"8:30 -- SigEp's feng shui
-Daphne Miller and Katie Rockman
It's T-minus 35 minutes until go-time, and the men of Sigma Phi Epsilon have just made an intense game time decision: due to the night's inclement weather, the second floor of the fraternity house will be open to guests.
Spontaneous? Yes. But that's just how these men roll.
Rain or shine, the Sig Ep brothers are determined to throw a damn good party. And with the backyard out of commission -- let's be honest, mud and khakis don't mix -- the brothers are making a few last minute adjustments.
The beverages, of course, are present and accounted for: champagne chilling on ice, Kamikaze shots a-plenty, and case upon case of cold PBR (cans, mind you, not kegs) -- a promising start to the fun-filled evening ahead.
Still, though the essentials are on hand, the set up is far from complete.
Ned Mitchell '07 takes a break from moving an armchair near the fireplace. Wearing a red silk kimono, he gestures majestically from the door through the house with both arms and explains the frat's take on feng shui: 'You've got to think about the flows.' In anticipation of the rush of Yalies expected to fill the two rooms of the house's main floor, all furniture has either been pushed aside or moved upstairs, leaving only a white foldout table topped with the aforementioned adult beverages. And with music already playing in the background -- think 'Murder on the Dance Floor' and 'Hypnotize' -- it is easy to imagine the fiesta in full swing.
But who gets to come to this fabulous soiree? Who, if you will, makes the cut?
Joe Handel '07 says he put 'cool' freshmen on the list, people who he wants 'to share in the Sig Ep experience.'
'Some would say that's elitist, but it makes a better experience for those involved,' Handel says. But he adds hastily, 'It's not like we're going to turn people away at the door.'
So, though the e-mail may say 'by invitation only,' the Sig Ep vibe is far from exclusive. In fact, we got the invite on the spot -- and a pair of complimentary shots for the walk home.
Cheers!"
Hmm. And I thought "feng shui" was a disco dance from the 80s.
