Iota Upsilon | Boston University

Sigma Chi (ΣΧ) is one of the largest and oldest all-male, college, Greek-letter social fraternities and a secret society. Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio when members split from the Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity. Sigma Chi has seven founding members: Benjamin Piatt Runkle, Thomas Cowan Bell, William Lewis Lockwood, Isaac M. Jordan, Daniel William Cooper, Franklin Howard Scobey, and James Parks Caldwell. Sigma Chi is a part of the Miami Triad, along with Beta Theta Pi and Phi Delta Theta.

 

Sigma Chi's purpose is to promote the concepts of Friendship, Justice, and Learning; its mission statement is to develop values-based leaders committed to the betterment of character, campus, and community. Sigma Chi's vision statement is "to become the preeminent collegiate leadership development organization—aligned, focused and living our core values".

 

 

The fraternity's official colors are blue and old gold, and its badge is a white cross with emblems on each of its arms: crossed keys on the upper arm, an eagle's head on the right arm, seven gold stars and a pair of clasped hands on the lower arm, and a scroll on the left arm. In the center of the cross, on a black background, are the gold symbols for the Greek letters Sigma (Σ) and Chi (Χ). The left and right arms are connected to the upper arm by gold chains.

 

As a general rule, each undergraduate chapter elects a female associated with the chapter as the chapter sweetheart. At each Grand Chapter, the fraternity chooses a Sweetheart from one chapter to be the International Sweetheart of Sigma Chi for two years. The International Sweetheart Award is presented based on personality, character, campus involvement, Sigma Chi activities, general accomplishments, poise, and grace. Each nominee must be the sweetheart of an undergraduate chapter for the year nominated and a student at the nominating chapter's university.  The first International Sweetheart of Sigma Chi was Barbara Tanner, a sister of Kappa Alpha Theta. The current Sigma Chi International Sweetheart is Alexa Stabler from the University of Alabama.

Some notable Sigma Chi Sweethearts include Judy Garland and Faye Dunaway.

 

The current Sweethearts at the Iota Upsilon Chapter are Annie Thorne '11 and Phoenix Porcelli '11.