The next session focused on the Meaning of the Insignia, breaking down each element and having discussions led primarily by the undergraduates and facilitated by the faculty members. Critical in this session was a discussion of the ideas that the values and virtues symbolized and how they relate to our lives. Undergraduates were asked to share stories about what values they felt they lived best and which ones they could have improved upon.

Four breakout sessions were held, and each group rotated through them. They included: “Alphabet to Brotherhood,” “It’s More than Robes,” “Build a Ritual T-E-A-M” and “Goal-Setting.” Each session was designed to engage the attendees in a discussion that made them each participant think critically about how our values and virtues are symbolized by our actions or by the things we do.

Before lunch, James Irwin led a discussion that focused on where we are as a Fraternity. When asked what some of the challenges were facing the organization, the undergraduates were quick to reply with many risk-management topics, all addressed by Minerva’s Shield. This session, entitled, “How Can I Warm Thee If My Heart Be Cold,” tied together the values and virtues with how we are living within the Fraternity. Irwin addressed the group and reminded the men that we shouldn’t have these problems—not if we are living our values and virtues and are adhering to the oath that we took as men during our initiation.

Many undergraduates quickly recognized the lack of congruence between what we say we do and what we actually do. One participant remarked, “While we are not all to blame for these problems, we have to do our part to help address them as they occur, if not before.”

When discussing the difference between ceremonies, ritual, and values, an undergraduate commented, “Ceremonies and rituals are just sort of temporary, while our values are something that go with us and something we need to live by … they are lasting.”

The last general session was an “Initiation Deconstruction,” where brothers performed an actual Initiation Ceremony. At certain points, faculty members stopped the ceremony to discuss certain parts and actions, as in a stage performance. Essentially, several parts were translated into more modern language to drive home exactly what we are saying we will strive to follow as men and as members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

The brothers who participated in the Institute received lapel pins in the Tower Room following the “Initiation Deconstruction,” and a closing ceremony and gavel pass concluded the formal part of the weekend in the Panhellenic Room. The weekend ended with dinner and a diploma presentation for attendees in Nippert Hall.

The Ritual of Sigma Alpha Epsilon is more than just a ceremony. It is a set of values and virtues that we willingly choose to follow. We offer our solemn Oath as Men that we will abide by these values and virtues and strive to advance them in our interactions. If we truly live our values and our virtues actively in our daily lives, and we hold ourselves and each other to our solemn Oaths as Men, then we must believe that we will not have as many problems as we have today.

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