When Van Augur, Connecticut Alpha class of 2020, joined SigEp as a freshman, he had a lot of expectations about what the fraternity had in store for him – opportunities for experiential learning, professional development, forming new friendships, and community service among them. What he did not expect, however, was that within two and a half years of joining Sigma Phi Epsilon, the fraternity would be sending him and twenty other brothers for a ten day journey to Greece. Yet in June, this was precisely Van’s experience when he was selected to attend SigEp’s Tragos Quest to Greece.
Tragos Quest to Greece, named after former Grand President of SigEp, William G. Tragos (Washington – St. Louis ’56), is a study abroad program without precedent in the fraternity world. Each spring, over a dozen of SigEp’s top undergraduates and four alumni from across the country are given a scholarship for a ten day journey through Greece. While there, brothers’ views of the world, their Fraternity, and themselves are challenged. Through immersive educational experiences, led by an esteemed education professional and and a native tour guide, brothers explore the foundations of the fraternal world, experience SigEp’s ritual in a new light and study the philosophies of Socrates and Aristotle while walking the same streets on which those great minds taught.
In this year’s Quest, Van had opportunities to explore nearly two dozen historical sites spanning from the Bronze Age to the Byzantine period. Included in this journey were visits to the Parthenon, the site of the Oracle at Delphi, and Hosios Loukas. While in Greece, Van had the opportunity to retrace the footsteps of St. Paul in Ancient Corinth, race his brothers on the track of the ancient Olympic games, and view battle artifacts from the Persian Wars. “The ability of our educator and tour guide to turn what appears to be a pile of rubble into a living portal to the past is an awesome phenomenon I’ve never before experienced.” In the evenings, Van and his fellow scholars stayed up late into the night discussing ideas and sharing personal experiences core to Ancient Greece and Sigma Phi Epsilon. “Never have I grown so close to so many people in such a short time. It was deeply spiritual; almost magical.”
“The incredible stories and pictures that come out of this journey are only the tip of the iceberg,” Van says. “In just ten short days, my understanding of our fraternity’s principles and their basis in Greek thought transformed and grew exponentially.” But the Quest is more than just about education and fraternalism, Van explains. “You recognize that this isn’t about fraternities or history lessons – it’s about finding out how to live a good, fulfilling, and meaningful life.”
“I will carry the lessons, relationships, and memories of the Quest with me for the rest of my life. I am a better man for having gone on it.”
The Tragos Quest to Greece is an experience to which any undergraduate in Sigma Phi Epsilon can apply. Learn more about the program at its page on SigEp’s website.