EX?

Most people assume that the only "rush" at Harvard occurs in front of the Science Center printers before term papers are due.

After all, the College handbook specifically states that fraternities may not hold social or recruiting events on campus; it is Harvard's downstream neighbors at MIT who have been notorious for their Greek life.

However, in an inconspicuous, newly-sided gray house on Mt. Auburn Street, the Kappa Eta chapter of the International Sigma Chi Fraternity is working to promote brotherhood and community among its members. The chapter, founded in 1989 by a group of Canaday first-years, has grown over the years from four "brothers" to 35, has moved its meetings from dorm rooms to the recently-acquired house and has collected an active alumni association of 160 members.

Members say their group defies many of the stereotypes common to both fraternities and final clubs both in terms of its varied social life, strict policies on underage drinking and strong community service program.

"The fraternity has really enhanced my college experience," Consul Obiora "Bo" Menkiti '99 says. "It encompasses so many different parts of life, dealing with a variety of people. It's the most challenging, most rewarding thing I've done here."

While some of the fraternity's activities have predictably drawn ire from campus administration, the clashes have centered not on the drinking issues that usually plague such groups, but rather over how, or whether, they should be included in the Harvard community.

Community Service?

College administrators perceive Sigma Chi's recent effort to help first-years with move in as part of the group's recruiting efforts--efforts which Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III says are not allowed for groups that are not officially recognized by the College.

"Individual Harvard students as individuals, are...always welcome within the University, but...it was clear that [the students] were there as members of their organization rather than as individuals," said Dean of Freshman Elizabeth S. Nathans, defending her decision to forbid uniformed Sigma Chi members to help with the move-in.

But group members say the drive was not part of the group's efforts to recruit, but rather part of Signa Chi's vaunted community service program, which in 1996, received the Mack J. Davis Award for community service from the city of Cambridge. Sigma Chi has also been recognized by the Cambridge School Volunteers for its efforts.

The chapter's community service activities include tutoring at the Cambridge Ridge and Latin School and staffing the University Lutheran Church homeless shelter, where each "brother" works at least once each semester.

But the College administrators do not consider Sigma Chi a community service organization, and denied the fraternity's bid to join the student activities fair as a service group.

"They are a fraternity...[and] are certainly not a part of Harvard," Epps says.

In recent years, Sigma Chi has had similar trouble when trying to organize its annual fundraiser for the Children's Miracle Network, identified on the group's Web site as the "nationally recommended philanthropy of Sigma Chi."

The fundraiser, called the Miracle Jam, is a concert performed by a capella groups at Harvard. But because Sigma Chi is not an official school group, the event must be sponsored by one of the a capella groups in order for it to rent out Sanders Theatre.

Social Variety

Groups members emphasize that the fraternity's social life does not revolve around house parties and alcohol, pointing to trips into Boston to see the Red Sox or shoot pool, road trips, an annual formal and mixers with local sororities as examples of their varied social itinerary.

"Occassionally, we host parties of our own in the house," Menkiti says. "Each brother is usually allowed to bring a few guests, but we try to keep them low-key."

Epps, who says that he has not met with Sigma Chi representatives in several years, offers a general caution against the excesses of fraternities.

"I would caution students who would participate in their events that fraternities are known for binge drinking and abuse of property," Epps says.

Both Luke A. Sarsfield '95, the chapter advisor, and Menkiti say this image of fraternities, popularized by the media and by recent events at other schools, does not describe Harvard's Sigma Chi chapter.

We're not about drinking or hazing," Sarsfield says. "We have a strict policy against underage drinking; it's against the law and our national guidelines."

While Sigma Chi is similar to final clubs in that they restrict membership at their parties, Menkiti says the group's role is "not to provide alcohol," but rather to "complement the social aspects of Harvard."

A Different Kind of Rush

As with other aspects of the house, Sigma Chi members say their rushes defy conventional stereotypes--starting with the fact that they are alcohol-free as required by national guidelines.

The rush events include an information session at the house and trips to Boston Billiards, the Comedy Connection and the Wonderland Dog Tracks.

"The whole rush process is a selection process," says Rush Chair Andrew Stoll '99. "We want them to see us interacting with each other and we want to get to know them in a social situation."

After the initial rush events, Sigma Chi brothers have one-on-one conversations with rushes to get to know them better. Rushes may also speak to Sigma Chi alumni on the phone or at chapter events.

"It's not like you see in the movies," Stoll says. "It's more of an educational process--we want them to know who we are, how far we've come, and where we're going."

Menkiti says the diversity of the group--which includes officers of Harvard Student Agencies and the South Asian Association, Phillips Brooks House directors and Crimson editors--attests to the group's attempt to select students with a variety of "temperments, talents, and convictions."

"We want to make sure they're not here for some sort of superfluous reason," Menkiti says. "They may have the same vision of us that Dean Epps does; then we don't want them."

While fraternity officers insist that they recruit "only by word of mouth," first-years report that they have been approached by Sigma Chi members in their dorms. Justin C. Denham '02 says that he was given a Sigma Chi information card by several members who came by his Greenough room last week.

Membership in Sigma Chi certainly does not come cheap: Dues are $425 per semester. However, the fraternity helpsstudents who cannot afford the dues to geton-campus jobs or to pay over a period of time.Members can also be sponsored by Sigma Chi alumni.

"No one has ever not joined because theycouldn't pay," Menkiti says.

The dues go towards paying for Sigma Chi socialevents, community service projects, and dues tothe international organization. According toMenkiti, the chapter is closely tied to theInternational Sigma Chi Fraternity and to otherchapters in the area, but that relationship is notthe most important part of the fraternity.

"We've tried to downplay our nationalaffiliation," he says. "We think we're unique, Iguess, like everyone else at Harvard.