With so many great fraternities on campus, it is hard for one specific group of men to distinguish themselves from all others. However, in the 2013-2014 school year, the brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon have found a way to do so. In a poll carried out by students, they were selected as this year’s best fraternity on campus.
Sig Ep is one of the nation’s largest fraternal organization with over 300,000 lifetime members nationwide. A chapter of Sig Ep was colonized at UT in the fall of 2003 and became an official chapter in November of 2005. The fraternity now contains 54 brothers.
“Even in the short amount of time I’ve been a part of Sig Ep, I have come to realize we have rightfully earned these honors,” said freshman government and world affairs major, Dylan Seidle. “We all keep each other in check—creating a balance so that we are all positive influences throughout our community and in our academics.”
The fraternity was founded in 1901 under the principles of virtue, diligence and brotherly love. The brothers of Sig Ep have exemplified their virtue through their involvement within the community.
They have actively participated in the Greek Variety Show every year that they were able to and placed second at the event this year. They were also awarded second place in Greek Week as a whole, according to Andrew Pesale, a sophomore human performance major and member of the fraternity. They are also participating in Relay for Life on April 5 to support cancer awareness and are currently fundraising.
In terms of diligence, the men have proven their dedication to classroom success. They were selected as the fraternity with the best GPA for the semester proving academics is one of their main focuses.
“In Sig Ep, we work hard to achieve our goals,” Pesale said. “The reason why we win these awards are because of the diligence and high standards we hold ourselves to.”
But brotherly love is where the Sig Eps feel that they excel the most. “What sets us apart is the strong bond that all our brothers share,” Seidle said. “Since I joined Sig Ep, I’ve met so many great people and made friendships that I know will last a lifetime.”