Five years ago, Sigma Phi Epsilon found itself back on campus, picking
up the pieces of an established legacy with completely new members,new
goals and — eventually — a new house on North Jordan Avenue.
This summer, the chapter members of the reestablished IU fraternity
accepted the prestigious Buchanan Cup, which honored the organization
for its progress, strong leadership foundation and adherence to
fraternity-wide principles.
Junior Bennett Fuson, director of public relations for Sig Ep’s IU
chapter, said winning the Buchanan Cup is like winning an Oscar. That’s
why the application process, which is open to all Sig Ep chapters in the
nation, is some 30 pages long.
Fuson said the process of moving back on campus and regaining good
standing with the national organization made it easier for the IU
chapter to win the cup this year.
Chapter President Kurt Skaggs, a senior, said while the men are proud of the achievement, they are trying to be humble.
He initiated the application process, organizing all the information and
filling out all the paperwork in February, but he said each member
contributed.
“We take a lot of flack for following those principles and living our
lives the way we do, and it’s really good to see the external
affirmation of our hard work,” said senior and IU Student Association
President Justin Kingsolver, who serves on the Sig Ep National Board of
Directors.
The winning Beta Chapter at IU is one of the 241 Sig Ep chapters across
the country. Sig Ep is among the largest fraternities in the country.
National Executive Director Brian Warren said in an average year, fewer than half the chapters apply for the Buchanan Cup.
“For whatever reason, they know their performance doesn’t warrant the
award,” Warren said, “but a chapter like Indiana is extremely
competitive both on IU’s campus and nationwide.”
The award is given every two years, Warren said, to assess how well
chapters adapt to changes — particularly the transitions in leadership
that occur each year.
Approximately 20 percent of Sig Ep chapters are recognized with a Buchanan Cup each year. The last time IU won was in 1986.
Kingsolver, newly elected to the Board, attended the ceremony in Phoenix
and was the representative who ultimately accepted the award.
“We probably have 300 people we owe that Buchannan Cup to,” he said.
Sig Ep wins national Buchanan Cup award
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