Sigma Delta Kappa

was a local men's social/service (?) fraternity at Howard Payne University.

SDK's primary responsibility was to build the homecoming bonfire. They always won this responsibility because they always underbid the other organizations. Once or twice, another frat would try to take it away from SDK, but SDK would always underbid. They were willing to pay for the privilege.

SDK typically did not build a homecoming float, instead devoting their energies toward the bonfire. Their float entry was typically an empty trailer with the members lying down in sleeping bags. The sign on the side of the float usually read: "We were too tired from building the bonfire to build a float."

One year, the trailer they were using to haul the wood broke an axle. The float was then altered to include the axle and a sign that read: "We broke an axle building the bonfire, so we couldn't build a float." This occurred a couple of years either way from my graduation in 1999. I don't remember exactly when.

See related organization Pi Rho.

Since SDK has failed, Iota Chi Alpha has assumed the responsibility of building the bonfire.

SDK was a small frat during most of my Howard Payne experience. They seemed to be out of favor with the administration for most of that period. Their on-campus reputation was the slacker frat. This fact probably contributed to the administration's low regard for the frat. SDK's pledge classes were always small. They did not do many activities outside the bonfire.

One activity they participated in was the annual "I can't believe it floats" boat race, established in fall 1994. This event occurred in conjunction with the fall Rush party. At the first race (held at Lake Brownwood) their entry was a boat carved out of soap. Its passenger was a green army man. This boat was duct taped to a life jacket worn by member John Rabon. John performed well and came in second to IXA, but was disqualified by the judges, much to the disappointmemt of the audience.

Frats at HPU were not allowed to have official "houses," but some had unofficial ones. SDK was no exception. The SDK house was dubbed "the Pit." This was apparently for good reason. While I never saw the Pit, I heard many stories about its lack of cleanliness, which I will not repeat here. Some of these accounts, I heard from SDK members, so I can vouch for their accuracy.

Another SDK tradition was poker night. This event occurred approximately once every month. During my final two years at Howard Payne, I lived in the apartment next to some SDK members. They were wonderful neighbors, except during poker night. They were never loud, obnoxious, or rude, but they did take up all of the parking. They also borrowed our extra chairs. Getting them back was interesting. When they moved out, they returned a chair that they must have borrowed a long time ago, as neither myself nor my roomates recognised it. We accepted it anyway.

There were also some rather disturbing rumors about the pledging rituals. These rumors involved a goat. Although (to the best of my knowledge) these rumors had no basis in fact, they tended to discourage guys from pledging and probably contributed to the administration's disregard for the frat. The members did little to discourage the rumors and seemed to like unnerving the pledges. I, personally, do not believe these rumors.

SDK usually competed in Spring Sing, the annual show put on by the campus organizations. SDK's shows were always creative, and always funny. They often parodied all the frats on campus, including themselves. They were not afraid to make fun of themselves and the other frats, especially their arch-enemy: "Zit Cheese."

SDK's one Spring Sing success (to my knowledge) was the brainchild of members John Rabon and Brennen Ewen. This masterful act successfully parodied Spring Sing itself and the "traditions" that had become a part of it. Rabon was a popular columnist in the Yellow Jacket, the weekly campus newspaper and a member of the HPU drumline. Ewen was also a member of the Yellow Jacket Band; he played trumpet. Ewen and Rabon were also members of Kappa Kappa Psi, the national band fraternity. KKPsi also placed that year (which was not a coincidence) with their "Blues Brothers" show. That year's Spring Sing was called "the Ewen and Rabon Show" for their stunning performance. They were largely responsible for KKPsi (which seldom entered Sing despite their great pool of talent) and SDK grabbing two of the top three places. Nobody much remembers who the other finalist was, but the memory of these two lives on forever.

Overall, SDK was the least snobby frat on campus. The members were genuinely friendly and had no love for the snobbishness of the other frats on campus. In fact, they had a nickname for the snobbiest of the frats, "Zit Cheese." I'll give you one guess as to who that is.

Of all the frats, they were the least fratist. They had no pretentions whatsoever. I had many friends and close aquaintences in SDK. I had more respect for SDK as a whole than most of the other frats. They may not have done much, they may not have had rich alumni, they may not have received the respect and accolades that other frats did, but they were honest and they were loyal.

I do not know exactly when SDK folded. They were the most likely to die and the one whose death hit the hardest. Why did it have to be them and not (a certain other frat)?

Article written by:
Greg Irwin



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