Ruck Leadership Institute is a national SigEp event. Hosted annually in Richmond, Virginia at the University of Richmond, brothers from chapters around the country travel to further develop their leadership skills. Working, eating, and living together for 5 days, it is one of the most unique and impactful experiences that Sigma Phi Epsilon offers to undergraduate members around the US.
For this past Ruck Institute, our California Mu chapter was privileged to send two brothers: Adrian Alvarado and myself, Dylan Michalak, thanks to the phenomenal support from our Alumni. We won’t explore what was taught specifically. Ruck really needs to be lived to be appreciated, or, as Adrian Alvarado states, “Ruck is a once in a lifetime experience that made me proud to be a SigEp.” However, I will share some memorable moments and overall take-aways from the trip.
Sound Mind
The time spent at Ruck included a combination of workshops/discussions as well as physical activities. Some notable moments from the former included our opportunities to chat with the current Grand President, Billy Maddalon and an anti-hazing presentation led by Evelyn Piazza and Rae Ann Gruver, both mothers of students killed recently by fraternity hazing. These events would consistently lead in to even more discussions, allowing us to deeply reflect on our leadership abilities as well as our chapters.
Sound Body
Intertwined with these discussions were physical activities that presented opportunities to put the practices and leadership styles we discussed in classrooms to use. Tackling one activity each day, we participated in a high ropes course, a choice of high intensity interval training or group yoga, and an ultimate frisbee game. The ropes course and frisbee game especially challenged many of the participants to really put themselves aside and focus on guiding their respective teams to victory.
Finally, the trip was ended with a visit to the Zollinger House: a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see a massive collection of SigEp history and memorabilia.