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hoosier 11-12-2002 01:50 PM

Weird but interesting: SPE colony at Yale?
 
Tuesday, November 12, 2002
National frat looks to open Yale chapter

BY PAIGE AUSTIN
Contributing Reporter


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When two recruiters from Sigma Phi Epsilon's national headquarters arrived at Yale to open a new chapter of the fraternity, they knew just where to look for strapping Yale men to become the first Sigma Phi Epsilon brothers: sororities.

"The fact of the matter is a sorority knows the best men on campus," one of the Sigma Phi Epsilon regional directors, Corey Adams, told a group of Kappa Alpha Theta girls at their meeting last week. "Everywhere we go, they do."

Specifically, Adams and fellow Regional Director Jeffrey Keltner have been searching for men who conform to the "SLAG" standard: scholar, leader, athlete, gentleman. Sigma Phi Epsilon has a single-tier membership, no pledging process, and requires a minimum 3.0 grade point average. Adams and Keltner said the fraternity aims to expand to every Ivy League campus. In their three weeks at Yale, the two regional directors want to recruit a core group of 12 Sigma Phi Epsilon men to lead the nation's largest fraternity to a position of prominence here at Yale.

They are hoping that some of the lucky 12 will be gleaned from names that the Theta girls wrote on small yellow suggestion cards.

But the same problem that Adams and Keltner have encountered across the Yale campus came up again at the Theta House, albeit briefly. When asked to define the ideal fraternity man, the Theta girls could only offer one characteristic: he should be good at beer pong.

When Adams, Keltner and a third Sigma Phi Epsilon alumnus chuckled and asked for a more serious answer, the girls laughed, but stood firm: he should be good at beer pong.

It took the Sigma Phi Epsilons another try to elicit the answers they were looking for -- he should be involved in the community; have integrity, leadership skills, and manners; know when to open doors; and have proper "phone skills."

The delayed response was indicative of the difficulties the two organizers have encountered in their quest to found Yale's newest fraternity.

Even though Delta Kappa Epsilon, which was founded here in 1844, has remained active for over a century and a half, there are currently only seven fraternities and three sororities at Yale, the rest of which were established or re-opened after 1984.

Fraternities at Yale are widely perceived as little more than social groups, where parties run late and the beer flows like spring water. While that reputation keeps membership in the established houses steady through a national slump in the Greek population, it makes for some unfriendly responses when Yalies are asked to welcome a new fraternity into their midst. Some of the students Adams and Keltner approached simply turned and walked away.

"We are trying to demolish the stereotype," Adams said. "But our reputation does not precede us."

Sigma Phi Epsilon is not alone in finding that the beer pong stereotype inhibits growth on college campuses. Greek membership started falling nationwide around 1990, as a spate of deaths from alcohol poisoning and new movies about the vulgar underbelly of fraternity life made headlines. From a high of 400,000, the Greek population tracked by the North American Interfraternity Conference, or NIC, fell by almost a quarter until 1999, when newly directed recruitment efforts and education programs started drawing the traditional fraternity man back into the fold.

The national headquarters of two fraternities with Yale chapters, Beta Theta Phi and Zeta Psi, reported a similar trend.

"What you had was a group of people joining frats beginning in 1990 who were in it as a social club," said NIC Executive Vice President Jon Williamson. "They in essence made it unattractive for our traditional base of students. Now we are getting back to our traditional base -- ones who are interested in leadership opportunities and dedicated to philanthropy."

At Yale, the Greek scene has not been immune to what Thomas Olver, a spokesman for the national organization of Beta Theta Phi, called an "identity crisis" among fraternities.

"It's a concern that people are joining the fraternity for the sake of the fraternity, not just for the parties," Sigma Chi Public Relations Chairman LeKeith Lewis '04 said. "You have to understand that there's something more to Sigma Chi than just the parties."

In an effort to combat the stereotype, Lewis said brothers at Sigma Chi are considering ways to publicize some of their other activities, including a recent volunteer commitment with Centro San Jose, a local community center.

But established Yale fraternities do not necessarily take issue with their reputation as pillars of the campus social scene.

Clinton Dockery '03, head of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, says that his fraternity has not seen a decline in membership in recent years -- and that its reputation for throwing good parties does not pose a problem in recruiting new members or in undertaking non-party related activities.

The Sigma Phi Epsilon recruiters pointed out that many of the needs fraternities meet at other schools -- help with job placement, resume writing, or academic tutoring, for example -- are well taken care of at Yale. Still, Keltner and Adams said Sigma Phi Epsilon wants to defy the stereotype of an exclusively social fraternity, which has been fed by movies like "Animal House."

"If I won the lottery I would buy the rights to that movie and prevent it ever being shown again," Keltner said. "It adds to the misperception."

He added that Sigma Phi Epsilon men, unlike their Hollywood counterparts, do not abuse alcohol, mistreat women or break school rules.

As Adams told the Theta girls, "We are looking for the guys who walk up the stairs behind you in case you fall, not to look at your butt."

sigep653 11-15-2002 02:13 PM

SPE Colony at Yale
 
This is an interesting story. Since it's a new colony, our nationals are really going to emphasize the Balanced Man Program in starting it up. I'm kind of annoyed that the article makes it sound like SigEp doesn't throw parties or have a good time. We do it all in the Balanced Man Program-we live the Scholar, Leader, Athlete and Gentleman ideal. But that doesn't mean we can't throw down and have a hell of a party, too. We're still normal guys, we just hold ourselves to live a certain ideal. I hope they do get the colony off the ground, I'm always happy to see a new Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter.

In Phi,
Sigep653

VDBL-the only things that matter

Kevlar281 11-15-2002 02:25 PM

For some reason I don't think making the Theta's look like airheads will help with recruitment. Also since when does Sigma Phi Epsilon not have a pledge process? Or is this just a standard practice when developing a founding father class?

Optimist Prime 11-15-2002 02:29 PM

I should email my sigep friend. I think the SLAG thing is cool, but um..Slag is the stuff that is waste material when welding metal together. Just wanted to make sure that was known. :) Good luck to SigEp and hopefully they will find guys outside of the Theta sister's beer pong tournament.

UofIL AXO 11-15-2002 02:41 PM

From the SigEp chapter on my campus, I've really come to respect the "Balanced Man" program. They're really involved on the greek charities on campus and have been some of the sweetest guys I've met. I think any campus would benefit from men like this!

33girl 11-15-2002 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Optimist Prime
I should email my sigep friend. I think the SLAG thing is cool, but um..Slag is the stuff that is waste material when welding metal together.
:D I was thinking the same thing.

UofISigKap 11-15-2002 05:33 PM

I'm happy that SigEps are colonizing at a new school. At the two schools I went to, both chapters were great and full of....well...balanced men! Scholastic, athletic, social, and philanthropic by the entire house. :) Good for them.

GreekGirl03 11-15-2002 06:57 PM

No Way!
 
Quote:

"The fact of the matter is a sorority knows the best men on campus," one of the Sigma Phi Epsilon regional directors, Corey Adams, told a group of Kappa Alpha Theta girls at their meeting last week. "Everywhere we go, they do."
First, off- I am a sorority girl. As a matter of fact, I know Corey Adams because I went to school with him- he was president of my campus' Sig Ep chapter. He is a VERY upstanding young man- but his chapter is VERY WELL known for hazing practices. Last year, their pledges were required to wear mohawks, and one pledge was arrested for walking to a convenience store naked- a hazing ritual performed every year. They have had numerous alcohol violations, and in general, make no effort to live up to the standard of their national organization.



Quote:

"Specifically, Adams and fellow Regional Director Jeffrey Keltner have been searching for men who conform to the "SLAG" standard: scholar, leader, athlete, gentleman. Sigma Phi Epsilon has a single-tier membership, no pledging process, and requires a minimum 3.0 grade point average. Adams and Keltner said the fraternity aims to expand to every Ivy League campus. In their three weeks at Yale, the two regional directors want to recruit a core group of 12 Sigma Phi Epsilon men to lead the nation's largest fraternity to a position of prominence here at Yale...
It took the Sigma Phi Epsilons another try to elicit the answers they were looking for -- he should be involved in the community; have integrity, leadership skills, and manners; know when to open doors; and have proper "phone skills."
When they go to another houses party, they all storm the door, and if not let in, they have started several fights. JUST THIS TUESDAY, the cops were called because they started a fight during a social at a house with a very good reputation. There were people running around with bloody noses, and obscenities flying left and right.

Quote:

"He added that Sigma Phi Epsilon men, unlike their Hollywood counterparts, do not abuse alcohol, mistreat women or break school rules."
Uh, nope again. A friend of mine date a Sig Ep, and I won't go into details, bit he does NOT have manners. And doesn't break school rules? I won't even go there.

I'm embarrassed to be Greeek on this campus because of their presence. You may ask why they never get in trouble? As a division 3 NCAA school- the football team is vital. You got that right...the whole football team is Sig Ep, and then some conformists who want to be part of their clique.

I have no tolerance for hazing. I think that it breaks chapters down by pledge class lines, and eats away at the essence of brotherhood (or sisterhood)- RESPECT.

I have met Sig Eps from other schools, they have all been upstanding gentleman. It just bothers me that here, this one fraternity can do whatever they want, whenever they want. And they sure as hell don't have a 3.0. They should have lost their charter YEARS ago- perhaps when a pledge broke his arm during a hazing ritual.

GeekyPenguin 11-15-2002 10:08 PM

That was a nice first post. Full of facts...like the name of your school.

KappaKittyCat 11-15-2002 11:56 PM

It's funny, I've been told the exact same thing by fraternity men on my campus-- that women in general, and especially sorority women, are a great source for recruiting good guys. I've even been known to drop some guy friends at the door of my boys' house-- my best friend being one good example.

It's a shame that "good at beer pong" tops the list of qualifications for a fraternity man, but I'll venture a guess that the Thetas at Yale, like Thetas in general (at least the ones I've come into contact with), are not as shallow as that article made them seem.

I do think that the Beta spokesman made a good point about the Greek system's experiencing an identity crisis, though I don't necessarily agree with his statement that he'd buy the rights to Animal House and prevent its ever being shown again. I love that movie! It's damn funny! I do see his point, however. I know that it's not really like that (most of the time), but others don't.

As for BMP, from what I know of it, it's a great program. It's not a "pledge period," but rather a progressive educational experience. The point is to eliminate a period where there's a clear divide between "brothers" and "pledges," i.e. a period with a potential for hazing. As a friend put it, "This way, I can't tell a new guy to go get me a pizza any more than he can tell me to go get him a pizza." It's done wonders for the chapter at my school, and it's widely respected.

Best wishes to SigEp at Yale!

ECUGSS 11-17-2002 03:09 PM

Corey Adams
 
Corey Adams
corey.adams@sigep.net
Voicemail: 759
Massachusetts Beta
Worchester Polytechnic Institute Biology - Pre-Med

GeekyPenguin 11-20-2002 01:34 PM

A sidenote on this:

GeekyPenguin Boy had his Sigma test the other day so I was helping him study and flipping through the LROB and there's a picture of this chapter - more specifically all the football players from this chapter - in their uniforms on the front steps of their house. It immediately made me think of GC.


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