National Convention 2011 Recap

PHILADELPHIA, PA. - Over 150 brothers gathered in the City of Brotherly Love for Delta Epsilon Psi's 8th annual National Convention. The convention was hosted by DEPsi's Xi Chapter, located at Drexel University in the heart of Philadelphia. The National Convention is an opportunity for the brothers of DEPsi across the nation to enjoy a weekend together and to create memories that will last a lifetime. The convention is a forum wherein numerous workshops and break-up sessions are organized by National Council and DEPsi Alumni to help educate and mentor newer brothers about maximizing the college experience and preparing for the professional world. The overall purpose of the National Convention is for the brothers of DEPsi to gain an all-encompassing idea of what the fraternity really stands for.

National Convention was kicked off on Friday July 22th., 2011 with the 3rd annual national basketball tournament. Twelve chapters and colonies organized teams to compete throughout the afternoon. The day also featured the opening ceremonies for the convention hosted by National Council and followed by the opportunity for brothers across the nation to enjoy the city.

Saturday, July 23rd featured breakout sessions led by various alumni and the officers of DEPsi's very own National Council. Breakout sessions are designed for younger brothers to gain insight about college life and learn how to maximize their experience as brothers of the fraternity.

Along with break out sessions, workshops were hosted. These workshops stressed the importance of getting involved and giving back to the community through the many channels the fraternity offers. The workshops also feature notable alumni, who share their college experience and shed insight on techniques to help find jobs and career opportunities after graduating college. This year's notable keynote speaker was a DEPsi founding father, and current executive at Proctor and Gamble Kash Shaikh.

Shaikh is one of the most respected leaders within Proctor and Gamble's public relations and marketing teams. Shaikh has received many honors, which include mentions in PR Week's articles “Ten Rising Stars in PR” and “20 Emerging Leaders in PR.” Most recently Shaikh has started his own private endeavor with the help of his brother Rick, called #besomebody. #besomebody embodies the lifestyle that Shaikh has strived to uphold throughout his life. Through #besomebody's motivational blog and speeches, Shaikh hopes to ignite a “spark” within his audience to push them to strive for their goals and focus on the brighter side of the picture. Shaikh took the opportunity to speak at the National Convention to enstil his message into his fellow DEPsi brothers' minds by motivating them to aspire to reach their dreams while maintaining a humble and serving attitude.

Saturday evening featured a banquet dinner in which the brothers celebrated their achievements from the past year. Some of the notable achievements for this year included over 150 new brothers across the nation and over 17,000 documented service hours. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation presented the brothers of Delta Epsilon Psi with a plaque, which recognized the partnership between the foundation and the fraternity. Delta Epsilon Psi has donated over $30,000 in the past seven months and looks to continue their work through the end of the year and the year to come.

The banquet also served as a time for DEPsi to recognize outstanding brothers and chapters/colonies that have excelled beyond the expectations set forth before them. These honorees truly demonstrate and uphold our pillars of brotherhood, discipline, and commitment.

The 2010-2011 awards presented were as follows:

  • 3rd annual National Basketball winners:  Sigma Colony
  • Chapter of the Year: Xi Chapter - Drexel University - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Colony of the Year: Nu Colony - University of Miami - Coral Gables, Florida
  • Brother of the Year - Robin Sunny - Mu Colony - Texas Tech University
  • Rookie of the Year - Dipesh Patel - Alpha Beta Colony - Wayne State University, Michigan
  • Blue Chip Scholarship ($1,000) - Pavan Dave - Beta Chapter - University of Texas Dallas, Texas
  • The banquet also granted official chapter statuses to:
    • Kappa Chapter (Rutgers University - New Brunswick)
    • Lambda Chapter (University of Central Florida)
    • Xi Chapter (Drexel University)

The brothers of DEPsi concluded the ceremony by honoring a few of their notable and outgoing National Council members, who will be set to retire at the end of their term in August. Jibin Luke, National President from 2006 to 2011 and previously National V.P. of Internal Affairs in 2005, was presented with the “Outstanding Leadership Award” and “Lifetime Achievement Award” in honor of his sincere dedication and commitment to the organization. Luke is considered the most influential leader in the history of the organization. He has played a huge part in the fraternity's success.

Viraj Patel, National Vice President of Finance; Rajiv Gandhi, National Vice President of Expansion; and Siddharth Mody, National Vice President of Membership were also recognized for their services to DEPsi for their tenure as national members.  The brothers of DEPsi truly value brothers who have committed and sacrificed their time to the organization. It is through their pursuit of success that DEPsi can leave behind strong lessons of innovation and leadership as the cornerstones of success. These gentlemen are truly leaders of tomorrow and the brothers of DEPsi wish them success in their future endeavors.

The convention ended Sunday July 24th with the closing ceremonies. As the brothers started to pack their bags and bid their farewells, they reminisced over the weekend's festivities. In just two days the brothers gained invaluable skills and information pertinent to their personal and career endeavors. They also met the national leaders and a founding father of the fraternity. They celebrated  the fraternity's milestones and most importantly bonded with their brothers in the City of Brotherly Love. The brothers walked away with a sense of fulfillment knowing that the fraternity they represented meant more than wearing the letters with pride. It was about the people with whom they work to uphold the selfless nature to assist the community while maintaining a strong unity and bond of brotherhood.

External Links