“No lapse of time, or distance of place can lessen the brotherhood of those who are truly persuaded of each other’s worth.”
SigEp’s Dominance
Sigma Phi Epsilon is Georgetown’s first and only social fraternity. As the nation’s largest social fraternity with over 14,400 undergraduate members, and more than 150,000 living alumni, the DC Gamma chapter at Georgetown University boasts more than 70 current brothers. Sigma Phi Epsilon was founded at Richmond College (now the University of Richmond) in 1901 on the Cardinal Principles of Virtue, Diligence, and Brotherly Love. These principles live on to today at more than 260 campuses across the United States.
Personal Development
As a non-pledging, non-hazing fraternity, SigEp instead focuses on the development of a healthy lifestyle with an emphasis on developing a sound mind and a sound body, the key to a truly balanced lifestyle. Through our innovative and masterfully designed Balanced Man Program, a four-year continuous member development regimen, the brothers of DC Gamma are challenged to constantly live outside their comfort zones by stepping back from the traditional college experience and striving each day of every week to become better men. We believe that too many undergraduates at Georgetown live life from extreme to extreme, ignoring the importance of what classic philosophers would call moderation. In SigEp, we challenge ourselves to attain moderation, balance, and excellence in everything that we do; and most importantly we do it with the help of other brothers. The college experience is a once in a lifetime chance to seize everyday and make it unforgettable. Georgetown SigEp helps you to accomplish just that and so much more.
Meaningful Relationships
Perhaps even more important than our outlooks on college life spent on the hilltop, the brothers of SigEp have a unique opportunity to develop meaningful, lasting friendships. The brotherhood that is developed through participation in our programming, community service, and personal development events is unparalleled on Georgetown’s campus. Georgetown students have a tendency to become over-involved in activities outside the classroom. As a result, undergraduates miss the opportunity to truly engage one another on a deeper level. We do this through semesterly off-campus retreats, intramural sports, and engagement with both the Georgetown and broader DC community.
SigEp is a one-stop-shop for community service activities, involvement in athletics through successful intramural teams, development of valuable leadership skills, and different and innovative programming. So you might ask, what is it then that we all have in common, what holds all the brothers together? It is our shared commitment to excellence in everything that we do. It is striving diligently for balance and virtue in our lives, and recognizing the value in that pursuit.
The Creed of Sigma Phi Epsilon
I believe in the American college fraternity. I believe in Sigma Phi Epsilon. I believe in this Fraternity because it would have me strive in every way to live up to the high principles for which it stands. These are VIRTUE, DILIGENCE, AND BROTHERLY LOVE.
I believe that the word Virtue is an inclusive term; that it is not enough that I be merely passively virtuous: I must be positive on virtue's behalf. Therefore, I will stand aggressively for honesty in all walks of life, and I will speak cleanly, play cleanly and live cleanly. Whenever I can, I will oppose lawlessness and vice.
I believe that unless I succeed in being Diligent, I cannot be a good fraternity member. Believing that my fraternity can be no greater than any of its members, I shall strive to make it so high and so worthy that men will consider it an honor and privilege to belong to it and will strive to be admitted to it. I will not offer concessions to an individual to secure his affiliation, for thus making the man more note worthy then the Fraternity and hence only succeeds in lowering it in his estimation as well as mine.
I believe that Brotherly Love must be given in order to be received, and that it cannot exist without triumph of the principles of Virtue and Diligence, for these are essential parts of it.
I believe that a man will be made better for having been a member of my Fraternity. I know that I cannot expect the neophyte to be a finished product. Rather I will try to discover whether or not the environment and contact with men of high ideals will make of him a good fraternity man.
I believe that as a good fraternity member I must share a rich kinship of spirit with my brothers. Yet I realize that the members must be men of diversified abilities and talents. Among them are to be found the scholar, the athlete, the builder and craftsman. The good fraternity member must be par excellent in manhood.
I believe that to be a good member I must be loyal to my Fraternity. In order to be loyal to it, I must love it. In order to love it, I must strive constantly to make it worthy of my love. To be loyal to my Fraternity, I must gain a knowledge of it so that I may understand it. I have an obligation to understand what brotherhood means.
I believe that in any organized society group rights and privileges are based on individual rights and privileges; that in my fraternity I possess the same rights and privileges and have the same duties as my fellow members. Therefore, I shall at all times respect duly the rights of others.
I believe that obedience to the laws of my community and my country is essential to good citizenship; that the laws and rules of my Fraternity and my chapter are intended to regulate the actions of its members, one with another, and that without fidelity to those laws and rules I cannot be a good citizen and a worthy member of Sigma Phi Epsilon.
I believe I should be generous with the faults of a brother, as I should wish him to be with mine.
Oscar E. Draper
Grand President, 1928-1929