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Greeks done good: Fraternity wins national awards
By MEGAN INGALLS on August 22, 2011
The Beta Xi colony of Phi Kappa Tau received the Academic Excellence Award and were named best colony of the year at the national conclave this August. EVAN STICHLER/Staff
The Beta Xi colony of Phi Kappa Tau received two awards at the fraternity’s national Conclave in early August.
Phi Kappa Tau’s National Council presented the Beta Xi colony with the Academic Excellence Award and the Fletemeyer Prize, given to the colony of the year.
Lane Shetzer, communications coordinator for the fraternity’s executive office in Ohio, said the colony received the awards for their achievements during the previous year.
“Phi Kappa Tau’s Beta Xi colony showed excellence in several areas,” he said. “The colony was awarded with the Fletemeyer Prize for showing themselves to be the most outstanding colony in the fraternity for 2010.”
Last year the colony fulfilled the requirements needed to become officially chartered with Phi Kappa Tau. After facing financial difficulties and being suspended in 2008, the Beta Xi colony disbanded but was reorganized last fall. The colony is scheduled to be officially re-chartered into the fraternity in October.
Garrett Potts, former colony president, said he feels that fulfilling the charter requirements played a part in the fraternity’s decision to award them.
“The process of chartering and us growing together so fast in a year is really what got us the colony of the year award and I think everybody taking it so seriously really showed in the grades” Potts said.
Colony Vice President Alex Anthony also received the Borradaile Undergraduate Award, given to one student in the country. Shetzer said the Borradaile is the second highest award Phi Kappa Tau presents to an undergraduate student.
Anthony said the colony’s goal is to expand and become more recognizable around campus.
“Not too many people know who we are and we want to get to be more well-known within the Athens community, so we’re branching out this semester and planning some community service events,” said Anthony.
President Eric Lindberg said once they become chartered, the colony plans to hold events to raise money for Hole in the Wall Camps and is working on a social calendar for the year.
Lindberg said receiving the awards helped increase morale during the re-chartering process.
“When you’re founding a fraternity and you’re on a campus like Georgia, a lot of challenges can go along with it,” Lindberg said, “and getting an award like this kind of gives you a boost and reassures you that what you’re doing is good and it’s really worth your time.”
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 5:03PM 
