Eastern’s Interfraternity Council won the Jellison award for overall excellence this weekend during the annual Mid-American Greek Council Association conference in Chicago.

An awards ceremony was held Saturday evening to recognize organizations from approximately 200 schools for excellence in categories including academic achievement, council management, community service and philanthropy, leadership and educational development, membership recruitment, public relations, risk reduction and management and self government and judicial affairs.

The conference was very beneficial to the council, said IFC President Nick Pinaire.

“Out of all the conferences I’ve been to, this one is put on the best,” Pinaire said.

IFC was awarded the Division II Jellison award for the fifth year in a row, which is the men’s award for overall excellence out of colleges with seven to nine fraternities.

“That’s the main reason we were there, for that award,” Pinaire said.

PHC did not win the Sutherland award, the women’s equivalent to the Jellison, after having won the past four years. The bar has been raised for the award, Pinaire said.

“We know that (Panhellenic) is a great organization,” he said.

PHC was a little disappointed, but is looking on the bright side of things.

“It was nice to see somebody else recognized,” said Brooke Camfield, vice president internal for Panhellenic Council. “It gave us something to work hard for next year.”

PHC won individual awards in eight categories, some of which include academic achievement, membership recruitment and community service and philanthropy.

The MGCA conference included various speakers and workshops called pathways, which members of various greek councils attend to gain skills varying from leadership skills to relationship skills to interviewing skills.

“It was a great weekend,” Camfield said. “You learned a lot about sororities and fraternities and a lot about yourself and relationships.”