This is a guest post by Martin Erbele from Theta Epsilon at North Georgia College and State University. Martin has been gracious enough to share his experiences when he was “rushed” by Sigma Chi.
My recruitment week experience was one that actually started many months before – Our school has deferred recruitment and I was not yet convinced Greek Life was something I was interested in once the Spring came around. I watched a lot of my friends go off and join different Fraternities and though they seemed to have fun with their pledge brothers, it didn’t seem as meaningful I as I hoped, and I was pleased I chose not to participate.
But about halfway through the Spring semester, I started to grow closer towards a few new friends in a couple of my classes. I just knew them on a first name basis at first, but my impressions of these guys were reflected on the fact they behaved well, held the door open for women, even dressed nicely. Most importantly though, was how genuine they seemed and how incredible close they became throughout the semester.
And though I became closer friends with them all, as well as more guys they introduced me to, it was evident they were forming a bond much closer than friendship.
I saw they all wore a small little blue and white pin over their heart and shortly after I met them I asked what ‘Frat’ they had joined. They told me they were hoping to become Brothers in the Sigma Chi Fraternity – they kindly told me they don’t shorten it to ‘frat’.
And even though I still wasn’t convinced that I would join any Fraternity, Sigma Chi was clearly a different group than the ones I had first hung out with at the beginning of the year. So with mild, but growing interest, I came to several Intramural games and even a community service event one early Saturday morning. Furthermore, Several Brothers and the Pledges I had first met told me I had a place to sleep in their apartment just seconds away from campus and I was invited to a few camping trips and school athletic events with the guys too.
All this kindness and inclusion for someone who had repeatedly said, ‘No thanks, I’m not interested’.
Then shortly before the end of the Spring semester, after a week of silence and a weekend where I heard nothing from the guys, my friends came back to class not wearing their pledge pin. The 5 of them were Brothers. And if I thought they were tightly-knit before, I was amazed at how they grew closer still. They were true Sigma Chi Brothers, visibly living the values they had briefly told me about in the Jordan Standard and the Sigma Chi Creed.
It only took a few days before I realized that I had seriously misjudged this group of men. Sigma Chi was not your stereotypical ‘Frat’ – they were men of value and honor.
I spent the entire summer going to baseball games and grilling out. I was fortunate to meet nearly all the Brothers who I found were all very different and diverse, but all treated each other and me so well. I took the Brothers up on the offer to stay at their apartments more and more often. It was one of the seemingly shortest summers I can remember just because I was enjoying myself so much. I was so caught up I realized, I had never officially said anything other than the ‘No thanks, I don’t to join’ I had vowed during the Spring.
So in the Fall, again our school follows deferred rush, I told the Recruitment Chairman that I changed my mind, and if I was lucky enough to receive an open bid, I would gladly accept it.
A few days later on a very informal bid acceptance day, I got a call from the Greek Life Office. Inside an envelope with my name on it were a few bids. Ms. Ledford, the Greek Life Coordinator said I could take a few hours to decide which one to take. I actually cut her sentence off a bit in excitement, but told her I didn’t need to think about it. I’m rushing Sigma Chi.
I feel really fortunate. Sigma Chi has made my college experience.
Martin Erbele
North Georgia College and State University
Theta Epsilon Chapter, Fall ’07, #572
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First off, I want to thank Martin for sharing his story and I also want to thank the brothers who continuously rushed Martin even when he said he wasn’t interested. Because they practiced Mission365 they were able to initiate a brother who has already accomplished some great things for Sigma Chi. In Hoc fellas.
Since becoming a member of Sigma Chi Martin has
- Attended Balfour,
- Attended Horizons twice
- Met the grand executive board several times
- Held an executive office
If you’re interested in writing a guest post about your Sigma Chi experiences then please contact me at:
contact [at] sharesigmachi [dot] com
IHSV,
Jacob Cook
Posted by Jacob 
ShareSigmaChi.com Blog 