Fraternity strives to eliminate hazing, teach boys to be men.
 
Original Story by: Casey Northcutt
MSU News Issue date: 4/7/06
Section: Lifestyles
 
In 1854, Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity expelled six members for disagreeing with the organization. These castaways banded together in 1855 and formed Sigma Chi based on their principles and beliefs.

"It was over some ideals that these men didn't believe in," said faculty adviser Rob Binford. "They felt like ... some people were being treated unjustly and so forth, and from that they created their own fraternity, and their doctrine. Their ritual is what we still use and read today."

Later, William Lewis Lockwood joined the six expelled Delta Kappas and completed the group of seven founding fathers of Sigma Chi. According to sigmachi.org, they based their organization on three basic elements: friendship, justice and learning.

Binford said the fathers elected Constantine, the man who spread Christianity through the Roman Empire, as their patron.

"The fact that our symbol is a white cross wasn't by accident," Binford said. "There's certainly a strong religious undertone to Sigma Chi, and I think what is unique about Sigma Chi is that it invariably tries to take hopefully good men and make them better men."

During the next 150 years, Sigma Chi grew to include 217 undergraduate chapters and 145 alumni chapters. The organization has produced famous alumni such as Brad Pitt, John Wayne and President James Garfield.

Sigma Chi appeared on campus in 1959. It grew out of a Delta Alpha colony that wanted to become an official Greek organization and carefully researched several organizations to determine with whom it wanted to join. Murray Mayor Tom Rushing belonged to the founding chapter.

"The white cross explains it all," Rushing said. "It teaches boys to be men."

Rob Binford said the current chapter realized fraternities have strayed from the values upon which they were established.

"We are one of the very few who have recognized that and are trying to go back to the old days where being Greek was special - it was unique," Binford said. "We're trying to instill self-respect and responsibility - leadership ideals that carry on and transcend through life."

The adviser explained the fraternity has eliminated hazing and created an alumni advisory board that works intimately with the brothers and helps organize training programs that instill moral beliefs and leadership as part of an effort to return to its original principles.

"We are weeding out the guys who are only there to drink beer and party," Binford said. "If that's the only reason you want to be in Sigma Chi or a fraternity, then we don't need you."

The chapter works hard to benefit the community and world, especially through their philanthropies, the Children's Miracle Network and the Huntsman Cancer Institute.

Sigma Chi President Eric Geissler, graduate student from Memphis, Tenn., said for the past five years, the brothers have hosted a haunted house to scare money out of people's pockets. They also host Derby Days, allowing sororities to compete in races and games.

Saturday, they will co-sponsor the first Adventure Race with the new Adventure Racers Club at the intramural field. Greek and non-Greek teams can pay $30 to compete in games comparable to those seen on MTV's "Road Rules Challenge." The proceeds will benefit the Children's Miracle Network.

Sigma Chi has proven itself an active and ambitious organization. Last year, Murray State gave the brothers with the Greek Award of Excellence. The chapter also boasted having the highest GPA among all the fraternities.

"It's been the greatest experience of my life so far," Geissler said. "I decided to stay in grad school just so I could hang around with my fraternity brothers for another year."