Realbruins

Thursday, May 28, 1998

Realbruins

FRATERNITY: For these Greeks, membership in a fraternity means
making friends; the brothers bond as they get involved in the
house, campus events

By Frances Lee

Daily Bruin Senior Staff

It’s about the little things: Five guys will help you put on a
tuxedo. There’s always someone to play foosball with you. Watching
"Beverly Hills, 90210" by yourself – especially in a house full of
men – just wouldn’t be the same.

Sure, the living quarters at Sigma Phi Epsilon are a bit
cramped, and maybe the food isn’t that great, but these "little
things" seem to add up.

"It’s a unique experience" to live in a fraternity house, says
B.J. Lowder, a fourth-year history student.

Laughing, he adds, "It’s kind of like a sleepover … There’s a
lot of camaraderie, (and) a lot of bonding. When I’m done and gone
(from UCLA), I won’t have 80 friends I can hang out with. I’m
enjoying it while I can."

To the 80 men of Sigma Phi Epsilon, 42 of whom live in the house
on Fraternity Row, the little things make it all worthwhile –
bonding, hanging out and the big screen TV with the satellite
hook-up.

Not that many Sig Eps have time to watch TV.

Aside from being members of a fraternity, they are, first and
foremost, UCLA students. Many of them work part-time while juggling
classes and fraternity duties, and it seems almost everyone is
involved with one or more of the various intramural sports that Sig
Ep participates in – a key incentive for many to join.

This is a boys’ club, a man’s world; the house is definitely a
guy’s place: The TV dominates one wall of the chapter room,
surrounded by trophy cases boasting of Sig Ep’s athletic, creative
and academic achievements – 1996 IM Softball Champions, 1990 Spring
Sing Best Production, 1997 Chi Omega Tug of War Champs.

A large statue of Scooby Doo crowns the TV. There’s a pool room,
and right outside is a foosball table that has spawned a number of
friendly rivalries. A slightly dilapidated basketball hoop hangs in
the backyard; a brand new barbecue makes the fraternity’s Thursday
night dinners much better. Dave Matthews is king.

There’s always something to do and someone to do it with,
especially for the live-ins. But by no means is this a
"cookie-cutter fraternity," said Grant Frankel, a second-year
undeclared student who pledged Sig Ep during his freshman year.

In fact, the members of Sig Ep pride themselves on being one of
the most diverse houses on Fraternity Row. While some fraternities
are unofficially dubbed the "jock house" or the "surfer frat," Sig
Ep President Bryan Hamblin notes that "we’re extremely diverse
(compared to other houses), both ethnically and in our interests. I
don’t think we have a label, and that’s good."

Hamblin, a third-year student, is happy that people simply
perceive Sig Ep as "a nice place to hang out, a house where there
are nice guys."

Oddly enough, Hamblin had no intention of joining a fraternity
when he came to UCLA. But now, he can’t imagine his life without
Sig Ep, nor does he feel he can live anywhere else after having
spent two years living in the same room at the house.

"There’s always people around; I like to drop by the rooms.
There’s always something to do," Hamblin said.

Hamblin hails from Danville, in Northern California, and doesn’t
get a chance to go home as often as he’d like. For him – and for
many others at the fraternity who live up north or out of state –
Sig Ep serves as a surrogate family, especially during holidays
such as Mother’s Day, or long weekends.

"People use the term ‘brotherhood.’ … It’s a feeling of
knowing that at any place and time, someone will be there for you.
Some will say it’s cheesy and corny, but I’ve seen it," Hamblin
said.

During his years at the fraternity, Hamblin has seen guys come
together to help out a brother with financial difficulties, or
supporting someone who had a death in the family.

"It’s a bond (that’s) different from anything else," he said.
"If you don’t have that, it’s just a social club."

Being president is the highlight of Hamblin’s three years at Sig
Ep. As a business and economics student, being in charge of his
fraternity – which operates as a small business – seems to be right
up his alley. He manages budgets, bills and myriad presidential
duties, such as making sure everyone is informed of activities and
delegating responsibility for dinners, charity events and the
all-important social activity – parties.

"We’re not kidding anybody. We like to party and have a good
time," Hamblin said. However, he and many other fraternity members
stressed that Animal House stereotypes are a thing of the past. The
Interfraternity Council and GAMMA, (Greeks Advocating Mature
Management of Alcohol) regulate parties to make sure fraternities
follow the rules. Actions – such as the threat of being put on
social probation – keeps the Greek system on its toes.

Tonight, Sig Ep is hosting Freezer, their biggest party of the
year. Over a week’s worth of preparation has gone into transforming
the house into a quasi-ice cave, and if past Freezers are any
indication, Sig Ep expects between 300 and 400 people to
attend.

But, Hamblin stressed, fraternity life is not all about the
parties. (He even apologized for the lack of activity at the
house.) It’s more about sitting around and shooting the breeze, or
pulling practical jokes on each other, or drinking 40s and playing
drunken softball on Sunday mornings. In short – just having
fun.

Like Hamblin, B.J. Lowder did not come to UCLA thinking he’d
join a fraternity. Sig Ep’s Balanced Man Scholarship, for which
Lowder was a finalist, introduced him to the house and its
members.

"I’ve made a lot of friends I’ll have for life," Lowder said.
"It’s unfair that people stereotype (the Greek system) without
giving it a chance."

A transfer student from Sierra College in Sacramento, Lowder,
24, calls himself the "old man." Perhaps living in a small room –
in a house with 41 younger guys – may not seem like the ideal
situation. But for Lowder, who works three days a week, living in
makes him feel like he’s part of the fraternity, even if he doesn’t
spend as much time there as he’d like.

There are some disadvantages – "it gets loud during parties
sometimes," he said – but most of the time, he’s having too much
fun with his fraternity brothers. Fortunately for Lowder, he’s a
heavy sleeper.

"Some of the best bonding experiences you’ll have (are when)
five of you are procrastinating studying and you end up talking,
having random conversations," he said.

"The parties are fun, but it’s when there are no girls around,
your guard is down and you’re not trying to impress anybody …"
Those, according to Lowder, are some of the best moments.

Because of his job and school, Lowder only goes home about once
a quarter. So for Lowder, as with Hamblin, the house on Gayley
Avenue is home away from home.

But even without his fraternity obligations, Lowder has plenty
to keep him occupied. Currently, he is working on Matt Fong’s
senatorial campaign. Before transferring to UCLA in fall of 1996,
Lowder also spent a year and a half working in Gov. Pete Wilson’s
Sacramento office, first as an intern and eventually working his
way up to controller.

The fourth-year history student has his own political
aspirations and plans to go to law school after graduating from
UCLA next year.

But he has more immediate concerns. After playing in the Sig Ep
vs. Sigma Pi softball game this afternoon, Lowder will be going
back to work at 8:30 p.m. for a political fund-raiser. Then he’ll
come back, and maybe play a little Nintendo or study with a friend.
But in all likelihood, he’ll probably go to bed – even if it is a
little noisy.

They told him he’d get out of the fraternity what he put into
it. Peter Abbott, a second-year undeclared student, found that out
quickly enough.

So he became involved, choosing to live in the house after his
pledge quarter. This year, he is vice president of recruitment, and
Abbott works closely with the pledges. He also plays lacrosse and
other sports with the fraternity.

Living in the house can have its disadvantages.

"It impedes studying a bit, and you maybe party more than
normal, but if you’ve got your head screwed on straight, you’re
OK," Abbott said.

Abbott mentioned the guys in the house with the 3.95 GPAs, the
ones who were going on to law school and medical school after
graduation.

"The majority isn’t drunken guys," he said.

Abbott probably couldn’t afford to be a "drunken guy." As early
as 4:00 a.m., Abbott may be awake – not necessarily because he
wants to be up at that hour, but because his Navy ROTC obligation
demands it.

What bothers Abbott and the other members of the fraternity,
especially those who put in as much time and effort into the
organization as Abbott does, are the stereotypes people have about
the Greek system.

"A lot of people say you’re buying your friends," he said. But,
Abbott noted, that isn’t true.

"You can’t have a group of 80 people be your best friends," he
said. "But the majority of them you know and care about, and you
make friendships that will last through your whole life."

Taped by the door of Room 31 is an overdue bill from Men’s
Health magazine, addressed to Austin Powers in the Shag Suite.
Chris Ruhe, a fourth-year communication studies and economics
student, lives in this third-floor room, which is papered with
Sizzler menus that were "collected" from various Sizzler
restaurants. For Ruhe, being in Sig Ep for the past three years has
been a good experience overall.

"People think we’re a bunch of racists and bigots. But we’re
just a group of guys who like to have a good time in college," Ruhe
said.

With 42 guys living under one roof, three community bathrooms
and a cook named Marta, it seems like the men of Sig Ep can’t help
but have a good time.

Photos by MICHAEL ROSS WACHT/Daily Bruin

The brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon take a break while setting up
for their annual Freezer Party, where they fill the house up with
foam and decorate the walls like an ice castle.

(Top) Ryan Casey (left) and Rob Barnes put together the new
barbeque which was donated by Barnes’ parents.

(Above) Kevin Roughen flips burgers for dinner on the front deck
as some of the other brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon look on.

(Right) Mark Belknap (left) and Rory Schermerhorn take a break
to read mail after a day of school.

GENEVIEVE LIANG/Daily Bruin

Kevin Roughen flips burgers for dinner on the front deck as the
some of the other brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon look on.

GENEVIEVE LIANG/Daily Bruin

Mark Belknap and Rory Schermerhorn take a break to read mail
after a day of school.

MICHAEL ROSS WACHT/Daily Bruin

Part of living in the frat requires shared cleaning
responsibilities.