Sig Ep wins national Buchanan Cup award

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 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.