Last Friday, Creighton’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) chapter was honored with a national milestone: initiating the fraternity’s 300,000th member. Several SAE executives were in attendance for the event, as well as SAE brothers from other chapters in Creighton’s province.
Chris Collins, a Creighton sophomore studying for a double major in business intelligence analytics in the College of Business and computer science in the College of Arts & Sciences, was granted this honor and was the 300,000th initiated member since the fraternity was founded in 1856.
Originally, Collins did not know he was going to be the 300,000th member.
“They told [the pledges] last semester at chapter that one of us would be initiated as the 300,000th member, but they didn’t tell us who,” Collins said. “Immediately we began wondering who it would be. Later I went and checked online and saw that I was number 300,000. All I could say was ‘Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!’ I was very excited.”
As the time for the ceremony drew closer, Collins became very anxious.
I felt like there was going to be a spotlight on me, which is a big ordeal. Thankfully, I was calmed down by one of the speakers. The speaker said that ‘Everyone has their own badge numbers. While all badge numbers are not going to be as well rounded as 300,000, the number is what you make of it. The pin doesn’t make the man, the man makes the pin,’” Collins said. “After that, I wasn’t as nervous.”
When the moment to officially become the 300,000th member finally came, Collins was relieved.
“It was almost an unreal experience,” Collins said. “Once I received the pin with the number 300,000 on it I felt a rush and said ‘whoa’ to myself, it has finally happened.”
The celebration comes at a perfect time for many members of Creighton’s SAE chapter.
“Not too long ago we were at a very low point [in our chapter],” Tyler Burroughs, former chapter president for 2011 and current IFC president and a junior majoring in international relations in the College of Arts & Sciences, said. “Three and a half years ago we had seven total members in the chapter. We needed something to kick this chapter back up.”
“[SAE] has weathered a lot of storms as a fraternity and we have always come out better because of them,” Blaine Ayers, executive director for SAE, said. “Creighton has had a few storms of their own. There is a lot to celebrate.”
The night began with SAE’s formal bid acceptance in the Harper auditorium, during which 10 new members pledged to join SAE, giving SAE 43 active members on Creighton’s campus.
“The new pledges were able to be there with members from national for their formal bid acceptance,” Mike Bahl, current SAE president and a senior majoring in theology and classical and near Eastern studies in the College of Arts & Sciences, said. “Which is very cool. They might not understand it now, but that is very cool.”
“The [bid acceptance ceremony was] a prideful event, and for the people accepting bids it is a great way to start off. It will help them strive towards something bigger than themselves. It put things into perspective how nationally Greek systems can come together locally,” Burroughs said.
Everyone enjoyed the momentous event.
“I’m happy we get to be here when this happens,” Bahl said.
“It [was] a pleasure and an honor to be hre,” Ayers said, “I’m very happy for them.”