Virginia Tech fraternity chapter recognized as outstanding
The Epsilon Hexaton Chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa at Virginia Tech received a Herbert L. Brown Outstanding Chapter Award for 2011 at the 63rd General Convention in New Orleans, La. The Grand Chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa presents this award each year to the top five chapters out of more than 75 nationwide.
“This truly is an honor for our brotherhood and we couldn’t be happier to be given this very prestigious award,” said Daniel Donovan from Warrenton, Va., a graduate student studying construction and engineering management in the College of Engineering. Donovan is president of the Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity. “[The Herbert L. Brown Outstanding Chapter award] is one of the highest awards that nationals presents and really shows all the hard work that the brothers put in.”
Along with the Epsilon Hexaton Chapter at Virginia Tech, chapters that received the 2011 award include the Omicron Chapter at MIT, the Phi Deuteron Chapter at Kentucky, the Pi Pentaton Chapter at Northern Illinois, the Epsilon Nu Chapter at Northwest Missouri State, and the Sigma Epsilon Chapter at Ferris State.
The Outstanding Chapter Award is named in honor of Bert Brown, a former grand president and executive director of the fraternity. It is presented to the chapters that display fraternal excellence in all areas of chapter operations, which include member education, philanthropy, campus involvement, scholarship, alumni programs, and membership recruitment.
“Each member of our brotherhood has contributed to our fraternity’s success and we only look to improve from here,” Donovan said. Presently, the chapter has 48 active members.
This past year, the Epsilon Hexaton Chapter brotherhood was also noticed by the Virginia Tech Greek community. They were presented with three chapter awards including
- Outstanding Risk Management Program of the Year;
- Outstanding Chapter Management of the Year; and
- Chapter Fraternal Award.
Members of the fraternity also received individual awards. Greek Man of the Year was Wesley Hutchins from Wirtz, Va., a 2011 graduate of Virginia Tech in civil and environmental engineering in the College of Engineering, currently pursuing graduate work at Clemson University. Outstanding Chapter President was Christopher Sykes from Newtown, Pa., a 2011 graduate of Virginia Tech in business management in Pamplin College of Business.
The brotherhood started when 13 men from Blacksburg founded Alpha Kappa Epsilon, AKE, at Virginia Tech on Nov. 15, 1961. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the original charter. The first pledge class of AKE entered in fall 1962. AKE was founded with the aim of developing scholarship, leadership, friendship, integrity and brotherhood.
The members of the Psi Chapter from the University of Virginia initiated AKE as a colony of Phi Sigma Kappa in November 1970. Upon receipt of its charter, AKE formally adopted the new title Phi Sigma Kappa. The chapter became affiliated with the National Chapter designation of Epsilon Hexaton. The Epsilon Hexaton Chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa was rechartered at Virginia Tech on March 17, 2007.
Written by Lauren Marshall from Marshall, Va., a senior majoring in communication and human development in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences.
