Every semester, pledge classes of gentlemen discover the place from which we started for the first time. After having seen the ideals of Sigma Chi lived out by the active brothers during the first semester and the rush process, pledge brothers prepare for brotherhood through development of an intimate understanding of the place from which we have come. They develop a deeper appreciation for and a greater understanding of the ideals set forth by Sigma Chi. Initiation brings pledges back to the ideals with which they started pledging, upon which Iota Sigma was founded, and with which seven men founded Sigma Chi. Through the lenses of ritual, they see these ideals for the first time.
After ten years of growth, high ambition, personal responsibility, expansion, and exploration, pledges’ perceptions of the chapter become the most effective indicator of its health. Most men pledge a fraternity because they are searching for something that the fraternity has to offer. Young men make a statement about Sigma Chi through their decision to pledge. Their motivations for pledgeship make a strong statement about the health of our organization.
Not yet initiated into the brotherhood at the time, the spring pledge class of 2000 shares their reasons for choosing Sigma Chi in the final pages of our history book. After have come into contact with the fraternity in many different ways, each pledge brother noticed the ideals pursued by each Sigma Chi. More importantly, the pledges noticed that each brother is Sigma Chi. Having studied the ideals of Sigma Chi, each pledge, although not yet initiated, continues to pursue the ideals of Sigma Chi in their own lives. By choosing Sigma Chi, each pledge chooses to continue an exploration, given strong direction by the ideals set forth by Sigma Chi and those who came before us.