The University Delta Chi chapter has had their charter for more than seven months, but the chapter has already won national awards.

Up until April 20, 2002 Delta Chi had been a colony, trying to build the foundation of its chapter and improving year by year. Despite being a new chapter on campus, Delta Chi brought a few awards back to Bowling Green from their international conference this summer in Orlando, FL.

The awards include Outstanding Alumni Board of Trustees, Outstanding Vice President (Tyler Slane), Outstanding Recruitment Program, and Outstanding Scholarship Program.

President Elliot Gornall said that the recognition that really meant the most to the University’s chapter is the Delta Chi International Certificate of Achievement. This award is not given every year.

Gornall said, “This has been a big payoff, it is something tangible the guys can see for the hard work that they have done.”

The fraternity, as of 1999, was down to nine members and according to Gornall was in bad shape, especially in the area of recruitment. He said he always knew that founding a fraternity would be an uphill battle.

“It was hard to get guys interested in a fraternity that was so inexperienced,” Gornall said.

But these awards have been just the right thing to keep the University’s Delta Chi chapter going.

“Three years ago we had half the members we have currently; we have come so far so fast,” Brian Bickley, another member of Delta Chi, said.

According to Delta Chi members, getting the charter does not mean that they have been resting, but instead they have continued to work harder.

“Nothing has stopped since we received our charter,” Gornall said. “They don’t give you a charter because you are the best, but because they see you as having a chance to be the best.”

Paul Laurent was the President of Delta Chi when Gornall first pledged. He said that they are all very proud to have been recognized for the awards this summer at the international conference.

“There was never a doubt that we would get our charter,” Laurent said. “It was just a matter of time.”

The chapter now has 40 plus members and are currently working on putting together this year’s Delta Chi regional conference that will be held here at the University.

The chapter has also set goals for the year, including having the highest accumulative GPA and pushing to be a well rounded fraternity on campus.

“We have great leadership and outstanding members,” Bickley said, “We got these awards because we worked so well together.”