IU chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa wins award

Men's recruitment is a time for all fraternities to boast about their achievements, but potential members who come knocking at the Phi Sigma Kappa house will find its members have earned a special bragging right. For the second year in a row, the IU house has earned the "Chapter of the Year" award from the Phi Sigma Kappa International Headquarters. \n"It is the highest recognition from the national organization," said senior Matt Beaulieu, one of last year's Phi Sigma Kappa executive board members. "It's a great reward." \nThe award was presented to three fraternities, including IU's chapter, according to the national organization of Phi Sigma Kappa. The award is based on size and quality of the chapter, as well as on membership recruitment, education, finances, philanthropy and scholarship. Each fraternity was judged by a committee of national volunteers, who compared the 80 different chapters of Phi Sigma Kappa across the country, according to the national organization. \nPutting together the chapter's application took the better part of a month and a half, said IU junior and Phi Sigma Kappa Secretary Brian Waite, who was largely responsible for creating the 108-page document last spring. He estimated he spent about 50 hours total creating the manuscript, which described programs that the house had started and a calendar of events, membership numbers and philanthropy hours compiled over the year. \n"(The application) was basically a book to sell our house to nationals," Waite said. "It describes everything we've done and how our house operates."\nThough there is no monetary award associated with the prize, the chapter received a trophy and will be honored at the national convention, Beaulieu said. \n"The intangibles can do more for a house than any monetary award could," Beaulieu said. "It helps us as a goal to keep earning this kind of recognition." \nFraternity members said they are determined this is just the beginning, however. Beaulieu said he hopes the chapter will continue to earn these awards year after year. \n"For most people actively involved, it is almost a competition," he said. "Last year we could hold it over the previous executive board's heads that we had won this award. Hopefully, this year's award will drive the current executive board to achieve." \nPhi Sigma Kappa hopes the consecutive awards will be a draw for men looking to join a fraternity, Beaulieu said. \n"(Choosing a fraternity) is a hard decision to make," Beaulieu said. "There are a lot of great fraternities at IU, but you want to go to one that is moving up and going somewhere"