Nine Sigma Phi Epsilon members will attend the Carlson Leadership Academy to learn leadership skills Friday, Feb. 22 and Saturday, Feb. 23 in Lombard, Ill.

The members going to the Carlson Leadership Academy (CLA) either hold a leadership position in the fraternity or are freshmen aspiring to become leaders. CLA will take place at The Westin Lombard Yorktown Center.

“The first day we meet as a group and get introduced to alumni, headquarters and CEOs from companies,” said Alfredo Hildebrandt, junior nutrition and food major and president of Sigma Phi Epsilon. “On Saturday, from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., we have a leadership conference, small groups and workshops. We also do an awards ceremony, lunch and an etiquette dinner.”

Andrew Hollern, senior exercise science major and SigEp’s vice president of communications, said the workshops are position specific and the attending members will share the materials they learn.

“We’ll come back together and say this is what we learned and this is how we are going to apply it,” Hollern said.

This is the first year SigEp is taking more than four members to CLA. Hildebrandt said the fraternity is sending as many members as possible to train them to become future leaders of the fraternity.

In 2009, SigEp was suspended from Kent’s campus due to noise violations, hazing and a low average GPA. The chapter was re-chartered in the beginning of 2010. Since then, the fraternity has strived to set high standards and change the image of Greek life at Kent.

“What we stand for is being a leader, gentleman, scholar and athlete,” Hildebrandt said. “Just by wearing your letters you represent a lot. People know who you are, and they see the simple things you do like open a door for someone. The first thing we are trying to do is set an example here at Kent State.”

Hildebrandt said his fraternity also wants to change the image of the party guy that Greeks are viewed as.

“Yes we have fun, but at the same time we do a lot of things people don’t recognize,” Hildebrandt said. “We want to show the university we are here to change and benefit each student who chooses to join Greek life.”

After the event in Lombard, Ill., some of the SigEp members will attend Life After College Sunday, Feb. 24 in Chicago, a leadership event that prepares members to be successful personally and professionally.

Mackenzie Wallace is the greek life and ROTC reporter for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact Mackenzie Wallace at [email protected].