This weekend the Tennessee Beta chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon will have their annual haunted house to raise money for St. Jude Up ‘til Dawn.
The haunted house has been an annual philanthropy event since 1998. Last year the haunted house raised $11,000 for St. Jude. They created this unique event as a way to stand out from other fraternities and sororities on campus and across the country.
“It’s the only haunted house in the area put on solely by students,” said Eric Bourgeious, a public relations senior and the promotion chair for the SigEp haunted house. “It is also for a great cause and raises money for St. Jude.”
Each sorority organization is assigned SigEp coaches to help build their own themed rooms inside the SigEp house, which is transform into a giant haunted house throughout October. Each organization invites fellow members, friends and family from Memphis and beyond to enjoy the night of frights. At the conclusion of SigEp Haunted House, they announce winners for categories such as “Scariest Room” and “Most Money Raised,” as well as an overall winner.
“The haunted house has actually been legitimately scary and we have had some people turn around,” Bourgeious said.
The history of SigEp at Memphis goes all the way back to the founding of the school in 1912. The fraternity began as the Clackstonian Literary Society. It later changed its name to the Seymour Allen Mynders Fraternity named after the first president of Memphis State College. On April 2, 1949, the Seymour Allen Mynders Fraternity became the Tennessee Beta Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity. SigEp has continuously been on campus since 1996.
In recent years SigEp has won awards both at the University of Memphis and nationally. They are a four-time winner of the "Buchanan Cup" Outstanding Chapter Award. Here at Memphis, in 2014 and 2015 they won most improved chapter, highest GPA among new members and two pillars of excellence awards for intellectual development, academic support and leadership development.
The haunted house will be October 29 and 30 from 7 to 11 p.m. Students can purchase tickets from a SigEp member for $5 before the event or $10 at the door.
