A man's decision to rush in no way binds him to pledge a fraternity; every rush event and each phase of rush is a voluntary commitment. Rush is a chance for college men to meet a large number of his peers and hopefully join a group who can eventually become his lifelong friends. We encourage all University men to participate in Fraternity Rush.

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Attending college is more than a formal education. It's getting along through good times and bad. It's facing new challenges and frustrations. It's discovering your place in a larger world. It's memories indelibly etched in your mind for a lifetime.

Sigma Alpha Mu can play an important part in making your college experience positive, fulfilling, and rewarding. Sigma Alpha Mu nurtures individuality while providing greater opportunities for friendship, education, service, and leadership. Sigma Alpha Mu is continuity. It's yesterday with its traditions and goals carried on from generations past. It's today as a home away from home and a center for your college activities. It's tomorrow as a creator of friendships and ideals that will last your whole life through.

Sigma Alpha Mu is an international fraternity with chapters spread across the United States and Canada. While its members are diverse, they share certain ideals in common. With genuine friendship there develops, among men, a common cause that brings out their best.

Membership in Sigma Alpha Mu has been an important part in the lives of tens of thousands of men. As you learn more about Sigma Alpha Mu, we hope you will consider the part it can play in your life. Below are some of the advantages of joining Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity :

ACADEMICS
The academic portion of your university career is one significant determinant in your future success. The primary purposes of the fraternity system is to encourage and develop high scholastic achievement among its members. Just over 50% of students in universities end up graduating. However, if you belong to a fraternity, your chances of graduating increase to over 70%! Fraternity members help each other to succeed!

COMMUNITY SERVICE
Almost always, a perspective employer will peruse your resume, looking for any type of community involvement. An employee, active in the community, will radiate that same good will to his coworkers, and in turn, create a better image for his company. You need philanthropy involvement on your resume. In a fraternity, you are commonly exposed to the community through United Way, Habitat for Humanity, and countless other community organizations. The fraternity is an excellent way for you to donate your time for a good cause.

ATHLETICS
Athletics, and physical fitness are an essential part of your well being. Alone, it can be a challenge to gather a group of individuals to compete in campus athletic events such as intramurals. However, fraternities thrive on intramurals, Greek games, and all areas of physical well being. As a member of a fraternity athletic team, you will learn the pride accompanied with sportsmanship, team spirit, and competition.

LEADERSHIP
In Sigma Alpha Mu, you will be given countless opportunities to lead individuals. Everyone in a fraternity is a leader. By being an officer, an executive, a committee chairperson, or just a participant, you are setting an example for others to follow. You learn by doing. Through your positions, you learn how to manage money, run effective meetings, speak in public, and motivate others. These are some of the skills that will benefit you during your college years, and will follow you through your entire life. In today's world, it takes more than a degree to get ahead. Employers want to hire those with quality leadership experience. In Sigma Alpha Mu, you have a chance to hone your leadership skills before you enter the "Real World."

BROTHERHOOD
Brotherhood is what truly sets fraternities apart from other organizations. In fact, brotherhood is the foundation of the Sammy experience. Brotherhood combines every person's individuality within the framework of mutual cooperation toward specific goals. As a fraternity brother you will form friendships unlike any found in other organizations. Brotherhood is by no means conformity. No fraternity is made up of members who are exactly alike. By choosing to become a member of a fraternity, you will meet brothers who grow to become your closest friends; those who will cheer you on when you're successful and who will support you when you are not.

NETWORKING
No matter if you have graduated and are searching for career employment, or simply trying to find a summer job, in today's market, you need networking. The majority of the available jobs never even get advertised in newspapers or job postings because most firms choose to hire within. A fraternity is the best way to get a foot in the proverbial door. A fraternity with strong ties to its Alumni will have a number of connections in a diverse number of fields. They may be able to help you find that job you're looking for.

TRAVELING
Assume you're planning a trip to another city in the United States. You need a place to stay, but since you're like most college students, you don't have a lot of money to spend. Fraternity membership allows you to travel to other fellow chapter houses to meet brothers and have a place to stay for free! When you arrive at another Sammy house, although you may have never met these brothers before, you have a fraternal bond, and you're more than just a guest in their home, you're their brother!

Why do people join?

Superior social life? Support from others when you need it? Respect? Tradition? Leadership opportunities? Networking? All valid reasons, but the one cited most by members is a sense of community. Joining is one way to make a college campus seem smaller, friendlier, and easier to handle. It gives you a place and people to count on.

Are all Greeks alike?

Fraternity men come from all academic majors, from Business to Zoology, from undecided freshmen to graduating seniors. Each fraternity on campus takes pride in their diversity. Each has its own personality; some stress partying, some are more sports-minded, others are proudest of volunteer work. The members of Sigma Alpha Mu strike a balance between academics, social life, community service, and athletics.

Would joining affect my grades?

Getting good grades in college can be quite challenging. Sigma Alpha Mu was originally founded to further scholastic achievement for all members. Not surprisingly, grade point averages for fraternity members are equal to and in most cases exceed those of all students.

What about cost?

Fraternity costs are only about 2.5% of a student's total expense. This investment covers national dues and organized functions within the fraternity. The friendships and lifetime of experiences formed far outweigh the minor expense of being in a fraternity.

What about hazing?

Hazing is against the law, and prohibited at Florida International University. While hazing can be a secretive event, Sigma Alpha Mu members are extremely open when it comes to our Anti-Hazing policy. Ask any member about our position on hazing and you'll see that membership in our organization comes with "no strings attached."

How "active" do you have to be?

That's up to you. Some plan an active leadership role; others just participate. Yet as most members notice - "Having a good time is contagious" - and you may find yourself making time for your brothers, because they will make time for you.

Do Greeks really have a better social life?

Most members think so because so much opportunity is built in. And that goes beyond parties to include such activities as intramurals, alumni events, conventions, and weekend getaways. In addition, FIU often sponsors "Greek Only" events which are a great opportunity to form friendships with other Greeks.

Does the system breed elitism or conformity?

The issue of elitism is probably a throwback to days when there were fewer choices and the costs were higher. Most of FIU's Greeks are a socio-economic mix. As for conformity, you can make that decision during rush. If members of other groups dress and sound alike, draw your own conclusion; but Sigma Alpha Mu is merely a group of friends, to which diversity is inherent.

Active : a person who has completed their new member period and has been initiated into life-time membership in their group.

Alumna : a graduated member of a sorority. PLURAL : Alumnae.

Alumnus : a graduated member of a fraternity. PLURAL : Alumnae.

Associate Member/New Member/Pledge/Candidate : a person who has accepted a bid from a Greek organization and has taken the first steps toward full membership, but has not yet been initiated into full membership.

Bid : a formal invitation extended to a rushee to pledge a Greek organization.

Brother : an initiated member of a fraternity. It is used as a term of address when an initiated member refers to another member.

Chapter : The local group of the national organization.

Dry Rush : the practice of not serving alcoholic beverages at rush functions.

Fraternity : An individual men's Greek organization, especially a general college fraternity (as distinguished from an honor, professional, or recreational fraternity or society) and the term applied to any Greek organization. Some sororities are identified as a fraternity in their official name; others describe themselves as being a "woman's fraternity."

Formal Rush : A series of parties given by each Greek organization during a specified period which is scheduled and governed by Panhellenic and Interfraternity Councils.

Greeks : members of a fraternity or sorority. The term Greek is used because a majority of fraternities and sororities use Greek letters to distinguish themselves.

Greek Organization : A fraternity or sorority (social , honor, or professional).

Hazing : to harass by exacting unnecessary or disagreeable work; to harass by banter, ridicule, or criticism. To haze by way of initiation. SOURCE : Webster's Ninth New Collegiate Dicitionary

Hazing(2) : defined as any conduct which subjects another person, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or psychologically, to anything that may endanger, abuse, degrade, or intimidate the person as a condition of association with a group or organization, regardless of the person's consent or lack of consent.
SOURCE : Indiana University, Code of Student Ethics

House : an informal reference to an individual's Greek residence.

Initiation : the formal ceremony which brings a new member into full membership in a fraternity or sorority.

Interfraternity Council (IFC) : is made up of voting delegates from each fraternity on campus. It serves as the governing body for fraternities and oversees fraternity life on campus.

Legacy : a prospective member whose father, mother, brother, or sister is an alumnus/alumna or active member of a particular Greek organization.

Pinning : a ceremony of induction into a Greek Organization's candidate program involving the extending of an associate member pin.

Philanthropy : a service project undertaken by sorority or fraternity chapters on campus, in the community, or on a national level.

Pledging : the term used by Greeks for individuals seeking membership in a Greek organization.

Ritual : the traditional secret ceremonies of Greek organizations.

Rush : method by which Greek organizations supplement their membership by means of recruitment.

Rushee : a guest of a Greek organization who is regularly enrolled as a student, and who is interested in becoming a member of a Greek organization.

Sister : an initiated member of a sorority. It is used as a form of address when one initiated member refers to another member.

Sorority : an individual women's Greek organization. This is the term commonly used to distinguish between a men's and a women's organization. As noted previously, some sororities are identified as a fraternity in their official name.