The grades are in and Lambda Chi Alpha received the highest GPA in the Interfraternity Council (IFC). This could not have come at a better time for the organization, as they will celebrate their centennial on Nov. 2, 2009.
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After ranking number 20 among all Greek organizations in the Spring of 2008 with a cumulative GPA of 2.47 the fraternity has come full circle by ranking number eight in the Fall of 2008, earning the highest grades in the IFC with a 2.63.

The members of the fraternity cultivate growth both academically and personally, said Neil Sanchez, president of Lambda Chi Alpha.

‘We joined for the brotherhood and for the love of the things we do with each other, in our community, in our academics, and with our families. We strive to be the most excellent people that we can be,’ said Sanchez.
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Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity was founded on Nov. 2, 1909 at Boston University. The organization has more than 200 chapters and has initiated more than 258,000 men, according to their official website lambdachi.org.

Lambda Chi Alpha describes their values as brotherhood, education, and service. The fraternity also lists its values as loyalty, duty, respect, honor, integrity stewardship and personal courage.
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Lambda Chi Alpha established their CSUN chapter, Beta Rho, in 1969. Since then the fraternity has grown to have 42 active members.
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‘We want to grow at a rate in which we can maintain our identity,’ said Sanchez.
They want members that are going to uphold the values of Lambda Chi Alpha, he added.
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Although it is one of the mid-sized fraternities here at CSUN, Lambda Chi Alpha has shown its presence on our campus. In addition to having earned the top grades in the IFC, the fraternity has also participated in philanthropic activities such as the Los Angeles Aids Walk, Dodge ball for Diabetes, and Relay for Life.
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‘ One of the highest honors you can get on campus or in life is to give back,’ said Sanchez.
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One of the ways that Lambda Chi Alpha’s Beta Rho chapter gives back to the community is with the help and support of their alumni.
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‘Our alumni are a resource that form a network that provide support and experience’, said Sanchez.
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The fraternity advisor for their chapter, Christopher Aston, is an alumnus of the Beta Rho chapter, said Sanchez.

‘My job is to help build a liaison between the university and the students,’ said Aston. Part of the job is to give access and to help as best as you can but to also provide windows of opportunity for them, he said.
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‘I can only open the door. It is up to the diligence of the men in the program to walk through the door,’ said Aston.
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Aston held individual meetings with all of the new members and members of the fraternity that were facing challenges.
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‘In these meetings we would discuss personal choices and I would offer referrals if I could not help them. I want to see them succeed. I want us to not celebrate mediocrity,’ said Aston.

He is proud that they are top ranked in terms of grades but wants them to keep going and continue to improve, Aston said.
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In addition to overseeing the fraternity Aston also serves as a mentor to the chapter’s academic chair, known to the members of the fraternity as their High Sigma.
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‘As the academic chair I collaborate with the academic advisor Christopher Aston, to invent and implement possible academic programs that will serve as educational resources for the chapter. Our goal is to have each brother improve academically from the previous semester. Whether or not we are top in grades is not our primary concern. Our main goal is to maintain or acquire each individual brother’s academic standing,’ said Marcus Murrietta, academic chair and High Sigma.
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They have study hours twice a week and he is currently working on a mentor program for fall 2009. There is no reason for them to not do well if they are provided the tools to help them succeed, said Murrietta.
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Lambda has changed whom they were recruiting and from that they are going to be more successful, said Jamison Keller, Activities Coordinator and Greek Advisor.
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‘Organizations need to tap into their potential of recruiting informed and balanced students,’ said Keller. The lambdas have figured out how to do that and it has helped them, he added.
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In spring of 2008 the new members GPA was a 2.65 whereas now the new member GPA for the fall of 2008 is a 2.85. An award ceremony took place on March 30th. The ceremony was to acknowledge the Greek organizations that made the top grades for both sororities and fraternities, and the top grades for their councils. The ceremony also acknowledged the juniors and seniors in the organizations that have a 3.5 or higher.

‘ The students will be inducted into the National Greek Academic Honor Society Gamma Sigma Alpha. Other Greek organizations that ranked high with their GPAs included Gamma Alpha Theta which has the highest GPA out of all of the Greek organizations with a 3.19 and Alpha Xi Delta which has the highest Pan-Hellenic council GPA with a 2.75.
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He is proud of the advancement of all of the Greek organizations, said Keller.
‘They have a lot more work to do but they are definitely on their way,’ said Keller.
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