Dynasty is a word commonly used to describe the UK men’s basketball team.  What about Sigma Chi?

From 2007 to present, three former Sigma Chi presidents have held some of the highest positions in UK Student Government.

Sigma Chi’s UK chapter, Lambda Lambda, has seen members Nick Phelps, Grant Mills and Ryan Smith rise to power in campus politics.  Even though the current fraternity president, George Kington, is currently not considering involvement in SG, Sigma Chi recruitment chairman and SG senator-at-large Sam Gillespie is considering taking a higher step into student politics.

What some may see as a dynasty may  be seen as a coincidence by others, especially by those involved.

“It is kind of funny how it happened,” said Mills, Sigma Chi chapter president in 2007-08 and vice president of SG alongside Tyler Montell in 2008-09.  “I think it was by happenchance that it happened to be this way.”

“It’s coincidental, it has nothing to do with being a Sigma Chi,” said current SG President Smith.  “It completely happened out of the sky … some people believe it, and some people don’t.”

“People raise eyebrows, but it’ll come and go,” said Phelps, 2006-07 Sigma Chi president and 2007-08 SG president.  “There has been something special going on through Sigma Chi the last few years. But it can change with the next pledge class.”

Gillespie attributed the draw of SG to wanting to make a difference on campus.  Phelps said Sigma Chi’s leadership initiatives drove members to student politics.  A deep appreciation for the university was Smith’s reason for taking both presidential responsibilities.

But each one of them, including Kington and Mills, used the words “being involved.”

Tyler Montell, a former non-Greek SG president, said  Sigma Chi was a different kind of fraternity.

“When I was a freshman, there wasn’t much precedence at all on campus involvement,” Montell said. “Now, there really has been … real results, and cause for so many Sigma Chi’s being involved in student organizations in leadership.

“They stress (members) to make a difference not only in fraternity, but all over the place.”

STUDENT GOVERNMENT AND THE GPAC

Toward the close of each academic year, SG introduces a new president, vice president and administration to the ranks.  The student body can vote for their candidates of choice through an online-voting system.

Before these online elections take place, the UK Greek Political Action Committee endorses an SG candidate after a candidate debate scheduled just before elections. GPAC chooses the candidate based on how well they will represent the interests of the Greek community, said Ben Duncan, SG Chief of Staff and president of the UK Interfraternity Council. However, Duncan said a candidate being in a fraternity or sorority has no influence on the GPAC endorsement decision.

“The only thing that matters when they walk into that debate is how good their ideas are and how practical they are,” Duncan said.

The GPAC consists of representatives from the IFC and the Panhellenic Council, as well as the recently added National Pan-Hellenic Council, who joined the committee before the 2009 SG elections.

Duncan said the number of council votes each group has depend on the size of each organization within the three councils.  Before the most recent election, Duncan said the GPAC decided to only allow each fraternity or sorority chapter president to represent the Greek organizations at the debate to reduce the “politics” of each chapter choosing one representative.

Duncan said almost 40 organizations were represented and around 80 votes were cast at the 2009 GPAC debate, where Smith, along with vice president Kelsey Hayes, were endorsed.

In a March 2009 Kernel article, Smith said 18 of the last 19 SG presidential candidates who won the GPAC endorsement went on to win the election.  Smith also said the endorsement not only spoke to the Greek community, but to the students and their desire for progress in SG.

SIGMA CHI

Phelps said being president of the fraternity was more difficult than being SG president.

“(Being Sigma Chi president) was great preparation for being SG president,” Phelps said.  “That preparation was ideal, and it’s one reason you see such a correlation.  Sigma Chi takes a leadership role … and other students recognize that.”

Director of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Susan West said the UK Lambda Lambda Chapter of Sigma Chi is the largest fraternity on campus with more than 120 current members.

The fraternity is also the highest-ranked fraternity in average GPA, which is calculated by dividing the number of members by the number of credit hours taken, West said.  Although the fraternity scored a 3.307 average GPA, West said that is the only way Greek organizations are ranked.

“We don’t rank the chapters,” West said. “They are only ranked by GPAs, not by best chapter because they all have different strengths.”

Other fraternities who followed Sigma Chi in GPA rankings included Phi Kappa Tau and Pi Kappa Phi.  Pi Kappa Phi’s chapter president, Alan Herbst, said there exists a “huge connection” between Greeks and SG.

“Many are Greeks, but it’s not the rule,” Herbst said. “Honestly, it’s just involvement. Guys who join fraternities have a desire to be involved … eventually (some) have leadership in their fraternity, too.”

Kington said Sigma Chi prides itself on recruiting leaders and offering leadership workshops for members.

“Between encouraging guys to get involved and producing value-based leaders … that’s what has helped us develop the leaders we’ve had on campus so far,” Kington said.

HISTORY TO REPEAT ITSELF?

Whether or not the Sigma Chi-Student Government correlation is coincidental or conspiracy, it is noticeable.

“Sigma Chi has really blossomed in the last five or six years,” Phelps said.  “We’re seen as leaders … But we’ve had great opponents, it’s not like we’re just walking into these things. It’s just credit of development of Sigma Chi.”

Even Montell’s younger brother, Hunter, is currently pledging Sigma Chi.

“Tyler told me the one thing you want to do is you want to rush,” Hunter said.  “(He said) hang out with Sigma Chi, but don’t let that be a bias.”

Hunter said the possibility of running for a future SG position was definitely a possibility. His father is a state representative for House District 58 and his mother used to work in state government.

“I come from a family of politicians, it’s in my blood,” Hunter said.  “But then again, I enjoy being around people and making a difference.”

Kington has no plans to run for SG as of now because he said he wants to focus on the fraternity.

“I personally have not felt any pressure to run, or if I did run, I wouldn’t see any strong negative,” Kington said.

Gillespie said running for SG president was something he was considering, but said the position was a “lot of responsibility and a big undertaking.”  However, he said while the fraternity was not pressuring him to run, Gillespie said Sigma Chi naturally attracts leaders.

“(There was) no pressure by any means, but it’s just kind of the culture,” Gillespie said.

“Once you get the ball rolling in one direction, a lot of guys that get involved have that same passion.  You kind of attract that kind of persona.”