Sigma Nu

Sigma Nu
ΣN
Abbreviation:	Sigma Nu
Org Founded:	1869 at Virginia Military Institute
CU Chapter:	Delta Gamma
Chapter Established:	1908
Motto:	"Love, Honor, Truth"
Symbol(s):
House:	556 W. 113th
Recognition:	IFC
Contact:	tfe2102@columbia.edu

Sigma Nu is a social, values-based fraternity that was founded at the Virginia Military Institute in 1869 and established at Columbia in 1908 as the Delta Gamma chapter. Sigma Nu's brownstone is located at 556 West 113th Street (between Amsterdam and Broadway), close to McBain and across the street from Watt. The chapter boasts a highly diverse membership of 55 brothers as of fall 2013, and has initiated nearly 1,200 Columbia men throughout its storied history on campus.

Fraternity members are involved in a wide variety of academic, extracurricular, pre-professional, and athletic communities at CU, with brothers serving as leaders in dozens of Columbia student groups. One of Sigma Nu's primary ambitions is the expansion of Greek Life's mandate beyond just social and philanthropy events (although the chapter certainly remains committed to both). Towards that end, the fraternity has organized a number of unique campus initiatives, including partnerships with start-ups interested in launching at CU, a business speaker series, the Columbia Sigma Nu Historical Initiative, and cooperative campus programming with student groups such as the Columbia Iranian Students Association, Orchesis, GlobeMed, Quarto, CUSH, and Youth for Debate.

In addition to its characteristic focus on broadening fraternity activity, Sigma Nu has a rapport for staying true to the core fraternal values of brotherhood and brother development. The fraternity supports meaningful brotherhood bonding through activities including camping, sports games attendance, and bowling, as well as the personal growth of its brothers through participation in workshops, study sessions, and professional networking events.

They have a shiny new website that you can view here

Awards

Sigma Nu is in an exciting period of success and rapid growth. In recognition of its tremendous progress, Columbia's Sigma Nu chapter was recently recognized the following rewards:

National Awards

• Excellence in Personal Values & Brotherhood Development
• 25% Increase in Manpower
• Most Improved Chapter
• Excellence in Values-Based Leadership

Campus Awards

• Service Award
• Philanthropy Award
• Campus Involvement Award
• Outstanding President Award

Notable Past Awards

• 2009, Most Outstanding Chapter in the Columbia Fraternal system
• 2009, Sigma Nu earned several awards for the outstanding size of their recruiting class.
• 2010, Again named Most Outstanding Chapter

Community Service & Programmed Events

The chapter has raised about $13,000 each year for the past two years for philanthropic causes. In addition, on average, each brother has donated about 30 hours per year to community service through Sigma Nu. Aside from its philanthropy events, Sigma Nu hosts a wide variety of programming meant to develop brothers, meaningful engage student communities, and build Columbia pride.

2012 - 2013 Events

• Community Soup Kitchen Project
• Weekly One to One Tutoring
• John Jay RHLO Carnival Event
• Columbia Community Outreach Karaoke Night Fundraiser
• Business Speaker Event (Financial Services)
• Business Speaker Event (Entrepreneurship)
• 113th Street Block Party Fundraiser
• Business Speaker Event (New Media)
• Columbia History Speaker Event (Lehman Library Curator)
• Sigma Nu 113th Street Community Garden Halloween
• GlobeMed Trivia Night Fundraiser (fall and spring)
• Columbia University Society of Hip Hop Rap Cypher ( fall and spring)
• Quarto Open Mic Night: Bros, Brose, and Broetry:
• CCO and Youth for Debate Karaoke fundraiser
• Columbia Community Outreach
• Re-Humanize Female Empowerment Art Expo
• Camp Kesem Fundraiser

2011 - 2012 Events

• Two CEO's Unplugged Event
• Columbia Sigma Nu Historical Initiative
• DoUDeal Greek Entrepreneurship Event
• Whoot Launch
• Orchesis Night of Dance
• Participation in Mr. Fraternity and the SDT Talent Show
• Persian Culture Night
• Pencils of Promise Campus Campaign
• Take Back the Night
• Youth for Debate Karaoke Night
• GlobeMed Trivia Night
• McNally Plaza Park Clean Up
• Safe Horizon Anti-Domestic Violence Bracelet Sale
• Day of Service (Gandhi Day)
• Columbia World Cup
• Columbia Community Outreach
• Project HAPPY Fundraiser and Coaching
• American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life
• Social events of note (yearly): Highlighter Party, White Party, fall and spring formals, mixers

2010 - 2011 Events

• Gift Of Life Foundation Bone Marrow Drive
• GrowNYC Stop ‘N’ Swap
• Youth for Debate Karaoke Night Fundraiser
• Columbia Community Outreach
• Columbia/Barnard Hillel Bone Marrow Drive
• Spring Clothing Exchange
• American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life
• Project HAPPY Fundraiser and Coaching

Brotherhood Information

Current Membership: 55 brothers as of fall 2013

Membership Restrictions: None; not affiliated with any special interest, ethnicity, athletic team, etc

Historic Membership: ~1200 initiated chapter brothers

Diversity

Sigma Nu is represented across GS, CC, and SEAS; brothers are majoring in a wide range of disciplines.

• African American: 13%
• Latino: 7%
• Asian American: 20%
• Middle Eastern American: 2%

Leadership

• President: Tom Elustondo
• Vice-President: Shawn Patel
• Treasurer: Jon Paul
• Secretary: Daniel Shi
• Candidate Education Chairman: Luke Nichols
• Recruitment Chairman: Tom Reidy
• Social Chairman: Emilio Fajardo
• Philanthropy Chairman: Bishoy Ameen
• Faculty Adviser: Eric Wakin '88CC, Lehman Curator for American History & Curator of Manuscripts (Sigma Nu Class of 1988)

Campus leadership positions held by brothers

(current or in past academic year) President/Publisher of the Columbia Daily Spectator, President of Inter-Fraternity Council, Vice President of Inter-Fraternity Council, Columbia College Student Council Vice President of Funding, Ivy Council Vice President, President of Club Tennis, Vice President of Youth for Debate, President of Columbia Undergraduate Energy Club, Vice President of Inter-Fraternity Council, Philanthropy Chair of the Inter-Greek Council, Treasurer of the Columbia International Relations Forum, Fencing Team Captain, Swimming & Diving Team Captains, President of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, Vice President of Jiu Jitsu Club, Chief Development Officer for Spectator, Chief Marketiing Officer for Spectator, Co-President of Columbia UNICEF, Co-founder of Columbia Wieghtlifting Society, Columbia Community Outreach Projects Committee Chair, radio programmer at WKCR, Raw Elementz Executive Board Member, music premiered by CU Jazz Composers Collective, HEAL teacher, Moneythink teacher, Club Volleyball Vice Presidents, Rugby Team Executive Board, CU Records President and Vice President, Vice President of Columbia Financial Investment Group

What brothers did during summer 2013

Citi Investment Banking, Raine Group Investment Banking, BofA ML Sales & Trading, Citi Sales & Trading, Hoolihan Lokey Investment Banking, Goldman Sachs Sales & Trading, Hermes Investment Banking, Bickle & Brewer Law intern, several researchers at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Troposphere energy finance, The Aspen Institute Think tank, Massey Knakal real estate, Pulse Start-Up Advisory, cancer research at the Florida A&M School of Pharmacy, pursued Morningsiders student band, KMH Financial Services financial advisory, started the company "Lion Textbooks," Kenneth Cole Fellowship philanthropy program, Center for American Progress, Columbia University financial division, Buzzback market research, Genetech Fellow in Columbia Undergrad Research science program, wealth management at National Securities Corporation, Research Assistant at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Architecture for Humanity, 2D Electronics Research at Columbia, management intern at Sony, Warby Parker business intern, Arrhythmia Associates cardiologist practice, and more.

Major Ongoing Projects

In addition to the fraternity's social, philanthropy, professional, and member development events, Sigma Nu is pursuing several long-term initiatives.

Home Renovation

The fraternity began a major home renovation campaign in spring 2012, with a projected completion date in late fall 2012.

Historical Initiative

In summer 2012, Sigma Nu began collecting Columbia-related historical items and will be displaying them in its brownstone for all to enjoy beginning in fall 2012. The fraternity will continue its collection and is planning to host a lecture series on Columbia's history in its brownstone.

Highlights include:

• Harper's New Monthly Feature, "Columbia College," from Nov. 1884 (original); details College history during and after American Revolution

• American Magazine Feature, "The New Columbia," from 1897 (original); details the move of the College uptown, with engravings of early Low, Havemeyer, and the Boat House

• Announcement of the Construction of Earl Hall, from 1902 (original); small poster marking the occasion with congratulations and information

• Harper's Weekly Engraving of Madison Ave & School of Mines Campus, from 1885 (original); full page etching of Columbia before the move uptown

Trivia

• It is widely rumored that Julia Stiles once spent the night in Room 33.
• The goal post from the streak-snapping Columbia-Princeton football game, from 1988, where the Columbia Lions came out victorious over the Princeton Tigers 17-14, resides in the backyard.
• In the 80s and earlier the poorly insulated kitchen was actually a poorly insulated single - for this reason it was known as the "cheese locker".
• In 1984, when Bozo the Clown pretended to run for president to raise opposition to the incumbent Reagan he gave a well received speech at Columbia University. His 'Body Guards' were all Sigma Nu brothers (dressed in suits, sun glasses, and round red noses), as some brothers at the time were members of a band called 'The Nasty Bozos'.
• Early 1960's: A Sigma Nu scales Penn football stadium during sold out game in order to openly snatch the high-flying Penn flag. He then dropped it down to a group of waiting Columbia students below, and the flag made its way back to NYC. It is believed that the band kept it.
• a b@b meme is "SHUT THE FUCK UP SIGMA NU!"

External Links

• Sigma Nu national website

• Columbia Sigma Nu chapter website

• Columbia chapter Twitter handle

• Facebook Page