A news headline in 2003 was all about our Sigma Pi Chapter, and that headline appeared in large print in an 8-page newspaper created by a Brother who proposed to his girlfriend at Orchid Ball.

Proposal

The date was March 15, 2003, and Brother Michael Hoskins popped the big question that evening in front of 200+ fraternity brothers and their dates at the Troy Marriott.

When Brother Hoskins made his way to the podium, it seemed as though he was planning an alumni speech that involved donating to the Sigma Pi Chapter that he’d been a part of as an undergraduate from 1997-2001 and had been pivotal in his meeting and falling in love with Ms. Suzanne Hitchens.

Now, as an alumni, it was only fitting that he share this day with the Sigma Pi Chapter.

The fake: That Mike would be making an alumni donation to Sigma Pi and he’d present that to the chapter during an Orchid Ball speech. Of course, as soon as he went up there to the podium, everything changed — and Mike tore up the “fake” check and instead asked Suzi to bring up something he’d forgotten at the dinner table.

That item: a special 8-page newspaper with a headline posing the big question “Will You Marry Me?

EngagementNewspaperOrchidBall2003

As she brought the newspaper up to the front of the room, Mike bent down to one knee and held out the engagement ring.

Along with a full newspaper where he covered the event, shared why he choose Orchid Ball, and wanted Sigma Pi to share in the moment wrote about the engagement decision-making and ring-buying experience, and recruited family and close friends — including Brothers Scott Andrews, Cory Heck and Bob VanAcker — to write brief stories about Mike and Suzi.

Those guys were in on the secret and stood up there with Mike at the podium as he started the speech.

As the secret was unveiled, Suzi and the captivated crowd learned Mike had spent the past few months making this newspaper at his old college newspaper office. He’d go there after work hours and get to creating this paper. He also had 1,000 copies printed up and delivered to Orchid Ball, for the entire room to have a free copy.

OrchidBallProposalNewspaper2003

A link to the full newspaper can be found on Mike’s personal blog.

Suzi said Yes, and they were married in September 2005.

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