Here you will find stories showcasing our chapter, current news, and updates about our Fraternity, our brothers and our many supporters.
The SigEp Journal, the official magazine of the Fraternity, is a biannual print publication and serves as the online source for features stories, chapter news, alumni & volunteer news, commentary and more. View the SigEp Journal Archive.
Growing up in Indiana, Mike McLain faced the loss of his father at age nine. Aspiring to become an aerospace engineer, he considered Purdue, Georgia Tech, and the University of Colorado. Ultimately, Colorado made an offer he couldn’t refuse—and looking back, he was grateful not to have attended Purdue, which was too close to home. Determined and self-funded, he arrived in Boulder before school started to begin a job and participate in fraternity rush.
With both parents having been part of the Greek system at Indiana University, his mother offered simple but lasting advice: “Find the right group—and make friends for life.”
He visited many strong chapters on campus, but what stood out about SigEp at Colorado was its diversity. The chapter included brothers from all over the country, studying a wide range of subjects. As someone who didn’t know a single person on campus, he quickly found community with 23 other new members—from California to New York, via Minnesota, Texas, Illinois, Kansas, Colorado, Idaho, and even Hawaii. His dorm roommate joined SigEp later that spring, and three of them ended up pursuing aerospace engineering together. The bond they formed remains strong to this day.
“Friends” hardly describes what it meant to instantly gain a family of nearly 100 brothers. Many were planning for medical, law, or business school; others pursued engineering, education, or service. One brother—Roger Burdick, just a year ahead—would go on to serve twice as Chief Justice of the Idaho Supreme Court. His fellow aerospace classmates went on to earn PhDs, while he built a career in the business world. Others became doctors, attorneys, and leaders in their fields. It was a diverse and driven group, united by shared values and mutual support.
In 2001, he organized a large reunion that brought together over 75 brothers. More recently, in 2025, a smaller group of 10 gathered again. Reflecting on 60 years of brotherhood, he now realizes that his mother was only partially right—it wasn’t just “friends for life,” it was truly “brothers for life.” That bond has remained, and as they approach their 80s, those memories and relationships have grown even more meaningful.
He welcomes the chance to speak with any young man considering SigEp at Colorado. A long career in the telecommunications industry taught him to always keep the phone on.
His final thought: While fraternities may have changed over the years, the ideals of SigEp—brotherhood, service, and personal growth—remain just as relevant. “To me, SigEp was a brotherhood of gentlemen committed to each other and to making the world a better place. I believe those ideals still live on today.”
On Nov. 1, 2026, as we mark the 125th anniversary of Sigma Phi Epsilon, we’ll celebrate our beloved Fraternity’s QUASQUICENTENNIAL (pronounced “kwahs-kwee-cen-ten-ni-al” — say that three times fast!).
As we approach this milestone, it's important to recall our origins. Founding Father Carter Ashton Jenkins, Richmond 1901, promised officials at Richmond College, “This Fraternity will be different.” It is a commitment each of us promised to uphold when we became SigEps.
Such occasions in the life of an organization are an opportunity to take stock of where we've been and to look to where we might want to go. As such, SigEp’s 125th Anniversary Task Force is set on doing a bit of both — and hopes most of that will occur at the chapter level.
Plans include a “Chapter Challenge,” which will encourage chapters to host an event or initiate a project to celebrate the 125th in a local way. The idea is for chapters to not only pay homage to our national history, but to their chapter history as well. Brothers will be challenged to think about what they’re going to do to observe this occasion individually and with their chapters and alumni and volunteer corporations. More details on this challenge will follow in the task force’s chapter communications.
Additionally, the task force plans to share posts highlighting historical facts and mini milestones about our Fraternity via SigEp’s various social media outlets.
For over a century, SigEp has been a vital resource for personal growth and lifelong friendship for men around the country. Now is a great time to reflect on our Fraternity’s impact — both nationally and locally — and start making a plan to celebrate our amazing brotherhood with your chapter.
Plans to celebrate our quasquicentennial began in 2019 when Past Grand President Chris Bittman, Colorado ’85, tapped Brother Joe Langella, Connecticut ’83, to chair our 125th Anniversary Task Force.
Due to the pandemic, the task force got off to a slow start, but has picked up momentum as 2026 quickly approaches. In addition to Bittman and Langella, the other dedicated and distinguished alumni on the 125th Anniversary Task Force include Conrad Eberstein, Pennsylvania ’65 (Order of the Golden Heart); Jeff Gates, Wichita State ’89; Garry Kief, Southern California ’70 (Past Grand President, Order of the Golden Heart); Dave McLaughlin, Minnesota ’92; Chris Minnis, Truman State ’00; Trent Patterson, Wichita State ’10; Shawn Sedlacek, Southern California ’93; Steve Shanklin, Murray State ’70 (Past Grand President, Order of the Golden Heart); Kyle Sutton, Cincinnati ’12; Jacques Vauclain, Davidson ’90; and Archie Yeatts, Richmond ’64 (Past Grand President, Order of the Golden Heart).
Legacies are built — sometimes with fanfare, but more often in the quiet, everyday moments that define meaningful relationships. Brother Kent B. Hickman, Colorado ’61, was the kind of man who put his brotherly love into action by investing in the young men around him.
For decades, he diligently built mentor relationships at Colorado Alpha and with chapters in his hometown of Washington, D.C., while always shying away from the spotlight. Even when SigEp sought to recognize the legacy he was clearly building through his significant financial investment, Hickman pushed the attention to SigEp’s future leaders.
Brother Hickman was set on ensuring SigEp would continue to invest in developing new chapter leaders long after he could personally mentor young men.
In 2018, Hickman formalized his commitment to the kind of support he’d long been providing for chapter leaders by joining the SigEp Legacy Society.
His estate plans generously included funding for two endowments designed to continue support for young men aspiring to lead their chapters:
Colorado Alpha Kent Hickman Scholarship Endowment, with a designation of $50,000 from his estate to support Colorado Alpha brothers attending national leadership programs like Grand Chapter Conclave and Carlson Leadership Academy.
Kent B. Hickman Rising Leaders Endowment, with a designation of $600,000 for an endowment that helps future leaders at Colorado Alpha, D.C. chapters and other chapters across the country attend Carlson before running for executive board positions.
After his passing in 2023, SigEp learned that Hickman’s generosity went even further. True to the selflessness that defined his life, Hickman’s estate included funding not only for his planned endowments, but also a percentage of the remainder of his estate, ultimately bringing his total bequest to nearly $1,200,000.
Hickman’s total bequest is among the largest posthumous estate gifts the Fraternity has received. Through Hickman’s thoughtful planning and foresight, he will continue to transform lives for generations to come.
His benevolence speaks to the charitable nature of Brother Hickman, who dedicated his life to serving humanity. His professional work through the United States Agency for International Development and his volunteerism through SigEp will continue to make a difference for years to come. He believed in the power of investing in young leaders as a way to give back for both the practical and intangible benefits SigEp gave him.
In 2014, Hickman emphasized SigEp’s impact on his life: “Throughout my career, I have constantly related my success and advancement to the skills I obtained and experiences I encountered while serving my Fraternity.”
His legacy lives on in the men whose lives he changed and the chapters they continue to lead and serve. He believed that early investment in undergraduate brothers would yield strong chapters with an engaged alumni base who will continue investing in generations of young men to come. His belief has been proven true.
Several brothers shared how they have been impacted by Kent Hickman’s mentorship and generosity:
“As an undergraduate, Brother Hickman’s support to attend Carlson acted as a charge for me to take it upon myself to do something more than just participate. I serve SigEp as a volunteer to pay forward the generosity Brother Hickman once showed me.” — Dan Alt, American ’12
“I want to sincerely thank Mr. Hickman for the opportunity to attend the 2019 Carlson Leadership Academy. I’ve had the chance to work a lot with my executive board and understand the inner workings of our Fraternity’s leadership. Fostering leadership development is so key to improving our national presence, and I hope that one day, as an alumnus and successful leader, I can be as valuable to my Fraternity as he has been.” — Brandon Hansen, Washington State ’22
“Because of his generous commitment, the Hickman Rising Leaders Endowment — a title he resisted because it was never about ‘him’ — will ensure that generations of SigEp’s future leaders will get critical training through our leadership events.
"His vision will live on forever. Slight in stature, but a giant of a man, he will always be my SigEp hero.” — Chris Bittman, Colorado ’85 (Past Grand President)
JOINING A FRATERNITY IS A GOOD IDEA...
We've long known the positive impact being in a fraternity has on our brothers. But, it sure is nice to see proof from well-known pollster Gallup.
In 2021, Gallup conducted 10,000 interviews of college graduates from the previous fifteen years. About a third of those graduates were in a fraternity or a sorority The rest weren't. They asked about various aspects of wellbeing and compared the two groups. The differences confirm our experience. Joining a college fraternity or sorority is a good idea.
Gallup used "affiliated" for those who joined and "nonaffiliated" for those who didn't. Here's some more quotes from their study:
BUT, FRATERNITIES ARE NOT ALL THE SAME. HERE'S WHY JOINING SIGEP IS A GREAT IDEA!
At SigEp we always strive to raise the bar. In this case, that means designing our continuous personal and leadership development program, which we call the Balanced Man Program, to bring these benefits to all brothers, not just officers. We're data-driven on that, too. We have done fraternity-wide surveys looking for areas where we can improve the experience at each chapter — and nationally. Compared to other fraternities, for example, we maintain higher levels of satisfaction with our fraternity through an undergraduate's full four years. Even though we're getting good results, we always strive to do even better. #RaiseYourBar
This connection with our fraternity is why so many alumni volunteer and donate to support our current undergraduates.
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SigEp is excited to bring a new fraternity experience to Colorado students in Boulder. You can be a part of building something great. SigEp’s newest chapter at the University of Colorado at Boulder, starting this Fall, will offer a different fraternity experience than you’re used to seeing on campus.
We believe that ninety percent of college takes place outside of the classroom. It’s in this part of the college experience — the unplanned, unstructured hours — that students discover their passions and plan their futures. For our brothers, much of this time is spent with their chapters — it’s where they build close bonds of friendship and learn how to communicate and work with others, to lead, and to speak in front of a crowd. Our brothers accomplish all of this through the Balanced Man Program (BMP). We are excited to bring the BMP to Boulder’s campus this fall.
The Balanced Man Program is the centerpiece of the SigEp chapter experience and provides the experience that today’s student needs to be successful during and after college. The Balanced Man Program is a non-pledging, non-hazing, four-year, personal, academic, leadership and professional skills development experience. Here is how the Balanced Man Program accomplishes those ideals:
The program is founded on five philosophical tenets:
… and takes the form of four self-paced challenges that span throughout the college career …
… focusing on five areas of development:
Do you want to learn more?