By Grace Hitzeman

For the first time ever, Greek Council received national recognition for its efforts here on the Hill. The Association of Fraternal Leadership and Values (AFLV) awarded Kenyons Greek Council its Council Management Award and Philanthropy and Community Service Award. Nolan Reisen 15, service coordinator for Greek Council, estimated that representatives from hundreds of schools around the nation attended the awards ceremony at which Kenyon was honored. Furthermore, Director of Student Activities and Greek Life Christina Mastrangelo said, We were the only Greek Council application that won any sort of recognition.

Reisen cited the Greek-hosted Fall Festival, which entertained approximately 400 Mount Vernon children last October each fraternity or sorority ran a booth as a reason they won the Philanthropy and Community Service Award. I think our community service stood out because I dont know of any other school that does that kind of festival for the local children, Reisen said.

AFLV also considered Kenyons annual Greek Day of Service, which will occur after spring break, as a part of the awards process. Greek Council President Andrew Tint 13 also said individual organizations fundraising efforts and the Councils ability to help other organizations, like co-sponsoring events factored into winning the award. Tint considered the philanthropy award win an extremely impressive feat that Greek Council was not expecting.

Greek Council also received the Council Management Award, which recognizes interior management skills that allow one to lead on campus. Another consideration for the award is the applicants level of involvement in the community, which does not include social activities. With council management, they want to make sure you have up-to-date reviewed and approved operation documents such as constitution and bylaws, Mastrangelo said. Other criteria considered for the award are the different training opportunities offered for officers and the ethical standing of organizations economic practice.

Tint attributes winning these awards to the Greeks Standard of Excellence, a document that sets requirements and standards of excellence for Kenyons Greek organizations. Its almost as if weve created and awards and assessment program for our community, Mastrangelo said. These standards created a sense of what [Greek Councils] values are as a community. Tint added that the document is a way to make sure we are handling our business instead of just throwing parties.

This is the first year that the Greek Council has applied for AFLV awards. Two years ago, when Tint became Greek Council president, he and Mastrangelo decided that Kenyons Greek organizations would make winning a goal. Last year, Tint went to the AFLV conference in St. Louis, Mo., where he talked with past winners and attended sessions in order to assess how Kenyon might win the awards. Executives from Greek Council spent several Saturdays compiling binder-thick applications for each award.

According to Reisen, competition for the awards will likely increase in the coming years. The Greek Council division of it is a relatively new branch of the awards, Reisen said. Its only been around for a few years, so the word didnt get out right away, so eventually more schools are applying.

Mastrangelo thinks some Kenyon students harbor misconceptions about what the Colleges Greek organizations do, and hopes winning the awards will change the campuss perspective on Greek life at Kenyon. I hope people see theyre trying their best, and theyre doing good things, and oftentimes I think it goes unnoticed, so its great to see them finally get noticed for all the hard work they have been putting into it, Mastrangelo said. I think people dont realize how much money is raised, or how many hours served.

Tint agreed, adding, I think we are most proud of the fact that its a total Greek effort and each individual has to play his part. He added, Its hard to say were only a social organization when we are honored as one of the better Greek councils in the country for philanthropy and community service.

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