Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of California, Berkeley

The Golden Heart CALIFORNIA ALPHA CHAPTER t SIGMA PHI EPSILON t FALL 2018 STRENGTHENED BY SIGEP t 2 CATCHING UP WITH CA ALPHA t 3 CHAPTER REPORT t 2-3 Inside: T here's never been a better time to be a SigEp at UC Berkeley. Howev- er, there's also never been a more treacherous time to be a member of a college fraternity. Fraternity men live in a world in which virtually every move they make is watched or recorded, with actions far less likely to go unnoticed or be forgiven. But Sigma Phi Epsilon, both nationally and in Berkeley, is leading the fight, not only to ensure that our undergraduates are better men for having been SigEps, but also to ensure that the entire fraternity system survives and prospers for coming generations. SigEp was founded on the promise of being "different" from other social fraternities, and we have consistently strived to live up to that aspiration— abandoning membership restrictions based on archaic standards of race, religion and sexual orientation; adopting Balanced Man development pro- grams that eliminated pledge programs and prohibited hazing; and approv- ing landmark legislation last summer that will, when fully implemented, largely remove alcohol from our chapter facilities. This movement toward substance-free living environments is not intended to turn our fraternity into a "temperance society." Alcohol will continue to be served at social gatherings—but alcohol is linked in one way or another to virtually every single death, injury, or other claim made against fraterni- ties, and we simply must delegate this duty, liability, and expense to third parties that are better equipped (and more fully insured) to absorb them. SigEp has been a leader in this movement, but we are not alone. At the end of August, the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), which represents 66 national fraternities, voted overwhelmingly to prohibit hard alcohol from facilities and events. Cal Alpha and every other chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon has amended their bylaws to comply with the new rules. Effective this semester, alcohol is no longer permitted in common areas, although members of lawful drinking age may consume alcoholic beverages in their rooms. In fall 2020, alcohol will be banned from all chapter house facilities. We recognize the transition will not be easy, but SigEp is well positioned to lead this effort in Berkeley. We are currently one of the largest fraternities at Cal, and our members earned one of the highest cumulative GPAs in the Greek system. We have an outstanding and diverse collection of young men who strive not only to be the best fraternity on campus, but also one so good that all of our competitors must emulate Cal Alpha if they wish to survive. HFF, Stephen L. Young '80 AVC Vice President of Housing/Corporate Secretary sly.one@outlook.com SigEp Leading the Movement New Policies Restrict Presence of Alcohol in Fraternities Thank you to those helping us kick-start our new annual giving program! Robert Zeller '48, Gene Prioli '51, Harold Cota '59, and Patrick M. Costanzo Jr. '86. Join today by donating online at sigep.org/chapterscholarships. Please make sure to select "CA Alpha Educational Leadership Fund" or "Choose a Scholarship." CA Alpha wraps up another successful semester at the chapter's year-end ban- quet hosted by San Francisco Creamery.

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