DKE captures natl. award as top chapter

Recognized for excellence in scholarship, alumni relations, community service and chapter improvement, the University's chapter of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity received the National Lion Trophy this summer. The national fraternity presents the award -- honoring its outstanding North American chapter -- at its annual convention, according to DKE President Michael Steib. This is the second time the fraternity has honored the DKE chapter since the award's first presentation in the 1950s. The last time the chapter received the honor was in 1956. "It's the first time we won in a long time, and everyone's very excited about it," Steib said. To qualify for the award, the brothers submitted a 25-page application last June detailing various aspects of the chapter. The application highlighted their increased participation in community service events, noting such achievements as being the top fundraiser at the University's phone-a-thon last year. DKE brother J.D. Beiting, a major contributor to the application, said his fraternity met in the beginning of last year and made community service a high priority. "We didn't have all that much [community service projects] the previous years," the College sophomore said. "Last year, we had a lot more house functions, with many brothers putting in a lot of hours." The chapter also received complementary awards in various categories, including a first place award for chapter improvement. Steib, a College senior, said DKE spent $20,000 on repairs to the house. And after two break-ins last fall, the brothers worked to improve security, adding new doors and locks. Steib added that a steady increase in his chapter's grade point average -- which rose from 2.95 in the 1993-1994 term to 3.2 last year -- also made an impression on the committee. Additionally, the national board recognized the brothers in leadership, awarding Steib with the National Leadership Award. "Mike's leadership really played a big part [in winning the award]," Beiting said. "All the officers stepped up and worked hard to improve the house." Steib said he had been confident about his chapter's chances for recognition, citing his brothers' "complete involvement" in all aspects of the house. "They are as dedicated as can be, helping out whenever they can," he said. "And as a result, we were in good contention." According to Beiting, the national board was most impressed by the members' active involvement in aspects of University life, ranging from athletic teams to the Student Committee on Undergraduate Education. "We are an extremely well-balanced house," Steib said. "We perform well academically, are extremely involved, yet we still have a lot of fun."