Cheering and chanting from greek brothers and sisters filled the entire ground floor of the IU Auditorium on Sunday evening as several chapters were distinguished for their success during the spring and fall semesters of 2015.
The Greek Assessment and Awards Program is an annual awards ceremony to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of both greek chapters and members, said Brooke Denny, president of Order of Omega, which was host to the event.
“This is purely to recognize chapters who have done an outstanding job last year,” Denny said.
Awards given out at the event are based around the five pillars of greek life, Denny said. These include values integration, intellectual development and academic support, brotherhood and sisterhood, leadership development and civic engagement.
Overall recognition is a sixth category in which awards are given separate from the five pillars.
Judging for the awards was done near the end of last semester before winter break, Denny said. Also, members from each greek chapter are interviewed for the awards season, where they discuss the accomplishments of their chapter.
Since GAAP began in 2009, Denny said she there has been more of an incentive among greek members to engage with chapters and attempt to be awarded.
“Each year, there seems to be more of a push from each chapter to receive an award and follow the pillars,” Denny said.
Denny said she believes excellent work was presented by all chapters last year.
“Regardless of what chapters win the awards, I think each chapter in their own right is striving,” Denny said.
The struggles faced and overcome by the chapters provide even more appreciation for the event, Alpha Sigma Alpha member Crystal Collins said.
“Even if we don’t win, it’s still nice to come together this way,” Collins said.
All four greek councils were represented at the event and were eligible for winning awards. These councils include the Interfraternity Council, the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the Multi-Cultural Greek Council and the Panhellenic Association.
Sigma Nu member Noah Kimmel said seeing all of the councils at the event made him proud as a brother.
“It’s something I’ve never seen before,” Kimmel said.
GAAP picked the best chapter from each council for the awards based on the five pillars.
For the Excellence in Values Integration awards, the winners were Alpha Sigma Phi for IFC, Chi Delta Phi for MCGC, Zeta Phi Beta for NPHC and Alpha Omicron Pi for PHA.
For the Excellence in Intellectual Development and Academic Support awards, the winners were Sigma Phi Epsilon for IFC, Kappa Gamma Delta for MCGC, Delta Sigma Theta for NPHC and Kappa Kappa Gamma for PHA.
For the Brotherhood and Sisterhood awards, the winners were Pi Kappa Alpha for IFC, Lambda Upsilon Lambda for MCGC, Omega Psi Phi for NPHC and Alpha Delta Pi for PHA.
For the Excellence in Leadership Development awards, the winners were Lambda Chi Alpha for IFC, Sigma Sigma Rho won for MCGC, Delta Sigma Theta for NPHC and Alpha Chi Omega for PHA.
For the Excellence in Civic Engagement awards, the winner were Phi Gamma Delta for IFC, Lambda Upsilon Lambda for MCGC, Zeta Phi Beta for NPHC and Kappa Delta for PHA.
The awards allow greek members to recognize and celebrate the positive moments of greek life, instead of the moments they have not been successful in.
“It allows us to say that this is what greek life is all about,” Denny said. “These are the chapters you should be looking at. These are the moments we are proud of.”
