Alpha Alpha Pledge Class
Why Rush Sigma Chi...
Pledging Sigma Chi may very well be the best decision you make during your college years. You will experience deep, lifelong friendships only made possible by the strength of our brotherhood
Our group of diverse brothers get the most out of life by working and learning together. Committed to a life of personal growth and development, we Sigma Chi's are always ready to help a brother with whatever he is doing.
We are looking for well-rounded, enthusiastic, and solid individuals like yourself to be an integral part of our brotherhood and to share in the great Sigma Chi experience.
Sigma Chi, like many organizations, employs a period for prospective members before their initiation into full membership. This period, called pledgeship, serves to educate the potential brother about Sigma Chi before he joins. Because the essence of the Sigma Chi experience is just that, an experience, and because the objectives of Sigma Chi can be achieved only when members have a thorough understanding of the extent and depth of their obligations as brothers, the important elements of Sigma Chi cannot be fully captured in a rush manual, a speech, or by any hurried method. Consequently, pledgeship extends for a period sufficient for potential brothers to fully grasp those important elements - the time span varies from chapter to chapter, but eight weeks is generally recommended, subject to relevant institutional policies.
The process of pledgeship consists of intellectual exercises, shared experiences, and cultivation of friendship of a higher order - all aimed at enlisting worthy men in a meaningful commitment of lifelong duration. Learning the history, operational workings, and support programs of the Fraternity is an important aspect of pledgeship. Pledges are asked not merely to consume facts, but to consider thoughtfully the relevance of those facts to Sigma Chi and to their own lives. While the overriding purpose of pledgeship is to prepare men for brotherhood in Sigma Chi, there are other important objectives that coincide with the aims of higher education, including success in academic endeavors, development of leadership skills and social responsibility, and service to the community. Pledgeship is not a time for meaningless tasks and activities, nor does it license members to humiliate, enslave, or otherwise physically or mentally persecute pledges. Hazing is never appropriate - true Sigma Chis know that such activity directly conflicts with the brotherly spirit of the Fraternity.
The pledge period provides a time for the newest associates of the chapter, the pledges, to become an integral part of the organization even before initiation. It also serves as an opportunity for active members to reaffirm their own lifelong commitment to the Fraternity. The enduring bonds of Sigma Chi brotherhood can only be forged among men who understand and appreciate the ideals upon which the Fraternity was established. Pledgeship is the critical first stage for those hoping to attain that appreciation and understanding.
Hazing...
Sigma Chi has helped "raise the bar" on such pressing issues as hazing. We believe that joining a fraternity should make one's college experience memorable - not miserable. Unlike many fraternities, we believe in the inherent value of all individuals and subsequently, we treat others with respect and dignity. Pledging, we feel, should be a process of learning, inspiration, and achievement - not one of hazing, degradation, or humiliation.
