SigEp Wins Dartmouth Greek Life Awards

Hanover, NH, 5/22/2013 – The New Hampshire Alpha Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity took home numerous organization and individual awards at the Dartmouth Greek Letter Organizations and Societies’ (GLOS) annual awards ceremony on May 21, 2013.

For the second year in a row, SigEp won the O’Connor Cup and the Scholarship Cup. The O’Connor Cup, Dartmouth’s highest Greek honor, is presented annually to the chapter that has been the most outstanding in the principles of scholarship, leadership, service, being inclusive, brotherhood/sisterhood, and accountability. The award is named after the late Proctor John O'Connor who served Dartmouth College for eleven years. The Scholarship Cup is presented to the fraternity with the highest cumulative GPA for the academic year. Dartmouth SigEp’s GPA for winter term was 3.605, which was 0.115 above the All Campus Average.

In addition, SigEp won the Service and Philanthropy Award recognizing chapters that go above and beyond in their dedication and commitment to the community. SigEp members volunteered 689 hours of service to a large number of causes including working on a Native American Reservation in South Dakota, volunteering with local children in subsidized housing and providing homework help (through The Tucker Foundation DREAM and HAVEN programs), organizing and supporting the Dartmouth Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society, and working on Vermont Hurricane “Sandy” Relief.

SigEp also received recognition for excellence in two areas representing the pillars of Greek Life. In the area of Accountability, SigEp was praised for its implementation of a new anti-violence membership agreement. In the area of Leadership, SigEp’s Officer Transition Retreat, organized and led by Chapter Counselor Derrick T. Smith ’07, “went above and beyond simple transition.”

In addition to the Chapter awards, SigEp was well-represented in individual awards. Joshua Kornberg ’13 received the Academic All-Star Award. He is a Government major interested in constitutional law, and has maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA during his time at Dartmouth. He was an earlyinductee into Phi Beta Kappa and is a Rufus Choate Scholar. He received the Edson Memorial Prize in Government and the Johnson E. Johnson Journalism Award.  He founded the Dartmouth History Journal; is a Staff Opinion Columnist for The Dartmouth; tutors in the Student Center for Research, Writing, and Information Technology; and served as the chapter’s Alumni Relations Chairman.

The National Greek Honor society, Gamma Sigma Alpha, also recognized graduating seniors with a 3.5 or higher GPA. Receiving a graduation cord to be proudly worn at commencement were SigEps Benjamin Kessler, Danny Freeman, Sean Derrow, and Tommy Das.

The National Order of Omega Leadership Honor Society prides itself on selecting the top 5% of Greek students on campus who excel in leadership, scholarship, service, and character. SigEps receiving this honor were Daniel Rosengard, Robert Arao, and Tommy Das.

SigEp brother and Greek Leadership Council Moderator Elliot Sanborn ’14 closed the GLOS Awards ceremony congratulating all the winners and encouraging continued improvement.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to work with such a successful chapter,” noted Chapter Counselor Derrick T. Smith ’07. “While I am a permanent member of their fan club, it’s nice to see their accomplishments recognized by the Dartmouth administration and their peers.” Alumni & Volunteer Corporation President Herb Philpott ’85 added, “I look forward to showing the new hardware to alumni returning for reunions in June.”

SigEp welcomes alumni to visit the new Chapter House at 11 Webster Avenue and attend special events during reunions. See the Dartmouth SigEp website (www.DartmouthSigEp.com) for more information.

The next major Sigma Phi Epsilon event is the bi-annual Grand Conclave in Dallas, TX, July 31 – August 4. It is the largest gathering of fraternity brothers in the world with over 1,400 brothers and guests enjoyingthe beautiful Gaylord Texan Resort while they develop SigEp policy, celebrate the best chapters in the country, and recognize the accomplishments and contributions of prominent SigEp alumni. Visit the national SigEp website (www.sigep.org), for more information and to register for the event.

Notable Dartmouth SigEps include famous children’s author Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel ’25); former Chairman of Dartmouth’s Board of Trustees and former CEO of Freddie Mac Ed Haldeman ’70; current Dartmouth Trustee and Technology Crossover Ventures cofounder Rick Kimball ’78; former Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Major League Baseball Tom Ostertag ’78; Tony-nominated Broadway, film, and television actor David Harbour ’98; first secretary of defense of the United States James V. Forrestal ’15; and past presidents of the National Fraternity Whitney Eastman ’10 and Bruce Hasenkamp ’60.

Other prominent SigEps include actor Carroll O'Connor, Montana '52; Nobel Laureate in Economics and Professor at Stanford University, Kenneth J. Arrow, Stanford '40; Commandant of the United States Marine Corps General James T. Conway, Southeast Missouri State University ’69; former Chairman ofMcDonald’sCorporation Fred L. Turner, Drake '55; actor Joe Don Baker, North Texas State '58; past President of the American Medical Association Dr. John Nelson, M.D., Utah State ’65; Konosuke Matsushita Professor of Leadership at Harvard University John P. Kotter, MIT ’68; actor John Goodman, Southwest Missouri State '74; and Wendy’s founder Dave Thomas, Duke ’91.

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