Greek News
Sigma Chi’s Mark Herrmann Named to Hall of Fame
The National Football Foundation & Hall of Fame announced its 2010 Bowl Subdivision College Hall of Fame class in New York on May 27th. Chosen for induction at the NFF Awards dinner on December 7th was quarterback Mark Herrmann, a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity at Purdue University. A unanimous All-American in 1980, he established nine NCAA passing records, including 9,188 passing yards and 707 completions. He played for six teams during an 11-year NFL career before retiring from the Indianapolis Colts in 1992.
Lambda Chi Alpha’s Forte Now Ready for Prime Time
With the national premiere May 21st of heavily-promoted film MacGruber, actor/comedian Will Forte, a member of Lambda Chi Alpha at UCLA, has his first starring role on the big screen. The first MacGruber comedy sketch appeared on Saturday Night Live in January of 2007 and was based on the old TV action show MacGyver. Forte reprised the character for Pepsi commercials during the 2009 Super Bowl and subsequent SNL shows since then. Read more about Forte in the May 21st issue of Entertainment Weekly and the May 27th issue of Rolling Stone has a two page spread entitled "MacGruber's Frat House". He lived in the UCLA Lambda Chi house from 1990 to 1993 while a history major.
U.S. House passes bill aimed at preventing campus fires
The Plain Dealer
Cleveland, OH
http://www.cleveland.com/open/index.ssf/2010/05/us_house_passes_bill_aimed_at.html
May 19, 2010
U.S. House passes bill aimed at preventing campus fires
By Sabrian Eaton
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The House of Representatives on Wednesday agreed to a longtime priority of the late Stephanie Tubbs Jones: a bill establishing grants for installation of fire prevention and suppression technologies for university student housing, including fraternities and sororities.
When Tubbs Jones died in 2008, her successor, Warrensville Heights Democratic Rep. Marcia Fudge, took up the cause and renamed the bill the "Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones College Fire Prevention Act."
It passed the House of Representatives on a voice vote.
The legislation doesn't specify the scope of grants that would be available. At least 10 percent of the money would be reserved for institutions that primarily serve minorities, and another 10 percent would be reserved for fraternities and sororities.
Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat, has introduced a companion bill in the U.S. Senate, which is before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Brown said the bill honors Tubbs Jones' legacy by protecting Ohio students and preventing deaths.
Brown's office estimates there are between 1,500 and 1,800 fires each year in college residence halls, dormitories, and sorority or fraternity houses. In Ohio, there have been at least 13 deaths and 36 fire-related campus incidents since 2000. When fire suppression technology is present in student housing, the chance of surviving a fire increases by 97 percent and property damage is lowered by 35 percent, Brown's office says.
© 2010 Cleveland Live, Inc. All Rights Reserved
SAE’s Baffert Wins Fifth Preakness Stakes Event
Following a disappointing sixth place finish by Lookin At Lucky at the Kentucky Derby, trainer Bob Baffert, a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon at the University of Arizona, chose to change jockeys, reuniting the horse with Martin Garcia, who had been aboard on Lucky's first nine races. The change worked wonders as Lookin for Lucky won by three quarters of a length, giving Baffert his first Triple Crown win since 2002 and fifth Preakness victory. The recent Derby winner, Super Saver, who was trained by Arizona Pi Kappa Alpha's Todd Pletcher, faded to eighth place after being the Preakness favorite.
Kappa Alpha Psi Coach Named to College Hall of Fame
Newly elected to the divisional class of the National Football Foundation's College Football Hall of Fame is longtime head coach Willie Jeffries, a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. He posted an overall record of 179-132-6 over 19 seasons at South Carolina State, five seasons at Wichita State University and five seasons at Howard University. He and five other players or coaches will be formally inducted into the Hall on July 16-17.
Five Greeks Named to College World Series Legends Team
More than 100,000 votes were cast to determine the 28 players and coaches who had the best CWS performances throughout the 60 years the event has been played at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska. Selected from an original list of 95 nominees were five alumni from NIC member fraternities. Longtime University of Southern California head coach Rod Dedeaux, a member of Delta Chi at USC, was one of the three coaches selected. Four Greek players have also been chosen for the squad: pitcher Steve Arlin (Delta Tau Delta at Ohio State University), third baseman Sal Bando (Phi Gamma Delta at Arizona State University), catcher Ryan Garko (Sigma Alpha Epsilon at Stanford University) and pitcher Burt Hooton (Kappa Alpha Order at University of Texas). Voting was based solely on their performances while playing in the NCAA Colege World Series. Living members of the Legends Team will be invited to the final CWS at Rosenblatt Stadium and be formally honored on the field at the opening ceremonies on June 18th.
New NIC Website Focuses on Fraternity Rights
INDIANAPOLIS (5/6/10) - The North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) is joining member fraternities and fellow Greek life advocates in promoting research findings from the University Learning Outcomes Assessment (UniLOA) by launching a new web site at http://nicindy.org/fraternityrights/. The independent research findings support the positive impact fraternity membership has on student growth and performance.
Based upon the UniLOA research, the NIC's case for open recruitment and for protecting the rights of freedom of association has new meaning and relevance. "Often, arguments both for and against the fraternity experience focus on personal experience and anecdotal information," said Peter D. Smithhisler, NIC President and CEO. "The UniLOA research, conducted by The Center for Learning Outcomes Assessment, places compelling, objective data into the conversation."
The UniLOA research focused on the seven areas of behavior regarded as "most critical" by employers, academics, managers, and researchers. Those areas are critical thinking, self-awareness, communication, diversity, citizenship, membership and leadership, and relationships. The data clearly show that fraternity men scored higher, and experienced higher net gains in growth over their academic lifespan, than the national mean of all students in each of the seven areas measured.
Common themes from the extensive research support the NIC's opposition to deferred recruitment and address many ongoing points of contention between NIC-member fraternities and those who discount the importance and positive impact of fraternity life on both students and campus communities.
"NIC Standards are clear about the fraternity community's strong support for open, year-round recruitment of members," Smithhisler said. "The 73 NIC-member fraternities understand that different communities have different agendas, but to delay or deny a student the opportunity to join a fraternity when he wants to violates his Constitutional rights to freedom of association. Being able to join any group, when we want to join it, is a freedom we enjoy; it's unfortunate that this sometimes needs to be highlighted, and it's good to have independent research that supports the broader benefits of fraternal association. It is not a surprise to fraternity alumni, or to current fraternity chapter leaders on more than 800 U.S. campuses, that joining, participating in and leading a fraternity chapter provides genuine growth in members' critical thinking, self-awareness, communication, diversity-appreciation, citizenship, followership, leadership, and relationship-building skills."
The new site provides NIC members with an easier way to educate their own members about the importance and benefits of open, year-round recruitment, as well as a relevant and effective vehicle to accomplish that with today's college men. The site also allows Greek advisors - both local alumni who work with chapters, as well as inter/national headquarters staff - to promote the open recruitment Standard to staff at colleges and universities with fraternity chapters.
The new site was created to promote the independent UniLOA research results. "As with the NICStandards.com site, the goal is to create a destination that will provide education on the Standards in a language all can understand," Smithhisler said. "The NIC membership already has agreed that the Standards outline how we, as a fraternal community, will do business moving forward."
The NIC Standards were created to elevate the fraternity experience through partnership between fraternities and campus communities. Created by the member fraternities of the NIC, the Standards were designed to compel fraternities to be who they say they are.
Founded in 1909, the NIC, through advocacy, collaboration and education, works to ensure that fraternities can operate in an environment conducive to their success.
Nominate Star Baseball Players for the NIC All-American Team
The NIC is taking nominations for the 2010 All-Fraternity All-American Baseball Team and Coach of the Year. Please send names, schools and fraternity affiliations to Jay Langhammer at Jlangha132@aol.com. A watch list of nominated players and coaches is now on our website so click here to see the candidates. Final selections will be announced on this website in June following the College World Series.
Pi Kappa Alpha Horse Trainer Wins the Big One
When Super Saver won the 2010 Kentucky Derby, it was the first Derby win for veteran trainer Todd Pletcher, a member of Pi Kappa Alpha at the University of Arizona, after 24 previous attempts. Going into the 2010 race, the favorite horse was Lookin At Lucky, trained by former Derby winner Bob Baffert, a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon at Arizona. Of the 20 total horses in the race, Pletcher trained three other horses while Baffert trained one other horse. The co-owner of Super Saver is Kenny Troutt, a member of Tau Kappa Epsilon from Southern Illinois.
2010 NIC All-American Basketball Team
The NIC's annual selections are now on this website. Click here or go to Press Room/Greeks in Sports to see the list. Our Coach of the Year is Alpha Tau Omega's Brad Stevens, who took Butler to the NCAA Division I championship game. In addition to our first team choices, numerous other standout players and coaches are on the Honorable Mention list
