looking to make the shot, junior Tony Haas, member of Gamma Sigma Phi, gets ready to make a free throw Jan. 23 in the Ganus Athletic Center during the Titans versus Gamma Sigma Phi C-team game. The men of Gamma Sigma Phi com– peted against other large clubs while still being a small club. ·BrockWilliams compE~~~~~~~ Small club plays at large club athletic level Athletics was an impoftall[ aspecr ofthe social club experience. Not only did it provide an opportunity for club members to engage in friendly competition, but it also was an outlet for C hristian fellowship among the clubs. The men ofGamma Sigma Phi, a small club, had the chance at the end ofthe spring 2006 semester to move up in club athletics to the large club division. Jim Gowen, director ofmen's intramural sports, decided to make the change and said they had moved clubs up or down in divisions before. "Ie takes usually a year to derermine," Gowen said. "We observe the dub and then move rhem up or down depending on how they compere." Gowen said one of the main facrors in moving GSP up ro the large club division was they had done so well in small dubs division it was unfair for the other reams who were smaller in numbers. "[GSPJ was on the edge in member numbers ofbeing a large club," Gowen said. "In order to balance, they needed ro become a large dub." Freshman Carson Copeland, GSP athletics director for the spring semester, said the club, although wanting ro remain a small club in numbers, was excited for the new comperition. , ......-- "The level ofcompetition has risen," CopeJand said. "In small dub, there were ~LAmBDA CHI Row I: O. Adkisson, R. Shoenhard, K. Palmer, E. Adams. Row 2: l.Woods, M. Lydon. M. Stanley, K. Klemm, M. Horton. Row 3: O. Bewley, K.Waite, B. Leet,J. Reihmann, B. Khanna. ,.,....52 social clubs ROWS a few good games, but in large club, every game is good and competitive." Many members were eager to play in rhe new division and felt, with just one semester as a large club under their belt, they were in the right place. "It's been a big difference," sophomore Chase Akins said. ''I'm glad we moved ro large dub, because just from ralking to other small clubs, they said we have set che tone for chern, especially since we are doing so welL" Overall, the men ofGSP were ranked third in the men's large dub division at the beginning ofthe spring semesrer behind No. 1 Knights and No. 2 TNT and were eager to see how the rest of the year panned out. Copeland said the club as a whole had benefited from the status change. "Besides the fact thac we made it to the softball championships in the fall and placed second, we, as a group, have gonen better in athletics and have had to compete more so." Copeland said. Gowen also said he believed GS P was a good match for large club athletics. "With Gamma Sigma Phi competing in small dubs and there only being 10 small clubs in the division, theywere destroying," Gowen said. "The competition is more equal to them in large club." -Katie Ulliman PI HAPPA~ EPSILOn Row I: S. Riley. Row 2: C. Cochran, l. Reese, B. Chapman, M. Ponder. Row 3: K. Foster,j.WiI. Iiams, R. Groves. Row 4: C. Evans,j. Gates. Row 5: J. Black, C. Smith. Row 6: O. Hill, l. Stuart, E. Copeland,J.Ward. Row 7: B. Richardson, A. Bingman. Row 8: J. Fox.
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