George Washington Chapter Snags Top Honors for Service, Scholarship, Accountability
Brothers of the George Washington chapter pose with the Lambda Chi flag outside their Washington D.C. townhouse as they welcome new associate members.
Delta-Xi Zeta at George Washington University recently won several first place Greek Standards of Excellence awards from the university. Competing against 14 other fraternities and at least 10 sororities, the Lambda Chi Alpha chapter snagged first place for accountability, scholarship and service, and second place for active leadership and community.
We asked this year’s High Alpha, Sam Mendelson, to fill us in about what exactly this means on their Washington D.C. campus, what it means to him personally, and how his chapter pulled it off.
IHQ: Tell us a little bit about yourself!
SM: I’m a rising senior studying mechanical and aerospace engineering with a concentration in aerospace. I’m currently the High Alpha of Delta-Xi Zeta at the George Washington University. I’m also involved in the GW Rocket Team.
IHQ: Is this the first time your chapter has won these awards, or does your chapter have a history of winning?
SM: This is the first time I believe we’ve won these awards in recent memory. We have won similar awards in the past, as we still have some of those plaques. This is definitely the first time though that we’ve accomplished this much in one go.
IHQ: What does it mean to win these awards on your campus? How big a deal is it?
SM: It’s certainly not insignificant. We’re kind of known to be a passive chapter; in essence, we participate, but sit in the stands as spectators. Winning these awards shows everyone that we’re looking for more — that we’re out here to prove how our ideals push us to do better in these aspects of Greek life.
IHQ: What does it mean to you and your brothers to have won these awards?
SM: We’re all proud and happy to have won these awards. To some, it certainly came as a surprise. One view that our brothers tend to share is low confidence. That, however, comes from having high standards. It’s great that we’re finally showing our achievements in reaching those high standards.
IHQ: Tell us about your chapter’s involvement on and off campus!
SM: As a chapter, we actively participate in IFC and GW hosted events and philanthropies. We try to hold at least two alumni events per semester to reach out to the network and keep them involved. A big part of our time is dedicated to the philanthropies of the sororities on campus as well as our own Watermelon Bust (Bash in our case). Brothers participate in the events organized by the sororities and compete with other fraternities to raise money for a range of causes from illiteracy in children to heart disease.
IHQ: What advice would you give to other chapters around the nation?
SM: One piece of advice that I’d give to other chapters around the nation is to, at least once in a while, stop and take a moment to appreciate what you have and what you can do make it even better. Too often do people get their heads stuck grinding into their work that they sometimes miss out on enjoying the brotherhood and journey.
IHQ: What does it mean to you to be a Lambda Chi?
SM: For me, being a Lambda Chi means to uphold myself to high standards — that of a gentleman and scholar. I might not meet those all the time, but the fact stands that I have a pillar to stand on in times of struggle. I’m also happy to a part of a large network of brothers that share a common experience, but still hold a diverse background. There will always be something to share and learn from brothers across the nation and around the world.
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