May 1, 2008

Greek Life hands out end-of-year awards

Students involved in Greek Life are recognized for their efforts to enhance the campus community at Bryant.

On April 20, the The Greek Leadership Council held its 2008 Greek Awards Banquet to recognize the outstanding efforts of students involved in Greek Life at Bryant.

Greek Man of the Year

• Mike Botaish ’09 (Franklin, MA)

Greek Woman of the Year

• Elicia Wilson ’08 (Southbury, CT)

Best New Sorority Member of the Year

• Brittany Schnitta ’10 (Harrison, NY)

 Best New Fraternity Member of the Year

• Troy DeMaio ’11 (Monroe, CT)

 Most Spirited Organization

• Delta Zeta Sorority
• Phi Kappa Tau fraternity

Philanthropy of the Year

• Delta Chi fraternity
• Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority

Botaish, a member of Delta Chi, has served in a variety of leadership roles within the fraternity. He is also the current president of Bryant’s chapter of the Order of Omega, the Greek honor society, and the past treasurer of the Interfraternity Council, the governing body of the five fraternities at Bryant.

“For me, this award is the highest honor, and I am very thankful that my peers believe I am deserving of such a wonderful award,” he says.

An accounting concentrator, Botaish is scheduled to finish his degree requirements a semester early in December 2008. He is also currently taking classes towards his Master of Public Accountancy (MPAc) at Bryant. He will earn his MPAc next July – only one month after he was originally scheduled to complete his bachelor’s degree requirements.

            

(L-R) Greek Woman of the Year Elicia Wilson ’08 (Southbury, CT) Greek Man of the Year Mike Botaish ’09 (Franklin, MA), Greek Life Scholarship recipient and the Order of Omega inductee Brittney Slater, and Best New Sorority Member of the Year Brittany Schnitta ’10 (Harrison, NY).

For the third consecutive summer, Boatish will intern at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Eventually he would like to earn his doctorate in accounting and teach at the college level.

Wilson is a member of Delta Zeta and the past president of the Panhellenic Council, the governing body of Bryant’s three sororities. She was also named the recipient of the Phi Kappa Tau Brotherhood Commencement Award, which recognizes a graduating senior who has exhibited goodwill and leadership in promoting policies beneficial to the community.

“I learned that the hard work we do as students is truly appreciated by those in the Bryant community,” says Wilson, who shared the evening with her parents and twin sister Gena ’08, who is also a member of Delta Zeta.

Wilson will attend Suffolk Law School in September.

Most Spirited Organization winner: Phi Kappa Tau fraternity.

Schnitta, the recipient of the Best New Sorority Member of the Year award, is a member of Sigma Sigma Sigma.

“I wanted to get involved in Greek Life because I thought it would be a great opportunity to meet new people and get more involved on campus and in community service projects,” she says.

DeMaio, who was picked as the Best New Fraternity Member of the Year, is a brother in Phi Kappa Tau. He excelled academically by earning a 3.75 GPA during his first semester. He was also a Student Senator and took part in several leadership retreats.

Philanthropy of the Year: Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority.

The sorority Philanthropy of the Year award winner, Sigma Sigma Sigma, piloted the first “Up Till Dawn” letter-writing campaign at Bryant, which helped raise $8,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The sisters also fundraised for diabetes and breast cancer research, as well as domestic violence prevention.

The fraternity Philanthropy of the Year award went to Delta Chi. The organization was recognized for the Public Safety vs. Delta Chi charity softball game. Over the past two years, the event has raised more than $1,500 for the Jimmy V Foundation for cancer research. The fraternity also cosponsored a Rock-A-Thon with Delta Zeta, where participants rock in chairs for 24 hours to raise money for charity.

A tradition of sorts continued with the Spirit Awards going to Phi Kappa Tau and Delta Zeta for the third consecutive year.

Most Spirited Organization, highest cumulative sorority GPA, and sorority Greek Week winner Delta Zeta.

Academic Awards 

Rachael Hylan ’10 (Abington, MA) of Delta Zeta, as well as Alyssa McLaughlin ’10 (Torrington, CT) and Brittney Slater ’11 (Somerset, MA), both of Sigma Sigma Sigma, were inducted into Bryant’s chapter of the Order of Omega. In order to be initiated, students must be in the top seven percent academically of all Greek Life members. Only 15 students can be in the Order of Omega at one time.

Botaish and Slater received the annual Greek Life Scholarship for the highest combined GPA for the 2007 spring and fall semesters.

Botaish and Sigma Sigma Sigma’s Christina Aurillo ’09 (Bow, NH) were recognized for having the highest GPAs of all Greek students for the 2007 fall semester.

(L-R) Most Improved GPA award winners Jenna Lamy ’11 (Marlborough, MA) and Dan Baxter ’10 (Mendon, MA).

Dan Baxter ’10 (Mendon, MA) of Tau Kappa Epsilon and Jenna Lamy ’11 (Marlborough, MA) of Delta Zeta won the Most Improved GPA award for the 2007 spring and fall semesters.

Tau Epsilon Phi and Delta Zeta were recognized for having the highest cumulative GPAs for the 2007 fall semester.

In addition, Greek Life recognized nearly 35 percent of its members (63 students) who were named to the 2007 fall semester Dean’s List.

Greek Week

From April 13 to 20, Greek Life sponsored Greek Week, a series of academic and athletic events that pitted the sororities and fraternities against each other in a friendly competition. Events included the Greek Olympics, the Brain Bowl, a dance-off, and a volleyball tournament.

In the end, Delta Zeta and Tau Kappa Epsilon were the victors.

To learn more, visit Greek Life.