The Annual Sigma Phi Epsilon Alumni Newsletter
Cal Pi Chapter
May 2005 Issue Editors: David Brown, Raghav Thapar, Kevin NatenstedtSigEp Rush 2005By Colin Anderson and Eric KentCal Pi’s spring rush 2005 was the best we have had in three years. Headed up by VP of Recruitment Eric Kent, the chapter grew by over twenty men. All rush events were hosted at Bob, on the corner of Mayfield and Campus Drive, except for the weekend activities as noted below.
Beer-Goggle Olympics: This dry event (don’t be fooled by the name) allowed brothers and rushees to compete head-to-head in challenging tasks such as foosball, Beirut, and an obstacle course. The goggles, meant to simulate intoxication, are traditionally worn by freshman during campus sponsored alcohol awareness talks. However, by building our own goggles out of safety goggles, non-matching magnifying glasses and some duct tape, we gave all event participants a great feeling of blurry-eyed fun, but with out the rough morning after. One Sigma’s commented about the event: “I think the Beer Goggle Olympics was the most entertaining and original” rush event this year.
SigEp Goes To Whitecastle: What college student does not like a food eating contest? Our thoughts exactly. Throw some bagel bites, pot stickers and Whitecastle hamburgers on the menu and you have created a pretty good rush event. We organized the thirty contest participants into a bracket structure with three rounds of elimination, creating quite an exciting time. So exciting, in fact, that MTV-U stopped by to film during their tour of the top 50 universities’ nightlife.
Gett-egg-sburg Dodge-Egg: Ever wondered what the Battle of Gettysburg was like? I certainly have. Unfortunately, authentic garbage bag uniforms and egg ammunition are about as close as we’re going to get without bloodshed (which might be frowned on by the university). Even still, the eggs were flying furiously across Florence Moore field on a sunny Saturday afternoon as we did a sort of dodge ball sans the dividing line between sides. This lead to elementary battle tactics, much merriment, and the event becoming a favorite of the new members – definitely something we will bring back next year!
Halo / Hold ‘Em: Quite possibly our biggest drawing event, this night spoke to the needs of every college-age male… to the befuddlement of their girlfriends. With 14 Halo2 players in the same game and 4 tables of poker, we were not able to fit into Bob’s lounge and had to spill out into the entryway. Guns were blazing and stacks were shifting for 3 straight hours, accompanied by several hundred pot stickers and bagel bites that weren’t needed during the eating contests. High spirits and full stomachs add up to a bonzer of a rush event.
Backyard Barbeque: After the excitement and competition of our previous events, we needed an event that allowed us to take a breather and get to know the guys well. The barbeque provided such an opportunity, as guys were able to discuss the meaning of life, the universe, and everything over great hamburgers and polish dogs.
Camping Overnight in Tilden Park: We had a great turnout of almost 20 rushees at this event, which included Frisbee and football on a holey field, more grilling, bonfires, and car camping. Overall, a very fitting end to the two weeks of rush. •
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In Retrospect: SigEp After a YearI joined SigEp in the Fall of 2004. My roommate Rory had invited me to dodgeball with the chapter, and the following week I met some more guys at a letter lunch. I liked everyone I met, but fraternal life was not for me. I had a good set of friends, I was busy with school, and I partied to Jimmy Buffet before Jay Z.
I received a bid on the night of Burning Heart. Stumbling blindly down the beach at Half Moon Bay, I readied myself for a host of Animal House rituals. What really happened caught me by surprise. Standing in the dark, listening to what Sigma Phi Epsilon meant to each of the brothers around me, I realized that joining SigEp was an opportunity to forage relationships that were more than merely friendships, the opportunity to be surrounded by a group of men who would push me to become my best. The following day I accepted my bid.
I am not going to lie. The first couple weeks in SigEp, I wondered what the hell I was doing. I remember waking up at 5:00 in the morning to help with Dish Dash, our annual charity run, and wondering how I would ever meet every guy in the chapter. The guys I met were nice, but not yet brothers.
It is said that hindsight is 20-20, but even so, when I look back on my year in SigEp there is no clear point at which stranger became friend became brother. Somewhere along the line, however, the transition happened. Part of the change stemmed from one of my Sigma Challenge goals, to go to the gym every other day. Rory and another brother, Eric, became my lifting partners, and in the process they became friends, motivators, and perhaps most importantly, constants. They were the people I could count on to knock on my door and get me to the gym, the friends who would call me up when a party was going on, the brothers that would go with me to get East Palo Alto Mexican food in the middle of the night.
I joined SigEp for selfish reasons—I saw what it could do for me. However, as SigEp has become a bigger part of my life, I have found what is equally important is that I can give to SigEp. I have learned that one of the most rewarding aspects of brotherhood is being there for another brother, whether he be going through a rough break up or needing a beer on his 21st. It is times like these that I feel best about being a SigEp. Life on campus is busy, but I have found that even little things, like throwing weekly parties, can give back to the chapter, and can lay the groundwork for lasting friendships and a stronger fraternity. As time progresses, it is the give and take of brotherhood that makes it worthwhile.
A big part of my first year in Sigma Phi Epsilon was defined by its one-tiered membership. Prior to joining SigEp, most of my friends were sophomores. Now, some of my closest friends and some of the people I most admire are seniors who are leaving next year. These brothers reached out from the start, whether road tripping to Oregon, critiquing my résumé, or grabbing dinner before meeting. These guys have given me insight, helped me learn from their experiences, and have been the first to offer a hand up after my inevitable mistakes. I will miss them all next year, but I know that we will keep in touch, and that their legacy of one-tiered brotherhood will live on in our chapter.
Looking back, I realize that SigEp is now an integral part of my life. Within Sigma Phi Epsilon are some of my fondest memories and my closest friends. At some point, Sig Ep became all that it promised to become, and then it exceeded my expectations. Already I have changed as an individual, a friend, and a brother, and my SigEp experience is just beginning. •
James is a Sophomore majoring in Political Science and Sociology, his email is: jsmadsen@stanford.edu. *********************************************************************************
SigEp Takes On IntramuralsBy David PostThis quarter Sigep is competing in both the IM soccer and IM volleyball leagues. Currently, we are engaged in a battle to make the playoffs in both sports.
In the IM soccer league, our record is currently 1-2, but this sub-.500 performance does not reflect a lack of skill or effort by the brothers. In the first game of the season, despite trailing 4-1 at halftime, the team battled back to tie, only to lose in the final minutes 5-4. In the second game of the season, we defeated a team of graduate students in a hard fought battle 3-1. This team had beaten the team that we lost to in the previous week, demonstrating great improvement. In the third game we were defeated in close game by a highly skilled team of Club Soccer players (it was also the day after formal, so the players were a bit sluggish). The team has demonstrated dramatic improvement over the course of the season, largely do to strong participation in twice-a-week practices. With two games left, we are looking forward to closing out the season with victories, making the playoffs, and fighting for the championship. •
David Post is a Junior majoring in Economics and is currently the Head of Intramurals for SigEp. He can be reached at: djpost@stanford.edu *********************************************************************************
The Balanced Person Scholarship
By Derek Gaw
After a year of dormancy, Stanford Cal Pi re-introduced the annual scholarship presented to the person on campus who best embodies the fraternity's cardinal values in leading a balanced life. In a progressive move, the scholarship was opened up to freshman and sophomores regardless of gender. Traditionally, the Balanced Man scholarship was only offered to freshman males, hence the name Balanced Man. This year we have revamped the program and opened it to both men and woman, aptly calling it the Balanced Person Scholarship from now on. The chapter received over sixty applications by the submission deadline on February 15. Many of the applicants were extremely distinguished individuals who each achieved balance in their own way and excelled at everything they attempted. Choosing the winners proved to be challenging. In the end, the process of finding Stanford's most balanced male and female took six weeks. First, each candidate had an individual interview with an active brother. The candidates advancing from that pool were then interviewed by a panel of four or five active brothers. During this time, the brothers were actively consulting references that the applicants had provided. When the winners were finally decided, the chapter invited all the applicants to a BBQ banquet during the first week of spring quarter. There, we announced this year's recipients of the Balanced Person Scholarship, Barry Fischer and Alexandra Govere.
Barry Fischer is a sophomore majoring in economics and interdisciplinary studies in the humanities. He has received the President's Award for Academic Excellence and is a member of the Triathlon, Varsity Cross Country, and Track and Field Teams. When not engaged in academics or athletics, he serves as a management intern for the Stanford Recycling Center and an environmental policy analyst for Stanford's student-run Roosevelt Institution. In addition to this, Barry finds time to be a mentor for underprivileged students from East Palo Alto and teenage refugees from Afghanistan. In his free time, Barry expertly performs close-up magic for friends.
Alexandra Govere is a freshman from Zimbabwe interested in mechanical engineering and product design. In high school, she founded Kijana, a non-profit organization that helps children in Africa who have lost their parents to AIDS. Before coming to Stanford, she was a member of Zimbabwean National Artistic Gymnastics team and also a semi-professional ballet company for 3 years. On campus, she is part of an a capella group and an active participant in community service and social activities. •
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On the Community Service Front: SigEp Enters Dance MarathonBy David BrownThis year, SigEp entered the First Annual Stanford Dance Marathon with a stalwart team of three determined brothers: Derek Gaw, David Brown and Darwin Cruz. (Brother Robert Liu was also in attendance)
Dance marathon is a 24-hour dance off where contestants have to stay on their feet for the entire 24 hours in order for all proceeds to go to the Elizabeth P. Glaser Foundation for Pediatric AIDS. Each contestant raised at least $125 to enter the competition with many entrants far exceeding that goal.
In the end, after moving on their feet for a full 24 hours, the amounts raised totaled over $43,000! A brand new record for a school’s first year participating in Dance Marathon! All three SigEps held out till the end, and were very proud of what they had accomplished. We hope to have a much bigger team next year, and look forward to once again being able to give our time, money and energy to a most worthwhile cause. •
More Updates:This last year, SigEp also participated in the Annual SigEp Dish Dash (charity event) which was a phenomenal success, attended two awesome Fall and Spring Formals, threw two official parties (Dirty South and Colin-Palooza), and has continued faithfully in its ongoing quest of exemplifying virtue, diligence and brotherly love.
