Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity wins national honor
December 14, 2015
Alpha Sigma Phi member David Kroeze waits with his team to start another round of dodgeball, one of the fraternity's brotherhood events, in the Kris Russell Arena on Friday, November 6, 2015.
Photo by Kimberly Wethal.
David Kroeze can't help but smile as he talks about the moment when he and his fraternity brothers won it all.
"It was the closest I've ever felt to being a rock star," he said.
It happened on July 30, in a Columbus, Ohio, hotel ballroom packed with hundreds of college students from all over the country who were attending Alpha Sigma Phi's national conference. The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater chapter, barely two years old, was just announced as the winner of the Grand Senior President's Cup — the fraternity's highest chapter honor.
"We looked at one another in stunned disbelief as everyone else cheered," Kroeze said. "As we walked to the stage, people were greeting us, asking how we were able to accomplish so much because we are such a young chapter. It was the coolest experience."
UW-Whitewater beat out 130 other chapters for the award, which honors excellence in community service, philanthropy, recruitment and professional development.
Since their charter in 2013, the men of Alpha Sigma Phi have strived to "better the man."
Kroeze, a mathematics education major from Milton, Wisconsin — who served as chapter president last year — says the fraternity is also focused on helping people and having a positive impact. Philanthropically, their partners include RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network), Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Homes for Our Troops, Aware Awake Alive (alcohol poisoning awareness) and the Humane Society. In a visible and popular annual tradition, members grow facial hair each autumn for the "Movember" fundraiser to create awareness for men's health issues.
From left, UW-Whitewater students Nick Farley, Erin Edmunds, Brandon Hinneberg and Kyle Morris pose for a picture in November 2013 near the end of "Movember." The three men, Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity members, grew mustaches through the month of November. Edmunds was president of the UW-Whitewater TOMS Campus Club and Alpha Sigma Phi Sweetheart. The groups held activities to raise awareness and more than $1,200 for men's health initiatives such as prostate and testicular cancer. Photo by Craig Schreiner.
Academically, they've achieved huge gains. In just one semester, Alpha Sigma Phi raised its cumulative GPA from 2.79 to 3.14.
"With 50-plus guys in the fraternity, we figured 'why weren't we using each other's expertise?' So, we developed a system to pair guys to study together, and hold each other accountable," said Kroeze. "Our guys understand that we're never done growing. It's your job to develop yourself intellectually, socially and morally."
Alpha Sigma Phi is also an eclectic group of men.
"We have so many diverse interests," Kroeze said. "One week, we're coordinating days to work out and play dodgeball, the next week, we're playing Dungeons & Dragons and getting tickets for the new Avengers movie or heading to Madison to see a comedy show."
Kroeze says they're determined to face and strike down fraternity stereotypes, and welcome everyone, no matter their race, religion, socio-economic background or sexual orientation.
As evidence, he cites the moment when four of the brothers came out as gay to the group at same time.
"We created an environment where the guys felt comfortable telling us," Kroeze said. "That's when we knew we were doing something right."