Released September 27, 2005

HATTIESBURG – Eric Arrant from Amory, Miss., a senior business management major at Southern Miss, is the national runner-up of The Thomas Arkle Clark Award, the top award given to a member of Alpha Tau Omega fraternity.

The award is named after Thomas Arkle Clark, twice Worthy Grand Chief of ATO and the dean of men at the University of Illinois for 31 years. Candidates for the award must be a graduating senior member of ATO and demonstrate high standards set by the fraternity and demonstrate high standards of campus and community leadership and service, scholastic excellence and personal character.

The ATO national fraternity selects only one national winner and three runners-up.

“It is such an honor to have been recognized for this award,” Arrant said. “ATO has given me the opportunity to do so many great things. Being rewarded was never a part of it, but it's nice to know that all of the hard work and sleepless nights were worth it. I cannot give enough credit to my chapter; this award or any other would not be possible without them.”

Arrant has proven his leadership skills through ATO and on the Southern Miss campus. He was initiated in the Epsilon Upsilon chapter of Alpha Tau Omega at Southern Miss in 2001. Since his initiation, Arrant has served as an executive officer for three consecutive terms and has also served as the chair of ATO’s popular annual crawfish boil, which is a fund-raiser for Habitat for Humanity.

Serving as public relations chair for ATO, Arrant has assisted the Epsilon Upsilon chapter of ATO in earning the Anderson Gold Communications Award. This award is given to the top ATO chapters in the nation for their efforts in public relations and communications programming.

“Having fraternities and their members recognized for national awards also says a lot about the Greek community at Southern Miss,” Arrant said. “The Greek system here is amazing, and I'm proud to associate myself as a Southern Miss ATO, but also as a Southern Miss Greek.”

Not only is Arrant active in ATO, but also with other organizations on campus. He served as president of Order of Omega in 2003, Interfraternity Council vice president of public relations in 2004, and is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma and Omicron Delta Kappa. He also active in the Hattiesburg community, volunteering with Habitat for Humanity.

Arrant is a graduate of the LeaderShape institute and is graduating from Southern Miss in December with a degree in business management and advertising with a 3.7 GPA. Following graduation, he plans to pursue a master’s degree in business administration.

On Aug. 26, Arrant was awarded the Tomas Arkle Clark Award at the National ATO awards banquet in Indianapolis, Ind.

“I've lived by the tenant that ‘what you put into something, you get back tenfold,’” Arrant said. “For me, with ATO, that has been exactly the case, and I am so happy to have been able to share my experience with such a wonderful group of guys.” says Arrant.

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