Cal Gamma Wins Buchanan Cup

Sig Ep On My Mind

By John Gil

8-16-07

The first week of August marked the 50^th biannual Sigma Phi Epsilon conclave, held in Atlanta, Georgia.  Marking the conclave’s 100^th year anniversary, attending brothers were given the opportunity to observe the Ritual meeting as it was held both in 1907 and now, in 2007. Although the differences were minimal, such display of Sigma Phi Epsilon’s history facilitated the understanding of the importance of the foundation upon which the fraternity was built.  Making the conclave more personal, delegates were also given the opportunity to vote on legislation that would affect each chapter on the local level, including the election of the National Board of Directors. 

Enforcing the “Sound mind in a Sound body” ideal, members also had the privilege of attending lectures aimed at enriching one’s life. Speakers touched upon issues ranging from resume to relationship building.  Notable alumni were also present and many were given the opportunity to address the younger brothers, one such speaker was Brother Charlie Engle, an athlete who is best known for his run across the Sahara Desert. During his challenging trek, Brother Engle averaged about 50 miles per day.

Despite the fact that Conclave is more focused on building skills of the attending undergraduates, the presence of many successful alumni was not overlooked.  In fact during one of the brother luncheons, the alumni donated upwards of fifteen million dollars to support The Sigma Phi Epsilon Educational Foundation.

Locally, the CA Gamma chapter at the University of California, Santa Barbara shined and surpassed most of the other attending delegations both in numbers and accolades.  CA Gamma had a delegation of 12 undergraduates and alumni attend Conclave.  In addition, during the awards ceremony, the UCSB Sig Eps were awarded the Buchanan Cup, the most prestigious award a Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter can receive. Being only the second BUC Cup ever awarded to CA Gamma (last awarded in 1991), this was a very emotional event for all attending Gauchos.

Conclave 2007 proved to be both an enriching and productive event. Attending brothers formed connections and friendships that will prove valuable later in their lives.  In the words Brother Daryl Lambert of CA Gamma, conclave “was something that every Sig Ep needs to experience in order to fully grasp what it means to be a brother of this fraternity.”