What is the ideal SigEp?

So I got this strange email from someone named Kyle S. Mendel: Here ya go, sorry to get it in so late. 

What follows was attached as a Word document:

When you ask yourself, “what is the ideal SigEp”, certain traits come to mind that not only exemplify the balanced SigEp, but also the balanced man. Traits such as accountability, attitude, appearance, personality, punctuality, and sportsmanship are a few of the key attributes of the perfect man. In order to be as close as possible to this goal, one must demonstrate these traits as a regular part of life.

Accountability means that you are taking responsibility for the things in life that you are obligated to. To be accountable is to not only follow through on an obligation, but also to go above and beyond the call and get done what needs to get done. A quality SigEp, for example, will take the initiative to lead a project, speak out for a cause, and just be a good face for the brotherhood. In today’s business world, accountability is a key quality that companies look for in their potential employees.

For people who always think negatively about something, the world will seem like a negative place for you. This is why having a good attitude about things in general will get you a lot further in life instead of being a pessimist. For a balanced man, everything important in life starts with a good attitude. People will quickly take notice of your optimism, even when a situation does not look good. If you have a good attitude about a job, you will like what you do much better. The same philosophy can apply to any situation you might encounter in life.

The easiest way to judge people is by their appearance. At CLA, I was taught that your fraternity house is the most tangible way of representing what your group is all about. This same philosophy applies to people as well. If you dress like a slob and don’t demonstrate good hygiene, then people will take notice. You shouldn’t have to wear a suit every day of the week, but even just taking time to iron a wrinkly shirt and shave can have a huge impact on your appearance. Part of being a balanced man is having a sound body. If you’re overweight, there’s something you can do about it. If you have skin issues, there’s ways to take care of that. People will take notice of the steps you are taking to better yourself physically, and that can help you mentally and physically.

Personality goes hand in hand with every one of these six traits. While your appearance is the tangible way to describe your person, your personality is the characteristics that distinguish you from everybody else. One of the reasons that the SigEp fraternity is so prominent is because we look for people with great personalities. These people are smart, funny, agreeable, bold, strong-willed, just to name a few. These personality traits are some of the attributes that go into making a balanced man.

Punctuality is the characteristic of being able to complete a required task or fulfill an obligation before or at a previously designated time. In order to keep a healthy balance of school and fraternity life, one must have elite time-management skills. When something is asked to be done, no matter what, time should be specifically designated to complete this task. Whether it be studying early for a test so that you can have fun, or getting to work early so that you can finish early, punctuality is a key part to finding a successful place in today’s society.

Good sportsmanship occurs when teammates, opponents, coaches, and officials treat each other with respect. People learn the basics of sportsmanship from others in their lives, especially from parents and their coaches. Kids who see adults behaving in a sportsmanlike way gradually come to understand that the real winners in sports are those who know how to persevere and to behave with dignity, whether they win or lose a game.

These six traits are integral parts of piecing together a perfect person. Now, nobody’s perfect, but being a balanced man in the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity is about as close as you’re going to find.