Page 2 - The Illinois Sig - Summer 2012

remarkable collection of people that Sigma way that gets done is to blaze a trail where one
Chi has among its ranks into my life. does not already exist. As Sigma Chi continues
I owe much of who and what I am to the to grow and expand (32% undergraduate
vast collection of people who have all made – membership growth over the last 8 years),
and continue to make – a difference in my life. we have to continue to find new ways to stay
It is because of all of that and more that the old competitive in the fraternity world while
adage of “the more you put in, the more you simultaneously being efficient about the way
get out” continues to ring true for me. that we engage our vast alumni network to
provide a better level of member satisfaction.
Additionally, my single greatest passion is
the complete and total eradication of hazing What do you do for fun?
in any form whatsoever from the Fraternity
experience. In my seven years on our Most of my free time is spent running or
Michael with his brothers and father before his
oldest brothers wedding. Headquarters staff, I have seen the drastic enjoying time with family and friends.
detrimental effect that hazing in any form Chicago is a world-class city with few rivals
their path in life yet is to ask yourself what can have on an individual’s psychological, in terms of the collective culture and vibrant
gives you the most joy and then turn that into emotional, mental and even physical community life and I love to experience all
a career. development more times than I would ever that it has to offer. I’m looking forward to
care to count. becoming an uncle twice this year with both
How did you find out about the opportunity Knowing that the term “pledging” quite of my brothers (sadly, not Sigs) becoming
to work for Sigma Chi? literally comes from the act of a person making fathers in August and October, respectively. I
a pledge to live up to a set of values also helps can’t wait to spoil them rotten and then pass
Briefly after college I had an outside sales job. me understand that the antiquated mentality of them back to their parents to deal with as a
After being employed for about a month, I making pledges “earn it” is starkly divergent small measure of payback for the pains they
was on my door-to-door route one day when I from the intent of the Fraternity experience. I forced on me as the middle child.
got cursed out by the owner of a local business can unequivocally state that it leads directly to
for even attempting to bring him on as a client. a fast and absolute departure from the chapter’s How did your last marathon turn out and
That was enough for me to make the decision ability to understand the value system that how do you train for them?
that I had no interest in pursuing a career fraternities are rooted in. It is my drive and my
where that would happen as a side-effect of mission to create a better Fraternity experience I spent the better part of 2011 logging over 700
my job. I got in my car, called my boss and for all future Sigma Chis to enjoy – one that miles in preparation for the Chicago marathon
told him that I was done. When I got home, our Founders would be proud of. in October 2011. Though I barely missed my
The Magazine of Sigma Chi was waiting goal of finishing in under 4-hours, my efforts in
for me on the counter. I flipped it open and How does each new school semester affect running have changed my outlook on life and
there was a full-page advertisement from the the office and your position? have provided me with a stress release outlet
Headquarters looking for recent graduates to as well as a fun and engaging recreational
fill some openings. Working at an organization like Sigma Chi hobby.
Headquarters can best be described as operating I am
What is it about working for Headquarters inside some level of organized chaos. The planning a few
that keeps you involved? beginning and ending of each school semester half-marathons
usually creates the most amount of that - as our with the intent
I could, and probably should someday, write primary focus as a staff is to service the various to most likely
a novel about this question. I came to our needs of our membership and that variety is run another full
Headquarters staff not really knowing what I most pronounced during those times. With marathon or
wanted to do with my life, mostly aimlessly over 230,000 living alumni and some 16,000 two in 2013.
“
wandering through life undergraduates at any On a beautiful
hoping to find some It is altogether impossible given time, the types of summer day,
“ah-ha!” moment that inquiries and requests there’s no place
provided the clarity I for me to express the we can get on any given I’d rather be
needed to set the course day are impossible to than logging
for the rest of my life. impossibility of fully prepare for. 10+ miles with
What I found The beginning my iPod and
through being a member paying back the debt that and end of each school running shoes. Post Chicago Marathon.
of the Headquarters I owe to Sigma Chi. semester only exacerbate
staff is a true experience that sense of organized For your active brothers, what advice will
of brotherhood on a ” chaos but it’s also the you share about the benefits of fraternity
global scale by establishing close and lasting times when the Headquarters office is the most involvement in the work place?
relationships with many of the Fraternity’s energized and electric.
most prominent volunteers and present and My role as Operations Manager at our The teachings of Sigma Chi should not be
past staff members. Grand Consuls, Grand Headquarters is to set an example for the constrained within a black book or buried and
Praetors, Chapter Advisors, bosses & mentors, expectations that I have of the rest of our staff. only discussed in secret. While our Ritual in
co-workers & employees - I make it a point If the mantra of a not-for-profit organization
to incorporate something from each of the is to “do more with less”, sometimes the only Church, Continued on Page 6
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