Southern Miss’s own Josh Schuts, Regional Three Vice President with Greg Singleton, Executive Director of the Southeastern Interfraternity Council   A NEW LIFE AT SOUTHERN MISS   In three months, you will be starting all over again, but this time it is college life. Some new students may have friends coming to Southern Miss with them, while others are coming completely alone. Regardless if you have friends coming with you or not, why not enhance your social life by giving Greek Life a try? Greek Life provides a variety of ways to meet other students. You can meet other students and active Greeks by simply deciding to give Greek Life a try and going through formal recruitment. When you decide to pledge a Greek organization, you can meet other Greeks by going to swaps, which is a themed party between one fraternity and one sorority. Besides meeting Greeks in other organizations, you will share a special bond with members in your chosen organization. The members of you chapter will be there for you in all times of your life to support and encourage you. If you are deciding whether or not to go Greek, think about this, imagine being involved in a close-knit community that will not only help you grow as a leader, citizen, and scholar, but it will also help you perpetuate the bond of friendship so that it will last a lifetime. Article by Shelley Chappuis   FROM THE GREEK LIFE DIRECTOR “Never doubt that group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world, indeed it is the only thing that ever has”, Margaret Mead The quote above is one of my favorites and has been since my college days at Southern Miss. In fact it takes me on quite a journey down my own memory lane. You’ll have to forgive my nostalgia, and allow me to reflect back to a time filled with less stress, even less money, and more life lessons than I could fit into any short column. In the spring of 1988, I embarked upon the first of many collegiate leadership experiences. As a newly initiated member of my sorority, I was given a daunting position for a freshman and stepped into my first SGA cabinet position. How invigorated and challenged I was, and oh, how naive. What I learned then I use today...delegate even when you want to control everything, take the advice of people who have been around longer than you have, set realistic goals, there is no substitute for real vision and hard work is only hard if you don’t enjoy what you’re are doing. Article by Wynde Fitts Fraternities at Southern Miss donated more than $1,200 to local charities. The Money raised during the Interfraternity Council’s Golf Classic was distributed to Special Olympics, Hattiesburg Habitat for Humanity, Southern Pine Animal Shelter, Aldersgate Missions, Cystic Fibrosis, Salvation Army, Civitan Camp, Children’s Miracle Network, American Heart Assoc, and Push America. Photo by Steve Rouse, USM PR   SIGMA ALPHA EPSILON CHARITY BOWL Things have been busy here at the Mississippi Sigma Chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. We are at the close of another hugely successful year. We began the year with our annual draw down. This fund raiser, which was held at Southern Oaks, gave away $10,000 to one lucky winner, along with countless prizes such as televisions and gift certificates to other participants. In our philanthropies, we recently became involved with the Adopt-A-Highway program. We also had another successful Charity Bowl. This year, the proceeds, which were in excess of $5,000, went to the Hattiesburg Civitan Camp and the Derrick Nix Foundation. The game was well attended by many students, and everybody had a great time. It has been a great year here, and we expect next year to equally successful. SIG EP IS AMONG TOP FIVE The Mississippi Gamma of Sigma Phi Epsilon on the campus of Southern Miss has been in the top five among all fraternities since its founding in 1953. We take pride in giving back to not only our members, but also the community around us. We have put on several events this year that have benefited both our chapter and the people around us. This year we once again put on our annual Date Auction, from which we donated more than $1,200 to our philanthropy, the American Heart Association. We also put on our annual Parent’s Day. We also recently celebrated our chapter’s 50th anniversary here on the Southern Miss campus. To commemorate this day, we sponsored an Alumni golf tournament and a banquet to show honor and appreciation for our past members. Overall, it has been a very successful year for the men of Sigma Phi Epsilon. We have all worked hard and are very proud of all the things that we have accomplished this year. ALPHA DELTA PI HAS A GREAT SPRING The ladies of the Eta Zeta Chapter of Alpha Delta Pi have had a wonderful spring semester. We would like to congratulate all of our new members from this semester—Emily Coppersmith, LaDonna Ellis, Blaine Martin, Kristy McCoy, Shaunna Meyers, Lillian Pratt, and Dianna Solomon. These are exceptional women who are wonderful assets to our organization. Also, we would like to give special recognition to those members that have received special awards for this past school year—Jessica Lamb, nominee for Outstanding Freshman Female and new inductee of Alpha Lambda Delta; Kim Thomas, Omicron Delta Kappa inductee; Alice Bartlett, Medical Technology Scholarship Recipient; Emily Coppersmith, Dixie Darlings dance team member. The Ladies of Eta Zeta would like to wish everyone a safe and fun summer. See you all in the fall.   DELTA SIGMA THETA HELPS COMMUNITY Diligence, determination and dedication are what Delta women stand for. The magnificent ladies of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. have worked diligently in the community in after school programs. This past February we were determined to lend a helping hand to help build a house with Habitat for Humanity. Most recently, we were dedicated to one of our biggest philanthropies, Que-Delta Week. The week began with sensational performances by choirs and soloists at our first-ever Gospel of Grace Extravaganza. Then we had a kid Carnival and children from various after-school programs came to a day of fun in the sun. I don’t know who had more fun, the kids or us. The proceeds from all the events will be used to better the community. CHI O EXCELS IN LEADERSHIP As the recipient of the Greek Life Overall Excellence Award, the ladies of Chi Omega strive to be leaders in all aspects of campus life at Southern Miss. These women are members of organizations such as the Legacy, Southern Style, GAMMA, Judicial Board, CPC Executive Council, Hall of Fame, Dixie Darlings, Southern Misses, the Varsity Cheerleading Squad, Soccer, Track, and numerous Honor Societies that include Lambda Sigma, Omicron Delta Kappa, and Order of Omega. Throughout the school year, the Epsilon Delta chapter of Chi Omega has been actively raising funds for their philanthropy, the Make-A-Wish Foundation. This organization allows children the opportunity to have their special wish granted. The ladies of Chi Omega hosted their 52nd Annual Songfest event, which raised more than $10,000 and hand-painted glasses for the foundation’s local auction. As a chapter, these women are currently working to ensure a successful recruitment in the fall. TRI DELTA AND TRUE FRIENDSHIP In 1951, the Phi Epsilon chapter of Delta Delta Delta was established at The University of Southern Mississippi. Since that time, Tri Delta has been an important part of the lives of its members and the entire Southern Miss community. From Bid Day to graduation, each Tri Delta member forms bonds of friendship and makes many memories that will be remembered for a lifetime. Tri Delta not only gives its members a place to get involved at Southern Miss, but also provides a sense of community and friendship. It is our "home away from home." When asked what Tri Delta means to her, a graduating senior said this: "Tri Delta has opened a whole new world to me. Through this chapter I have learned so much about myself, responsibility, working with others, and the true meaning of friendship. I have gained so much from being a Delta Delta Delta, but the most important thing that I have gained is the incredible bonds of friendships that I know will last a lifetime." KAPPA DELTA HAS SUCCESSFUL SHAMROCK Beta Sigma had the most successful Shamrock Event this spring. Kappa Delta raised $11,300 for our philanthropy! Kappa Delta placed second overall in Sigma Chi’s Derby Days. Kappa Delta won overall in Phi Tau’s Soccer Tournament and Lauren Elias was named most valuable player of the tournament. In Pike’s Powderpuff Football Tournament, Beta Sigma Placed fourth overall and Claire Walter was named most valuable player of the tournament. Kappa Delta also won overall spirit at Tri Delta's Frats-At Bat. Some of the Kay Dee Did Its for this semester are as follows: Molly Malone and Justice O’Keefe were accepted into Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society. Joanna Gaston was named the Outstanding Freshman Female for 2003. Kay Wilbert was named Who’s Who for American Colleges and universities. Kelly Hollingsworth was elected secretary and Cherie Kay Thriffley was elected vice president of Lambda Sigma Honor Society. Adrienne Kren was elected senator for the Student Government Association. Claudia Maya was named Panhellenic Scholar of the week. PIKE MAKES IMPROVEMENTS The men here at Pi Kappa Alpha have been busy this year with improvements in our chapter and with diligent work on our philanthropies. The work started with our first annual Founders’ Day draw down, which was held on March 1. The event was a tremendous success, with a $10,000 grand prize, and we still managed to raise a considerable amount for the Southern Pines Animal Shelter. We also held our 7th annual Powder Puff flag football tournament between the sororities, which was won by Pi Beta Phi. This year the philanthropy was changed from the animal shelter to the Derrick Nix Fund, where all of the proceeds were given. We have had a successful year and strive to continue to move in a positive direction.

THETA IS SUPREME IN SERVICE The ladies of Kappa Alpha Theta are focused on community service this spring! Each lady has the opportunity to earn five service hours through walking dogs at the humane society, volunteering at the DuBard School, donating canned food for the Tschula mission trip, or donating to Habitat for Humanity. Service hours are also earned through individual efforts such as mentoring a child, participating in the Big Sister/Big Brother program, or doing yard work for the elderly. In March, the entire Theta crew got together and visited the Association of Retarded Citizens Center. The ladies cleaned patio furniture, spread dirt, dug holes, and mixed concrete to set swing-sets. The project was a complete success! Theta also had three young ladies who made an awesome impact through their Saltillo, Mexico, mission trip. The girls came back with plenty of stories about the many lives they touched! SIGMA NU, GREAT AT BOWLING The Theta Gamma chapter of Sigma Nu had an outstanding run in bowling this February. The chapter came in second. The team consisted of members from Sigma Nu and Alpha Delta Pi. Our chapter would like to thank these ladies for helping us out. We are currently participating in intramural soccer and expecting that to go well. We also had our nationals come down and meet with various officers this past month.   KAPPA ALPHA CELEBRATES OLD SOUTH The men of Kappa Alpha Order have been involved in many activities this past year. We have participated and donated to all Greek activities and their philanthropies, while also raising money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and helping various organizations around town. We give clothes and other items to the Salvation Army on a monthly basis. The Crimson Gift blood drive was held in March and more than 95% of our chapter participated in a program put on by Kappa Alpha on a national basis to help the hospitals around the country. The men of Kappa Alpha Gamma Zeta Chapter ranked third in highest grade point average in fall 2002. This past spring we had an excellent Old South and End of the World, our spring events. PHI TAU STANDS OUT Phi Kappa Tau stands out amongst other organizations throughout the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi. Our chapter, Beta Epsilon, was the first fraternity on campus, established on October 15, 1948, and has since set the standard for campus involvement and leadership. Service to charitable organizations and the community comes naturally to the Beta Epsilon chapter. We donate our time and money to our national philanthropy, “The Hole in the Wall Gang,” founded by Phi Tau Alumnus Paul Newman. This great philanthropy raises money to send terminally ill children to summer camps for a chance to be ordinary kids.  Out of 88 Phi Tau chapters nationally, the Beta Epsilon chapter ranks sixth for the amount of money donated to this charity. We also participate in the Adopt-A-Highway program, Thanksgiving canned food drives, and various fund raisers. Phi Tau has continued its excellence for more than 50 years at Southern Miss by living up to our chapter motto: “Success is Never Coasting.” ALPHA PHI ALPHA HAS A GREAT YEAR Xi Chapter. We have truly upheld the principles which make us a premiere organization on the campus of Southern Miss. This school year we had an excellent Miss Black and Gold Pageant, where Miss Lillian Evans became the reigning queen. Also, we donated countless amounts of time and money to various organizations, ranging from the Mississippi AIDS Rally, the Muscular Sclerosis Walk, Relay 4 Life, Mississippi Blood Services, and various community service projects within the Hattiesburg area. Our annual week, titled “Mandingo Fest,” was a huge success as well. With this week, we were able to hold community, social events and programs, which uplifted the Hattiesburg and campus communities at large. Our unique style and stage presence has earned us five first place trophies in many step show competitions this year. On top of being steppers, we have good guys in our chapter who hold strong leadership positions on the campus, and that only adds to our arsenal of being one of, if not the best, organizations of this campus. PHI MU LIVING THE FOUNDING IDEALS By the looks of things, the ladies of the Alpha Omicron chapter of Phi Mu are living up to our Founders' three ideals — Love, Honor, Truth. Whether involved in the Freshmen Associates, SGA, The Southerner yearbook staff, Golden Girls, Diamond Darlings, or simply supporting USM athletics, a Phi Mu is bound to be around. This year the ladies of Phi Mu were the overall winners of Chi Omega's Songfest, Tri-Delta's Frats at Bat, Delta Tau Delta's Sports Challenge, and Kappa Sigma's Margaritaville. We also placed in Delta Gamma's Anchor Splash, Pike's Powderpuff, and Pi Beta Phi's Arrowspike, and we were honored to have a Phi Mu, Ashley Walsten, named as this year's Sigma Alpha Epsilon's Charity Bowl Queen. Recently, the university honored Phi Mu by naming us as the Most Outstanding Student Organization on USM's campus. On a national level, the AO chapter of Phi Mu was recognized as one of the Top 10 chapters in the nation for our outstanding scholarship, leadership, and sisterhood. Phi Mus have many reasons to be proud to wear their letters. DELTA GAMMA AWAITING RECRUITMENT As the summer quickly approaches, the ladies of Delta Gamma count their many accomplishments from the semester. The Dee Gee’s took first place in both Frats-At-Bat and Arrowspike! We are very proud to have Miss Southern 2003 Carrie Parker and one of the Most Outstanding Freshman Females, Lauren Lestremau. Congratulations girls! You truly make Delta Gamma shine! The ladies got to spend great times together at the annual Sisterhood Retreat, where they assisted in serving their national philanthropy, Service for Sight (providing aid to the visually impaired). The ladies got to wind down the semester with their annual formal, Anchor Ball. Anxiously awaiting recruitment, the ladies are already preparing for the outstanding women who will join Greek Life at Southern Miss in the fall. We look forward to getting to know each one of them!   SIGMA CHI , FULFILLMENT OF EXCELLENCE The Theta Delta Chapter of Sigma Chi is preparing for a new year under the lead of our new president, Matthew Weeks. The spring semester brought with it new accomplishments, setting us on the way towards fulfillment of excellence. Derby Days, our annual philanthropy, allowed us to give back some of what is so often taken for granted. We raised thousands of dollars for the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital, and collected trunks of canned goods for the needy. Many of our brothers have made notable accomplishments, also bettering our chapter. Our former president, Jared Loftus, is now SGA president. Several of our members are participating with summer internships, the most notable of which is Matthew Pennington, who has been offered an internship with an advertising firm based in Washington, D.C. Things are looking great for summer recruitment as we begin planning under the leadership of our new rush chairman, Austin Holmes. Our numbers are high, grades good, and involvement strong as we welcome a new year. AKA TAKES A SEMESTER “ON” A new year, a new mission…the ladies of the Iota Kappa Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha have a enhanced outlook and are taking their purpose (service to all mankind) a little bit further. On January 20, 2003, IK sponsored its inaugural Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. IK, along with other campus organizations and volunteers, spent the day sharing the spirit of Dr. King’s legacy by volunteering at ConvaRest Nursing Home and the Salvation Army’s Boys and Girls Club. In an attempt to recognize a campus-based organization for its efforts to reach out and educate USM’s students on pertinent issues, IK presented the NAACP with a monetary contribution of $800. This semester will be filled with surprises as the ladies of IK continue to grant the gift of giving. ATO ACHIEVE TRUE MERIT The Epsilon Upsilon chapter of Alpha Tau Omega has wrapped up yet another successful year. Not only did Alpha Tau Omega achieve Southern Miss’ highest Greek honor, the elite five-star status, Alpha Tau Omega achieved the highest honor available to any ATO chapter nationwide, “True Merit,” for the fourth consecutive year at the 75th annual Congress in Cleveland, Ohio. Along with achieving True Merit status once again, the Epsilon Upsilon chapter brought home yet another national honor, being named the “Good Samaritan Community Awareness Award” national first place winner, which recognizes the most outstanding chapter for community service. During 2001-2002, ATO donated over 6,700 community service hours, and in 2002-2003 donated more than 7,000 hours! Combined, our Annual Haunted House in the fall and Crawfish Boil in the spring helped raise nearly $30,000 for charity. FIVE STAR AWARD AND PI KAPPA PHI The men of Pi Kappa Phi have been the recipients of the school’s most prestigious award, the Five Star Chapter Award, in the only two years of its existence. Along with winning the Five Star Award, we also had the highest GPA of any fraternity on campus. We have members in nearly every organization on campus, so no matter what you are interested in, one of our members undoubtedly can help you get your foot in the door. We are not all work and no play. We enjoy swaps every year with the sororities on campus. Last year’s fall semester we had swaps with the ladies of Kappa Delta and Chi Omega, along with many other date parties such as Valentine’s Day After, Hook-a-Brother-Up, and Rose Ball. PI PHI GOES FULL FORCE Look at those Pi Phi’s go! Whether being involved with several campus organizations or leading various community service projects, the Mississippi Alpha chapter of Pi Beta Phi has established itself on The University of Southern Mississippi’s campus. Pi Beta Phi was founded April 28, 1867, at Monmouth College in Monmouth, IL. Ever since Pi Beta Phi was chartered April 21, 1961, here at Southern Miss, these ladies have been going full force. With planned events such as ice skating and a scavenger hunt in New Orleans, Pi Phi’s really know what sisterhood means. The bonds these ladies share are so strong helps continue to make this chapter of Pi Beta Phi grow even more. Friends are like angels who lift you to your feet when your wings forget how to fly. If you are looking to find an angel, just ask a Pi Phi, because she knows plenty.   GREEK LIFE Director Wynde Fitts, wynde.fitts@usm.edu IFC Vice President for Public Relations Mick Bullock, mick.bullock@usm.edu CPC Vice President for Public Relations Shelley Chappuis Contact (601) 266-4823 or info@southernmissgreek.org Web www.southernmissgreek.org *Each article in the Greek Column is submitted by the individual chapter.