When I first arrived at USC as a freshman last semester, I had planned on waiting on rushing until the spring. I was shy, had barely done any research on fraternity life, and wanted to focus on my grades and getting a feel for being a college student. Things didn't go exactly as I had planned, however, and I ended up rushing just a few weeks into the semester. Luckily, it was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
Throughout rush, I visited all of the houses. Well, most of them. Thanks a lot, rain. And I felt differently about each group of brothers I met. Some I liked, some I didn't. I went to different rush events, but didn't feel like there was a chapter that stood out for me in particular. I began to think Greek life just wasn't for me
Then, I remembered getting an email from a fraternity named Sigma Phi Epsilon, in which they described how they were different from most other fraternities. The email described how SIgEp at USC recruited young men who were determined to make the most out of college in every aspect, with an emphasis on grades. I ended up emailing the chapter president, and he invited me out to their event that night. After a few days of meeting with the brothers of SigEp, I realized that I belonged with them. Now that I am a brother, I'm proud to tell people that I'm a SigEp, and that we are different.
What does it mean to be a SigEp? For us here at USC, it means we are trying to change the idea and reputation of fraternities. We don't want to fit the negative stereotype of fraternity men that has surrounded Greek life. We want to be successful, we want to be genuine, and we want to be the best. SigEp does things differently by choosing to value hard work and dedication to our passions over everything else. As college students, our main goal is to get a degree, so we value grades. We aim to be healthy, so we place a high value on exercise and sports. We love to have fun too, obviously. But when it's time to work, we do.
Each brother of mine has influenced me in some way or another. There's my big, who is one of the smartest people I have ever met and, through his actions, makes me want to be the best student I can. There's our former and current chapter presidents, both of whom stuck through the many hardships our chapter faced, and when almost everyone else gave up, were there to rebuild. There's our Sigma Challenge coordinator, whose dedication to fitness, his education, and his other passions have served as an inspiration for me and other younger brothers. There's our philanthropy chair, who works tirelessly for others. I wish I could talk about every single one of my brothers, because each of them have inspired me, helped me, or worked with me in some way, and each of them have overcome countless obstacles to be the some of the best students and, in my opinion, some of the best people n campus.
I am grateful every day that I am a SigEp. I am glad I have all of my brothers besides me, because I know that they are some of the greatest guys I will meet on campus. Over time, I have come to know everything about them, and they've learned everything about me. We've become brothers, and we would do anything for each other. I thank god every day for them.
