By Heather Fabritze
Student Life Editor
For the first time since quarantine, the Office of Student Engagement hosted the Fraternity and Sorority Awards Celebration on Friday, Feb. 3.
All five of Washington College’s sororities and fraternities gathered in the Hynson Lounge at 6 p.m. to celebrate their 2022 philanthropic efforts. Each received an array of awards, chosen by either Student Engagement or via nominations from members.
The first section of the banquet focused on recognition of Greek chapters as a whole. Zeta Tau Alpha Gamma Beta won two of the group awards, Excellence in Community Service and Philanthropy and an Academic Excellence award.
Phi Delta Theta MD Gamma took home the Excellence in External Relations and Alpha Omicron Pi Sigma Tau won Excellence in Intake, Recruitment, and Retention. The Excellence in Chapter Management award went to Alpha Chi Omega Beta Pi and Outstanding Campus Involvement recognized Kappa Sigma Omicron-Phi.
All of the group awards were decided by Director of Student Engagement Antoine Jordan ‘12 and Community Coordinator Lindsay Pass ‘22.
Kappa Sigma brother sophomore Alex Hall said that his motivation for attending the banquet was to see and celebrate his friends in Greek life.
“I want to be here to support Greek life in general,” Hall said. “I am here with the brothers, I really want to support them. But supporting the whole [of] Greek life in general is really important.”
The second section of awards recognized individual members of Greek life. These were decided via nominations by other members of sororities and fraternities.
AOII sister sophomore Lila Kenny won the first award, dedicated to emerging leaders within the Greek life community. She received it due to her work as president of WC’s Panhellenic Council.
Kenny said that she does not win “a lot of awards” and that it was inspiring to be recognized by her peers.
“I think it excites me that it kind of shows me as a leader, [that] I am doing a good job,” Kenny said. “So, it makes me want to keep going and maybe take on bigger roles in the future.”
Kappa Sigma brother senior Dylan Snow and ZTA sister junior Delaney Runge won the Greek Man and Woman of the year awards. ZTA sister senior Alex May and Phi Delta Theta brother junior Rodger Ecker took home Outstanding Campus Involvement awards.
ZTA sister senior Kayleigh Maimone, who was president of ZTA from spring 2022 to fall 2023, won the President of the Year award.
“I am very honored,” Maimone said. “But I definitely could not have done it without our amazing executive committee from 2022. So, I am very grateful to them for all of their help and support and for everything that they have done.”
Runge won the Outstanding Scholar award and one member from each organization took home an award for Living the Ritual — AXO sister junior Abigail Collins, AOII sister sophomore Karli Oates, ZTA sister junior Paige Dauplaise, Phi Delta Theta brother senior Jastin Garcia-Mendoza, and Kappa Sigma brother senior Lenny Brogen.
The banquet ended with AOII sister senior Alexandra Solano Guante and AXO sister senior Asia Webb receiving an award for their contributions to diversity, social justice, and inclusion.
Jordan said that Student Engagement decided to bring back the awards in order to reflect on “how far” Greek life has come since quarantine.
He also thanked members of Greek life for having patience with him as he adjusted to his new position.
“You all — each and every one of you — has shown me an incredible amount of compassion and kindness as I strive to do my best to support each of your organizations,” Jordan said. “Greek life has a history here at WC that spans over 100 years. And each of you are a part of that heart of our shared history as members of this community and this institution. Tonight is meant to celebrate all the work and those achievements that you all made in the last year and a half and the work that you will continue to do moving forward.”
Photo by Miranda Parrish
Photo Caption: Greek life members mingled before the awards were given out by Jordan.