How do I choose the right fraternity for me?

    During rush, the fraternities you visit should be informing you of the benefits of that particular group. All fraternities participate in intramurals; all fraternities have mixers with sororities; all fraternities promote brotherhood in their own ways. As you attend the various rush parties, it is important that you ask questions which concern you: costs, activities, scholarship, etc. If a fraternity talks more about its competitors than itself, be aggressive and ask about that group. Little progress is made in condemning another organization. Perhaps most important, make your decision on your own. Even though your best friend or the group you attended rush parties with has decided on a particular fraternity, you do not have to. Your friends should always be your friends. The choice of fraternity is completely yours. It is a decision you have made for a lifetime. Remember, you are not joining a name or a house, you are joining a group of men.

How much time does a fraternity take?

    Taking part in any activity is purely the decision of the individual. Some are able to participate more than others for a multitude of reasons. Many members hold offices within the fraternity and this, of course, takes time. Being an officer is an excellent opportunity to learn skills one could never learn in the classroom and is beneficial for later life. Having responsibility, working on projects both on the campus and in the community, teaching others social skills, competing in sports, exercising one's right to vote and taking part in an organization---these are all time-consuming activities. Thousands upon thousands of men and women on college campuses do these things every semester, and it is safe to say there are substantial benefits from this involvement. The time fraternity men and women spend participating in constructive activities for their campuses, communities, and chapters is equivalent to the time spent by other students who sit around wasting time doing nothing.

What do fraternities add to a college campus?

     Fraternities on any campus help to give that university an international flavor. For example, the fact that there are hundreds of chapters of Sigma Chi at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada provides a link with those colleges, no matter the size or location, and also links the members of the many chapters together. It certainly is a comfortable feeling for any Sigma Chi to visit another university where Sigma Chi has a chapter and to have an immediate place to go for information or hospitality. After graduation, any Sigma Chi can become part of an alumni group in over 120 locations throughout North America!

How does a man receive an invitation to pledge Sigma Chi?

    Fraternities meet during the rush period to discuss rushees who have attended their parties, much the same as rushees sit with other rushees and discuss the fraternities they have visited. The Jordan Standard is used as a basis for "bidding" men to Sigma Chi. It is important for the prospective pledge to meet members of the various fraternities during rush, so that he can make a mature decision about pledging when the time to choose comes.

What about hazing?

    The Alpha Pi chapter, along with every other chapter of Sigma Chi, is strictly non-hazing. We have all heard on the news about fraternities hazing their pledges. Many of these fraternities cite tradition as justification. The Alpha Pi chapter has long since done away with any practices that could be considered offensive or hazing. Every member of our chapter can honestly attest to enjoying their pledgeship, and some would even be willing to do it again.