Once again, Gators are gaining international recognition, but this time it's not for sports or partying - it's for brotherhood.
The UF chapter of Delta Upsilon fraternity was awarded the Most Improved Chapter Award at the yearly DU Leadership Institute. The chapter's hard work and dedication set it apart from the 75 other chapters throughout North America, said Eric Weber, who serves as the chapter's vice president of public relations.
"It had a lot to do with recruitment," Weber said.
In the past year and a half, the chapter has grown from 12 brothers to 56.
"[Getting the award] also had to do with all the service events that our frats participated in [and] how we embodied the four founding principles, which are promotion of friendship, diffusion of liberal culture, development of character and the advancement of justice," he said.
The chapter also won third place in Best Overall Chapter.
Josh Fletcher, a sociology senior and vice president of membership education for the chapter, said it is a great honor to be recognized by their fellow brothers.
"I thought we were going to get runner-up, actually," he said. "It's an amazing feeling after our hard work."
Fletcher said he and his brothers will continue to work hard to recruit members, become more involved on campus and apply for more awards.
"We're just trying to go all out as much as we can," he said. "Next year, we're going to try to get the Chapter of the Year."
