Las Vegas, Nevada – August 2011— Brothers of Boston University’s Mu-Psi Chapter of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity travelled to Las Vegas, Nevada to join a gathering of Kappa Sigmas from across the country for the Fraternity’s 68th Biennial Grand Conclave. While in attendance, the four men accepted various awards on behalf of the chapter for its various accomplishments throughout the 2010-2011 academic year.
One the more distinguished of the six awards that the Mu-Psi chapter earned was the esteemed Founder’s Award of Chapter Excellence (FACE), which recognizes chapters for their exceptional efforts in philanthropy and their commitment to upholding the values of Kappa Sigma. Only fourteen other chapters earned the Founder’s Award this year.
In a recent statement about the awards, David Schleider, the 2011-2012 Chapter President, spoke with pride in regard to the hard work and resolve that his fellow brothers demonstrated to earn such high accolades: “We have reached a level that we haven’t seen in our fraternity before, and what is more exciting is to see where we go from here.”
Reaching this apex was no easy task for the brothers of Mu-Psi. Throughout the 2010-2011 school year, Mu-Psi raised $5,798 in contributions to various charities, including the Fisher House Foundation, which supports US veterans and military families receiving medical treatment. The chapter also donated over 3,000 hours of service to the Boston community and to other communities throughout the country.
The brothers of Mu-Psi also earned the highest collective grade point average of any Boston University Fraternity this past semester.
While Mu-Psi’s achievements this year were remarkable, it took the help of nearby chapters at Northeastern University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to bring home one of the most prestigious of prizes presented at Conclave. Those chapters, along with Mu-Psi, constitute the Boston area district of Kappa Sigma, which Kappa Sigma commended as the 2011 District of the Year. “Not only does this mean that all of our hard work last year paid off,” said Schleider on receiving the award, “but also that we belong to the best district in Kappa Sigma in the whole country.”
While the determination of the members of Mu-Psi was beyond impressive, the chapter may not have reached such heights without the efficiency and focus of its leadership. These leaders did not go unrewarded at Conclave. The National Fraternity acknowledged Ian Moskowitz (CAS ’12) as Outstanding Chapter President, and Jehan Hamedi (SMG ’12) earned the honor of Outstanding Chapter Secretary.
Another Mu-Psi leader, Rob Ranley, who is an advisor to Mu-Psi and an alumnus of Northeastern’s Xi-Beta chapter, was honored as Outstanding Alumnus Advisor. His valuable guidance was a key influence on the ability of the brothers of Mu-Psi to operate a chapter worthy of these accolades.
The Fraternity also recognized the Boston district collectively for having the most brothers travel the most miles to attend the Conclave.