For release: September 7, 2011
For press information, contact Zak White, 901-340-2430

The University of Memphis recently was named one of Sigma Phi Epsilon’s best chapters in the nation and recognized with the coveted Buchanan Cup. The Buchanan Cup, an award for outstanding chapter performance, is named after the fraternity’s former grand president, Edwin Buchanan. It is awarded every two years for chapters excelling in all areas of operations and leadership, including volunteer support, recruitment, member development, academics, fiscal health and faculty engagement.

This marks the fourth time the U of M chapter has won the Buc Cup. For the rigorous application process, the chapter noted a number of efforts designed to make it a high performing chapter among the 240 SigEp chapters across the country. Each semester the SigEp chapter at Memphis hosts a philanthropy to support several charities. Around Halloween members host a “haunted house” along with sororities on campus and is open to the general public at their fraternity house at 3586 Midland Ave. Through a combination of community sponsorships, sorority donations, and general admission tickets, SigEp is consistently able to raise more than $5,000 for YouthAids, its national philanthropy.

 During the spring semester, the chapter hosts “Skate for a Cure” at the East End Skate Center, with all proceeds donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The Buchanan Cup selection also is based on grades. Sigma Phi Epsilon recently held the highest among all Greeks in the spring 2011 semester with a 3.23 cumulative GPA. SigEp also excels in the area of campus leadership, with multiple Frosh Camp counselors and SGA members in addition to other organizations.

“At the University of Memphis we are very proud to be able to claim our third consecutive Buchanan Cup,” said Zak White, the chapter’s Balanced Man Scholarship director. “This honor is a testament to all the hard work that our members past and present have exercised in order to maintain the Balanced Man ideals of sound mind and sound body.”

Sigma Phi Epsilon, established in 1901, is one of the nation’s largest fraternities, with more than 15,000 undergraduates on 240 campuses across the United States. Its mission is building balanced men, which is achieved through a continuous member development program that has contributed to a fraternity-wide GPA of over 3.0, a focus on the principles of sound mind and sound body, and service learning efforts that allow members to develop leadership skills while giving back to the community.