AU's chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon (SigEp) will formally become the fraternity's D.C. Delta chapter in a ceremony Saturday.
The chapter, currently considered a colony, will gain full fraternity status and receive its charter from the organization's national headquarters and grand chapter president.
"Our hope is that with our charter and increased presence on campus, SigEp will begin to break those stigmas and stereotypes typically associated with fraternities and greek life," said President Kristian Hoysradt, a senior in the School of Public Affairs. "With this momentum, our chapter hopes to advance its commitment to bettering the greek and AU community, and will continue to focus on the development of balanced men and balanced leaders at AU."
SigEp, the largest fraternity in the country, currently has 14,000 undergraduate brothers nationwide. SigEp sets itself apart from other traditional social fraternities through the Balanced Man Program, which abolishes pledging and hazing practices. Once someone accepts his bid, he is considered a brother.
Chris Guizlo, a current member of the fraternity and a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said that he initially decided to join SigEp because there was no pledging process.
"I had always been interested in greek life, but had always been hesitant to join because of the [pledging] rumors I had heard," he said. "When I met all the brothers, it was almost like looking into a mirror and seeing myself. Most of them had the same feelings about greek life that I did and were looking for something different."
The Balanced Man Program promotes a "sound mind and sound body" through four stages of "challenges," which encompass personal development, community involvement and true brotherhood, Hoysradt said. In order to support a sound mind, the fraternity coordinates guest speakers and trips. To encourage a sound body, brothers participate in intramural sports and weight training.
"I have benefited greatly from the Balanced Man Program," said Robbie Schwartz, a senior in SPA and the chapter's vice president of communications. "It not only teaches and instills the founding values of SigEp, but also the skills necessary for the real world, including business and social skills."
SigEp has the highest GPA among fraternities at AU with a 3.46 average, according to the chapter's Web site.
The university invited SigEp and Pi Kappa Phi in the spring of 2005 to replace two other fraternities that were dismissed from campus. The original SigEp class had 12 brothers, and in a little more than three years, it has grown to a current size of 47 undergraduate members. This fall, the fraternity recruited 11 new brothers - the largest group of new members of any fraternity on campus, Hoysradt said.
"If the success of our recruitment and charter are a sign of things to come, I think SigEp has a strong and significant future as one of AU's leading fraternities on campus in the years to follow," he said.
To celebrate its new national charter, the fraternity recently hosted a week-long schedule of events known as "SigEp Week." The group also invited comedian Steve Hofstetter, a SigEp alum, to perform in the Tavern.
"SigEp Week has been a huge success and a great way to give back to AU and the greek community that has supported us for these last few years," Hoysradt said.
The Oct. 4 charter ceremony will be held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Woodley Park and will include 150 guests comprised of current and former brothers, SigEp National Headquarters officials and members of the AU administration.
You can reach this staff writer at thallerman@theeagleonline.com.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Editor in Chief Jimm Phillips is a member of this fraternity, but he had no influence over the content of this story.
