Delta Sigma Pi fraternity remembers lost brother with MMB scholarship

Brothers of Delta Sigma Pi, a co-ed business fraternity, will man a seesaw to raise money for the American Cancer Society and a scholarship fund.

The Michael Matthew Brown See-Saw-A-Thon is taking place on the Chandler Hall courtyard behind Zane Showker Hall. For 168 consecutive hours, brothers will take one-hour shifts on the seesaw, rain or shine, said junior Lindsey Schmidt, vice president of scholarships.

Junior Chris Hall, a Delta Sigma Pi pledge, said, "I’m ready and willing to put in as many hours as it takes to get the job done." One dedicated brother has volunteered to work the 1 a.m. to 6 a.m. shift Sunday.

The scholarship benefiting from the event was endowed in 1992 in remembrance of Michael Matthew Brown, who first attended JMU in 1987.

Brown passed away on January 3, 1992, according to Delta Sigma Pi.

"The idea of having a seesaw involved is to represent the way Brown lived his life," senior Andrew Goodman said. "[Brown] was able to balance out school life, social life, fraternity life and gave back to the community — all while battling his illness."

The See-Saw-A-Thon was a solemn event met with reverence. "It’s a way to put things into perspective," said senior Ben Slitor. "Things that we think are important pales in comparison to what Mike had to go through."

Delta Sigma Pi plans to raise more than $2,000 to put toward the MMB scholarship and $1,000 for the American Cancer Society, according to the fraternity.

The scholarship will be awarded on an academic- and financial-need basis to a student in the college of business. The brothers of Delta Sigma Pi encourage students and faculty to stop by Chandler Hall courtyard to show support or ask questions.