall and two in the spring — to assist with member development. The men have also booked an alcohol-education speaker to have a session with new pledges about responsible drinking habits.

DePauw

Senior Carter Johnson has gone beyond planning for chapter events or getting the next philanthropic event off the ground — he went on a trip to Costa Rica and accomplished two goals in his own life. First, he helped install water-purification tanks for local villages, continuing his dedication to service. Then, in the mountains overlooking the villages where he worked, he proposed to his girlfriend. Johnson, who served Indiana Delta as philanthropy chair, has also participated in a trip to Mississippi during his freshman year to help with hurricane-relief efforts and a spring-break immersion in North Carolina, where he worked to provide housing for low-income families.

IUPUI

The men of Indiana Iota-Pi were recognized for their hard work and the establishment of their full charter by the Indiana state Senate on February 7, 2009. The men were treated to a reception with the legislature, accompanied by Karen Whitney, vice chancellor at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Pictured are (from left, front row) Bernie Reed, Derek Lee, Senator R. Michael Young, Whitney and Province Psi Archon Fred Fritz, and (from left, back row) Nick Sutton, Eminent Archon Steve Oetting, Trevor Ciboch, Jarrod Otter and chapter adviser Daniel Maxwell.

Duke

After a long absence, the men of North Carolina Nu have come back with some momentum. In just two weeks of recruitment, the colony offered 19 bids to freshmen and sophomores who will join the 13 upperclassmen Founding Fathers. The men have been outstanding on campus, with Eminent Deputy Archon Wey Ruetten receiving the William J. Maschke Jr. Memorial Award, which was given by the Inter-Fraternity Council for his efforts in coordinating the colony’s return to campus. While the Duke chapter was disbanded in 2001 after 70 years, the alumni network remains strong, with more than 1,500 members. For more information or to get involved with the North Carolina Nu colony, e-mail adviser John Stringfellow at jstringman@aol.com.

Emory

Georgia Epsilon won multiple awards from the Office of Sorority and Fraternity life for demonstrating superior leadership on campus. Each year, a team of judges comprised of members from various academic departments analyzes each fraternity and sorority for their successes in various categories. On April 22, 2009, Georgia Epsilon received awards for most improved GPA over the past academic year, as well as for having the best standards board and judicial process among the fraternities on campus. Mark Knapp, a sophomore, was named best representative for his role on the Inter-Fraternity Council.

Loyola

For the past four years, Illinois Alpha-Omega has organized and hosted a fundraiser for the St. Baldrick’s Day Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps combat various types of childhood cancer. The men aim to show their solidarity with children suffering from cancer, so participants shave their heads in order to raise money for the foundation. St. Baldrick’s Day 2009 featured Dr. Jim Wand, a hypnotist and member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Wand performed to a packed crowd as a finale to the event, which successfully raised $10,000. Approximately 70 students, faculty and other attendees shaved their heads, 30 being ªAEs. Throughout the day, different entertainment was offered to those attending, ranging from free food and drink, a balloon-pop contest for tickets to the Blue Man Group, a silent raffle for classes and books donated by Kaplan and even brief speeches by cancer survivors.

Miami (Florida)

For the fourth consecutive year, the men of Florida Alpha received the distinction of being named Outstanding IFC Chapter. In addition to receiving that top award, the chapter also took home more honors than any other organization, including ones for community service, campus involvement, alumni programming and new-member scholarship, as well as individual awards. Danny Casamayor was named IFC Fraternity Man of the Year and former True Gentleman of the Year Daniel Poterek was named IFC Fraternity Alumnus of the Year.

Millsaps

On February 28, 2009, the Mississippi Delta chapter held its 9th annual Chili Bowl to benefit the Lifeshare Foundation of Jackson, Mississippi. During the competition, 20 teams prepared chili made with anything from beef, barbecue sauce or even food coloring. When the event was completed, the men had raised $12,642 to help Mississippi children living in poverty, or those with mental and physical disabilities, to have the same chances as children in better circumstances. The chapter plans to continue its tradition next year, continuing to support Lifeshare, and looks toward an even more successful event.

Penn State

THON, a philanthropic dance event held by the student body of Penn State each year, has been assisted by the men of Pennsylvania Alpha-Zeta each year since 1972. Campuswide, the event now uses more than 15,000 student volunteers and 700 dancers while raising more than $52 million for Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. Together with the women of Pi Phi, the chapter raised more than $85,000 and sponsored a child named Aaron, whose cancer is now in remission.

Province Gamma

On April 3-4, 2009, Province Gamma hosted its first Ritual institute in Richmond, Virginia, on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University. Nearly 200 brothers from Virginia, Washington, D.C., New York and Kentucky listed to explanations and seminars including Ritual history, traditional Rituals at chapters and in-depth explanations of secret meanings. As the final speaker, past Eminent Supreme Archon Mike Scarborough shared personal experiences on how to use the Ritual in everyday activities. During the event, several chapters received awards for outstanding performance in the 12 Core Areas of the True Gentleman Initiative. Virginia Zeta at Virginia Tech was named 2008 Outstanding Province Gamma Chapter and Thomas Lott at Virginia Commonwealth was recognized as the Outstanding Undergraduate of the Year for Province Gamma.

Simpson

On April 1, 1976, Sally Jenkins began her first day the house cook for the Iowa Sigma chapter. More than 32 years later, she’s still here making sure the men at Simpson are well-fed. In that time, she’s seen quite a few brothers pass through her dining hall and has created traditions that show how much the members mean to her — including remembering each and every birthday, fixing that brother’s favorite dessert to celebrate. Since she doesn’t live at the house, she stays active in her community, singing in the church choir and baking for her six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. To show their appreciation for her long tenure of service, the men of Iowa Sigma repainted her kitchen this past fall, adding her name to the wall in wooden letters.

Southern Cal

The California Gamma chapter recently sponsored a CPR-certification seminar for its newest pledge class – and extended the opportunity to the active members. The class offered hands-on training on how to revive an unconscious person as well as instruction in the use of a defibrillator. In bringing the course to the chapter, brothers demonstrated their commitments to better themselves as well their concern for others’ well-being. The event was such a success that California Gamma extended the training to all Greek men at the university.

Texas Tech

John DeWitt, the Eminent Archon of Texas Alpha, found himself in a unique position to help a man walking cross-country. Rory Fanning, who was in the middle of a 3,800-mile walk to honor his friend Pat Tillman, the NFL player and U.S. Army Ranger who died in Afghanistan in 2004. When Fanning’s route took him through Lubbock, Texas, DeWitt was contacted to help organize a student event around Fanning’s trip. But after meeting Fanning, DeWitt decided to go one step further, offering the traveler the use of his room. “He’s doing it for such a good cause. The least I can do is give up my room,” DeWitt said. Fanning, who said he slept outside for most of his trip, was incredibly gracious.

Washington State

On April 8, 2009, Kyle McKeeman was honored by the Center for Civic Engagement as the recipient of the 2009 Distinguished Service Learning Award. McKeeman received the award for his leadership as one of the chief organizers of the College Hill Association Adopt-a-Block program. He was nominated by Alison Rotolo, the association president. “He has made a difference in his fraternity,” she said, “which reflects positively on the entire Greek community and the WSU student community.” Each year the CCE recognizes one student, one faculty member and one community partner who display a commitment to learning through campus-community engagement.

Vanderbilt

At the 27th annual Chancellor Alexander Heard Greek Awards at Vanderbilt on April 6, 2009, Tennessee Nu was recognized for its outstanding faculty relations by the Inter-Fraternity Council and, in addition, was part of the IFC team that won an award for an outstanding collaborative program. Three brothers were listed in the event’s notes as having achieved a 4.0 semester GPA — among whom was Wyatt Smith, who was elected as student-government president for the coming year. Heard, the former Vanderbilt chancellor for whom the awards are named is a Tennessee Nu alumnus from 1938.

West Virginia

At the university’s recent Greek awards ceremony, the men of West Virginia Gamma were named as the top fraternity on the university campus. The men have been continuing their tradition of excellence, as the two most recent studentbody presidents have been members of the chapter. West Virginia Gamma also received the top awards for best scholarship and best recruitment. Pictured are (from left) Zach Zellner, chapter adviser Ed Cole, Eminent Recorder Jermey Hylton, Eminent Deputy Archon Aneesh Sompali, Eminent Archon Steve Seem, Ben Remo, Eminent Treasurer Mark Dodson, Ben Wiener and Jason Parsons.

Western Kentucky

To commemorate Autism Awareness Day, the men of Kentucky Beta helped Bowling Green’s new baseball team, the Hot Rods, kick off their first season and at the same time spread awareness of autism and research on treatment options. And their motivation comes from inside sources: Last fall, Michael Kelly, the son of the founders of the Kelly Autism Program, pledged the Fraternity. After learning about the program from Kelly, brothers revamped their philanthropy program, holding two events each year to benefit KAP. Between Paddy Murphy Week and a dodgeball event, the men raised more that $3,000, which was presented to the program at a Hot Rods game during the seventh-inning stretch.

Brothers embraced a marketing campaign called “The One,” which proved successful during recruitment. New York Alpha pledged 26 men, including athletes, musicians, international students and leaders. In the fall, the group had its first brotherhood retreat and officer’s retreat and also hosted Cornell’s Greek Trustee and Council Member breakfast.

Kutztown

The Fraternity colonized at Kutztown University in Kutztown, Pennsylvania, in early February. The group, known as Pennsylvania Kappa, consists of 10 members, who were led through the colonization ceremony with the assistance of members of Pennsylvania Epsilon and Pennsylvania Sigma-Mu, along with Province Rho-Eta Archon Ray Sewell and Regional Director Jason Andrick. Dick Button (Mount Union ’72) will serve as colony adviser. Joseph Ceriello will serve as the colony’s first Eminent Archon. Kutztown University has approximately 10,393 full- and part-time undergraduate and graduate students.

Midwestern State

Missouri-Kansas City

Missouri-Kappa Chi has been named UMKC’s most-spirited organization for the past two years. In an effort to expand the campus’ involvement in athletics, the men have increased their activities, with two members serving as president of the Roo-Crew, an organization that supports student attendance for athletic events. UMKC also started a street team, sponsored by the university’s athletics department, to help promote the school’s sports, and brothers form the majority of the group. The members also took part in a Polar Bear Plunge in January to benefit the Special Olympics. They raised nearly $1,000 for the charity.

Ohio State

The chapter awarded Phi Alpha Brother of the Quarter to Jason Goodman for working diligently on projects like the Campus Cupboard Cleanout. Goodman is a computer-science major and a member of the Open Source and ski clubs. He also works for a software-development company in Columbus.

Province Nu

The newly elected 2008-2010 Province Nu Council includes some fresh faces. In addition to alumni Province Archon Steve Tricarico (Hofstra ’06), Province Treasurer John Sebalos (SUNY-Oswego ’05) and Director of Ritual Rob Santacangelo (SUNY-Oswego ’08), Province Deputy Archon Adam Rivard (Rensselaer Polytechnic), Province Recorder Jeremy Smelski (Binghamton), undergraduate rep Elijiah Olinsky (SUNY-Oswego) Director of Extension Curtus Roddy (Cornell), Director of Alumni Relations Svante Myrick (Cornell) and Director of Communications Kevin Fort (Rensselaer) have joined the council as undergraduate members. Additionally, several chapters in the province have earned special recognition. New York Epsilon won campus awards for chapter achievement, recruitment, financial management and house management, as well as a commendation from the mayor of Troy for community service. New York Omega earned a campus award for being one of the most improved chapters. For more information, visit Province Nu’s new website at www.provincenu.com.

North Carolina Epsilon is making its return to campus. In late October, brothers from North Carolina Omega and Tennessee Alpha assisted Province Omicron leaders in conducting a colonization ceremony at the Plemmons Student Union. The chapter was originally established in the fall of 1998 by Randy Brockway (’01).

Centre

In early May, Centre College hosted its annual Greek awards program. During the ceremony, the Kentucky Kappa brothers were awarded nearly every individual award presented, including Greek Man of the Year, Outstanding Greek Leader, Emerging Greek Leader, Greek Athlete of the Year, Greek Scholar of the Year and Best New Member of the Year. The chapter also received commendations for new-member education, member education, risk management and service and philanthropy. Ultimately, Kentucky Kappa was named Grand Chapter, an award given to the most outstanding chapter of the year by the Office of Greek Affairs and Student Life.

Cornell

New York Alpha distinguished itself during a campuswide food drive, collecting nearly 1,300 of the approximately 3,000 cans that were donated by the Greek community during the university’s Garner Day of Caring. Eminent Archon Curtis Roddy, along with Adam Golden and Gabriel Littman, found themselves with a 24-hour deadline to find as much canned food for the effort as possible. After taking up a collection that pulled in $730, the men went on a shopping trip for the food. The proceeds from the university’s collection were distributed among 17 local food pantries.

DePaul

Illinois Delta-Pi received two awards at DePaul’s annual fraternity and sorority awards banquet. It received the most improved chapter award for the brothers’ accomplishments and improvements, including doubling their membership and increasing their involvement on campus. They also received an award for having the highest fraternity cumulative GPA, at 3.088.

Fresno State

California Iota reached a milestone this past academic year. The university awarded several honors to the chapter, including runner-up for the Most Improved Chapter Award. In addition, Matty Vega received the IFC Outstanding President of the Year, and the men increased their GPA by three-tenths of a point.

Kansas State

Brothers from Kansas Beta continue their recovery efforts after a tornado damaged the chapter house in June. The winds of nearly 170 mph tore off part of the roof, allowing heavy rain to seep into the house. Initial damage estimates are approximately $300,000. The undergraduate members, though, immediately pitched in to start the renovation process. Eminent Archon Brady Ott applauded the chapter’s efforts, saying brothers banded together in a time of disaster to help the group rebuild.

Marshall

Member A.J. Cooper organized a youth baseball league during his summer break with other college students from his hometown of Washington Court House, Ohio. The 13-member Little League team spent some time practicing before playing in a two-day tournament in Dayton, Ohio. Cooper’s team, which qualified for the final game, was treated to a ceremonial first pitch, thrown out by a Marine who had just returned from active duty in Iraq and whose father was the founder of the tournament. Cooper’s squad, ranging in age from 10-12 years old, went on to win the championship.