Kendra DeutscheThe Cal Poly Greek community celebrated the achievements of fraternities, sororities and individuals at the fifth annual Cal Poly Greek Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, May 17.
The ceremony honored efforts by sororities and fraternities involved in their communities as well as the individual achievements of their members.
The awards ceremony is meant to “serve as a tool for houses to gauge their successes and to see what is required in order to be the best,” said Nick Leone, an architecture senior and the Interfraternity public relations chair.
“I feel strongly about the awards because they show that the people in the Greek community do more than just drink and party,” said Bryan Kim, an aerospace engineer and award-winner from Sigma Phi Epsilon.
Members of the Interfraternity Council, the Panhellenic Association and the Cultural Greek Council were in attendance at the event to support their fraternities or sororities.
A number of awards were given at the event in several different categories in an effort to keep greek awards an important aspect of Cal Poly greek life.
The highest honors of the night were for Fraternity and Sorority of the Year.
Pi Kappa Alpha won 2006 Fraternity of the Year for their participation in community service events and athletics, as well as for their improvements in brotherhood, ritual, scholarship and philanthropy aspects of their chapter. Pi Kappa Alpha improved the most in the Greek community, and according to their application, they “transformed their house to become a beacon of excellence in the greek system.”
Sigma Kappa won 2006 Sorority of the Year.
“Almost every girl in our sorority is in some other organization at Cal Poly,” said Elyse Fagundes, a journalism junior and member of Sigma Kappa and Panhellenic delegate. “We have a very well-rounded house and the highest GPA for consecutive quarters of any club on campus.”
Other top awards were for the Greek Man and Greek Woman of the Year.
Evan Forrest, an industrial engineering junior and Alpha Epsilon Pi member, won Greek Man of the Year. Forrest, who was elected president of his fraternity as a freshman three years ago, has helped his fraternity grow in a number of ways and will represent his fraternity at a national conference this year, said Tricia Panaguiton of Sigma Kappa, a business junior and Panhellenic treasurer, at the event.
Gretchen Schultz, an agricultural sciences senior and member of Alpha Phi, was awarded Greek Woman of the Year for her involvement in several aspects of the Cal Poly greek community. Last year, she served as the Panhellenic president and was a member of the Alcohol Task Force and ASI President’s Council. She worked for the Cal Poly Women’s Center and improved sorority recruitment processes. She is known for her hard work, dedication and integrity, said Arvand Sabetian, a civil engineering sophomore and the Interfraternity treasurer.
Pi Kappa Alpha was honored as the Fraternity Scholar Chapter of the Year, and the Sorority winner was Alpha Omicron Pi.
Pi Kappa Alpha also won Fraternity Chapter Improvement of the Year and Alpha Phi won Sorority Chapter Improvement of the Year.
The ceremony also recognized service events and philanthropic efforts. Pi Kappa Alpha and Sigma Omega Nu took home top awards.
Sigma Nu and Alpha Omicron Pi were honored for most improved recruitment.
Bryan Kim of Sigma Phi Epsilon and Daisy Cisneros, a business Sigma Omega Nu member, were recognized as the most involved individuals outside the Greek system.
Agribusiness senior Jordan Wells of Pi Kappa Alpha won the award of Outstanding President of the Year for the Interfraternity Council. The Panhellenic Association’s Outstanding President of the Year was awarded to Heather Hilsinger, a history major from Gamma Phi Beta.
Applications and nominations for each of these awards were made prior to the event, and leaders in Student Life and Leadership chose the award winners, making the awards an honor for those who received them, Fagundes said.