Living the Greek Life

The Greek Life community held an awards ceremony last night that not only honored its efforts during Homecoming week, but also reflected recent national awards given to university chapters for their academic and community service achievements.

The Greek Leadership Honor Society hosted the event in the Memorial Chapel to highlight the constructive efforts of a Greek community that held numerous community service projects for Homecoming and also received much national recognition earlier this year, including a prestigious Award of Distinction.

Many fraternity and sorority members gathered at the chapel last night, as thunderous applause and screaming followed announcements of winners, and entire chapters jumped to their feet to celebrate.

"The atmosphere is exciting. All the chapters put so much time and effort into another great Homecoming week, and it's exciting to see how they placed," said John Savoy, vice president of membership development for the university's Interfraternity Council.

Overall Homecoming winners were the Alpha Phi, Alpha Tau Omega and Alpha Gamma Rho chapters. Senior broadcast journalism major Brittany Fertig, a member of Alpha Phi, said it felt "amazing" to win the award.

"[The three chapters] made a great team," she said.

Alpha Epsilon Pi won the award for best GPA by an IFC chapter at the ceremony last night. The chapter was also recognized nationally earlier this year when it won the North American Interfraternity Council's Award of Distinction, given out annually by the NIC to only three fraternity chapters nationwide.

"Maryland has a very well-established Greek community, and many of its chapters receive annual recognition," said Savoy, who is also the treasurer of Greek Leadership Honor Society. "To have two Maryland chapters receive that award in three years is an unbelievable feat, and really reflects the accomplishments of our Greek community."

"To be recognized on a national level is a testament to the hard work of not just the current brothers, but the chapter for the past many years. It is an unbelievable accomplishment," added Alpha Epsilon Pi President Evan Hoffman said. "These awards also reflect the strength and quality of Maryland's Greek community."

Among the individual awards given out last night was the Greek President of the Year, awarded to Alpha Tau Omega President Mike Zarro. His fraternity also won the prestigious Award of Distinction in 2005, the first of two that Maryland chapters have won in the past four years.

"It shows that a chapter has lived up to its values and has gone above and beyond what is expected," Zarro said. "It shows that we are a well-rounded chapter, meaning we place a high emphasis on scholarship, community service, athletics and the brotherhood."

Savoy said last night's Homecoming ceremony and the Greek Life community's abundance of awards earned over the summer help shed positive light on a student body often scrutinized and looked at negatively.

"Too often, these great accomplishments of our chapters are overlooked and the negative issues surrounding the Greek community, such as hazing, are put in the spotlight," he said. "The fraternities are doing their part to live their values and the [Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life] is doing its part in helping Maryland's Greek community be one of the best in the nation."

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