Sigma Nu Members Cast a Vision for the Future
Sigma Nu Members Cast a Vision for the Future
Three of Sigma Nu’s members explain what the fraternity means to them and its future.
Sigma Nu hopes to gather “people who want to get more volunteer hours, people who want to get involved more with the W&L community,” said Tyler Bush, ‘26, the president of Sigma Nu’s recently reconstituted Lambda Chapter.
Bush outlined his view of Sigma Nu members: “You’re not only incorporated into the Greek life aspect of campus, but you have to be involved in other places. It bridges people across this gap.”
Bush has helped oversee the fraternity's return to Washington and Lee University. In 2020, Sigma Nu was forced to leave campus due to a lack of membership and conflict within the fraternity. Last year, however, Sigma Nu decided to return to campus and will soon reclaim its original house at 4 Henry Street.
The fraternity was founded in 1869 at VMI, and W&L’s Lambda chapter was founded just over a decade later in 1882. Sigma Nu currently has five members, but they hope to rush incoming freshmen next school year.
“We’re planning to do the exact same as everyone else. We’re gonna have parties … we will have social events, anything that you can expect from a typical fraternity,” Bush explained.
Aidan Kitchen, ‘25, who currently serves as Sigma Nu’s risk reduction chairman, added that “the fraternity was founded on anti-hazing.” He continued, saying that avoiding hazing is “not just a part of this chapter, it’s part of the entire fraternity. It’s ingrained into the way that the fraternity operates.”
Nat Bersett, ‘26, the vice president of Sigma Nu, also discussed the culture that the fraternity hopes to promote. “I was kind of upset with the drug culture at a lot of fraternities, not just the drinking,” he said. He added another benefit of Sigma Nu’s culture, saying that he wanted a fraternity that “also has active philanthropy.”
“We are working to make philanthropy and volunteering a part of the campus community,” Kitchen added. So far, Sigma Nu has worked with Habitat for Humanity as well as other local organizations.
“It’s very hard as an individual to be working with broader fundraising organizations,” Bersett elaborated. “Having an organization where there’s codified steps is really helpful,” he said.
Bersett said that Sigma Nu would be much more affordable than other fraternities, given the way that their budget is structured. “Doing philanthropy helps our budget because fraternities get fined if they don't do philanthropy. We don’t get that fine,” he continued. “We are also working with our housing corp to make housing as affordable as possible,” he added.
Sigma Nu’s members also discussed the availability of leadership positions within the fraternity. “Everyone involved with us has a leadership role,” Bush pointed out. Even for chapters on other campuses, he stated that “almost all of their members have a leadership position.”
Kitchen expressed the same thoughts: "If you’re looking for leadership, if you’re looking to be involved in the community, and if you’re looking to be involved in philanthropy and you want to be involved with something historical, I recommend rushing Sigma Nu.”
When asked what new member education would involve, Bush stated that “It’s pretty much information about the history of Sigma Nu,” to which Bersett added, “It’s learning about how the fraternity was founded and getting to know your fellow members.”
Sigma Nu’s officers described their plans for informal rush next fall. “We’re going to be having a lot of events at the house,” Nat answered. “I’m excited for the culture.” Tyler added that he looked forward to “bringing back some of the old traditions we used to have. We used to have [a party] called Shipwreck which people loved.”
Sigma Nu’s officers argued that shaping the culture of a fraternity is harder than simply writing up a set of rules. “As far as drug culture, that’s harder to codify,” Bersett argued. “It’s more a matter of within the fraternity promoting a drug-free environment. We don’t need [drugs] to be a part of our culture,” he added.
Whether Sigma Nu can succeed in a competitive Greek life environment remains to be seen. However, Bush sees this uncertainty not as an obstacle but an opportunity, saying, “I think the values [of the members] will be a mix. That’s where you get the best group of people. If you have people who all have one set of values, you’re not going to be able to have healthy discussions.” Bush closed by casting a vision for how Sigma Nu will evaluate potential new members. “Let’s learn who you are as a person, not where you come from or how much your family makes.”