By Kaitlin Keane

A week-long celebration of Northeastern’s Greek life culminated Thursday night with the Greek Awards, where Delta Phi Epsilon and Kappa Sigma were named sorority and fraternity chapters of the year, respectively.

The awards, held on in the Curry Student Center, topped off Greek Week 2004, seven days of festivities and competitions including the Greek Olympics, the Promise Auction and the Greek God and Goddess contest. The games yield the overall Greek Week winners — a title awarded this year to Sigma Sigma Sigma and Kappa Sigma.

“Greek Week is a time that Greeks can celebrate what they’ve achieved this year in a social setting,” said Laura Ramsdell, Assistant Director of Student Activities and Greek advisor. “They can all just kick back, relax and enjoy what they’ve done.”

For some, the week also served as the culmination to their first experience with a fraternity or sorority.

“Being a new member, Greek Week really gave me the chance to get closer to all the girls,” said Caitlin Rook, a freshman communications major and member of Sigma Sigma Sigma.

Awards are given for various achievements and are chosen by the Greek Council — a group made up of both students and staff.

Eligible chapters submit a packet to the council up to two months prior to the ceremony, proposing both individual and chapter nominations.

Individuals wishing to be considered must submit an account of reasons they deserve to be nominated as well as two recommendations, all of which are considered by the council.

“Individual awards are based on involvement in both one’s chapter and overall Greek life, things done outside of school to help the community, academic achievement — basically, the things that made an individual stand out,” said Kerri Murphy, chair of the Greek Council and a member of Delta Phi Epsilon.

Murphy, a junior civil engineering major, was awarded one of the night’s biggest awards — Sorority Woman of the Year.

Fraternity Man of the Year was awarded to Peter Antonellis of Kappa Sigma.

Associate Director of Student Activities Brooke Tempesta and Daryn DeCesare, who presented the man and woman of the year awards, described the two recipients as devoted individuals that “love Greek life and have dedicated themselves wholeheartedly” to their chapters.

Other esteemed awards were Outstanding Fraternity and Sorority Presidents, which were given to Justin Hansen of Kappa Sigma and Lauren Sanderson of Sigma Delta Tau. Presenters Leigh Mondello and Jim Turner credited Hansen as being “someone who brought the chapter to new levels” and praised Sanderson’s “wisdom, intelligence and grace that made everything she did look effortless.”

For members that have pledged since spring 2003, awards were given to Outstanding New Member of the Year in a sorority and fraternity. Brooke Breene of Sigma Delta Tau was chosen based on her work in organizing the chapter’s biggest event of the year. Shawn Wolfgang of Kappa Sigma was honored for promoting the positive aspects of Greek life and portraying the ideal Northeast-ern student.

After a slide show of pictures and memories from this year’s Greek festivities, departing senior members were recognized and honored with applause. The awards going to Chapters of the Year were welcomed with an uproar of proud cheers and congratulations from all chapters.