Sig Ep at Ohio State Ranks Among Top 22 Academic Fraternities In The Nation

Note the buried takeaway item: "about half of the chapters seen in these rankings were SigEp chapters."

Sig Ep Ranks Among Top 22 Academic Fraternities In The Nation | The Odyssey Online:

 In today’s world, Greek men and women often fight against the stereotype of being seen as “unintelligent” among the general college population. While academics are a pillar of sorority and fraternity involvement, television shows such as ABC Family’s  “Greek” perpetuate the idea that Greek life is not for those focused on academics. However, one of Ohio State’s largest fraternities is proving that stereotype wrong. According to the North American Interfraternity Council, the academic success of the Gamma chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon at Ohio State has ranked them among the top 22 academic fraternities in the nation. The criteria for this ranking included chapters who were ranked first on their campuses academically, and whose un-weighted annual GPA was at least .5 points above their campus’s all male GPA for the 2012-2013 school year. Ohio State’s Sig Ep chapter joined chapters such as Delta Chi, Chi Phi, and Alpha Tau Omega from schools such as Kansas State, Indiana University, and the University of North Carolina in this year’s ranking. While there was a diversity of chapters represented on the list, about half of the chapters seen in these rankings were Sig Ep chapters. NIC President and CEO Pete Smithhisler was quoted as saying “The men in these 22 chapters are holding themselves to a higher standard, which epitomizes the spirit of fraternity done right.”             

SD Alpha - SigEp 30Sec Commercial

Here is another in our series of "Great Recruiting Videos". This one is from SD Alpha -South Dakota State University. In 30 seconds they communicate the message of "Sound Mind", "Sound Body", and "This fraternity will be different."

Good job Guys.

Shouldn't HQ get License Fees for This?

Or, wait...maybe it's the other way around?

History

In 1949, Mr. Kihachiro Onitsuka began his athletic footwear company (Onitsuka Co., Ltd.) by manufacturing basketball shoes out of his living room in Kobe, Japan. He chose the name ASICS for his company in 1977, based on a famous Latin phrase "Anima Sana In Corpore Sano", which when translated expresses the ancient ideal of "A Sound Mind in a Sound Body." Taking the acronym of this phrase, ASICS was founded on the belief that the best way to create a healthy and happy lifestyle is to promote total health and fitness.

ASICS® products were introduced to the United States in 1977 and brought with them an incredible story of athletic performance and technical advancements, a philosophy which still holds true today.

http://www.asicsamerica.com/brandcampaign/

Stevens SigEp is 2009 Valedictorian

Congratulations Michael:

HOBOKEN, N.J. (May 14, 2009) – Senior Michael Bertucci, a Chemical Biology major with a minor in Social Sciences, has been named Valedictorian of the Stevens Institute of Technology Class of 2009. Graduating first in the class, Michael will address his fellow graduates at the 2009 Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony on May 21, 2009. Actively involved in many aspects of life at Stevens, Bertucci has made numerous contributions to the Stevens community. He is a stellar volleyball player and academic standout.

A student coach of the women’s volleyball team for the past three years, Bertucci is also involved in the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, the American Cultural Club, the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, the Student Athletics Advisory Committee (SAAC), and serves as president of Gear and Triangle. Always a champion for getting involved, Michael also served as an Orientation Leader, welcoming new students to Stevens and encouraging them to be active participants in the campus community. As a featured speaker at the Class of 2013 Accepted Students Reception, he was chosen to share his Stevens experiences in an address to prospective students and their families.

The full article is here:
Men's Volleyball Release - Stevens Ducks

Sound Mind, Sound Body, Missing Principles

One of our Regional Directors sent this message to his chapters today. It was the latest of several HQ based communications on the same topic sent out this year.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject:  IM Rankings and Varsity Athletes--Action Required
Date:  Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:40:07 -0500  
 
You may have noticed in the last few issues of the SigEp Journal that we have been 
highlighting our chapters who are leading their campuses on and off the field, 
academically and athletically.

Nothing shows the value of Sound Mind and Sound Body more than a list of 
intramural champions next to a list of our top academic chapters; a list of our 
Residential Learning Community accomplishments next to an expo on a varsity athlete.
[...]
Fraternally,

**************(signed)
*/Sigma Phi Epsilon
/Regional Director
310 South Boulevard
Richmond, VA 23220

/This Fraternity will be different.../

On the surface, there is nothing wrong with touting Athletes and Academics as a reason to join a fraternity. But what about the "This Fraternity will be different" mantra that gets played in counterpoint to every celebration of SigEp being just like the others but better? Have the spiritual dictums of the Ritual been discarded because it is easier to get metrics on manpower, GPA, and intramural trophies?

We have seen several comments on the focus and direction of this email. Mostly they are wondering when we lost our way and forgot our principles. The last time I looked the Cardinal Principles were "Virtue, Diligence, and Brotherly Love" - not varsity athletes and academic overachievers.

One of our alumni put it this way:

When I read this kind of stuff it makes me wonder where this fraternity lost direction. I read the ritual and we talk about Virtue, Diligence and Brotherly Love but that is no longer important.  There are so many dimensions to this fraternity and we care only about two things.  What happened to being men of high character, men who did what is right, men helping others?

There are many outstanding chapters out there who are doing great things on their host campuses and we just ignore those chapters.  Our HQ staff is so focused on a marketing mantra of sound mind and sound body that we have lost focus on the heart and spirit of our fraternity.

Recruit lots of men, get a chapter GPA above 3.0, and win intramurals and you have a great chapter is the message from Richmond.

It just makes me sad.  What would our founders think of what we find important today?

What, indeed? I believe the men in our undergraduate chapters want the best FOR the fraternity and FROM the Fraternity. The chapter alumni and other volunteers work many thankless hours to help them get there. Our leaders and staff seem to be more concerned with hitting metrics than with developing character.

'Last Lecture' professor dies at 47

Randy Pausch was not a SigEp, and we missed a good guy there. A professor of Computer Science at Carnegie-Mellon, his "Last Lecture" video and book (the book is listed in the "S&P Recommends" section) were a source of inspiration for many students and teachers - and even those in the 'real world.' Professor Pausch died early Friday at his home in Virginia.

Pausch was diagnosed with incurable pancreatic cancer in September 2006. His popular last lecture at Carnegie Mellon in September 2007 garnered international attention and was viewed by millions on the Internet.

In it, Pausch celebrated living the life he had always dreamed of instead of concentrating on impending death.

"The lecture was for my kids, but if others are finding value in it, that is wonderful," Pausch wrote on his Web site. "But rest assured; I'm hardly unique."
[...]
At Carnegie Mellon, he was a professor of computer science, human-computer interaction and design, and was recognized as a pioneer of virtual reality research. On campus, he became known for his flamboyance and showmanship as a teacher and mentor.

The speech last fall was part of a series Carnegie Mellon called "The Last Lecture," where professors were asked to think about what matters to them most and give a hypothetical final talk. The name of the lecture series was changed to "Journeys" before Pausch spoke, something he joked about in his lecture.

"I thought, damn, I finally nailed the venue and they renamed it," he said.

He told the packed auditorium he fulfilled almost all his childhood dreams -- being in zero gravity, writing an article in the World Book Encyclopedia and working with the Walt Disney Co.

The one that eluded him? Playing in the National Football League.

"If I don't seem as depressed or morose as I should be, sorry to disappoint you," Pausch said.
[...]
"I mean I don't know how to not have fun. I'm dying and I'm having fun. And I'm going to keep having fun every day I have left. Because there's no other way to play it," he said in his Carnegie Mellon lecture. "You just have to decide if you're a Tigger or an Eeyore. I think I'm clear where I stand on the great Tigger/Eeyore debate. Never lose the childlike wonder. It's just too important. It's what drives us."

Well, said. Many of us, myself included, spend far too much time being Eeyore. I think I'll try to be more Tigger from now on.

Oh, yeah, here is the Lecture Video:


'Last Lecture' professor dies at 47 - CNN.com

What do Greeks Need?

Greek Movement has released a national survey with interesting results. What's the number one "Greek Need"? "Discovering my Skills and Talents"; number two: "Graduate and Get a Good Job"; number six: "Get Enough Sleep." Sound familiar? I thought so. The various needs are compared to the ubiquitous "Mazlow's Needs Hierarchy" to find insights about the way students are getting their needs met.

Number six on the Top 10 needs list is “not getting enough sleep.” This is rather surprising because sleep would fall under the lowest level, yet it appears to be a very crucial need to these students. According to Maslow, this lack of sleep that the students are experiencing might indicate a huge problem for Greeks as they try to progress in other areas. Perhaps it is the pursuit of the very top level that is causing them to fall behind on one of their most basic needs of all.

Number two on the Top 10 needs list is “being able to graduate and/or get a good job.” This need would fall under the second level, still very low on the pyramid like the need for sleep. From my own experience, this need for security or future security really affects a student’s decision and growth in college. I have seen many fraternity and sorority students leave the Greek system or become very inactive in their chapters because they want to succeed academically so that they can get a good job in the future. Or perhaps they have to leave the chapter to work more so that they can be more financially secure. This is one example of having to temporarily remove yourself from one of the higher levels to take care of a lower need first.

Tyler Zach, staff writer for Greek Movement, developed and conducted the survey. He is a SigEp, too.

"Greek Movement" is sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ, but the opinions and advice you find there are very focused on the real world and not at all 'preachy.' It's a good site. We have have a link to it for quite some time now.

Dartmouth SigEps Show Academic Excellence

Carey Heckman sends this update from Dartmouth...

William DeKrey, David Lamb, and Stuart Reid, all Brothers in the New Hampshire Alpha chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon, were among the 24 members of the Class of 2008 inducted into the Dartmouth chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society because their cumulative grade point averages were among the 20 highest as of the end of their junior year. (Margaret Fitchet, the daughter of our Brother Sandy Fitchet '76, was also among the early Phi Beta Kappa inductees.)

Other members of the Class of 2008 who attain at least a GPA of 3.8, or the top 10 percent of the class, will be invited to join the society in the spring.

Student Body President and SigEp Brother Travis Green '08 was named a George J. Mitchell Scholar on Monday by the US-Ireland Alliance. Mitchell Scholarships are awarded every year to 12 Americans for a year of post-graduate study at any university in Ireland. The award is named after former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, who helped facilitate the Good Friday Agreement of 1998, regarding peace in Northern Ireland, according to the Alliance's press release. The scholarship combines academic and leadership programs, providing its scholars with the opportunity to meet with leaders of Irish government, business and culture.

Green will study neuroscience at the University College Dublin.

Yale Daily News - SigEp schooled in fine culture

An article in the Yale paper highlights the cultured side of SigEp there.

Marcus Hooks ’09 brought two vanilla lattes to an interview with the News last Sunday — one for himself and another for the reporter. The vice president of macro development for the Yale chapter of the Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity knows how to behave like a gentleman.

Macro Development? Is this a new Exec Board office?

SigEp, known on campus as “The Gentleman’s Frat,” launched an initiative this year that brings local merchants into chapter meetings to make presentations on topics ranging from cooking lessons to wardrobe tips. While some Yalies not involved with the fraternity said they are amused at the idea of “gentleman lessons,” Hooks said the presentations are intended to teach the men of SigEp to achieve a “sound mind, sound body,” in keeping with the fraternity’s philosophy of balance in members’ personal lives.
[...]
SigEp Brothers have so far received tutorials from a jeweler, who taught them how to pick princess-cut diamonds and distinguish between platinum and white gold, and a clothing saleswoman, who instructed them on how to tie a Windsor knot.
[...]
Hooks said the speakers help save the SigEp brothers from social blunders by teaching them proper etiquette.

“Guys want to know how to pull off jewelry without looking like a rapper,” Hooks said.

Gabe Friedman ’10, a SigEp member, said he picked up tips on appropriate attire for professional interviews and formal occasions from Lucy Quagliato, a saleswoman at Raggs, a local men’s clothing store. Quagliato’s presentation dealt with popping collars — whether they are a trendy statement or a fashion faux pas.

The chapter noted increased meeting attendance for the sessions, which would indicate there is interest in learning the "soft skills" of presentation and interaction. However, the reporter seems to be making subtle jabs at the concept that guys might possibly be interested in fashion or jewelry in a "not that there's anything wrong with that" sort of way.

Journalistic bias aside, the article does offer some interesting ideas. Would your chapter benefit from having local merchants give a short information session at a chapter meeting? Would meeting attendance increase? But most importantly, ...who the hell wears a Windsor knot with a popped collar anyway?

Yale Daily News - SigEp schooled in fine culture

Sig Ep workshop builds leadership skills

SigEps at East Tennessee State held a career-building workshop to prepare students for life after college.

Media Credit: John E. May/East Tennessean

Karen Lauderdale spoke to a crowd of fraternity and sorority members Wednesday night. She discussed issues that students will face post-graduation, such as interviews and résumés. Students enjoyed pizza, drinks and useful tips on how to live up to the Sig Ep motto "building balanced leaders of the world tomorrow."

"Building balanced leaders of the world tomorrow" is the motto of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity.

This fraternity held a workshop Wednesday to help its members, and others, to better understand what it means to be a balanced leader of the future.

"A career-building workshop is perfect for that," said Curt Collins, the vice president of programming for Sig Ep.
[...]
The Sig Ep house, which had pizza and drinks for the students in attendance, was full of Sig Ep fraternity brothers and sorority members clad in Greek letters, showing their support.

Karen Lauderdale, a preparation coordinator for Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, led the workshop.

She started the event by passing around a packet for each student. The objective of the packets was to help the student focus their ideas and wants for the future.

"I thought it went really well," said Collins. "(Lauderdale) hit on all of the points she said she would hit on when it came to post-graduation issues."

In addition to the packets, Lauderdale hit on the key situations a student faces after graduation.

These situations include the proper way to fill out résumés and how to correctly interview for a job or graduate school.
[...]
After the seminar, the fraternity led a group of volunteers around the Tree Streets to pick up trash to show that the fraternity cares about its community.

Now that is a fantastic way to combine several elements of the Balanced Man concept into a fun and productive event. Good information, community service, plus women and pizza - what's not to like?

Sig Ep workshop builds leadership skills - News

Fast Approaching Graduation

In September of 2004 I started taking courses toward an MBA at the University of Phoenix. Fortunately they have ground campuses in Houston (four of them!) so I was able to to everything in a classroom setting.

Now, after several fits and starts,I can see the end. I have one session left in my current class and then one more six-week class and that is it! Whew! Because of the way UoP does graduation - once a year - I will actually be attending commencement on Sep 15, about a month before I officially finish up. I can't wait.

It has not exactly been easy. In the intervening time I have had to deal with all the usual life stuff that you get in your mid-fifties. I lost my Dad, had to deal with kids starting college, got a grandchild added to the mix, shakeups and killer projects at work. You know, life. Oh, and I write a couple of blogs in my spare time. But thank goodness we are nearly done.

Was it worth it? That depends on how you count. Even with my company helping out it was not cheap, and I wonder if I will see an immediate jump in salary. Even so, I am close enough to retirement that I may not see the NPV of any gains outweigh the cost (see- I can speak MBA now!) But I really did not do this for the money. I did it for personal growth. I wanted to see if I can still compete and follow through. Well, that and the fact that my wife got a doctorate a few years ago and I felt like I needed to play catch-up.

The SigEp part of this story is interesting. I guess I had heard so much of the "Sound Mind - Sound Body" propaganda that I felt like I had to work both sides of the equation. I started exercising by walking every day, then running. Last year I began going to the gym at work a few times a week and added resistance training on those devices that look like relics left over from the Spanish Inquisition. I am not going to run a marathon anytime soon, and "Ah-nahld" need not fear my bodybuilding prowess, but I feel good and look pretty OK for an 'old fart', so I am happy on that score too. As far as being a "Balanced Man" it looks pretty good from this angle.

The real story here is that I decided to stretch my goals and have done it. That is the part that feels great and it is a reward sufficient to itself.

What have you done lately to stretch yourself?

AA Meeting at Conclave

(No, this is not a joke.)

Once again this year there will be an opportunity for SigEps (and guests) who are "Friends of Bill W." To attend an informal meeting of Alcoholics Anonymous while at Conclave.

The meeting is scheduled for Friday evening at 9:00pm in the Inman room. The information will also be in the registration booklet.

We are glad to pass this information along to anyone who would like to attend. This will be an open meeting. Meetings of this type are open to alcoholics and their families and to anyone interested in solving a personal drinking problem or helping someone else to solve such a problem.

We do have a request, however. The person who was planning to lead the meeting has a scheduling conflict. If you are a member of AA and are willing to do some "service work" by leading the meeting please send an email to wordjunky@gmail.com and we will help you get set up.

Alcoholics Anonymous® is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from alcoholism. The only requirement for membership is a desire to stop drinking. There are no dues or fees for AA membership; we are self-supporting through our own contributions. AA is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; does not wish to engage in any controversy, neither endorses nor opposes any causes. Our primary purpose is to stay sober and help other alcoholics to achieve sobriety.

Copyright © by The A.A. Grapevine, Inc.

Thanks to the HQ staff and David Graziano for making a place for this on the schedule.

"SigEp Inc." Marches on

Just in time for Conclave - the wonderful folks at HQ are showing their, er, 'assets' by announcing yet another partnership deal. This time they are linking up with Veritas, a test prep company that seems to specialize in the GMAT.

Fair warning: Even with a 10% discount these courses are not cheap.
The operative phase here is "Caveat Emptor". By the way, did we mention that Veritas will have a vendor booth at Conclave?

Stevens Institute Sig Eps Win Design Day 2007

Design Day 2007 at Stevens
Regina Pynn

Several engineering organizations joined together for the annual Design Day on Wednesday, April 18, 2007. The three sponsoring organizations were Tau Beta Pi, the honor society for engineers in general, Pi Tau Sigma, the honor society for mechanical engineers, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

The guest speaker for this year's event was Andrea Pinkus, advisor for the New Jersey chapters of Tau Beta Pi. Her presentation was designed to excite and inform the aspiring engineers who attended. Her topics included people skills, team chartering, group processes, and analytical skills.

The objective for this year's competition was to design and build a flying machine using only materials provided by the sponsoring societies. The teams had one and a half hours to design and build their product. The materials provided include balsa, foam, foam board, cardboard, paper, glue, hot glue, etc. Each team had three launches to score as many points as possible, and the total score of the three throws determined the winner. To aid in the design of the machine, the groups supplied background information on the science and engineering behind the lifting ability of the machine. The longer path explanation and the Newtonian explanations were described.

The competition was a learning as well as fun experience. The first place team was "SigEP," made up of Mike Cardinale, James Woolley, Dave Legmaat, and Rob Legemaat. Second place went to team "Lodge". The prize for most original design was given to team "Czerechowski-Whiteman."

Can exercise make you smarter?

Chris Minnis sent this information regarding a recent "Newsweek" article.

I hope all of you are doing well.

In the recent issue of Newsweek magazine, you might have seen an article discussing the link between exercise and brain function. More and more we see support for the positive effect SigEp's Balanced Man Ideal of Sound Mind and Sound Body can have on our members, undergraduate and alumni. The article is attached for your convenience.

We're doing the right thing. Thanks for your support.

Best,

Chris

Christopher T. Minnis

Director of Operations

Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity

O: (804) 353-1901 x315

C: (804) 200-9458

Register for Conclave at www.sigep.org/conclave.

Download a copy of the article here:
Health-Can Exercise Make You Smarter.pdf.
The usual disclaimer about needing Adobe Reader applies.
(Update - the link should work now.)

Guest Post - Becoming Approachable

Thanks to William Hull for this contribution

I found this on the http://greekmovement.com/leadership/ webpage. Thought it could be something of a positive story for your blog.

Will

Why do so many leaders end up feeling like Michael Scott who says that “there is always a distance” between them and the people they are trying to lead?

LISTEN TO MICHAEL SCOTT FROM THE OFFICE by Mike Beckham, University of Oklahoma SigEp Alumni

I think that it is because we tend to treat others differently when we have the authority to make decisions. Maybe we listen less. Maybe we find ourselves less willing to truly consider different perspectives or approaches. What it can communicate to others is that we don’t have to respect them as an equal. Inevitably people feel burned and we begin to seem very unapproachable. So how can we be more approachable? A few thoughts:

Treat everyone with respect
Respect people regardless of their position. I think that this is true even when someone hasn’t done anything to deserve our respect. Be an example for others in the way that you treat others respectfully – even when they don’t deserve it.

Listen to what others have to say
Show that you are engaged by asking follow up questions and seeking to understand. Be open to different perspectives and opinions, and look for ways to incorporate what you learn.

Value people above results
People will follow you and find you to be approachable when they know that you value their well being more than getting things done. This means knowing when to give people a break when they are worn out. It can also mean showing grace and encouragement towards another officer in your house that has failed in an area. One of the things that I constantly tell men in my chapter is, “Leading in this house is about growth and not perfection.” I’ll probably talk more about this some other time, but the general idea is this: Even though things won’t go perfectly, that’s okay because the goal is for them to grow as a person.

Practice Humility
As one author once put it, “consider others better than yourself.” No one likes an arrogant person. We could all use a dose of humility every once in a while.

In an earlier blog I talked about how it was so important to be able to make a decision and set a course even when others disagreed with you. Unfortunately, our tendency is to take that and use it as an excuse not to listen to or respect other people. Just the opposite should be true of us. A leader holds the responsibility for setting the course of a fraternity or sorority, but a leader also holds the responsibility to be an example in the way that they treat and care for others.

Mike Beckham is an alum of the Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter at the University of Oklahoma. As an undergraduate he earned a degree in finance. Currently he is a staff member with Campus Crusade for Christ at OU. He also serves as the chapter counselor for Sig Ep.

Great News from Cal Beta

This just in from the left coast:

---

From: Robert Hughes
Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 9:38 AM
To:
Subject: Great News from Cal Beta

Gentlemen,

Hope all is well.

Just wanted to share the amazing news with you that the grades just came out for last semester and we had a 3.33 average.

We beat our rival AGO, who has consistently had the row's highest gpa, by 0.11 points.

Unfortunately, we are now ranked second behind Phi Delt but we're not going to settle for that and I'm confident that we'll pass them up this spring.

This is the highest house gpa that I've seen in my years as an undergrad and I'm excited to see what the chapter does after I graduate in a couple of months.

Take care.

Rob Hughes
Cal Beta