Sigma Chi fraternity invited 50 Northwestern men Tuesday night to join its first pledge class since being kicked off campus four years ago.

Andy Hughes, associate director of expansion for Sigma Chi International, said about 85 students contacted the fraternity to express interest.

“We’re ecstatic about the size of the group,” Hughes said. “We had no number going into the recruitment process. We just wanted as many quality individuals as possible and we’re amazed at the number of quality students who were interested in this.”

Sigma Chi International, which has its headquarters in Evanston, has yet to officially reinstate the chapter.

Hughes estimated the petitioning process will finish in 14 to 18 months, at which point the chapter — to be known as the Omega chapter of Sigma Chi — will return to NU.

The Interfraternity Council also has not recognized the group, said Kyle Pendleton, associate director of fraternity and sorority life.

“As soon as they have members, they’re recognized as a colony by the university,” Pendleton said. “We’ve worked with IFC so that the recognition process is just a formality.”

Sigma Chi pledge and Weinberg freshman Tim Lecher began Winter Quarter rush but opted to try for Sigma Chi with a group of friends instead.

“I was a little hesitant to rush Winter Quarter because I didn’t know a lot about the process,” Lecher said. “I didn’t want to go into it blindly, so Sigma Chi gave me an opportunity to rush with a group of my friends and the opportunity to see what happened to people who rushed Winter Quarter.”

The Sigma Chi recruitment process differed from what Lecher experienced during Winter Rush, he said.

“It wasn’t partying, alcohol-based,” he said. “It was more egalitarian — personal interviews and interviews with recent alumni and staff.”

Diego Berdakin, also a Weinberg freshman, said the opportunity to be one of the members of Sigma Chi’s first returning class at NU caused him to help recruit for new members.

Lecher agreed, saying he predicts his Sigma Chi experience will be different from one in an established fraternity.

“It’s obviously a unique situation,” Lecher said. “Since they’re rechartering, it gives me an opportunity to take pride in starting a chapter here, re-establishing a precedent and getting Sigma Chi going and leaving that for other kids.”

Berdakin said it was an asset to the fraternity that many pledges were familiar with each other before receiving bids.

“The fact that a lot of the guys know each other before going into it and are already really good friends will give the fraternity a solid foundation,” he said.

Pendleton said the petition group is welcome to participate in all Spring Quarter Greek events, including Greek Week in May and the Greek Leadership Retreat, being held this weekend.

Sigma Chi’s recruitment efforts have led him to welcome the fraternity’s return to campus, Pendleton said.

“I’ve been impressed with the expansion of Sigma Chi thus far,” he said. “Sitting in their meetings and meeting with some of their alumni members, it’s really enforced to me what fraternity life is about.”

“We’re definitely looking forward to them being a part of the fraternity and sorority community,” he added. “I think you’re really going to see them excel in the near future.”

Sigma Chi was kicked off NU’s campus in August 2000 after being sanctioned by the national organization for having alcohol at a fraternity event. The infraction occurred while Sigma Chi was on probation for another incident involving strippers at an April 1999 pledge event.