A Tradition of Excellence: Phi Mu Delta Secures Top Honors at Robert Morris University

The Mu Upsilon Chapter of Phi Mu Delta at Robert Morris University continued its impressive legacy of achievement by securing seven awards at this year's Greek Excellence Awards ceremony. The chapter maintained its position at the pinnacle of RMU's Greek life by earning the prestigious President's Cup for the fourth consecutive year.

Sweeping Success Across Multiple Categories
In addition to the President's Cup, the fraternity received recognition in diverse areas of Greek life excellence:

• Outstanding Chapter Programming for their Winter Beach Party
• Academic Excellence Award for highest fraternity GPA
• Excellence in Service to Others
• Spirit of Greek Life Award

The chapter's individual members also received distinguished honors, with Aaron Frier being named Fraternity Man of the Year—remarkably the seventh consecutive year a Phi Mu Delta brother has received this accolade—and Caden Hyde earning the New Member of the Year award.

A Culture of Excellence and Accountability
When asked about the chapter's continued success in winning the President's Cup for the fourth consecutive year, Chapter President Cooper Young emphasized the fraternity's commitment to its founding principles.

"I would attribute our success to our unwavering commitment to our three pillars of brotherhood, service, and democracy and having a standard of excellence," Young explained. "To be a member of our organization, you must embody our values, and we take those values seriously once you get in. We hold each other accountable for the standards we are expected to uphold and take the Phi Mu Delta motto of 'Redefining Fraternity' very seriously, as we expect our members to be leaders on campus and set an example for other students, which goes against the stigma that fraternities often have across the country."
Young also highlighted how experienced members create a cycle of sustained success: "We have a lot of experienced members who are very involved on campus, and they set a good example for younger members, which creates a cycle of sustained success."

Excellence Across Multiple Domains
The chapter's ability to excel in academics, service, programming, and spirit reflects their holistic approach to fraternity life. According to Young, this broad-ranging excellence stems from their recruitment philosophy and organizational culture.

"It all comes back to accountability and helping each other out. We expect our brothers to do their best in everything they do and conduct themselves with honesty and integrity," Young stated. "I think it starts with our recruitment process and making sure that the people we are letting into our organization hold up to the values and pillars that we hold so dear. When you get guys like that, success often comes naturally because they have strong intrinsic motivation to succeed."

The diversity within the chapter also contributes to their multi-faceted achievements. "We have a very diverse chapter in many different aspects. With the size of our chapter, we have a lot of people that are very good at a lot of different things, and those brothers can lead others to also become good at those things in all aspects of university life. Our members always want to lend a helping hand to others, which plays a big role in our success as well."

Individual Excellence Inspiring Collective Achievement
The recognition of individual members Aaron Frier and Caden Hyde has further elevated chapter morale and motivation. Young noted the impact of these individual awards on the fraternity as a whole.
"Aaron and Caden's recognition as outstanding members of RMU Greek Life has increased chapter morale and further motivated chapter members to maintain a commitment to bettering themselves and becoming student leaders," Young said. "It's always good to see someone get recognized for the hard work that they put in when they don't have to."

Young expressed particular admiration for Frier's contributions: "Aaron has done a lot for this campus and the organization without necessarily seeing a ton of recognition for it, and I personally know how much time and energy he devotes to everything that he does, so it was cool to see him finally get some acknowledgement for his efforts."

Regarding Hyde, Young commented, "Caden has done a lot in a short period of time, and the chapter eagerly waits to see what new heights he can climb to in the future."

Living the Founders' Creed
The continued success of Phi Mu Delta's Mu Upsilon Chapter exemplifies the ideals established by the fraternity's founders in 1918. Their commitment to democracy, service, and brotherhood—principles outlined in the Founders' Creed—has manifested in tangible achievements and recognition from the broader university community.