Contact: Sammy McDavid
STARKVILLE, Miss.--The elected governing body for 14 Mississippi State social fraternities is the winner of five major awards in regional competition.
The university's Interfraternity Council is among more than 100 members of the Southeastern Interfraternity Council that recently held its annual leadership academy in Atlanta, Ga.
In the various judging categories, MSU was sole winner of the Excellence in Publications and Outstanding Web site awards. Other honors included:
--One of five receiving an Excellence in Recruitment Award, the most highly prized recognition;
--One of two receiving Excellence in Community Service and Outstanding Educational Program awards; and also
--One of two selected for Excellence in Community Service and Philanthropy awards.
SEIFC was founded some four decades ago in Jackson during a meeting of student leaders, fraternity professionals and Greek-letter organization advisers. It is one of six regional associations throughout North America that work to bring closer ties between institutions and individuals with a commitment to university and college fraternity life.
Current IFC leaders at MSU include Timothy R. "Tim" Wolverton of Starkville, president; Frank P. "Tray" Achorn III of Meridian, vice president of recruitment; Bran Dawson of Tupelo, vice president of programming; Parker T. Ellis of Cordova, Tenn., vice president of administrative affairs; Torrey J. McKeown of Ocean Springs, vice president of communications; and Glenn B. Wegener, also of Cordova, vice president of community service.
In addition to his group's awards, Wolverton was elected SEIFC vice president for Area III, which includes the states of Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.
"The MSU Interfraternity Council is to be commended for their excellent work this past year," said Victor Felts, SEIFC's executive director. "The programs and services coming out of Starkville serve as an example for other fraternity men across the Southeast to emulate."
Colvard Student Union director Eddie Keith echoed Felts' observations.
"We are proud of our IFC leaders for having received all of the awards, but especially the recruitment award," Keith said. "They and the fraternity chapter leaders had to 'think outside the box' to make changes in the traditional way our fraternities have recruited members."
According to Wolverton, the MSU council posted "a 31 percent increase in the number of men joining fraternities this past fall due, in large part, to a restructuring of recruitment week.
"The chapters were successful in raising their average size to more than 70 men and an average pledge class to more than 30 in just one semester," he said, adding that the IFC marketed "directly to potential new members by having recruitment events inside the residence halls and forming personal relationships with both students and parents."
SEIFC members include colleges and universities stretching from the District of Columbia to Florida to Texas. The University of Mississippi and University of Southern Mississippi are the only other Magnolia State members.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.