Riley Society
Some of Riley Society’s founding members, from left to right: Cameron French (MIT), Tyler Elvin (West Virginia), Joe Gammie (Georgia Tech), Jack Riker (Duke).
The idea for Riley Society began when a group of Collegiate Grand Councilmen started discussing ways to help prepare young alumni to take on future leadership positions. Tyler Elvin (West Virginia) and Joe Gammie (Georgia Tech) were reflecting on their experience with the High Council while attending the College of Chapters in Roanoke, Va. While reflecting on the relationships that they had built over the past year, they began discussing how they could continue to ensure that strong relationships were being built between Collegiate Grand Councilmen (CGC) and other young alumni. They wanted to make sure CGCs of all ages had an avenue to stay connected on a meaningful level.
Tyler and Joe began constructing the vision of an organization that would connect CGCs from multiple years and create a pool of young talent to support the mission of the General Fraternity and Educational Foundation. They discussed their ideas with fellow CGCs Wells Ellenberg (Georgia), Matt Tudor (Eastern Kentucky), Jack Riker (Duke), and Cameron French (MIT) and High Council members John Hearn (Georgia) and Maury Gaston (Auburn).
Upon leaving Roanoke, Tyler and Joe continued to discuss the idea and shared it with fellow Collegiate Grand Councilman Tom Bymark (Minnesota). Tom was very interested in the idea and began to help create the outline of the program that would become the Riley Society.
“We like to think of the Riley Society as a grassroots program where we can build young, strong, and proven leaders for future leadership positions while cultivating relationships and educating through the years.”
The three founding members collaborated and executed an outline complete with a mission statement, objectives, benefits, and structure. After the foundation was in place, the team pitched the idea to members of the staff team while in Nashville for the 66th Grand Chapter. Staff members offered input that would refine the program to align with the fraternity’s strategic imperatives related to young alumni initiatives. Multiple conference calls were held to discuss details before the Riley Society was approved by the High Council in September 2014.
With an idea in mind and an ambition to make a difference, Tyler and Joe proceeded with a plan. They eventually settled on three objectives:
- To establish a permanent medium of connection between alumni committed to service, development, and leadership in the Fraternity.
- To sustain and strengthen Society members’ connection with and commitment to the Fraternity and its founding principles.
- To support the achievement of the Fraternity’s and Foundation’s strategic goals and imperatives.
The founders of the initiative intend to provide an experience that expands members’ professional network, builds their professional soft skills, provides an avenue for career mentoring, focuses on giving back to the fraternity, and builds strong relationships.
“We envision the Riley Society as a large, prestigious group of young alumni who are actively involved in furthering the mission of the Fraternity and Educational Foundation through service and leadership,” Gammie says. “Overall, we want to see our members become more developed professionals, hoping that this opportunity will make both the fraternity and the young alumni more successful.”
Riley Society is open to any initiated brother who is not on the roster of any collegiate chapter; is a current donor to the Sigma Nu Educational Foundation; agrees to receive communications from Riley Society, the Fraternity, and the Foundation; and commits to volunteer with one Sigma Nu alumni event or Helping Hand Initiative event every year.
“We like to think of the Riley Society as a grassroots program where we can build young, strong, and proven leaders for future leadership positions while cultivating relationships and educating through the years.”
Alabama in Huntsville
Brother Austin Finley has been elected student government (SGA) president. Finley currently serves as Mu Beta’s Chaplain and is on the IFC executive board. Nine other brothers were elected to the SGA as well.
At the 66th Grand Chapter in Nashville, Mu Beta received Sigma Nu’s prestigious Most Improved Chapter award, which only one other chapter received. The chapter also received Excellence in Values-Based Leadership and Operational Excellence.
On November 15, the chapter raised $3,467 for the Wounded Warrior Project in its annual Wounded Warrior 5K run. Seven days later it participated in set up and gift distribution for the Margarita Ball presented by the Huntsville Margarita Society, which raised over $125,000 for local charities. Also, 18 brothers participated in SGA’s Big Event totaling 90 hours of community service.
A week after 2015 rolled-in, the chapter initiated twelve new brothers from the Gamma Alpha pledge class.
Mu Beta has three brothers who are NCAA athletes. Taylor Buzzard, Danny Collins, and Tripp Maloy are members of both the cross country and track and field teams.
On April 12, the chapter received multiple honors at the year-end Greek awards banquet. Austin Finley was named IFC Man of the Year, Paul Rowland was named Senior of the Year, and Justin Shelton was named Advisor of the Year. In addition, the chapter was named Most Improved and received awards for Best Educational Program, Higher Education Day, and Best Joint Community Service Event.
Appalachian State
Kappa Epsilon hosted a LEAD session with Armanti Edwards as guest facilitator. Edwards is a past Appalachian State quarterback, winner of two national championships, two-time Walter Payton Award winner, and leader of the upset over 5th ranked Michigan in 2007.
In the session, Edwards shared useful insights on leadership gained through his successful careers in football and real estate. LEAD sessions have seen increased attendance this semester, this being the most popular by far.
Brother Mitch Perguson is chapter Commander and is also on the men’s basketball team at Appalachian State. Along with his accomplishments on the court and in the chapter, Perguson made the All-Academic team for the Sun Belt Conference by maintaining a 3.49 GPA.
Chaplain Patrick Fontaine is graduating top of his class from the economics department and past Lieutenant Commander Devin Honbarger has been accepted into three law schools.
The chapter also received best percentage of bids accepted and largest spring pledge class.
This spring semester two brothers, Dillon Hewitt-Castillo (past Treasurer) and Jack Schaufler (past Recruitment Chairman), embarked on a six month study abroad adventure that would take them across Europe. They are living independently in a massive metropolitan area for the first time. They’ve indulged in tapas, Real Madrid Futbol, and an abundance of fine arts. Experiencing Spanish culture is not their only cultural endeavor, however. The two have planned future travels to many diverse destinations such as the Netherlands, Switzerland, Lisbon and Porto, Prague, Istanbul, and Italy.
It’s hard not to miss home and both miss families, close friends, girlfriends, and brothers. They miss contributing to the well-being of their chapter and Appalachian State University. Jack and Dillon are displaying Love, Honor and Truth in all of their travels and are two of many who are currently representatives of fraternity culture – and more importantly Sigma Nu – to the global community. The two can’t wait to return to Appalachian State and help propel Kappa Epsilon to new heights while showing their achievement of keeping Brotherhood alive from abroad.
Brother Dillon Hewitt-Castillo in the Bernese Alps while studying abroad in Spain.
Arkansas
This spring Gamma Upsilon Chapter along with Arkansas’ Kappa Alpha chapter hosted well-known sexual assault and risk management speaker Adam Ritz. Over 150 were in attendance, including members of multiple fraternities and sororities.
Arkansas Ft. Smith
The Nu Alpha Chapter held their 8th annual St. Jude Breakaway 5k on April 4. Each year, the 5k helps the children of St. Jude breakaway from the grips of cancer and other catastrophic diseases. With over 160 runners participating, the chapter raised over $3,600.
Auburn
Russell Kendrick was recently elected Bishop of the Central Gulf Coast Diocese of the Episcopal Church. Russell joined the Beta Theta Chapter in 1978 from his home in Ft. Walton Beach, Fla. His pastor there was Richard H. Cobbs IV – also a brother of Beta Theta Chapter. Father Cobbs was a mentor to Russell in many ways and pointed Russell to Sigma Nu at Auburn.
Russell served the chapter as Chaplain and as Alumni Contact Officer, and was elected vice president of the SGA. Following his architecture degree, Russell practiced architecture with his father for eight years before joining the ministry. Following seminary, Russell has served parishes in Georgia and Alabama 2007. Russell has energized and revitalized every parish he has served.
“Only God could have dreamt up the idea of a fraternity chaplain who later became an architect to eventually go on to serve as a Bishop,” Kendrick said recently in the Beta Theta Chapter newsletter. “During the election process I bumped into a couple of old fraternity brothers, and I was surprised of just how deep the bond between us was still alive after so many years apart. The bond of friendship is a powerful force that transcends time and space. Even more, I trust that bond is a mere glimpse of that greater bond that we share with God of whom I have been called to serve as a Bishop in the Episcopal Church.”
Ball State
On July 25th, the Theta Nu Chapter will hold its annual golf scramble at the Morningstar Golf Club in Indianapolis. The golf club is owned by Brother Steve Seibel. Registration is $75 for alumni and $40 for undergraduate brothers and will begin at noon. To register, contact Kevin Short (Theta Nu 419) via email short@aol.com.
The brothers of Theta Nu Chapter and the women of Delta Zeta after a ballroom dance social. Photo courtesy of Jessica Linnea.
Bowling Green
On Saturday, November 22, members of Epsilon Chi Chapter spent part of the morning writing letters to the local Veterans of Foreign Wars post near Bowling Green, Ohio.
Bradley
On February 13, Zeta Phi ran 38 miles from Normal, Ill., to the Children’s Hospital of Illinois in Peoria as part of its game ball run. The chapter did this to raise funds for the hospital and did so while dribbling basketballs the entire journey.
“This is the 23rd year we’ve done this. This is my fourth year and my last year, so I’d like to hang my cap on this one and go out with a bang. I think the amount will be quite satisfactory and very beneficial to the Children’s Hospital,” said Brother Brian Fleming to Peoria’s CBS affiliate.
The chapter collected $20,000 for the hospital after fundraising for more than a year.
Butler
Starting in July, Brother Robert Gale will be working as a financial analyst at the J.P. Morgan Private Bank in the ultra-high net worth division in Chicago, Ill. In this role, he will be supporting a team of bankers and investors to help manage client portfolios. “The largest take-away I have from Sigma Nu is that I have surrounded myself with the best men at Butler University and through this support system, I have been able to become more confident,” said Gale.
Past Collegiate Grand Councilman Joey Thomas has been accepted to Indiana University School of Medicine where he will start in the fall. “The titles and awards mean nothing compared to the unbelievable friendships and experiences. Sigma Nu and the people associated with it have done more for me than I could ever possibly repay,” said Thomas.
Several Epsilon Mu brothers competed in NCAA athletics including Brigham Stewart and Andrew Eiler (golf), Jaxon Sher, David Starkey, Zach Taylor, and Thomas Baldwin (football), and Alex Wodmoe (tennis). In addition, Brother David Starkey is the president and founder of Butler Athletes Recognizing Kids which is an organization of Butler student-athletes that visits and supports kids in local elementary schools and hospitals.
Epsilon Mu brothers have participated in the It’s On Us Campaign and the Stand Tall program. Notably, the chapter had numerous brothers attend a campus-wide event where they pledged to prevent sexual assault. Additionally, Epsilon Mu has been active in Stand Tall’s social media campaign by contributing pictures.
Alumnus Stanley Schumacher is director of Stanley Schumacher and the Music Now Ensemble and president of Musikmacher Productions. Musikmacher Productions’ mission is to produce recordings of both improvised and composed contemporary classical music in a chamber music format. The company’s four most recent releases are excellent examples of how it fulfills this mission in very different ways.
“Jive At 5:05” can best be described as improvised contemporary classical music meets free-form jazz. The title track of “Way Cool” introduces a narrative to the musical mix; “Way Cool” is a tale of abandonment, sin, and a young man’s fall from grace. The exciting new element on “Experimental Music Lab” is the use of a Theremin, very unusual in contemporary classical music. Finally, “No Technique” is a 42-minute composition for three trombones written by Stanley Schumacher. Featuring renowned bass trombonist David Taylor, it illustrates “Perfect Symmetry for Perfect Order.”
All recordings are available as CD’s or downloads from www.CDBaby.com.
Cal State Los Angeles
Brothers Ricardo Silva, Michael Lopez, and Colburn Junus drove over 2,500 miles from Los Angeles to visit the Headquarters Shrine while on their spring break.
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Kappa Pi Chapter has seen a lot of change over the past year. The most noteworthy achievements have been the creation of a Pursuit of Excellence committee, over $10,000 raised from the Ducky Derby and Haunted House philanthropies, the successful recruitment of a 33 man candidate class, and creation of the SAFER Representative Officer (works with the chapter to put an end to sexual assault on campus, in the community, and in the Greek system).
Something else worth noting is that Kappa Pi has almost doubled in size in the past 18 months from roughly 60 members and candidates, to about 110 members and candidates. Although this growth has brought some challenges, Kappa Pi has successfully adapted. Kappa Pi has even improved overall chapter operations and very much looks forward to the next Pursuit of Excellence submission to show the national organization, and chapters around the nation, all that has been accomplished.
The chapter recently hosted an event for sororities called Turn the Tables on Sexual Assault. Each participating sorority purchased one wooden table which was designed and decorated with help from Kappa Pi brothers. Designs included sorority and fraternity logos, American flags, superhero logos, sexual assault prevention quotes, and inspirational quotes. When all the tables were finished, awards were given to the sororities based upon design, creativity, neatness, originality, and best overall table.
In addition to participation from campus sororities, Cal Poly’s SAFER organization also supported and sponsored the event. SAFER works to prevent sexual assaults, encourage safe sex, and overall relationship health. During the event, participants were given white t-shirts and were encouraged to create a clever slogan or design that corresponded with preventing sexual assault.
All money that was raised from purchasing the tables was then donated to RISE SLO, a non-profit sexual assault prevention and treatment organization. In total, the event raised $1,000, but the amount of positive support and excitement that was created far outweighed the money.
Kappa Pi has one brother, Jack Connor Kim, who is on Cal Poly’s NCAA Division I men’s wrestling team. Brother Reid Wilhelm, a third year electrical engineering major was named “Mr. Fraternity” by the local Alpha Omicron Pi chapter.
Lastly, at the beginning of this year, Kappa Pi had eight student orientation leaders who helped welcome over 200 freshmen to campus. Each leader put in over 100 hours of volunteer work and each was responsible for managing and helping roughly 25 students. These leaders showed students around campus, the city, helped them set up college accounts, and assisted them with anything they needed during their first week of school.
The brothers of Kappa Pi and their Turn the Tables on Sexual Assault philanthropy event.
Cal State San Bernardino
Brother Ezekiel Ramos, with the help of Lambda Chi Chapter, won Alpha Phi’s Eta Beta Chapter Heartthrob by raising nearly $4,000.
Zeke went above and beyond to raise funds. He started a GoFundMe campaign raising $1,000, contacted professors on campus for donations, reached out to local businesses, and went to alumni for support. A huge thank you to Brother Joe Baxter for his donation.
California
Brother Tyler Crouch was recently featured in Forbes’ 30 under 30 list for his new technology startup Eko Devices. Crouch, who is a 2014 graduate of California Berkeley, is the CTO and co-founder of Eko Devices. The company’s chief product is the Eko Core, a Bluetooth attachment to stethoscopes that ensures doctors make more accurate readings of heartbeats.
The new startup recently finished a round of funding that raised over $2 million. The company was also a top three finisher in Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC), a prominent competition for new startup ventures.
This April, Beta Psi had its second annual Carnival for the Cure for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The chapter partnered with Tau Kappa Epsilon and Delta Delta Delta to co-host the event. The day was filled with carnival games, performances by student groups like the Cal Band, and a raffle. Berkeley police officers even joined in on the fun and volunteered to go into the dunk tank! It was a great event and the event raised over $5,000 for cancer research.
Beta Psi began this event last year and hopes to continue the tradition by raising more money, attracting more students, and possibly even expanding it to other chapters.
Carnegie-Mellon
Alumnus Jonathan Kaufman (Delta Sigma 1325), working on his Ph.D. in physics at UC San Diego, was a member of the now-famous BICEP2 team, which showed the first-ever evidence of the universe’s expansion. Kaufman worked on a telescope in Antarctica for four years to achieve this incredible result.
For the collegiate chapter, Delta Sigma saw three brothers, Zuojun Gong, Vijay Viswanathan, and Bradford Wyatt, Jr., elected to CMU’s student senate.
Wyatt and Viswanathan were selected as Orientation Counselors, with Gong chosen as an Orientation Leader for summer 2014. Furthermore, Gong was elected as IFC VP of member development for the 2014 year. The chapter is proud of the involvement of these brothers in the community.
Case Western
This spring, Delta Alpha Chapter has held many LEAD and round-table discussion sessions in regards to sexual misconduct and prevention. Charlie Topel (Delta Alpha 1355) and Andrew Blasius (Delta Alpha 1386) along with Risk Reduction Chairman John Pease (Delta Alpha 1348) and Lieutenant Commander Julian Potter (Delta Alpha 1356) have promoted discussion and change within the chapter, Greek life, and the campus community through the SMARRT program, which was founded by Charlie Topel.
Speaking about his involvement with the program, Brother Blasius said, “The greatest achievement of this task force … is the sustained dialogue which it has worked to establish in the campus community. I am extraordinarily grateful that my brothers have taken this issue to heart and have made the commitment to such a dialogue, through LEAD sessions, roundtable discussions, and other events. Proud to be a Sigma Nu.”
Freshman Ben Zelkin competed on Case Western’s track and field team this year.
Central Florida
On April 17, the Mu Psi Chapter held its 6th annual Undie Classic event benefiting Goodwill Industries. This year the chapter had 300 people turn out, the largest total yet. The chapter donated 2,700 pounds of clothes to the local Central Florida Goodwill stores.
Each year the event has gotten larger with more people participating and more clothes being donated. This year the chapter brought in Victoria Secret’s PINK at UCF as a partner. The chapter also used social media by getting a Snapchat “geofilter,” by creating a Twitter, and having more Facebook exposure. The event was also supported by Monster Energy and a local band made of chapter brothers called the Wild Flyer.
Central Oklahoma
Dr. Chris Markwood, alumnus of Mu Tau Chapter, was recently named the fifth president of Columbus State University. Markwood began his career at the University of Central Oklahoma in 1994 where he taught in the department of political science. It was here where Markwood became the first faculty advisor of the Mu Tau Chapter. In recognition of his service to the chapter, Markwood was initiated as a non-matriculate brother.
Markwood is coming to Columbus State after a four year tenure as provost and vice president of academic affairs at Texas A&M Corpus Christi. “I think the future is bright for this institution,” said Dr. Markwood in a recorded statement.
Colorado
At the 2014 IFC awards banquet, Gamma Kappa was honored with two awards. Brother Ryan Langhorst was given Academic Achievement recognition and Kevin Zell was named Fraternity President of the Year.
Also, Brother Zell was named the IFC president for 2015. “I hope to continue upon the progress we made this year and our new exec board is a great group of guys,” said Zell.
Cornell
Four Gamma Theta brothers have begun a startup venture called Worthy Jerky, a company that is seeking to reinvent beef jerky. Brothers Alex Krakoski, Max Tave, Ilan Filonenko, and Jeffery Kruse hold various leadership roles within the student led startup and are seeking to expand Worthy Jerky’s reach across Cornell’s campus. The company also has a redesigned website that allows customers to place online orders.
“When I received a scholarship to finish my high school education in Switzerland, I asked my mother for her delicious home-made beef jerky because my friends and I needed a portable, nutritious yet tasty snack for the ski slopes. With every bite, my friends became obsessed, and word of mouth began to spread. And thus, Worthy Jerky was born,” wrote Worthy Jerky CEO Alex Krakoski on the company’s website.
George Washington
This fall, Delta Pi’s Timothy Stackhouse was elected president of George Washington University’s IFC. Since then, he and other Greek life leaders have worked with the university to make sexual assault prevention a top priority on campus. They are focusing on expanding opportunities and recommendations for chapters to attend sexual assault prevention training led by the university’s Center for Alcohol and other Drug Education, as well as preparing other ideas on the same subject.
Stackhouse served as Commander of Delta Pi in 2014 before being elected IFC president for 2015. He has also served in several other leadership positions within the chapter.
In an interview this past March, Stackhouse said, “For the IFC, a very important issue is the safety of our members and all students on campus, especially when it comes to sexual assault.” He also wants to make sure that the people who step into the new roles of president and vice president every year are completing what has been started by past IFC leaders.
In addition to Stackhouse’s election, current Commander Alexander Maxwell was appointed to a new Greek life task force, which meets bi-monthly in working groups to research issues affecting the community.
In addition, this fall marks Delta Pi Chapter’s 100th anniversary on George Washington University’s campus! The chapter will celebrate the history of the university’s longest continually-active fraternity by inviting alumni, family, and friends to a weekend centennial event, highlighted by a Saturday evening cruise on the Spirit of Washington. For event details and registration, visit www.gwusigmanu.com.
Lastly, the Delta Pi Chapter’s spring semester rush was particularly successful. The chapter gained 11 candidates, one of its largest spring classes in a long time.
Eastern Kentucky
Last fall, Theta Theta Chapter had its annual fall philanthropy event Jail N’ Bail which raised over $2,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
All IFC and Panhellenic organizations participated in this event, with the local Kappa Alpha Theta chapter winning for most money donated.
Brothers Andrew Moorhead and Justin Asher in Paris while studying abroad.
Eastern Illinois
Around 25 Lambda Gamma brothers participated in Delta Delta Delta’s Be The Hero 5k Run and Fun Walk at 10 a.m. on March 28. Brothers volunteered and ran in the race that raised over $1,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The chapter also placed third in the tug-of-war competition as part of Eastern Illinois’ Greek week festivities and hosted its annual Easter dinner on Saturday, April 5.
Fresno State
Air Force Colonel Derek Hirohata (right) was recently on hand to honor eight fallen American military service members at Arlington National Cemetery. The ceremony honored those who perished in Operation Eagle Claw, the American military’s attempt to rescue 52 American diplomats held in Iran. Hirohata was on hand representing the Air Force Special Operations Command and participated in a wreath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The ceremony was held on April 25, the 35th anniversary of the attempted rescue.
Photo courtesy of Michael Garcia.
Georgia
At the beginning of the spring semester, Mu Chapter began making plans to host a new philanthropy event that the chapter coined “The Classic City Bowl.” The brothers learned a lot by hosting the philanthropy soccer tournament in 2014, but decided that they were capable of hosting an even larger community-wide event.
Mu borrowed the idea from Epsilon Xi Chapter at The University of Mississippi and hopes for the Classic City Bowl to mimic the legendary “Charity Bowl” that has been held in Oxford for the past 24 years. After many phone calls with the brothers at Ole Miss, Mu Chapter leadership decided it was time for The University of Georgia to put on a similarly groundbreaking event.
Much like The Charity Bowl of Oxford, The Classic City Bowl will be a full-contact, high school style football game, to be played between Sigma Nu and one other fraternity on campus. This year’s game has been scheduled to take place between the brothers of Mu and the brothers of Pi Kappa Phi at UGA. The game is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 25th at Clarke County High School, a prime location in Athens, Ga., and walking distance from many Greek, university, and student housing complexes.
The brothers of Mu have set a fundraising goal of $30,000 and a ticket sales goal of $2,000. Mu has partnered with all seventeen Panhellenic sororities on Georgia’s campus in an event to create maximum “buzz” and excitement among the Greek community. The potential the event possesses excites Mu Chapter as this is the first philanthropic event of this nature or magnitude to be held at The University of Georgia.
Georgia Southern
It has been a banner year for the Theta Kappa Chapter at Georgia Southern University. The chapter’s annual philanthropy, the ΣND MS Benefit Campaign, finished its fundraising efforts with over $10,000 raised for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.
In addition to raising money for this worthy cause, the chapter also has fun while doing it. As a conclusion to the benefit campaign, the chapter hosted the ΣND MS Benefit Concert that featured a low country boil and live music.
The chapter held its third annual Commander’s Dinner at Bones Restaurant in Atlanta on January 17. The dinner had 15 attendees, including past Commanders, and was highlighted by an address from Michael Barry (Georgia) the current chairman of Task Force Hopkins. “This event displays the chapter’s living past and reiterates the fact that Sigma Nu is a lifelong commitment,” added Division Commander and Theta Kappa AAB Chairman Bill Geddy.
At November’s Georgia Southern Greek awards banquet, Theta Kappa took multiple awards and honors. The chapter was named Chapter of the Year, a Five Star Chapter (out of five), was given the Philanthropy Award, and received the Campus Involvement Award for the second consecutive year. Brother Adam Clay was also presented with an IFC merit scholarship and Brother Brian Griffin was sworn in as IFC vice president of programming.
Theta Kappa’s accomplishments have been especially noteworthy in light of its own crisis moment in 2013. In the spring semester of that year, the chapter was placed on alumni receivership and subsequently expelled 37 of its 56 members, leaving just 19 men to carry the chapter forward.
These 19 men committed to being something more; they committed to leading on campus, in the classroom, and in life. They knew social status would come once other problems were fixed. Brother Evan Winebarger, who served as the first post-reorganization Commander noted that, “With only 19 men, we were very limited in most aspects. However, we never became fixated on what we couldn’t do. Instead we focused on doing everything that we could to lay a solid foundation of excellence for future brothers.”
Under Winebarger’s leadership, Theta Kappa began to emphasize recruiting the right men. In the first semester after the reorganization, the 19 men remaining in the chapter recruited 19 candidates, doubling the chapter’s size. Brother Adam Clay, the first post-reorganization Recruitment Chairman, said, “We started utilizing values-based recruitment. We began to look for quality in the men that we recruited and considered what each man brought to the table before we ever extended a bid. We looked at their grades, leadership involvement in high school, and other personal qualities as well.”
A newfound importance was placed upon other previously neglected chapter programs as well. Most notably among these was the LEAD Program. Under the leadership of Brother Brian Griffin, who simultaneously served as the first post-reorganization LEAD Chairman and Philanthropy Chairman, the chapter began to excel in both arenas. Brother Griffin said, “We introduced a LEAD speaker series that really engaged alumni.”
The semester after the reorganization, nine Theta Kappa alumni conducted LEAD sessions on various topics including risk reduction, values based leadership, and local chapter history, among others. This was a valuable educational experience and it led to reengagement of alumni that had not been involved for years. Many alumni guest facilitators later became involved with the Alumni Advisory Board.
During the spring 2014 semester, the entire chapter boarded a charter bus to make the eight hour drive to Lexington to see the place where the Fraternity was founded. In addition to touring headquarters and staying on the grounds in the Carriage House, the chapter had the unique opportunity of initiating the spring 2014 candidate class in the Alpha Room. “Going to Lexington and seeing so many things sacred to Sigma Nu really brought everything we had learned in the year after the reorganization to life. It gave us a real perspective of the past,” said Brother Eric Degen, Commander at the time.
Through their pursuit of excellence and commitment to living their values, Theta Kappa is poised to become one of the elite fraternity chapters in the nation. With greatly improved chapter operations, a membership of 65 men, and a newfound top tier social status on campus, the future looks bright for Theta Kappa. The chapter’s new goals are further strengthening its operations and continuing to live in the life of Love, walk in the way of Honor, and serve in the light of Truth.
Theta Kappa Commander Adam Clay presents Sigma Nu Hall of Fame member and former NFL quarterback Archie Manning (Mississippi) with a Sigma Nu alumni lapel pin. Manning was on campus at Georgia Southern as part of the Leadership Lecture Series presented by the student affairs office. Photo courtesy of Jeremy Wilburn – Georgia Southern University.
Georgia State
The Greek Awards Banquet this year went extremely well as Eta Gamma was named Chapter of the Year as well as Most Philanthropic. The chapter has raised a large amount of money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Currently, the chapter is getting ready for its 5th Annual Sigma Nu Smoke Out benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and it anticipates raising around $15,000. With the help of alumni, brothers, the GSU Greek community, and sponsoring affiliates, this year’s event is expected to be the most successful yet.
Eta Gamma has recruited eight new members for the spring 2015 semester. These candidates have shown outstanding growth and dedication to the chapter. The class has accumulated around 1,000 hours of community service participating in various events such as the candidate class’s BBQ Cookout. They also managed communication lines with the brothers at the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Radiothon event in Atlanta.
The chapter used LEAD sessions from Phases I-IV and has used several guest speakers. One of the speakers was an attorney who spoke about risk and crisis management programming. Other guests consisted of campus administrators to project directors at major firms in the Atlanta area. In one session, the chapter was joined by Alpha Xi Delta.
This semester the brothers participated in various philanthropy events hosted by other organizations within the Greek Community. Eta Gamma brothers were runners-up in Phi Mu’s Spring Fling Week and Alpha Xi Delta’s Xi Marks the Spot event. These events raised money for Autism Speaks and Children’s Miracle Network.
Eta Gamma’s alumni relations efforts have shown dramatic improvement as it has become routine to invite alumni to chapter events and initiatives.
Georgia Tech
Gamma Alpha had a very successful spring semester after welcoming 22 newly initiated brothers last fall.
The chapter hosted a bystander awareness seminar for Georgia Tech to inform students about the bystander effect and to teach proper emergency response. The chapter also provided a free CPR class to all campus Greeks.
In April, Gamma Alpha raised over $4,000 for Team Clark and Kickin’ it for a Cure by hosting a charity band party. Team Clark supports a Kappa Sigma at Georgia Tech who suffered severe brain damage upon falling from his loft, and Kickin’ it for a Cure helps a brother at the University of Iowa, who was diagnosed with stage 3 brain cancer.
Gamma Alpha also volunteered 60 brothers at the Atlanta Steeple Chase, which benefits the Atlanta Speech School, continuing a chapter tradition that has lasted over 20 years.
South Carolina and Clemson Host 35th Game Ball Run
Every year for the past 35 years, the Delta and Theta Zeta Chapters from South Carolina and Clemson participate in the Game Ball Run. The run takes place the weekend before the South Carolina-Clemson football game. This year, Delta Chapter ran the game ball starting at Williams Brice Football Stadium in Columbia, S.C., all the way to Greenwood, S.C., over 60 miles away.
Once in Greenwood, the two chapters met for dinner at a local Huddle House restaurant and then Theta Zeta Chapter ran the ball the rest of the 60+ miles to Clemson Memorial Stadium.
The brothers run, one or two at a time, behind a police escort. A tour bus, filled with the remainder of the participating brothers, follows and allows for the runners to alternate for the entire journey.
This year’s Game Ball Run was one of the most successful in its history. Both chapters started with lofty fundraising goals and saw great success in their efforts. The Delta Chapter, which raises funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the Swing Mission in the Bahamas, raised over $25,000. Theta Zeta was able to match Delta’s total as they also raised $25,000 which they donated to Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney’s All-In Team Foundation.
Not only was this year’s run successful financially, but the Sigma Nu Game Ball Run also gained a lot of publicity. Delta and Theta Zeta Philanthropy Chairmen, Jay Benton and Casey Johnson, were recognized on the field before the Clemson-Carolina football game.
“Going forward, our fraternity is incredibly excited to continue to work with Dabo’s All In Team Foundation to help provide hope and better opportunities to those in need,” said Casey Johnson. “As Coach Swinney said to our chapter after the run concluded last November, ‘you make a life by what you give.’ It is our sincere hope that we will be able to do this with the All-In Team Foundation for many years to come.”
“We are very proud of our efforts this year and look forward to seeing what the future holds for our signature philanthropy event,” added Jay Benton.
Brothers of Theta Zeta with Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney after a football practice. The entire chapter was invited to attend a Clemson Tiger football practice as a result of the chapter’s support of the All In Team Foundation.
The Delta Chapter preparing to begin their 60 mile leg of the Game Ball Run that culminated in a dinner with the Theta Zeta Chapter in Greenwood, S.C.
Hampden-Sydney
This winter, the college’s board of trustees and president recognized Eta Pi Brother Worth Osgood. During the previous summer, Osgood pulled a man to safety from an overturned tractor-trailer on 1-95 near Richmond, Va. Risking exposure to open fuel, Osgood pulled the driver out of danger by hitting out pieces of broken glass from the windshield. Many local media outlets covered the story and labeled Osgood a hero.
Last fall, Eta Pi Brother and men’s soccer member Ryan Turner was awarded the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Rookie of the Year and the Virginia State Rookie of the Year, in addition to a Second-Team All ODAC selection. He led all freshmen in the ODAC in points (18) and goals (7). Turner’s 18 points were good for fourth overall in the ODAC while his seven goals are tied for third. In ODAC-only games, he checked in second in points (15) and goals (6).
Additionally on the All ODAC Second-Team was Eta Pi Brother James Lawrence. Lawrence totaled 13 points, five goals, and three assists. His five goals ranked him 10th in the ODAC, and he also had the third-most game-winning tallies in the league with three.
Both Blake Carrey and William Boinest shared the Manager of the Year award for their vital assistance with the men’s soccer program. After countless hours of work behind the scenes, Carrey and Boinest were recognized during the annual sports banquet.
On Saturday, April 11, the Eta Pi Chapter held their annual Greek Week Pig Roast. Over 200 people in attendance enjoyed food, drinks, and a performance by The Rhondels. All proceeds were donated to Habitat for Humanity.
The planning for Eta Pi Chapter’s 50th anniversary is underway and the chapter is excited to contact and work with alumni in order to put on the best event possible.
Huntingdon
Nu Beta Chapter had a successful academic year including many chapter and individual accolades. Last fall, Nu Beta won the All-Greek Homecoming Spirit Cup. Brothers Jeremiah Stone, Malone Kaak, and Tristan Thompson were elected to IFC as president, vice president of administration, and vice president of finance, respectively.
Nu Beta Chapter also received awards at the annual Greek Awards Banquet for Outstanding Membership Programming, Outstanding Alumni Relations and Communication, and National Publication Recognition. Brother Harden Spencer received Greek Man of the Year and Brother Miles Barnhardt received Future Fraternity Leader.
Indiana
This spring, Beta Eta hosted its third annual Greek Bowl flag football philanthropy, raising funds for Middle Way House in Bloomington. About $3,500 has been raised over the past year for the cause. The chapter raised a total of more than $18,000 since beginning the Greek Bowl philanthropy three years ago.
Middle Way House is an organization based in Bloomington dedicated to ending violence in the lives of women and children. “We wanted to give back to Bloomington on a local level,” said Beta Eta Philanthropy Chairman Brett Krieg.
The chapter raised funds through a combination of canning on campus, online donations, and buy-ins from the teams participating in the tournament. This year, ten fraternities participated. “We do this to give back, but it is also a lot of fun,” Krieg said. “It’s just friendly competition.”
Jacksonville State
Commander Kenneth Smith was named president of SEIFC this spring semester and Brother Tyler Brown was named Big Man on Campus by the Jacksonville State Zeta Tau Alpha chapter.
The chapter also celebrated its 40th anniversary on April 11 at the Anniston Country Club.
James Madison
Brother Zach Bolan (Iota Delta 721) was awarded James Madison University’s Fraternity Man of the Year for 2014, after completing his term as IFC president. The chapter also raised over $5,000 for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as part of its Rock Week philanthropy.
Kansas
Nu Chapter was honored to receive several awards and recognitions this spring. The chapter was presented with the Elizabeth Watkins Community Caring Award by the Lawrence Memorial Hospital. The award was presented as appreciation for the chapter’s commitment to service and volunteering at many of the hospital’s events over the last six years. The chapter is proud of being the first fraternity to ever receive the award.
At this spring’s Greek awards banquet, Brother Nathan Lutz was named Outstanding New Member and the chapter received Excellence in Membership and Development, Risk Management and Legal Liability, and Leadership and Campus Engagement.
Brother Sam Tanner (Nu 2393) is a member of the KU Rugby team. Although the University of Kansas doesn’t have an NCAA Division 1 rugby team, the Jayhawks still had a great season. They represented the United States in Ireland over spring break where Turner was one the Jayhawk’s top scorers.
Kent State
On November 2, Zeta Gamma Chapter invited former Major League Baseball and World Series Champion Jim Leyland to conduct a LEAD session on stress management and motivation. As part of a new initiative to improve alumni and professional relations for the chapter, past Commander Mark Gockowski invited Leyland to speak to Zeta Gamma.
Leyland created a presentation comparing a Major League Baseball organization to a fraternity chapter and giving leadership advice on how to handle prolonged stress. Leyland drew an analogy between motivating baseball teams through a long season to motivating a fraternity chapter through a long school year.
Louisiana Lafayette
This spring, the Eta Nu Chapter won first place in Greek week. As part of the festivities, Brother Cameron Haddad (Eta Nu 1092) was given the award New Greek Male of The Year. Brother Haddad also participated in Phi Mu’s annual philanthropy event, Big Man on Campus, and won Mr. Money Maker, Mr. Sexy Legs, and Mr. Congeniality.
Eta Nu alumni held a reunion weekend on March 6-7 which was attended by close to 60 alumni. The collegiate chapter supported the reunion by hosting a BBQ.
Louisiana Tech
During the 2014-15 academic year, Eta Zeta Chapter had a total of 87 collegiate members with the highest pin being Eta Zeta 1247.
Each year, the chapter holds a LEAD session led by the Alumni Commander, Stanley Dupuy. Local alumni participate in this session, sharing their wisdom and experience with the collegiate chapter and new candidates. This is a great opportunity for the chapter to meet older alumni and gain advice and insight on ways to better the chapter.
This year was the third consecutive year for Eta Zeta to win Greek week. In previous years of Eta Zeta’s history, fraternities competed for the All-Sports trophy. The Eta Zeta Chapter won 27 out of the 31 All-Sports championships, which ultimately led to the dissipation of the sports competition. Greek week, which involves philanthropy events, sports competition, and campus-wide events, was created in lieu of the All-Sports championship. Eta Zeta has won every Greek week since it began.
This year, Eta Zeta held a car wash benefiting SFC Tammie Riggs. Tammie, a soldier in the Louisiana National Guard, a mother of two, and a wife to a soldier in the National Guard, is being treated at MD Anderson, undergoing her second stem cell transplant. Eta Zeta Chapter raised over $3,000 to help pay for medical expenses for Tammie.
Eta Zeta is preparing for its annual crawfish boil benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This event was started in 2000 by Dr. Allen Torey, a past Commander, and has become a tradition ever since. Last year the chapter raised over $7,500. This year, with an increase in manpower, the chapter has set a goal to raise over $9,000.
Each year, the chapter hosts an alumni and parent brunch before the homecoming football game. After the game, parents and alumni attend a social gathering back at the chapter house. The chapter is proud to have been holding these events since its founding in 1961.
Josh Cox throws javelin for Louisiana Tech and has been Academic All-Conference all four years of his college career in both the Western Athletic Conference and Conference USA.
Jackson Close, Bailey Laborde, and Nick Liberatos are Orientation Student Leaders this year for Louisiana Tech. In this position, they will be in charge of directing summer orientation for incoming freshmen.
Several brothers of Eta Zeta Chapter have started their own businesses. Blake Thomas has started his own clothing company called Southern Manners. Recent alumnus Rhodes Moran has his own landscaping service called Fast Grass. Tanner Wyatt owns Wyatt’s Power Washing. The chapter is also proud to financially support Brother Josh McIntire, Chaplain from 2013-2014, in his journey to the missionary field of East Asia.
One of the more creative LEAD sessions was a physical wellness session. It was in the form of a yoga session with the Louisiana Tech Kappa Delta Chapter. The chapter enjoys involving other groups to better develop the community on campus.
Alumnus Tony Dixon is planning an alumni event with his pledge class in the fall, which would allow the collegiate chapter to meet older alumni, gain wisdom and hear some of stories from the chapter in its earlier days.
The Alumni Advisory Board consists of Stanley Dupuy (president), Chris Stegall, John Morgan, and Chris Barr. Alumni advisors include Lomax Napper and Joe Reyes. The new House Corporation President is Greg Smotherman.
Michigan State
The brothers of Epsilon Rho won this spring’s intramural basketball championship, triumphing over FIJI 39-18 in the championship game.
Middle Tennessee State
Reese Osborne is the current IFC vice president of community relations. In this position, Osborne monitors IFC social media accounts and develops marketing materials to be used in recruitment and other IFC initiatives. “Being a part of IFC is a great challenge that I was prepared for by joining Sigma Nu and I love being able to represent our chapter on the executive board,” said Osborne speaking about his experience.
Midwestern State
Eta Upsilon completed over 300 hours of service to the community of Wichita Falls, Texas, with only 20 members. The service consisted of working with a local food bank, helping with an annual Halloween festival, and working with the intellectually disabled community.
This semester, the chapter created the philanthropy event, Dodge for a Cause. This event was a co-ed dodgeball tournament to benefit a local group of people with intellectual disabilities. Over $1,300 was raised in signups and donations. This event was led by Commander Trey Twilligear (Eta Upsilon 545) and Community Service and Philanthropy Chairman Walter James (Eta Upsilon 561) with the chapter putting in a great amount of effort to help.
Minnesota
The 2014-2015 academic year has been very exciting for Gamma Tau Chapter in terms of philanthropy, campus involvement, and national awards. The excitement began with Gamma Tau receiving its fifth consecutive Rock Chapter Award at the 66th Grand Chapter in July.
The heightened morale from attaining a decade of excellence motivated the chapter to continue this trend with Border Battle, the largest philanthropy event of the fall 2014 semester. Gamma Tau’s donations increased by 33% from last year for a total of nearly $6,500, which is the largest sum the chapter has ever donated at Border Battle. With the help of Beta Epsilon Chapter at Coe College, Lambda Delta Chapter at Mankato, and Eta Theta Chapter at North Dakota State University, Gamma Tau was able to raise a grand total of $10,926 for St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
Gamma Tau also strives to be involved in all areas of campus life. Lieutenant Commander Nicholas Ohren has been selected as a Freshman Orientation Leader and will facilitate the transition of incoming freshmen. The chapter has also increased involvement in the Greek community with two brothers elected to the executive council of the IFC. Brother Fred Werner was elected executive vice president and Brother Jacob Iveland was elected vice president for member development, with both brothers taking office in December.
The spring semester has continued to be productive with Gamma Tau winning three awards at the University of Minnesota Greek Awards 2015: Outstanding Membership Program, Outstanding Community Service Program, and Chapter of Excellence. The most notable spring philanthropy event has been the first ever Snuzapalooza. In collaboration with Memorial Blood Centers and Love Your Melon, 40 blood donations were made for recipients in need and $400 was raised to benefit pediatric cancer patients.
Of all the achievement and progress Gamma Tau has made this year, its proudest accolade is the North-American Interfraternity Conference Chapter Award of Distinction awarded to the chapter in March. Gamma Tau is honored to be a Sigma Nu chapter nationally recognized for its efforts, and will continue to strive for excellence in the years to come.
Mississippi
Epsilon Xi had a busy year with many brothers participating in athletics, leadership, and other campus activities. Brothers Ben Still and Connor Harris both were a part of Ole Miss’ Division I athletic teams. Still, an offensive lineman for the football team, was a starter and played in 12 of the Rebel’s games. Harris is a freshman on the Ole Miss track team and is a pole vaulter.
Brother Loden Walker was elected Associated Student Body (ASB) attorney general for the 2015-2016 school year. Davis Rogers, the outgoing student body president, was one of ten students inducted into the University of Mississippi’s hall of fame.
Epsilon Xi held its 26th annual Charity Bowl March 27. This year’s recipient was 17-year-old Marcus Banks of Louisville, Miss., who suffered a spinal cord injury playing high school football. The chapter presented Marcus Banks and his family with a check for $75,000 to help him and his family with rehabilitation and secondary education cost. Epsilon Xi has raised over $1.6 million for Charity Bowl recipients over the last 26 years.
Epsilon Xi also donated $25,000 to the Blair E. Batson Children’s Hospital out of Jackson, Miss., on November 1, 2014.
Past Mississippi State Rep. Tim Ford entered Chapter Eternal on February 27, in Oxford. Brother Ford was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives in 1980 and served as speaker form 1988 to 2004. Ford is credited with providing leadership when the legislative body was experiencing a period of hotly contested political battles.
In a recent Clarion Ledger obituary, columnist Sid Salter remembered Rep. Ford as a good-natured politician with a special skill for uniting various coalitions within the Mississippi House. “I found Ford to be genuine and a man of his word,” Salter said in his piece. “Ford left Mississippi better than he found it when he entered public service — and that’s a powerful legacy.”
Mississippi State
On April 6, the Iota Gamma Chapter hosted Sigma CaNu, its spring philanthropy event benefiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and the Starkville Habitat for Humanity. Six sororities and one fraternity participated in the canoe races held at Chadwick Lake.
This was the first Sigma CaNu sponsored by the Iota Gamma Chapter, but the chapter looks forward to growing the event and sponsoring it for many years to come.
Missouri
The Rho Chapter revamped its philanthropy this year with its first annual Sigma Nu Kick for a Cause soccer tournament benefitting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The event took place on November 2, and raised $2,300.
Rho Chapter also participated in Mizzou’s 103rd homecoming the weekend of October 24-25. The chapter was paired with Delta Gamma and Beta Upsilon Chi. After working day and night since the beginning of September on house decorations, a float, and service events, the pairing did not win. However, it was a fun semester hanging out with the women of Delta Gamma and becoming friends with the men of BYX.
This spring, Rho Chapter hosted a kickball tournament for Special Olympics athletes. Members of Rho Chapter spent the afternoon of March 14 playing games of kickball with the athletes. The event took place at the Wilson Fitness Center in Columbia, Mo. The brothers enjoyed the day while helping the athletes participate in games or just by simply kicking the ball around. The chapter hopes to continue a relationship with Special Olympics.
Brother Ryan Greenway (Rho 2408) is currently serving as the LEAD Chairman for the chapter. He has brought in speakers from campus like Kim Dude, assistant director of the Wellness Resource Center to talk about alcohol, and a priest from the Newman Center to talk about ethics. This past summer he served as one of the university’s Summer Welcome Leaders. He has since taken the position of Summer Welcome Student Coordinator. He is one of two coordinators on the five person leadership team that recruits, hires, and trains the 2015 Summer Welcome Leaders, as well as execute and direct the Summer Welcome Program itself; a program that saw the orientation of almost 7,000 new students last year.
Besides that role Greenway is also involved with the Missouri Alumni Association through the Alumni Association Student Board (AASB). He shows great pride in all that is Mizzou.
Over spring break three Rho Chapter members, Kennady Gee (Rho 2377), Blake Toth (Rho 2394), and current candidate Jacob Francis, participated in the Mizzou Alternative Break Program (MAB). MAB was founded in 1991 and has grown to be the second largest alternative break programs in the country behind Ohio State University.
Gee traveled to NYC to work at the Gay Men’s Health Crisis, a wellness center for men living with HIV. Toth went to Asheville, N.C., and worked with the local Habitat for Humanity affiliate doing construction on six homes. Francis travelled to New Orleans and worked with the Children’s Hospital which was hosting their biggest fundraiser of the year, the Sugar Plum Ball.
Sidebar: UC Davis Sigma Nu Co-Founds Latin American Film Series
Founded to increase the appreciation of Latin American arts and culture, the Crisol Latin American Film Initiative will offer Spanish language cinema and a variety of artistic mediums that highlight the similarities between Latinos and their non-Latino peers. The Film Initiative, co-founded by Brother Juan-Paulo Varela (UC Davis), hosted its inaugural run over four weekends beginning Saturday, March 14 through Friday, April 3, 2015. All screenings were held in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Varela serves as the program director, while co-founder Karem Orrego, a fourth year film student at the University of Utah, serves as executive director. When asked why he co-founded the Film Initiative, Varela said he wanted to create a platform through which Latin American arts and culture could be both appreciated and critically examined in the context of shifting demographics in the United States.
“Crisol is an olive branch similar to the fraternal love that we as Sigma Nus experience – we want to extinguish tired stereotypes and elucidate a modern Latin America in juxtaposition with the United States,” he said.
The Crisol Film Initiative was seen by a wide audience with prominent attendees including University of Utah administrators, such as the dean and several department chairs of the College of Fine Arts. Likewise, Utah State Senator Luz Escamilla and Utah State Representative Angela Romero attended the closing reception along with leading members of Salt Lake’s arts and culture community at the Urban Arts Gallery in downtown Salt Lake.
To accomplish Crisol’s mission, Varela was engaged with both leading individuals and organizations within Salt Lake’s political, artistic, and cultural spheres over the past six months. The Sundance Film Festival, held in Salt Lake City, helps create a receptive attitude towards artistic endeavors but also creates a competitive market for funding and recognition. As such, Varela and the team at Crisol worked diligently to gain the necessary support making Crisol a reality.
Following a successful inaugural run, Crisol’s sponsors and donors have pledged continued support for the film initiative which Varela hopes will continue as an annual event. Alternatively, the team at Crisol is weighing offers from two of the leading arts festivals in Utah to merge Crisol with their events. In either case, Varela was excited to promote the arts and enhance the quality of life in Utah through the production of the Crisol Latin American Film Initiative.
Both Varela and Orrego have been approached about additional leadership opportunities within the Latin American and arts communities in Salt Lake. Verela has accepted a board member position on Utah’s chapter of the National Council of La Raza and will also be involved in the Utah Art Alliance’s Executive Planning Committee.
Missouri State
Brother Cody Stout was recently featured in an article than ran on USA Today’s college page. Stout, who was quoted about his Greek experience, had several insightful comments.
Stout described how he views his Greek experience in light of national controversies surrounding Greek life. “If I ever get any kind of negative feedback, I usually just steer the conversation in the direction of how many great things (Greek life) has done for the Springfield community,” says Stout. “I am constantly impressed with how our [Greek] community is able to come together.”
Missouri S&T
The Gamma Xi Chapter won the intramural flag football championship this past fall which capped a great year of intramurals.
Montana
Alumnus Brian Hutton (Gamma Phi 1918), a 2007 Montana graduate, received the Army Commendation Medal for Valor on September 10, 2013. Hutton received his commendation for action during May 4-7, 2013, while deployed in Afghanistan. Over these four days, Hutton’s team was engaged in eight different engagements with enemy forces. During these firefights, Hutton successfully led his team to complete their assigned missions.
Alumnus Rodney Draper was presented with the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor by Vice President Joe Biden on February 11. FBI Special Agent Draper was part of the hostage rescue team that saved 5-year-old Ethan Gillman who was kidnapped from a school bus and held in an underground bunker for five days. The incident made national news and ended with a successful raid and rescue of the boy. Along with Draper, four other agents were recognized.
The Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor is the highest national award for valor by a public safety officer who exhibits “exceptional courage, extraordinary decisiveness, presence of mind and unusual swiftness of action, regardless of his or her personal safety, in an attempt to save or protect human life.”
Pull Quote: “Rodney Draper was presented with the Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor by Vice President Joe Biden”
Montana State
The Zeta Nu Colony has doubled in size during the fall 2014 semester, from 11 to 24 members, and had the 2nd highest cumulative GPA of the seven fraternities on campus. Last year Zeta Nu had the 3rd highest cumulative GPA and won the fraternity award for Overall Excellence in Intramural Athletics from the 2014 Greek Awards Ceremony in the spring semester and completed 675 hours of community service over the year.
Mount Union
In early November, Beta Iota Chapter honored Brother George Weimer, longtime advisor to the Beta Iota Chapter, with a surprise party and the announcement of the George Weimer Sigma Nu Prize at Mount Union. This award will be given to the Commander of Beta Iota each year.
Additionally, the collegiate chapter members have purchased a brick in the Pathway of Honor at Sigma Nu Headquarters with Weimer’s name and badge number to honor his long-standing commitment to the chapter. Mount Union made a special tribute video that was shown at the surprise party.
New Hampshire
On April 11, the Iota Sigma Chapter hosted their 3rd annual Easter Egg Hunt. Brothers invited residents from all over the community to come enjoy the event and each participant was asked to donate a non-perishable food item.
The chapter was able to donate over 1,000 non-perishable food items to the St. Thomas Moore Parish’s food pantry (who also happens to be the chapter’s next door neighbor). They also gave away 1,000 eggs stuffed with candy to participants. Some lucky participants found prize tickets in their eggs and came away with great gifts, including one new bike!
The Iota Sigma Chapter is very happy with the turnout at this growing event and looks forward to seeing it grow in the years to come.
North Carolina State
On April 19, brothers of the Beta Tau Chapter hosted their annual head-shaving event to benefit the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for childhood cancer research. So far, the chapter has raised nearly $20,000 for the foundation and several brothers have freshly shaven heads.
“Only 3 to 4 percent of the funding for general cancer goes towards childhood cancer, so we’re really trying to spread awareness of childhood cancer and get the word out,” said Brother Brett Birnberg to the student newspaper. “The hair – that’s temporary. The money can go toward a future, and that’s what we care about.”
This fall, Beta Tau Chapter hosted Mike Dilbeck (Texas Christian) who spoke to the chapter and other NC State student groups on the topic of responsible leadership and bystander intervention. Dilbeck is a nationally renowned speaker on the topics of leadership and the ability of individuals to prevent drug and alcohol abuse, hazing, sexual assault, and violence.
The title of the presentation was Response Ability: The Revolution in Courageous Leadership. During Mike’s presentation he discussed what it means to be a responsible leader, shared stories of his own experiences with leadership, and stories of students he has met throughout his career as a speaker.
Along with Beta Tau Chapter, many other student groups, fraternities, and sororities attended the event, and filled the 400 person auditorium. Many of the student groups were co-sponsors of the event and contributed to raising the $4,400 necessary to cover expenses for the event and venue.
The event was a huge success, and the chapter and fellow sponsors were all very pleased with the outcome of the program.
North Dakota
This fall, the Epsilon Kappa Alumni Advisory Board and newly elected collegiate officers held an all-day, off site transition retreat. The day consisted of reviewing expectations for the upcoming year, reviewing the roles and responsibilities of the new officer positions, and some basic training on leadership. There were also several communication and leadership activities facilitated by the alumni.
North Georgia
The Brothers of Kappa Chapter had the honor of welcoming the Gamma Omega Chapter of Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority onto the University of North Georgia’s campus at their chartering reception Saturday, April 11, by presenting them with a check of $213.
The Ladies of Delta Phi Epsilon won Sigma Nu’s Penny War Challenge by helping contribute over $112.50 in change, which Kappa Chapter matched by giving back fifty percent to go to the philanthropy of their choosing.
Northern Arizona
On March 28, Eta Iota hosted a 5k benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project. The run was a great success and was captured on video by Brother Connor Swann. The camera work was especially innovative as it was filmed using a drone.
Northern Illinois
Theta Eta Commander Nathan Lupstein has been elected president of Northern Illinois University’s student body. “We’re really happy about the results of the election and we’re excited to start working with the students,” Lupstein told Northern Illinois’ student newspaper.
Alumnus Brett White, a private wealth advisor with Ameriprise Financial in Oakbrook Terrace, Ill. was named to the list of “FT 400 US Financial Advisors 2015” published by the Financial Times. The annual list recognizes the most outstanding financial advisors who represent the highest levels of ethical standards, professionalism, and success in the business.
To receive the award, a wealth manager must meet six criteria associated with quality client service, client assets under management, professional designations, favorable regulatory history, online accessibility, and a minimum of ten years in the industry. The rankings are based on data provided by brokerage firms, private banks, registered investment advisers, and research by the Financial Times by over 1,500 of the nation’s most productive advisors.
Northwestern
On March 6-8, brothers and candidates of Gamma Beta Chapter teamed with Kappa Delta Sorority for the 41st Northwestern University Dance Marathon. The beneficiary of this year’s 30 hour event was the Starlight Children’s Foundation, which provides services to chronically ill children.
This was the second year Sigma Nu participated in the event since returning to campus and the second time partnering with Kappa Delta. The team raised nearly $10,000 more than last year with a total of $37,792 raised, second only to the team of Delta Delta Delta and Sigma Alpha Epsilon for medium sized groups. This year NUDM, raised over $1.1 million for Starlight, which hopes to build 10 Starlight Sites, places in hospitals for kids to play and socialize away from doctors, shots, IVs, and treatment areas.
Around 20 Sigma Nu brothers and candidates participated in the Dance Marathon, all of whom had to raise $400 to dance. Brothers Craig Herdle and Connor Smith organized the team throughout the year and pushed fundraising efforts alongside Samantha Sterling and Rae Onders of Kappa Delta.
Sigma Nu was extremely motivated after getting to know their hero Ella Joy and her family. Ella Joy suffers from stage 4 cancer, but is a bundle of energy. The chapter hosted a dinner for her and her family at the house to get to know her story and how Starlight has helped her. The team celebrated Block 9 of the marathon dancing with Ella Joy!
The chapter competed in weekly trivia challenges, a campus food competition called Top Chef, made a “Why We Dance” promotional video, went canning for money in Evanston, and contacted alumni for donations among other things. The chapter hosted Sigma Nuggets, a food philanthropy selling late night nuggets and fries, with nearly $2,500 raised for DM there. Several dancers also were involved in the organizing committees for the event.
The chapter will partner with Kappa Delta again in 2016 and hopes to improve its fundraising total again, this time hopefully snagging a first place trophy.
To open up the spring quarter, Gamma Beta Chapter invited two Northwestern University administrators for a presentation on language awareness. The brothers have different views on inclusion issues such as race, ethnicity, sexuality, political views, financial need, etc. and wanted to have an environment facilitated where opinions and feelings could be expressed to establish a stronger sense of brotherhood.
The chapter found the brotherhood inclusion session necessary because several brothers have expressed uncomfortable feelings about the words other brothers have said. It was important to hold this session because it raised awareness about the fact that even with good intentions, the impact of certain words on others may still be negative.
This is the first time Gamma Beta has held this brotherhood inclusion session; however, because of the session’s success and positive feedback, it hopes to hold it again in the future.
Brothers of Gamma Beta participating in the Northwestern Dance Marathon along with members of Kappa Delta and Ella Joy – a cancer patient and beneficiary of the Marathon.
Northwestern State
Mu Rho had a car wash to help raise money for a friend of Mu Rho’s. Josh Walker, 19, was recently diagnosed with Burkitts Lymphoma and is now at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Josh is showing progress and has a great attitude and is staying positive. The car wash helped to raise $700 for his expenses.
Oregon
The Gamma Zeta Chapter of University of Oregon has recently acquired a chapter house and has started the process of moving in. A chapter house is a big commitment but as a growing chapter, Gamma Zeta felt the time was right.
The chapter was contacted by the president of Sigma Pi Fraternity — which needed to minimize expenses — about the possibility of moving into their house. Considering Gamma Zeta’s growing size and ambition, acquiring a house was a natural next step. There were a lot of people involved in the process, notably Dan McCarthy, Tony Green, Kevin Reusch, Charlie Ekblad, Spencer Timm, and Tyler Markgraff.
Pennsylvania
Brother Andrew Gegios was recently featured in The Daily Pennsylvanian for his work as the debate team coach for the Science Leadership Academy (SLA) a Philadelphia high school. Under Gegios’ leadership the team had great success by growing from 12 to 30 students and sending a pair of debaters to a national tournament.
Gegios holds four hours of debate practice per week at SLA and attends weekend tournaments with members of the team. However, the team’s increased dedication to debate has less to do with his own ambition and more to do with that of his students, Gegios told the paper.
Beta Rho Chapter had one of its most successful recruitment periods in recent memory, initiating a candidate class of 21 this past spring. Not only is this class large in size, but its members embody the ideals of Sigma Nu and have great ambition. They have already coordinated with other chapters and run multiple community service events. The class has a lot planned going forward.
In addition, the chapter has been well represented in campus leadership positions this year. Beta Rho’s former Recruitment Chair Joshua Chilcote served as the vice president of the Undergraduate Assembly, the representative branch of Penn’s student government. Devin Grossman served as the chair of the nominations and elections committee, which oversees the entire student government. Furthermore, former Treasurer Akhilesh Goswami served as the president of the International Affairs Association, the largest student organization on Penn’s campus.
Lastly, Beta Rho’s Scholarship Chairman Rahul Gupta has gone above and beyond his fraternal duties by founding Access Engineering, an organization that teaches engineering to less fortunate high school students in West Philadelphia. Commander Kevin Procopio and Brothers Vahid Hoshmand and Erik Kerkhoven have worked directly with Access Engineering as instructors in order to improve the education of those in need.
Penn State
Unfortunately, Delta Delta Chapter had to remove one of the large elm trees that stood on the property for many years. “After providing aesthetics and shade for many years, our big elm tree at the north end of the house came down, a victim of Dutch Elm disease,” said Ed Sidwell of Delta Delta’s House Corporation.
Penn College
The Nu Gamma Chapter at the Pennsylvania College of Technology hosted their 2nd annual Wounded Warrior 5k on November 15th and raised $500 for the organization. Even though it was a cloudy day, multiple people participated in the event.
The chapter is also hosting their 7th annual Car Show on May 2. This car show will have food and games such as, ladder golf, corn hole, and can jam. The chapter is expecting car dealerships and businesses to attend and donate prizes for the show. It is also expecting to have many students and the general public attend.
Nu Gamma Chapter also received the Greek Academic Achievement Award that is given to the fraternity with the highest overall GPA every year.
Philadelphia
On Sunday, December 7, 2014, brothers from the Mu Pi Chapter gathered on the campus of Philadelphia University to celebrate the chapter’s anniversary and to remember Brother Michael D. Heyer, (Mu Pi 2) who tragically passed away in late September 2014. The brothers welcomed alumni, guests, and family members including a visit from Santa Clause.
The chapter thanks the members of the Alumni Advisory Board for their help in sponsoring the event: Brothers Murdocc Saunders, Josh Toth, Chapter Advisor Keith Halpern, President of the Alumni Advisory Board Brian Dougherty, and President of the Mu Pi Alumni Chapter Dr. Sean P. Killion. In addition, the chapter also thanks Dr. Jason Lyons, Sigma Nu Educational Foundation Board member.
Rhodes
The Sigma Nu House Corporation of Memphis, legal owner of the Epsilon Sigma Chapter house located on Rhodes College grounds, was reinstated with the State of Tennessee in September 2014, after a 20-year period of inactivity. The Sigma Nu House Corporation of Memphis is working with the collegiate brothers of the Epsilon Sigma Chapter to develop a house improvement plan that includes repairs, renovations, and long-term maintenance.
Last fall, the Epsilon Sigma Chapter held a fish fry in memory of fallen brother, Virgil Starks. The philanthropy supported a scholarship fund and was a great success with music provided by The Flying Vs (Epsilon Sigma brothers) and the help of recent Chi-O sweetheart, Carolyn Starks, daughter of Virgil Starks.
Epsilon Sigma collaborated with the Delta Delta Delta Sorority to host the annual luau-fest celebration known as Sigma Luau as a joint philanthropic event. Three bands played during the afternoon while a Central BBQ food truck served lunch to those who bought tickets. The three bands were the Flying Vs, the Dumptruck Boys (consisting primarily of Epsilon Sigma brothers), and Live by Satellite (consisting of a Mu Beta brother) from Nashville, Tenn. Altogether, over $1,200 was donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Brother Bailey Kimmitt, former Commander (2013-2014), Brother Mason Levy, and Brother Andrew Tait have all been featured on Rhodes College’s front page this year. (www.rhodes.edu) Brother Mason Levy, graduating with a dual degree in physics and theatre, will be pursuing a masters in aerospace engineering at Georgia Tech University.
NCAA athletes in Epsilon Sigma include Bailey Kimmitt (golf), Jimmie Stuckey (track), Nick Weng (football), Turner Kim (football), Jeremy Breddan (football), Sean Denby (football), Spencer Regelson (swimming), Jordan Williams (swimming), and Max Miller (swimming).
Rochester
Last fall, the Lambda Eta Chapter expanded on its annual hot wing eating contest and successfully raised over $1,000 for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. The hot wing eating contest is in its fifth year and now includes ghost pepper sauce on the wings in both the regular and final rounds.
With well over 300 in attendance, Sigma Nu filled up three levels in the University of Rochester’s student union building, Wilson Commons. In addition to strong advertisement across social media and flyers, the chapter pitted entrants in a fundraising war against each other to win gift cards to local restaurants. This heated competition was especially successful in mobilizing the Greek community.
In the fall, the chapter plans to expand the event to include more activities and fundraising opportunities for non-entrants, as well as increase the number of people in the competition. The target for the 5th annual contest will be $1,500.
Several brothers have been selected for prestigious graduate school work. Brother James Maslek (Lambda Eta 342) has been accepted at the University of Maryland to pursue a Ph.D. in quantum physics. Brother Johnson Troung (Lambda Eta 343) has been accepted at Georgetown to pursue a Ph.D. in chemistry.
Lastly, Brother Dominick Schumacher (Lambda Eta 353) is captain of the University of Rochester varsity golf team.
Samford
Continuing with chapter tradition, Iota has many brothers participating in athletics this year. Iota football players included Warren Handrahan who handled primary place-kicking duties, Josh Killet who saw extensive action as a linebacker with 54 tackles on the season, Michael O’Neal who handled kick-off duty, and C.H. Scrugg who played in every Samford game as an offensive lineman. Iota also had ten other sophomore and freshman brothers on the football team.
Freshman Brother Alex Peters, a forward for the university’s basketball team, played in 31 of 32 of the team’s games. Sophomore Brother Chris Thrasher competed in pole vault for the Samford men’s track and field team. Brothers Josh Baker, Peyton Morris, Chase Owen, Matt Reid, and Hogan Whitmire were members of the Samford women’s basketball official practice team.
The chapter also partnered with Samford University and Samford Greek life and have agreed to sign the It’s On Us pledge to educate members about sexual assault and to take action against it.
San Jose State
Brother Veeral Sarhad was named Fraternity Man of the Year at San Jose State University. Brother Sarhad currently serves as the Commander of Zeta Iota and the vice president of philanthropy for San Jose State’s IFC.
Southern California
This past spring, Epsilon Omicron Chapter participated in the University of Southern California’s first wheelchair basketball tournament to bring awareness to disability access on campus. The chapter partnered with USC Trojan Pride and USC Undergraduate Student Government (USG) to make the tournament possible. Over 200 USC students participated in the event, including USG president Rini Sampath and USG vice president Jordan Fowler.
The Epsilon Omicron Chapter has strong ties to the USC Undergraduate Student Government, with several brothers having held leadership positions in the organization. Participating in the event helped reaffirm Epsilon Omicron’s strong commitment to giving back to the Trojan community.
As a chapter, Epsilon Omicron helped publicize the tournament on social media to help the new event attain high participation from USC students and other campus organizations. The team that the chapter fielded is proud to have helped make such a rewarding event possible. The chapter plans to continue working with the USC community to raise disability awareness and advocate for increased campus access for disabled Trojans
Southern Mississippi
Brothers of Theta Gamma with the women of Delta Gamma at Southern Mississippi after a laser tag social event.
Southern Poly
The Iota Pi Chapter at Southern Polytechnic State University is in an interesting position for the next year. Two universities, Kennesaw State University (KSU) and Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU) have been merging over the last year after the Georgia Board of Regents ordered consolidation. The universities will be fully consolidated by the fall semester.
After hearing about the consolidation, several brothers of the SPSU chapter rose to leadership positions on campus. Brother Alex Harrington was elected as SGA president. Through this position he coordinated with consolidation groups to maintain a strong position for all students of SPSU going into the merger. As SGA president, Alex motivated students, worked on committees to consolidate varying aspects of the universities, helped organizations bridge the gaps with their counterparts, and put an emphasis on securing the traditions that are crucial at both institutions.
Alex also helped and encouraged Brother Andrew Benjamin to campaign for SGA senator of the Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology at the new university, and Andrew was successfully elected.
Brother Matt Lee, a current RA at SPSU, helped in the founding of the SPSU chapter of Cru and is its first president. Cru is a national collegiate Christian organization on several campuses whose mission is to enlighten students about Christ. When asked why Matt started the chapter he stated, “Throughout life we have opportunities to give back to the world and I do not want to live a life knowing that I could have done more for others.” Matt Lee’s position is beneficial through the consolidation to show the values of the Iota Pi Chapter to both campuses, setting Iota Pi apart from the other organizations already in place at the new Kennesaw State University.
The IFC president, Brother David-Luc Graap, was reelected and additionally Brother Stephen Reed was elected IFC vice president of recruitment. Through these positions the Iota Pi Chapter can maintain a proactive position in the merger of Greek life at the new university. David-Luc served on the Greek life consolidation committee along with Reid Allen, Iota Pi’s Assistant Recruitment Chairman. David-Luc and Reid helped to consolidate the two universities’ IFC constitutions, bylaws, and recruitment rules. Both David-Luc and Reid will be serving as orientation leaders during summer orientation.
During the consolidation, Iota Pi continued to maintain their tradition of excellence on and off campus. Hosting their second annual Kathryn Whitlow Memorial Golf Tournament to benefit the Ovarian Cancer Society, Iota Pi Chapter raised $23,000 to fund research for a cure. Iota Pi is the second largest chapter on SPSU’s campus and currently maintains the highest GPA among all IFC organizations. Iota Pi wishes to continue this tradition of excellence through the consolidation and bring a strong chapter to the new KSU that will grow as a major influence on and off campus.
To end the school year, Iota Pi wanted to secure a win in SPSU’s final Greek week. Iota Pi swept two full days of events and finished in the top three in every event. Iota Pi finished Greek week five points shy of a flawless score securing their 10th consecutive victory, what their chapter calls “The Nu Decade.” Several alumni attended the Greek Awards Ceremony to witness the momentous victory.
Chapter Advisor Jeff Post (Iota Pi 4) commented on the victory “After winning 18 of the first 20 Greek weeks, then a few more in between and finishing by winning the last ten in a row is a great achievement for the Sigma Nus of SPSU. The alumni of the Iota Pi family are very proud of the continuing tradition that was maintained over the last 38 years.” This pride in the Iota Pi tradition of dedication and hard work in everything they pursue will be a cornerstone in the development of a successful chapter at the new KSU.
At Kennesaw, Iota Pi will face many challenges. The average chapter size at KSU is 77 members, compared to Iota Pi’s 53 members. Most of Iota Pi is concentrated on the Marietta campus, focusing on engineering, while a majority of KSU’s student population is at the Kennesaw campus. Brothers were tasked with enrolling in courses at both campuses, engaging in leadership positions for the new university, and continuing to excel in chapter operations.
When asked, past Commander and Iota Pi Alumnus of the Year, Kris Vickers summarized the year and the chapter’s new position by saying that “Seeing the chapter win number ten as an alumnus is a great honor. Not only did they win by a record margin, but they still have that drive to be the best as the chapter did when I was active. There’s always room for growth, but I believe this event will recharge the Iota Pi Chapter and alumni alike and propel us into our new territory at Kennesaw State University.”
While the merger has been met with a multitude of reactions Iota Pi sees this as an opportunity to expand and grow. With their best foot forward and an open mind, Iota Pi hopes to continue their tradition of excellence at the new, consolidated Kennesaw State University.
Stanford
In an event titled “Defining Manhood: What Can Men at Stanford Do?” Stanford President John Hennessy and Vice Provost Harry Elam spoke at the Beta Chi house on March 10, along with Hoover Fellow Joseph Felter Ph.D. and Associate Professor of Sociology Robb Willer.
The panel concluded the “Fraternity engagement with gender issues: to know, to understand, to act” speaker series held by Beta Chi in collaboration with the Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program. The four-part series was designed to engage the fraternity and Stanford community members with gender issues. Sigma Nu decided to create the series following discussions in the fall about the role of fraternity members in sexual assault issues across campuses nationally.
Past Commander Patrick Cirenza moderated the event and prompted the discussion with questions, followed by questions from the audience. Next year, Stanford will offer a for-credit speaker series class at the Beta Chi chapter house.
Alabama Governor Issues Proclamation Honoring Sigma Nu
Alabama House Representative K.L. Brown read a proclamation on December 12, 2014, recognizing the chapters of Sigma Nu Fraternity in the state of Alabama. The proclamation, signed by Governor Robert Bentley, recognized the historic men’s fraternal organization as the only such group founded in direct opposition to hazing and rooted in the honor principle.
Earlier in 2014, Governor Bentley signed the proclamation declaring January 1, 2015 as “Sigma Nu Day” in Alabama. The proclamation was presented during a ceremony at 7:00 p.m. CT on the 11th floor of the Houston Cole Library on the Jacksonville State University campus.
Rep. Brown was joined by Sigma Nu alumni leadership including Sigma Nu Educational Foundation (SNEF) board member Ralph Moore (Jacksonville State), past High Council member Austin Landry (Louisiana Lafayette/Birmingham-Southern), and SNEF Chairman Joe Gilman (Morehead State/Georgia). Dr. William A Meehan, president of Jacksonville State University, was also in attendance.
The story behind the proclamation is a testament to the strong student leadership that has come to define Sigma Nu Fraternity. Commander Kenneth Smith, a political science major, originally proposed the idea to Rep. Brown. “I wanted to do something different to celebrate Sigma Nu and our Founders’ Day for 2015,” Kenneth said. “With everything going on in higher education right now I know elected officials and other public servants like to hear from younger college students.”
“This proclamation reaffirms the ideals Sigma Nu stands for at the campuses where we have chapters and in the communities where our alumni live,” Kenneth continued. “To some this might seem like merely words on a paper. But I’m glad I get to live out these high ideals and hold this brotherhood close to my heart.”
Stevens
The Stevens’ men’s volleyball team, which boasts the reigning Sigma Nu Athlete of the Year Chris Vaughan and eight other Sigma Nu brothers, is currently ranked #1 in the AVCA poll which ranks Division III volleyball. This is the first time the men’s volleyball team has been ranked #1 in program history.
Furthermore, the team finished the season with the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament for men’s volleyball. Stevens will host the tournament to be held April 18-26. In total, the Gamma Delta Chapter has 12 varsity athletes.
The chapter has had a very accomplished year. This spring, 16 candidates accepted bids. With these candidates, the Gamma Delta Chapter will be passing Gamma Delta 1400 less than six years after initiating Gamma Delta 1300.
Gamma Delta is especially proud of the achievements of its individual members. Brother Tyler Mackanin was awarded a maritime systems engineering master’s degree fellowship through the Department of Homeland Security.
Michael Cahill was selected as one of nine student volunteers for the Northeast Greek Leadership Association’s (NGLA) annual conference in Hartford, Conn. He helped with conference registration, introduced speakers, attended daily NGLA Conference staff meetings and monitored hotel hallways. Through this experience he learned about conference management and began understanding the magnitude of the national Greek-letter organization population. Most importantly, he started building a network with fellow fraternity and sorority students from all over the northeast, as well as higher education and fraternal professionals.
Past Commander Mark Scalzo and past Scholarship Chairman Anthony Montufar received scholarships from Order of Omega’s national office. Both have prominent positions in the Stevens’ Order of Omega chapter with Montufar serving as president and Scalzo as vice president. Also, Matt Daw is Order of Omega secretary.
Brother Michael Cahill accepted a job as a consultant in NYC for Protiviti, a risk and business consulting firm. Mark Scalzo accepted a job with Epic in Verona, Wisc., an electronic health record software company. Anthony Montufar accepted a job with JP Morgan Chase & Co.
Gamma Delta has 20 brothers graduating this spring term. Best wishes for future success to Brothers Michael Cahill, Chris Coyle, Matt Daw, Paul Dubuke, David Evans, Zachary Everett, Rob Galos, Tyler Mackanin, Mike Mccallion, Robert McLeod, Anthony Montufar, Luke Phillippi, Mark Scalzo, Dylan Schlosser, Ryan Seifert, Robert Skowronski, Dan Smith, Julian Torres, Nick Villa, and Ben Yurcisin.
Texas Tech
Brothers of Zeta Pi visiting Jing’an Temple in Shanghai, China, for spring break.
UC Davis
Zeta Xi has two NCAA collegiate athletes on the UC Davis baseball team: Daniel Gallagher and Elijah Ontiveros.
Brother Andrew Jones is working extensively with a committee to plan an Out of the Darkness walk to help raise awareness for sexual assault prevention.
UC San Diego
Since its inception on October 12, 1985, the Kappa Rho Chapter at UC San Diego has held the distinction of being the longest tenured fraternity on its campus. And now with 708 initiated members, Kappa Rho can boast that it has reached its 30th year anniversary with a celebration banquet that will take place on January 23, 2016.
Heading into Kappa Rho’s 30th year, the chapter had several notable accomplishments during the 2014-15 academic year.
Commander Blaid Burgess won President of the Year at UCSD’s Greek Awards on February 4, 2015. Emmanuel Lopez and Marco Rivera were also elected to UCSD’s IFC executive board. Lopez and Rivera will serve as the president and the vice president of service, respectively, for the 2015 calendar year.
During the week of October 20-24, 2014, Kappa Rho Chapter hosted their eighth annual philanthropy event, Trick or Treat for Hunger. With the help of the sororities at UCSD and the San Diego Community, over 4,400 cans of food (the highest amount ever) were donated to Mama’s Kitchen, a community-driven organization located in San Diego, that provides food to men, women, and children affected by AIDS or cancer.
Kappa Rho Chapter hosted a sexual assault prevention workshop on January 25 with the help of Delta Gamma and UCSD’s CARE (Campus Advocacy, Resources, and Education) at the Sexual Assault Resource Center.
Several brothers of Kappa Rho helped launch UCSD’s new Greek organization, GUIDE (Greeks United for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity). This new organization partners with the Greek Life staff and UC San Diego community centers to advocate for inclusive recruitment practices, education about social justice and EDI issues, while heightening awareness of culture and equity-minded leadership.
After a strong first several months of the 2014-15 school year, the brothers of Kappa Rho look forward to adding to the list of accomplishments as they continue to plan for their upcoming 30th anniversary celebration in the winter of 2016.
Valdosta State
Mu Nu Chapter of Sigma Nu is pleased to report recent accomplishments awarded to the chapter.
The chapter was recognized by Valdosta State University as Chapter of the Year in 2014, which it had received in 2013 as well. The university also recognized Mu Nu with the Chapter of Merit Award and Excellence in Academics and Scholarship.
Mu Nu was also recently awarded Student Organization of the Year by Lowndes County for the chapter’s community service work with the Keep Lowndes and Valdosta Beautiful Program.
Mu Nu won Greek week, marking the 3rd year in a row and 11th Greek week championship overall since the chapter was founded at VSU in 1996. The chapter also won the last men’s tug event at VSU in 2013 bringing to close a 40 year tradition at Valdosta State. Mu Nu was tug champion in 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2013.
The chapter participated in the VSU It’s On Us Sexual Assault Awareness Campaign in which two brothers helped make the PSA video, which was shown on campus at The Take Back the Night Sexual Assault Awareness Event.
Lastly, the Mu Nu Chapter currently has the largest IFC chapter on campus and are looking forward to another great academic year.
Villanova
Kappa Zeta has been the spearhead on campus for NOVADance (a dance marathon) to raise money for the B+ Foundation for pediatric cancer. In just its second year, NOVAdance raised over $102,000 to help families of those with pediatric cancer and provide research grants. Kappa Zeta raised over $17,000. The majority of the brothers are on the executive committee of the fundraiser and hope to make it bigger next year.
During Villanova’s annual Greek awards, Kappa Zeta took home the awards for Recruitment, Chapter Operations and Chapter of the Year. In addition to these three awards, Kappa Zeta was nominated for almost every other category.
Virginia Wesleyan
The brothers of Iota Beta at the Rock before initiating seven new knights into the chapter.
Washington
The brothers of Gamma Chi Chapter attended a career night featuring several distinguished chapter alumni from various fields. The event was a huge success, with an excellent keynote speech by Don James, the executive vice president of operations for Nintendo. The night also featured a Q&A panel during which the chapter was able to ask questions of the alumni, as well as sessions hosted by each alumnus individually which focused on their specific career fields, allowing each brother to gain insight into the field he is interested in.
A panel of alumni address the collegiate chapter during Gamma Chi’s career night.
Washington and Lee
This winter, Lambda Chapter supported the largest collegiate team for Washington & Lee’s Relay for Life campaign. Lambda Chapter has been participating in this event for over a decade, consistently showing support for the American Cancer Society and its cause.
Led by co-captains Socrates Manzoni and Bryce Zaremby, Lambda Chapter added 30 new members to its team, making it the largest at Washington & Lee University. The relay event is scheduled for May 14.
Lambda Chapter is extremely interested in community service and the advancement of just causes which exemplify the ideals of Sigma Nu. Helping with the battle against cancer through programs such as Relay for Life is a natural extension of not only the individual interests of the members of Lambda Chapter, but also the pursuits of Sigma Nu’s national organization as a whole.
Executive committee members of the Lambda Chapter took an active role in recruiting members for the team as well as seeking donations to support the cause. The chapter is close to hitting its $2,500 goal for this particular event and plans on continuing its support of the American Cancer Society in the future.
West Texas A&M
This fall, Eta Delta Chapter started a campaign for Pencils of Promise, an organization dedicated to furthering education of children in Guatemala, Ghana, Honduras, and Laos.
So far, Eta Delta has hosted one event, a bake sale, and collected $451 for Pencils of Promise. The campaign is expected to last two years.
A candidate of Eta Delta Chapter, Julio Agustin Vaca, brought the initiative to the chapter’s attention, and the chapter decided to start the campaign. The chapter reached out to faculty and staff of West Texas A&M University and is promoting the campaign through social media. For more information about the campaign visit fundraise.pencilsofpromise.org/sigmanu.
West Virginia
This year Gamma Pi has been a leader of changes on campus ever since Greek life was put on moratorium in November. The school ended the moratorium and Gamma Pi welcomed the new semester with its innovative bubble ball philanthropy. This philanthropy had participation from every sorority and was attended by university President Gordon Gee. The philanthropy made front page news in the Daily Athenaeum in Morgantown.
Gamma Pi has won every sorority’s philanthropy during this semester, including the Chi-Olympics and Kappa bowling.
Continuing Gamma Pi’s tradition of leading change, the chapter was the only fraternity on campus to participate in the Dance Marathon where it raised $755.
Gamma Pi is also the only fraternity represented on the sexual assault advocates panel. This is a school organization of trained sexual assault peer advocates who help the victims of sexual assault and abuse cope with the aftermath. The panel will also discuss male perspectives on healthy masculinity as it relates to sexual assault prevention. Brother Chad Felix will represent the chapter on the panel that only consists of three male students.
Gamma Pi brothers hold most of the IFC executive board positions, have the top two leadership positions in the military honor society, and five brothers in SGA. Along with four brothers in ROTC, and many other leadership positions all over campus, Gamma Pi has proven to be a chapter of leaders in both Greek life and on campus.
Brother Casey Henderson will be commissioned as an officer in the Air Force at the end of this semester and has earned a pilot slot. Brother Jon Salazar will commission as an officer in the Army at the end of next semester.
Gamma Pi held a benefit concert to help raise funds for two brothers fighting cancer. The Steve Smith Band played for the concert, which was open to the public in addition to all Greek organizations. Brothers sold tickets and proceeds went directly to the families.
Western Kentucky
This year, Eta Rho Chapter and Phi Mu were partnered together for homecoming and instead of spending a large amount of money building a parade float, money was instead donated to the Buddy House of Bowling Green, Ky. The Buddy House is a local organization dedicated to helping individuals with autism. During the homecoming parade, the buddies rode along on the float in a show of solidarity with the Greek chapters and the Buddy House.
Brothers Hayden DeLozier, Tyler Megargel, and Allan Moreno participated in Walk A Mile in Her Shoes hosted by WKU’s IFC to bring awareness to sexual assault. All money raised stays in the Bowling Green area to help women who have been affected by sexual assault, rape, and gender violence.
The chapter raised $15,000 to dedicate the chapter house’s front porch in honor of two alumni that have entered Chapter Eternal. Both captains in the Marine Corps, Todd Travis and Roger Hinkle were honored with a plaque on the front port of the Eta Rho chapter home. Travis passed away while in service off the Mediterranean Sea in 1989 and Hinkle passed in 2014.
Eta Rho’s spring candidate class (seated, front) with members of the chapter (standing).
William Jewell
Brother Ron Kelley (William Jewell) was recently nominated for the Collegiate Wrestling Hall of Fame for his four years of undefeated collegiate wrestling during the late 1950s. Brother Kelley also serves as division commander in the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary for the district covering Lake of the Ozarks, St. Joseph, Independence, and Springfield, Mo.
Sidebar: Cal State Fullerton at 25
At the end of the fall, Lambda Upsilon celebrated its 25th anniversary. At the celebration, the chapter raised over $4,000 in pledges to the Lambda Upsilon scholarship account. The chapter would especially like to thank Vice Regent Jordan Wu (Cal Poly Pomona), Joe Baxter, and Joe Lopez for participating and supporting the event as well.
“Having the opportunity to reconnect to our alumni base, especially our founding fathers has created momentum for our chapter. Alumni relations have improved drastically leading to better chapter morale,” said Lambda Upsilon Reporter Gustavo Flores speaking about the event.
During last fall’s Five Star Awards Ceremony – an award banquet for Fullerton fraternities and sororities – the brothers of Lambda Upsilon took home the Educational Program of the Year, Community Relations Program of the Year, and Alumni Relations Program of the Year. Brother Alexander Foy also received Greek Man and Greek Leader of the Year.
Brothers of the Lambda Upsilon Chapter recite the Creed together at the chapter’s 25th anniversary celebration.
Serve in the Light of Truth 