The Ruck Leadership Institute is an annual event where brothers from universities across the country have the opportunity to gather at the University of Richmond for an immersive week of camaraderie and furthering one’s own leadership skills. Separated into teams of 20 for the week, we got the chance to hear the stories of esteemed brothers from different walks of life – each aspiring to, or furthering, a leadership position within their own chapter. I was able to attend this special event with fellow brother Mark Friedman for a week.
Sound Mind
Ruck truly felt like a national event. With team facilitators composed of SigEp faculty and alumni, we truly felt immersed in the “how” and “why” of the meaning behind fraternity. Workshops throughout the week encouraged us to reflect on our own strengths and weaknesses as a leader. To further help us assess ourselves, we received personalized packets containing a detailed analysis of our leadership skills from both our own perspectives and of peers who knew us well. We were also taken on an immersive tour of the campus that went deep into the history of SigEp, setting a historical undertone for the entire experience.
Sound Body
A highlight of the week was the physical activity, which granted us the opportunity to push ourselves and practice the leadership skills we had just learned in the classroom. The second day brought us to the high ropes course. We were challenged to overcome any fear of heights, putting all of our trust into the watchful eyes of our fellow brothers and the lone wire that suspended us.
Even more anticipated was the ultimate frisbee tournament that we played on the third day, which my own team had been hyped for since arriving. Each team played three games as we advanced through brackets until a winner was decided, marking a day of intensity and sportsmanship.
Conclusion
It would take a considerably long time to list everything that we learned and did at Ruck. As my team facilitator and SigEp alumni Davis Orr told us, Ruck was very much like “drinking from a firehouse.” Each day was packed with valuable lessons, funny moments and fond memories. A massive shoutout goes to my roommate, Thomas Nelson from Purdue for being an amazingly inspiring brother and making the experience hilariously memorable.
Mark and I both agree that this was one of our best memories while being in SigEp, and we were proud to have been granted this unique opportunity. We feel empowered to bring back what we learned to inspire change in our own chapter. There’s still much work to be done.