User:I am Alpha and Omega/Sigma Chi Omega

Sigma Chi Omega (ΣΧΩ), colloquially known as "S Chi O", is a Multicultural fraternity devoted to "Strength through Diversity" and its three pillars: Mind, Body, and Brotherhood. It was founded on October 11, 1993 at The University of California, Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara and is the first Multicultural fraternity on campus. Sigma Chi Omega is an active member around campus and in the neighboring communities of Isla Vista (IV), Goleta, Santa Barbara, etc.,

Founding
The University of California, Santa Barbara in Santa Barbara is the setting for the founding of Sigma Chi Omega. In 1993, ten men set out to create an organization that was greatly needed at the University of California, Santa Barbara. These men, the founding fathers, realized that there was a need for a group that transcended the existing barriers on campus, within the Greek system, and in the social strata. This group was one that accepted members for reasons previously unknown to the community. Their ideas for membership went beyond racial and cultural barriers thereby creating Sigma Chi Omega Multicultural Fraternity. The organization became the first multicultural interest fraternity to be founded at the UC Santa Barbara campus.

Founding Fathers

 * Mr. Al Mateo
 * Mr. Taka Hara
 * Mr. Bob Noriega
 * Mr. Dave Noriega
 * Mr. Eric Lin
 * Mr. Glenn Nomi
 * Mr. Kenneth Lau
 * Mr. Patrick Young
 * Mr. Tom Vu
 * Mr. Steve Chu

Mission
Since its inception, Sigma Chi Omega has been an organization dedicated to the idea of multicultural values and a genuine commitment to its community. After a decade and a half of strong brotherhood Sigma Chi Omega continues to build upon its founders' ideals as well as challenging the traditional perception of fraternal organizations. The organization is one that accepts differences, embraces them, and teaches others to do the same.

Accolades
Sigma Chi Omega's accolades include improving the representation of local/regional Greeks on the campus of UCSB by taking a crucial role in the founding of the United Fraternity/Sorority Council (UFSC). Additionally, the fraternity has received various campus awards for their involvement and Sigma Chi Omega has also implemented and created an annual Multicultural Show that brings together student organizations to honor and celebrate the different cultures that grace campus. In order to highlight their founders' ideals of the body, Sigma Chi Omega also hosts an annual Spring Jam, which is a basketball tournament that brings together community members in recreational activity.

Vision
That every child living in an orphanage and foster care grows up in a family with love and hope for a successful future.

Mission
Kidsave's mission is to create change – so forgotten orphanage and foster kids grow up in families and connected to caring adults.

Sigma Chi Omega continues to work with Kidsave and holds fundraisers and events annually to raise money for its efforts.

The American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the nationwide community-based voluntary health organization dedicated to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and service.

Relay for Life - Santa Barbara
Relay For Life is the American Cancer Society’s signature activity. Teams of people camp out at the track and take turns walking or running around a track or path. Each team is asked to have a representative on the track at all times during the event. Relays are an overnight event, up to 24 hours in length.
 * Sigma Chi Omega has placed teams for this event in the past and it serves as an enriching experience, especially for brothers who have had cancer touch their own lives or those of their loved ones.

Community Service
Sigma Chi Omega helps out their local community by engaging in such activities as local street and park cleanups, Dia de los Niños children’s festival at Estero Park, and by helping plant trees and other restoration projects. Sigma Chi Omega also volunteers in seasonal events, such as haunted houses during Halloween and toys for children during the holiday season.

Notable Community Service Events

 * Isla Vista Adopt-A-Block - A program for preventing trash accumulation which would otherwise eventually pollute the ocean and to promote graffiti abatement. Whose goal is to beautify Isla Vista by implementing recycling and litter pick-up programs, as well as, keeping the Isla Vista community graffiti-free.
 * Annual Day of Caring hosted by United Way of Santa Barbara County.
 * Greek Week - A week where all the campus greek organizations come together to help support the local elementary school and influence their further pursuance of an education. This annual event has gain much prestige and is being noticed by many local organizations such as www.hercampus.com.
 * Dia de los Niños Children's Festival
 * Beach Cleanups

Fall
SChiO Haunted House - Every halloween the brothers of Sigma Chi Omega host an annual haunted house in order to give back to the families of Isla Vista. Realizing that the college community hinders the development and growth of the Isla Vista Children and Sigma Chi Omega hosts this event to provide an alternative, safe, and fun environment away from the infamous Isla Vista Halloweens. .

Project Santa - Sigma Chi Omega and Hermanas Unidas de UCSB pair up for an annual christmas season celebration at the Isla Vista Elementary School.

Winter
Multicultural Show - An annual show hosted by Sigma Chi Omega featuring performances by various artist such as Panzumo, Iaorana Te Otea, Black Reign, River Dancing, Chinese Lion dancing, The Griffins, Amatory, Tinkle Dancing, Belly Dancing, and much much more...

The Greek Carnival at IV Elementary - An annual carnival held at the IV Elementary school hosted by the various Greek organizations on campus to help the children of the school raise money for science camp.

Spring
Spring Jam - 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament, participation is open to all campus organizations.

SChiO Soccer tournament - an 11 on 11 soccer tournament open to all campus organizations.

Vision
Sigma Chi Omega is known for not viewing culture as a limiting factor, but rather as shared ideals, values, and traditions. It is through shared fraternity values of mind, body and brotherhood that they can embrace cultural differences to create the unique fraternity that is Sigma Chi Omega Multicultural Fraternity. Presently, Sigma Chi Omega Fraternity Incorporated is nearing its eighteenth year of existence.

Recruitment and Membership
Sigma Chi Omega Recruits every Fall and Spring Quarter at UCSB.

Sigma Chi Omega is open to any male student who is currently in attendance at The University of California, Santa Barbara. Sigma Chi Omega stands apart from other fraternities in that its membership is not defined by color, creed, religion, sexual orientation or ethnicity, but rather by their talents, principles and values.

Crest
The Crest of Sigma Chi Omega bears the three colors of the Fraternity: White, Maroon, and Navy Blue. It features a banner at its base which reads "ΒΙΡΕΣ ΠΕΡ ΒΑΡΙΕΤΑΣ" which translates to the Fraternity's motto: "Strength through Diversity". It is embellished by a maroon floral and at the top of the crest two Griffins meet raising a torch while standing upon the the fraternity's letters ΣΧΩ.

Motto
"Strength through Diversity" Sigma Chi Omega's brothers hail from all parts of the world and have ancestries that can be traced back to all five populated continents. The goal of this fraternity is to work to encourage better relations between cultures and to educate in order to encourage tolerance in the community.

Mascot
The Griffin

The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (Greek: γρύφων, grýphōn, or γρύπων, grýpōn, early form γρύψ, grýps; ) is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. As the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle was the king of the birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. The griffin was also thought of as king of the creatures. Griffins are known for guarding treasure and priceless possessions. It has nests made of gold and has the speed, ability to fly and eyes of an eagle and the strength and courage of a Lion. It is said to be the wisest of all mythical creatures. In heraldry, the griffin's amalgamation of lion and eagle gains in courage and boldness, and it is always drawn to powerful fierce monsters. It is used to denote strength and military courage and leadership. Griffins are portrayed with a lion's body, an eagle's head, long ears, and an eagle's claws, to indicate that one must combine intelligence and strength. The Griffin is depicted in art as pulling the chariot of Nemesis the Roman goddess of justice.

Brothers
Throughout the years, Sigma Chi Omega has had members who have upheld their ideals of strong mind, strong body, and a strong brotherhood. These gentlemen have come from all walks of life and from all over the world. The brothers of Sigma Chi Omega emphasize multiculturalism and education in their fraternity, on campus and in the community.

A List of Brothers can be found at Brothers of Sigma Chi Omega.

Executive Board

 * President
 * Internal Vice President
 * External Vice President
 * Treasurer
 * Secretary

Other Officers & Committee Chairman

 * Academic Chair
 * Alumni Chair
 * Brotherhood Chair
 * UFSC Representative
 * Fundraising Chair
 * Historian
 * Philanthropy Chair
 * Risk Management
 * Social Chair
 * Standards Chair
 * Body Chair
 * Webmaster
 * Rush Chair

Notable Achievements

 * Founded the first Multicultural Fraternity on the campus of UC Santa Barbara
 * Founded the United Fraternity and Sorority Council at UCSB
 * Founded Bienvenida in collaboration with Hermanos Unidos de UCSB - A tabling event held at the UCSB where all the campus organizations can reach out to prospectives members during the first week of the Fall Quarter at UCSB
 * Founded the Chinese Lion Dance Club at UCSB
 * Founded the Mixed Martial Arts Club at UCSB

Alumni
Through the Sigma Chi Omega Alumni Association, alumni are connected to a vast network of other alumni located in the US and abroad. Alumni of Sigma Chi Omega have moved on after graduation to play key roles in the creation and management of various businesses and organizations, utilizing various skills learned through their experiences as active members of Sigma Chi Omega. Some have started their own companies in business, realty, marketing, and the software industry.

Alumni Association
Sigma Chi Omega Alumni Association A website centered on all the happenings with the SChiO Alumni and associated events.

Alumni Companies and Organizations
Nakano Companies | Mr. Kevin Nobuo Nakano (Beta Class) Nakano Companies | Mr. Kevin Nobuo Nakano (Beta Class) A variety of businesses ranging from realty and property management to marketing.

Mortek | Mr. Sherman Gore (Delta Class) Custom software development with specialization in mortgage industry applications

Santa Barbara Hispanic Chamber of Commerce | Mr. Sergio Villa (Kappa Class) The Santa Barbara Hispanic Chamber of Commerce serves to foster the economic vitality and prosperity of small business owners and the Latino business community in the Santa Barbara area. Mr. Villa currently serves as President.

Ernst & Young

Santa Barbara County Fire Department

Price Waterhouse Coopers.

Graduate School
Members have moved on to such graduate schools as:
 * The University of Michigan
 * Penn State Law School

Sister Sorority
Zeta Sigma Phi, Inc. (ZΣΦ) First Mulicultural Sorority at the University of Southern California (USC)

Chapters

 * Founding - University of California, Santa Barbara

Official Links

 * Sigma Chi Omega Alumni Association
 * Sigma Chi Omega Alumni Association

External and Third Party links

 * United Fraternity and Sorority Council
 * 
 * 
 * http://english.turkcebilgi.com/UC+Santa+Barbara
 * http://www.bellydanceland.com/performances.html
 * http://www.pageinsider.com/sigmachiomega.com
 * http://www.spyfu.com/Term.aspx/Term.aspx?t=1393642
 * http://www.frozenpoodle.com/hb/blog.old/wp/sigma%20chi%20omega%20ucsb-44487.html
 * http://www.sa.ucsb.edu/osl/greeklife/Councils/UFSC.aspx
 * http://www.sa.ucsb.edu/osl/greeklife/chapters/fraternities.aspx
 * http://collegeprowler.com/university-of-californiasanta-barbara/greek-life/
 * http://www.nakanocompanies.com/schio/alpha/
 * http://www.dailynexus.com/2011-05-10/funds-counterhorowitz-event/
 * http://www.chavaembroidery.com/CampusGreeks.htm
 * http://www.edhat.com/site/tidbit.cfm?nid=32757
 * http://budhidrums.blogspot.com/2010/02/panzumo-rocks-campbell-hall-at-ucsb.html
 * http://ucsbifc.com/ifc-map/
 * http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-california-santa-barbara/973307-ucsb-fraternities.html?highlight=sigma+chi+omega+ucsb