Lily Weissmann
Valparaiso University prides themselves on a strong Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) community. A fraternity that has made an avid effort to lift their own weight in the community has been Sigma Chi, who values the experience, goals and values of their brothers past the college experience.
“We’re promoting our values more in depth. We’re about promoting enduring leadership. When we’re able to have crucial conversations about leadership, tactics or values that are close to us, and we’re able to practice that in the classroom or with people that we meet, that’s always a great sight to see,” said Sigma Chi Public Relations and Service Chair Charlie Schenck.
While most of the FSL community has faced challenges with recruitment, Sigma Chi included, their spirits stay positive through all of the ups and downs.
“There’s been a steady drop the last few years in the numbers of people that are interested in FSL in general, and we’ve done a really good job as a chapter of not letting our members or our numbers be affected by that. [Rather than] looking at it from the small scope of how many people are wanting to join FSL, [we look at it] from the big scope of who we find matches our values and our personal beliefs. [With that perspective] it’s been really positive to see our ability to have continued recruitment success,” said Sigma Chi President Christan Kim.
Sigma Chi’s main philanthropy partner is the Huntsman Cancer Institute and have been working with and donating to the organization since their chapter began at Valpo in 1990. For those who may not know how to get involved or in contact with Sigma Chi, going to their philanthropy events to donate to the Huntsman Cancer Institute, such as their weeklong event Derby Days, and looking for events hosted by them through MyValpo is a great way to explore the fraternity.
“Our main philanthropy is Derby Days, which is done in the fall semester. We’re planning on doing one or two more events, like a call-a-thon coming up. But, we are constantly recruiting. Recruiting never stops, especially with being able to recruit freshmen now,” said former executive board member and Sigma Chi brother Owen Sander.
The organization doesn’t stop at its philanthropy– their dedication to the community comes through other acts of service as well.
“We were planning to do three service events this semester. Usually we like to partner with the Indiana Dunes and pick up trash up there. We’re also looking to partner with local Boys and Girls Clubs and to get help there,” Schenck said. “The biggest thing for communication is MyValpo. A lot of events and updates are through MyValpo which is linked to Volunteer Valpo, so students are able to find those events and see what’s registered. Not all events are open to the community, some might just be brotherhood driven, but we’re definitely looking forward to being more collaborative with people on campus that are interested in FSL and just overall want to give back to their community.”
As Sigma Chi is feeling an aura of success now, it wasn’t always this way.
“Two years ago, we were in pretty dire straits. There were a lot of talks over that time of, ‘what do you want the chapter to look like as you leave?’ and ‘what legacy do you want to leave within the chapter around campus and in the community?’ to see where we’ve gotten with being named the most improved chapter last year— the work has meant a lot to us. To see continued growth as my last semester comes to an end, it’s surreal, but I’m proud,” Sander said.
While the brothers are excited to see who their new members will be and who they will become through their time in the chapter, the growth that seasoned members have worked for has not gone unnoticed by the younger members.
“The growth of the chapter as a whole is an amazing thing that I’ve gotten to witness since I’ve been here. I wasn’t there for the dire times, but I was here on the come up, and I’ve already seen amazing improvement. One of our biggest things is personal improvement as well, and I’ve seen improvement in every single person in the chapter, even the ones who just came in with me last semester. The grades have gone up tremendously. The personal responsibility has gone up in an amazing way,” said Sigma Chi Annotator Ian Brooks. “A lot of these guys are out there all the time, being the faces of the community. I have less time doing that, but that’s another thing that this fraternity is amazing at— no matter who you are, how you act or what your role is, there’s always going to be a spot for you, and everybody is happy to have you.”
For more information about Sigma Chi, they can be reached at sc.media@valpo.edu.
