2024 National Convention
Thu, Sep 26
|Union College
Time to plan your weekend and buy your tickets!
Time & Location
Sep 26, 2024, 3:00 PM EDT – Sep 29, 2024, 12:00 PM EDT
Union College, 807 Union St, Schenectady, NY 12308, USA
Guests
About the event
The 2024 Sigma Phi National Convention will be held at the Alpha of New York, Union College
September 26-29, 2024
You are cordially invited to the 2024 Sigma Phi Society Convention and Undergraduate Symposium, the Society’s 193rd. It will be held at the Alpha of New York (the “Alpha of Alphas”) at Union College in Schenectady, NY on Friday, September 27, Saturday, September 28, and conclude Sunday, September 29, 2024.
Convention Location
Most all events will happen on, or next to the Union campus which is relatively small (100+ acres). Sigma Phi’s college-owned living house is on campus in Davidson South. Sigma Phi’s owned small chapter house, the Kagan Alumni House, is located across the street from the south side of campus at 10 Union Avenue.
Fall in Schenectady, and all of upstate New York, is one of the best times to visit. The leaves are on the edge of turning, the air can have an early morning crispness not found in the hot summer months, and a new academic year holds forth new promises for many aspiring undergraduates.
Overview
For those coming in early for the S&A or SPEF meetings, on Thursday evening the Alpha of NY will be holding its SPEF sponsored campus-wide Sigma Phi Speaker Series as a precursor to Friday’s Undergraduate Symposium. This 1 hour presentation/Q&A will be presented by Union professor Dr. Marianna Garapini on Artificial Intelligence and Ethics.
The Convention will feature the Undergraduate Symposium on Friday where our undergraduate attendees will be led through a thought provoking discussions on AI and Ethics by distinguished Union professor Dr. Marianna Garapini. Following the morning session, Mike Imirie will lead the group through his thoughtful Sigma Phi seminar and Jim Hansen will discuss liabilities and insurance.
The other key undergraduate event will be the Hicks Oratorical Contest. Its goal is to explore Sigma Phi through the art of public speaking. It is open to all undergraduates throughout the Society. Each orator has up to 10 minutes to reach his audience on a topic both predictable and deliberately broad: “Sigma Phi.” His oration is judged by a panel of three esteemed alumni using these criteria: 1) Content; 2) Originality; and 3) Delivery. The selection of the winner will remain a secret until the Banquet.
Friday will also include the bi-annual S&A meeting and the Sigma Phi Educational Foundation meeting.
Following Friday’s activities, a welcome reception and informal, “Taste of Schenectady” buffet will be held at the Alpha’s on-campus house and to be followed by the Hicks Oratory Contest. Before dinner and after the Hicks Contest will be live music provided by Smok’in Bill Ackerbauer, U’92.
On Saturday morning, the 193rdConvention meeting will be held.
A Saturday noon-time “tailgate” luncheon will be held at Sigma Phi’s Davidson location.
Saturday afternoon is open for various activities around the Mohawk Valley. (see details)
On Saturday evening we will gather for a pre-dinner reception and formal banquet on the Union Campus. Live music will complete the evening at the Sigma Phi Davidson location or, for the quieter crowd, the Kagan Alumni House will be open for a more relaxing evening.
In keeping with tradition, the banquet will be a “jacket and tie” affair.
The weekend will conclude on Sunday morning with a farewell brunch on campus.
Getting There
- Schenectady is located “where the Mohawk Valley lies underneath the bright blue skies” about 22 miles NW of Albany, NY.
- By car (I-90 or I-87), it is 180 miles west of Boston, 165 miles north of NY City, 140 miles south of Burlington, and 275 miles east of Buffalo, NY. Free street parking next to campus is readily available.
- The Albany International Airport is about 12 miles from campus and is served by American, Delta, United, Southwest and JetBlue. Transportation from the airport is by taxi (expensive), Uber or Lyft, or city bus (lots of stops!). Schenectady hotels do NOT have hotel shuttle service to/from the airport.
- Amtrak offers direct service from NYC, Boston, Montreal, Burlington, and Buffalo. The Schenectady station is about ½ mile from the Union campus and the hotels.
- To keep costs down we expect S&A Delegates and SPEF trustees who reside in the northeast U.S. will drive or take the train to Schenectady.
- If possible, plan your arrival to join a Thursday evening (7:30-8:30 pm) presentation by professor Marianna Garapini who will discuss "Ethics and AI." This is the same topic she’ll spend three hours exploring with the actives in their Friday morning leadership workshop.
Where to stay
- There are many hotel/Airbnb options in Schenectady and the surrounding area. We have a limited number of hotel rooms blocked at nearby hotels for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights – or any portion thereof you may need. See below. There may be other deals available from various booking sites that you may want to explore as well.
Doubletree by Hilton
(Years ago it was a Holiday Inn)
100 Nott Terrace
518-393-4141
5 minute walk to campus
$200.00 + tax (King or 2 Queens (2 Queens Rooms are sold out for block, choose King or use a different hotel)
Call to make reservation under the Sigma Phi Block or use this link
Block reservation cutoff – Aug. 27th
Hampton Inn
450 State Street (downtown Schenectady)
518-377-4500
½ mile or 15 minute walk from campus
$209.00 + tax
Make reservations using this link
Block reservation cutoff – Aug. 27th
Courtyard by Marriott @ Mohawk Harbor
240 Harborside Drive (adjacent to Erie Blvd.)
518-579-6620
This is near the Rivers Casino within a new condo/retail development along the Mohawk River
Less than 1 mile from campus – 25 minute walk.
$189.00 + tax
Make reservations using this link:
Block reservation cutoff – Aug. 27th
Homewood Suites
2A Freemans Bridge Road
518-579-6727
This is just across the Freman’s Bridge, along the Mohawk River and about 1.4 miles from campus.
$239.00 (King) - $269.00 (2 Queens) + tax
Make reservations using this link:
Block reservation cutoff - Aug. 27th.
- Note that the block cut-off date for all hotels is August 27th. Please make reservations for yourself (and a roommate, since reimbursement is based on double occupancy) and also book a room for your actives to share by this date. Even if you don’t know which specific actives will attend convention at this time, make a reservation for them now and you can change the name on the reservation later. We suggest the actives stay at the Doubletree given its price and convenience to campus.
Any questions, reach out to Bob Shages, U’69 via email (follow link) or at (412) 901-8615.
Schedule
5 hoursRegistration for Friday attendees
Kagan Alumni House
1 hourSigma Phi Speaker Series With Prof Marianna Garapini
Reamer Auditorium