Delta Sig is off to a great start this year in intramural
sports. Their tug-of-war team tied for 3rd. The intramural soccer team, led
by Nick Gardella, had a great time playing and continued to show the University
of Kentucky intramurals that Delta Sig is a force to be reckoned with. The
flag football team, led by Beau Barret, is currently ranked 1st in its division
and is awaiting their first playoff game next week. All of these achievements
have led to Delta Sig being in the top five fraternities for intramural point
standings.
The hard work put into the Spring
2006 rush proved successful with a pledge class full of great men. Recruitment
chair Jared Thomas describes this rush best: "Thirteen bids given out
and thirteen accepted for the Alpha Beta pledge class. With a cumulative
GPA of about a
3.4 and all good guys, what else can you ask for? We got the best guys this
campus had to offer and great things are soon to come."
The nationally published "2005
UK Media Guide for Hoops" was recently released. Brother Nick Jordan
and pledge Jeff Hignite were alongside two Delta Sig sweethearts,
Nicole Cartier and Amberlee Kempf, in this picture out of the media guide.
They were shown in the front row of the eRUPPtion Zone in Rupp arena with
Dick Vitale,
a famous sports announcer. This picture was taken when UK defeated Florida
on February 8th, 2005. This game was featured on ESPN.
The 2005 Leadership Institute
(LI) was held July 15-19 for 38 upperclassmen from all over the country at
Camp Tecumseh
in Brookston, Indiana. Held each summer, the LI focuses on personal leadership
development and is facilitated by a combination of alumni volunteers and
headquarters staff members.
Session topics include ethical decision making, communicating a vision, and
enlisting others in change. The curriculum is presented in a variety of ways
including large group sessions,
keynote speakers, personal contemplations, small team meetings, and outdoor
experiential activities.
The Nu class was fortunate to have Past National President Chris
Northern, Texas ’77 and White House’s Associate Director for Energy and Transportation Bryan Hannegan,
Oklahoma ’88 as keynote speakers.
Funded by Delta Sigma Phi’s Foundation, LI is an experience that
many members feel can’t be duplicated.” Clay Johnson, Kentucky ’03 said, “Not
only was the Leadership Institute educational, it gave me the opportunity
to meet and interact with some of the outstanding men
in Delta Sigma Phi. It provided me with the tools to succeed not simply
as a fraternity member but for life outside of college.”
Delta Sigma Phi's 55th bi-annual
national convention was a great success for the brothers of the Theta Mu
chapter. Among the individual awards winners were Clay
Johnson, Kenton Lanham, Lance Lucas, and Robby Martin whom were recognized
for their hard work by each receiving the Order of the Sphinx award. Robby
Martin was also the recipient of the E Allen James Award
Outstanding Undergraduate Award, which is the top Delta Sig national undergraduate
award.
The determination of all of the individual Theta Mu brothers also proved
great when receiving awards for the chapter as a whole. The Robert H. Harris
Top
Recruitment Award for the 2004-2005 year
was also won by Theta Mu for recruiting 53 new members during the school
year. Last but definitely not least, the coveted Pyramid of Excellence Award
was
received by brothers of Theta Mu. The Pyramid of
Excellence Award was only given to four chapters this year, proving that
we are one of the best chapters in the country!
Delta Sigma Phi launched its first Brotherhood Retreat
last month on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.
The retreat, which was funded in part by the Delta Sigma Phi Foundation,
was an opportunity for new initiates to extend their fraternal
experience beyond their own chapter/colony.
Lance Lucas Kentucky '03 served as an undergraduate mentor for the retreat. He shares his perspective on
the weekend: "The retreat touched on several aspects of brotherhood that
are sometimes omitted from chapter pledge programs. The meaning of our
ritual, the importance of being your brother's keeper, a deeper look
into our history, and an insight into the values that we live and breathe
were all covered in detail. Every new initiate should have the opportunity
to attend the Brotherhood Retreat and learn these important
aspects of membership."
The ultimate goal of the retreat was to deepen
the participants' understanding of brotherhood so that they could return to
their chapters/colonies as better brothers
themselves and more capable of building better men among their peers.
Lance Lucas was honored to not only serve the fraternity on a national level,
but also
to make a lasting impact in the lives of our
newest initiates.
Click here to view the full article in the latest edition of The Pearl of Great Price national
newsletter
Delta Sigma Phi was the recipient
of numerous awards this year at the annual Greek Awards Banquet. At the
Level of Excellence, Delta Sig won the Social Development Award and the
International
Relations Award. At the level of Achievement, Delta Sig claimed the award
for Organizational Management
and Recruitment and Retention.
Several chapter brothers also received individual recognition. Vice-President Robby Martin was named this year's Outstanding Greek Man, and also received the Bryan Clark Outstanding Chapter Executive Officer Award. Alex Bibbey was honored with an award for The Senior Fraternity Man with the Highest Grade Point Average. Delta Sig has truly become the paradigm of a great fraternity on campus this semester, and our efforts were recognized by the honors bestowed upon the chapter and individual brothers at this year’s
UK Greek Awards Banquet.
After months of hard work and
dedication, the Theta Mu chapter of Delta Sigma Phi won the annual Greek Sing
competition among the fraternities of UK. Greek Sing is an annual event hosted
by Chi
Omega and Sigma Alpha Epsilon; the proceeds of the event are donated to the
Make a Wish Foundation. Greek Sing is the largest Greek event of the year
on the University of Kentucky campus. Over 30
fraternities and sororities present a five minute collaboration of choreographed
dancing, acapella singing, and Greek chants. In previous years, Delta Sigma
Phi dominated fraternity competition
at the annual Greek Sing. Following a four year hiatus, Theta Mu reclaimed
the title that they worked so very hard to achieve. Undoubtedly, Delta Sig
entertained the 4,000 member crowd in
Memorial Coliseum with football themed dances, chants, and singing to prevail
as the winners amongst all fraternities participating.
Junior chapter brother Bill Yackey is seen
singing "In
the Still of the Night" on Valentine's Day to an undergraduate student.
This is the inaugural year for Delta Kiss, which is a philanthropic fundraising
event sponsored by Delta Sigma Phi and Delta Gamma sorority. During Delta
Kiss, Valentine's candy was delivered to college students throughout campus
by brothers of Delta Sig and sisters of Delta Gamma. The deliveries were
accompanied by singing telegrams which helped support the spirit of Valentine's
Day. This event was a true success and gained positive media exposure for
both groups in the campus newspaper, the Kentucky Kernel
It is an exciting time to be a Delta Sig at the University of Kentucky, especially
as a member of our intramural teams. Delta Sig has already made big noise
on campus during the first couple months of the semester, and athletics have
been no exception.
Two weeks ago, Delta Sig finished in a tie for third in the annual fraternity/sorority
Tug-O-War Tournament. The team won 5 straight pulls before being eliminated in
the semi-finals. The Theta Mu soccer team overcame a half-time deficit, but lost
a heartbreaking opening-round game to Pi Kappa Phi in a game-ending shootout.
Pi Kapp led 1-0 at the half, but Clay Johnson scored a goal early in the 3rd
quarter to tie the game. After a scoreless fourth quarter, a shootout determined
the end to the game in a winner-take-all single elimination tournament. Pi Kapp
ended up with a win in the best-of-5 shootout. While initially heartbroken, the
athletics team did not take the loss as a devastation, but as a lesson for improvement
for next season’s team.
The annual event Frats at Bat, hosted by the Delta Delta Delta sorority, was
a huge success for Delta Sig. New members Blake Baker and Billy Brumfield alongside
Athletics Chairman Zach Edwards collectively won the Homerun Derby. Success in
this event was largely due to Baker's event-leading 8 homeruns. The team finished
with 11 total runs to take first place in the event.
Many brothers from the Theta Mu chapter worked tediously over the summer to ensure a successful rush week. Summer mailings, participation in IFC summer advising sessions, and chapter attendance at campus events before formal recruitment were the tools of success for the UK chapter.
Following a long summer of recruitment preparation, the men of Delta Sigma Phi were proud to welcome the addition of thirty-eight new members at the end of rush week. Delta Sigma Phi continued to illustrate its decision to pledge quality members. “I believe we have a pledge class made up of the best thirty-eight men the campus has to offer”, said New Member Educator Ryan Schoonover.
Without a doubt, Delta Sigma Phi is THE fraternity on the rise at UK. “When the Theta Mu chapter succeeds in all facets of fraternity life as it has done with recruitment, it will truly demonstrate its assertiveness as the premier candidate for the Pyramid of Excellence at National Convention in Austin, Texas 2005.” –Robby
Martin
While the Theta Mu Chapter focused on recruitment throughout the 2003-2004 academic year, the same emphasis was placed upon scholastic success. When the UK Greek Affairs Office released the spring grades today Delta Sig leadership was pleasantly surprised. “We knew we had a great year academically, but the grades were even better than I had imagined,” said the junior Scholarship Chairman Lance Lucas.
Indeed the grades were excellent – Delta Sig’s pledge class of 23 men scored a sizzling 3.33 while the chapter’s overall performance of a 3.12 ranks it in 3rd place of 21 fraternities. For a further demonstration of the academic success, see the following chart below:
Delta Sigma Phi Pledges GPA: 3.33
Delta Sigma Phi Cumulative GPA: 3.12
All University GPA: 2.99
All Fraternity GPA: 2.90
All IFC Pledge GPA: 2.90
All Male GPA: 2.87
All Freshman GPA: 2.63
Capping off an evening that witnessed Delta Sigma Phi as the recipient of 6 Greek Awards, the chapter received the prestigious “Dean’s Cup” trophy. The “Dean’s Cup” is annually awarded to one fraternity and recognizes that chapter’s success and progress in all areas of fraternity life.
Following the banquet chapter president Jeff Bohannon summed up the evening – “Tonight was truly special – how many other fraternities can walk away with 6 awards. The guys have worked really hard this year and winning the [‘Dean’s Cup’] award is the perfect finish to a great year.”
For a recap of the Delta Sig awards, see below:
•Dean’s Cup
•InterGreek Programming Assembly (IGPA) Outstanding Chapter Accomplishment
•Excellence in Recruitment and Retention (37 initiates for the year)
•Excellence in Social Programming
•Achievement in New Member (Pledge) Education
•Achievement in Organizational Management
What’s a better way to celebrate Greek Week than a date party with the ladies of Alpha Delta Pi Sorority?
Following a successful Greek Week that included Sigma Kappa and Delta Sig’s “Sigma Spike” Volleyball tournament, the brothers of Delta Sigma Phi and the women of Alpha Delta Pi held a semi-formal event at the Red Mile Banquet Hall on April 16th.
“We always have fun getting together for date parties, but tonight’s semi-formal with ADPi was a semester highlight. Before the night ended several ADPi’s came up to me and insisted on another date party in the fall,” said junior Social Chairman Richie Holmes.
Anyone whom has ever visited Kentucky during the month of April can attest to the constant change in precipitation. Fortunately for “Sigma Spike” hosting chapters – Sigma Kappa Sorority and Delta Sigma Phi and over 600 Greek Community participants, the weather held constant at 75 degrees this afternoon. The mud volleyball tournament was held at the Goodbarn Field (across from Commonwealth Stadium) and garnered so much attention that the local news cameras stopped by to catch the Greeks on film.
The annual event raised over $2000 and provided a memorable afternoon for all those that participated in the volleyball tournament and the casual mud slinging. “Today was a blast. I think the “slightly” muddy participants’ smiles can attest to the fun they had today. I’m glad Sigma Kappa asked us to co-sponsor the event because we accomplished two things today 1) provided a fun venue for our Greek friends, and 2) and most importantly we raised money for a local philanthropic agency,” said co-event coordinator and former Delta Sig President Ryan Schoonover.
Historically UK Fraternities have larger pledge classes in the fall term versus the spring semester, but then again, Delta Sig is different. Following a successful fall initiation of 12 new members, the chapter set its sights on repeating that performance for the spring term, however there was one small problem…the chapter was so eager to grow that they recruited and initiated 23 new members.
“I couldn’t be happier with the way thing worked out for us in terms of recruitment. Every rush we focus on quality and quantity -- the group of men we recruited and initiated epitomizes this strategy. I can confidently say that these 23 guys are not only part of the largest pledge class on campus but individually rank at the top,” said Recruitment Chairman Robby Martin.
According to the official Greek Affairs roster, the following is a breakdown of the top recruitment performances for the Spring 2004 semester:
1. Delta Sigma Phi: 23 pledges
2. Kappa Sigma: 20 pledges
3. Sigma Alpha Epsilon: 15 pledges
4. Sigma Pi: 15 pledges
5. Phi Delta Theta: 14 pledges
All IFC Average: 9.33
3-5-04
Delta Sig Made Their Presence Known at the 2004 Greek Sing Capturing Runner-Up
Amongst Fraternities!
After two months of preparation, the Delta Sig brothers took the newly constructed Memorial Coliseum stage tonight and left the crowd of nearly 2500 Greeks cheering for more.
“Tonight was awesome – one of my proudest fraternity moments yet. The guys looked great out there and I’m not surprised with our performance. We’ve been working on perfecting this routine for a while now and I think the audience’s reaction said it all,” said a proud Greek Sing Captain Matt Bohannon.
Although Delta Sig was the runner-up, they left Memorial Coliseum with their heads held high. “We’ll get them next year. Regardless of the outcome, we had fun tonight and garnered a lot of respect from the 2500 screaming fans.” added Bohannon.
This month’s undergraduate of the month has helped his chapter develop into one of Delta Sigma Phi’s best recruiting chapters for 2003-04. The Theta Mu Chapter at the University of Kentucky has a shining star in Robby Martin.
Martin is a proven leader, although he’s only been in the chapter since Spring 2002. He was selected for UK's Emerging Leadership Institute, was one of a select few Greek Leaders at UK's first ever community service project UK FUSION, and has a 3.6 Grade Point Average.
His work ethic and will to succeed have impressed a great deal of people, including Kentucky’s Assistant Dean of Students Mike Falkowitz, who recently said, “Since Robby's first day in Delta Sigma Phi he has made it a personal mission to strengthen the Theta Mu Chapter. In preparation for fall rush, Robby, along with pledge brother Richie Holmes attended the Recruitment Boot Camp in Atlanta in search of recruitment knowledge. Following the trip, Robby worked tirelessly to ensure that Delta Sigma Phi would be competitive in fall rush. After pinning 12 new members Robby could have rested on the success in doubling the chapter but continued to practice year-round recruitment. Judging from the 23 new members in the spring class, I'd say his efforts have certainly paid off. Robby epitomizes what every Delta Sig should strive to be and his work ethic is unmatched."
Martin took over as the Recruitment Chairman for Theta Mu
soon after initiating, when the chapter only had 14 active members. Since then,
he has overseen the recruitment and initiation of 12 men in Fall 2003, and the
recruitment of their current 23-man pledge class for the Spring semester, which
is by far the largest on Kentucky’s campus.
If he continues to work as hard as he has, and the chapter continues to follow his lead, Theta Mu could become one of Delta Sigma Phi’s largest chapters in a few years!