When the fraternity brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon, 524 Locust Lane, sat down to dinner last night, a relaxed sense of reverence hung in the air, as the dressed-up students waited to hear from a very important dinner guest.

Joined by Penn State President Graham Spanier, the fraternity enjoyed his presence throughout the night as he offered advice, answered questions and cheerfully chatted throughout the meal and afterward.

After the catered meal of salad, baked ziti and chicken parmesan, Spanier stood in front of the crowd, which included current members, alumni and the house's resident assistant scholar, and spoke about time management and his experiences as president of the university. He also fielded questions from the audience, who asked him about topics like the current state of the representative student government, Penn State's status as a state-related school, the recent protests and sit-ins.

When speaking about time management, he showed the listeners his Blackberry, and suggested that to be more organized, they plan ahead and have a personal calendar.

He did, however, tell the fraternity members to be realistic when planning events and committing to things.

"At some point, you have to recognize your limits," he said. "You have to set your priorities."

Grant Miller, Interfraternity Council president, said events such as the one hosted last night at Sigma Phi Epsilon show that the Penn State administration is "there for us when we need them."

"These kinds of meetings will develop a give-and-take relationship," he said. "A lot of people were skeptical at first [at the Return to Glory initiative] and the administration reaching out shows they support us in our endeavors."

One of the organizers of the event, vice president of programming Michael Barasch, said members of the fraternity and members of the executive board decided to invite Spanier over to help foster the growing relationship between the greek community and the Penn State administration.

Barasch said his fraternity wanted to learn more about time management and thought that Spanier was a good person to learn from.

"A lot of guys want to know what his daily routine is," Barasch said.

The dinner was part of a weekly tradition at Sigma Phi Epsilon called Programming Nights, which helps members of the fraternity become balanced students, Barasch said.

"[It] helps the guys become what we call more balanced men," Barasch said.

He added that it's a great way for administrators to hear students' voices.

Sigma Phi Epsilon was also interested in speaking with Spanier about the current relationship between greeks and the administration.

"For us in general, [there are] a lot of high standards," Barasch said. "It's a great way for us as Sigma Phi Epsilon to show we are leading the Return to Glory."

Steve Horn (sophomore-accounting and business law), a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon, said he was very impressed by the advice Spanier gave.

"He seemed like he cared about the students a lot," he said.