Sigma Phi Epsilon - Missouri University of Science & Technology

INSIDE THIS ISSUE SPRING 2025 mo gamma SPRING 2025 ST. PATRICK, who is known for driving the snakes out of Ireland, is always depicted with a staff in his hand—his demon weapon, perhaps? But if one researches Irish history, you find that the shillelagh dates to the 1700s when feuds between Irish factions resulted in fights using hardwood-crafted sticks. Shillelaghs of various sizes were used, including smaller knobbed versions known as cudgels, to settle disputes. THE SHILLELAGH TRADITION at MS&T began in the early 1900s. Students who gathered at the Frisco train depot in 1908 to greet the inaugural arrival of St. Patrick were given shillelaghs. Two years later, in 1910, Shillelagh Day began. On the Sunday before March 17, freshmen were required to search wooded areas and return with the necessary arms for the occasion. That week on campus, the freshmen, acting on behalf of St. Patrick, carried their shillelaghs in case any snakes might "appear." In 1947, the new men of SigEp were just as enthusiastic about participating in the St. Pat's traditions. Freshmen carrying shillelaghs during St. Pat's week continued through the early '70s, as Mike Hurst '74 recalls: "You had to chain and lock them up outside your classroom, or else a board rep would steal it. And if he caught you without it, the penalty could involve being tossed into Schuman Pond!" THE CUDGEL EVOLUTION is not well documented. However, one might guess that somewhere in the late 1960s, an idea must have sprung forth late one night during a St. Pat's Board meeting. "What if we have a competition between organizations on a grand scale?" one board rep suggests. Another chimes in: "Yeah, make them carve a very large and heavy tree to be judged. To get it judged, it has to be carried 10 yards. But not by a group of men. No, no ... by one man! We'll call it a Cudgel Carrying Contest." In 1979, MO Gamma brothers decided to participate in their first St. Pat's Cudgel competition. Stacy Dunn '80 took the lead on the fabrication endeavor. "I don't remember who came up with this idea," Stacy recalls, "but Bob Delp '82 welded a long rod to a drill bit so we could drill a hole all the way through the trunk." Over the course of the next few weeks, they kept a fire burning through the hole both day and night to hollow out the inside. "It was some kind of hardwood tree, and we probably should have burned it out more to make it lighter, but we were on a tight schedule," Dunn explained. The carving process took a number of weeks to complete. "It was done by a number of different guys, but I remember Eddie Basler '82 was very talented and did a lot of the carving," Stacy recalled. Dunn knew it would take a goliath of a man to carry it, but the best man for the job, Randy Ganz '78, had graduated the year before. After some discussions and negotiations, Brother Ganz willingly accepted the challenge. (Continued on page 2) The freshmen class of 1979 on the front steps of the old Chapter House on the corner of 8th and Park Streets. Front row, from left: Rod Brown '72 and Lance Rehm '71. Back row: Bob Meiners '71, Mike Phelan '73, Phil Owens '72, Brian "Batshit" Topping '72, and Steve Thies '72. Randy Ganz '79 and Stacy Dunn '80 proudly display their 1979 award-winning Cudgel. Driving Out the Demons

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