Page 1 - The Illinois Sig - Summer 2012

Sigma Chi Fraternity | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Summer 2012
Alumni Relations Office | P.O. Box 80828, Atlanta, Georgia 30366 | www.illinoissigs.org

Alumni Spotlight Member: Michael Church ’05

In This Issue: Editor’s Note: For this edition of The Illinois Sig we’re shining the Spotlight
on Michael Church ’05. Michael is currently the Operations Manager for
Sigma Chi. He has been an asset to us since he graduated, and we are very
Michael Church excited to share what he has been up to. Read on to find out!
Spotlight ......................... 1
President’s Report .......... 1 What brought you to the Kappa also be that way for me. Between
From the Consul ............. 3 Kappa house? John, Mike and Ben – and a host
of other guys in the chapter – I
Spring Recruitment ........ 3 Like many young men who end came to understand what a tight-
Member Spotlight .......... 4 up as a fraternity man, I had no knit group of brotherhood was
Chapter Officers ............. 4 intention of joining a fraternity all about and immediately felt
Fall Football Schedule ... 5 and had never even heard of Sigma comfortable with my decision to At the Constantine Memorial Chapter
Monument in February 2012.
Chi. I rushed a few fraternities in accept my bid.
Alumni News ................. 5 the fall of my freshman year but
Chapter Eternal .............. 6 didn’t feel right about any of them Do you have any stories/fond What type of work did you
and summarily wrote off going memories that you can share? want to do with your Speech
Greek. Communication degree?
During the fall semester, I More than I can count. Probably
became very close with John the most important memory that Honestly, I had no idea at the
Vossoughi ’04 who was a continues to fuel my Sigma Chi time. I went through a roundabout
floormate in Forbes Hall. John fire is the initiation of the ‘06’50 series of different majors because
knew a few guys in the chapter class. Serving as their Magister I couldn’t figure out what I
and convinced me to give Sigma was, and still is, one of the wanted to do with my life. I have
Chi a try. When I went over to the highest honors I’ve ever held in a very altruistic side that I didn’t
chapter for spring 2002 rush, I ran my life. I remember the emotions discover until later and couldn’t
into Mike Elberts ’04 and Ben that they had at that moment pin down when I was in college. I
Mruk ’04 who had graduated and the feeling of pride and knew that it was important to me
from my high school the year optimism I held for each of them to make a difference in the world
ahead of me and were both active about the Sigma Chi experience but I never could quite connect the
in the chapter – Mike as Magister that awaited them. Helping to dots between my course of study
and Ben as Rush Chairman. facilitate an opportunity for and my altruistic nature. The
I had always looked up to young men to better themselves advice I would offer to today’s
Mike, left, with close friend and former Mike and Ben and immediately is not something I took lightly – students who haven’t figured out
staff member and Sig from University
of Oregon, Adam Peterson, post- felt that if Sigma Chi was the I won’t forget what that moment
marathon October 2011. right place for them, it could did for me. Church, Continued on Page 2

President’s Report - Spring 2012 Corp Board is to advise and provide guidance
for the undergrads to achieve success.
By Eric W. Rahn ’75 The Board recently met with next year’s
y most measures, anew with challenges for the undergraduates newly elected leaders to discuss plans for the
Bthe undergraduate and their leaders. This may sound like a broken 2012-2013 school year. Several of last year’s
chapter had a very record, but one of the biggest challenges facing leaders were also in attendance. The house
successful 2011-2012 the chapter is continuity and sustainability. was full this past year and the undergrads
year! The Kappa Kappa For the most part, undergrads now only live expect to have 68 to 70 living in when the
Corporation (“KKC”) Board (“Board”) has in the house their sophomore and junior years. house opens in August. As board members,
added several new young directors and seeks This means the primary officers for the fall we have encouraged the undergrads to focus
to add additional qualified directors. And semester are being elected in the spring of heavily on scholarship, rushing and their
despite ongoing challenges, the finances of their sophomore year when they have not had pledge program. Progress was made in all
both the undergraduate chapter and KKC are a great deal of opportunity to serve in other areas this past year. As we go to press, we still
in good shape. offices and grow in wisdom and experience.
Despite the past success, each year starts One of the primary goals of the Kappa Kappa President, Continued on Page 6