Spring 2012 Alumni Newsletter
1 like577 views
This document is the newsletter of the Theta Alpha chapter of the Sigma Nu fraternity at the University of South Florida. The newsletter discusses the chapter's successful spring recruitment, raising over $5,500 for charity during their annual flag football tournament. It also announces the chapter's upcoming Alumni Beach Weekend event June 22-24 at the Beachcomber Resort on St. Pete Beach, where alumni can enjoy the pool, beach and games.
Spring 2012 Alumni Newsletter
- 1. 3 2 1 Spring 2012 Volume 45 | Issue 1 SIGMA NEWS Philanthropy 2 Beach It! 3 House 4 The active chapter Mark your calendar for Learn what’s happening continues to make giving Alumni Beach Weekend – with the Housing back a priority. June 2 2 – 24. We’re Corporation. heading back to the Beachcomber! Spring Recruitment Guess which USF fraternity chapter had the largest pledge class this Spring? Continuing on strong recruitment diversity within the chapter allows us trends and traditions, Theta Alpha to recruit from a larger pool of Chapter accepted 23 exceptional students than some other To believe in the Life of Love, young men to go through the Spring fraternities.” to walk in the Way of Honor, candidacy program. to serve in the Light of Truth; If all 23 young men complete their candidacy program, the active chapter this is the Life, the Way and the “The chapter was successful with recruitment because of our recent roster size will increase to 100 active Light of Sigma Nu – this is the successes in winning the chapter of brothers. Creed of our Fraternity. the year, several intramural sports such as football and softball and the This is a great manpower triumph for obvious strength of our alumni,” said the active chapter, growing from 24 AJ Williams, Eminent Commander. active brothers in 2009 to currently “Our house is clearly the nicest among having 77 active brothers. fraternity houses at USF and the Brotherhood online @ www.SigmaNuUSF.com
- 2. 3 2 1 Spring 2012 Volume 45 | Issue 1 The Actives Give Back Whether it’s our p hilanthropy or one being held by another Greek organization, ΘΑ brothers dominate the field. Photos: top left – Kicking it for AOΠ st top right – Taking 1 place in the ΚΣ 5K center – Friday Knight Lights Friday Knight On-‐Campus Alumni/Active Lights: ΣN Effort Philanthropies Softball Game to Help St. Jude Theta Alpha Chapter has won all the philanthropies in which it has The Alumni/Active Softball game will be held on Sunday, April 15th at On Friday, March 23rd, Theta Alpha participated so far in the Spring 11 a.m. at Eddie Lopez field off of Chapter hosted its Second Annual semester, including 1st place in the 22nd Street, near Sligh Avenue in Flag Football philanthropy to help AOΠ Kickball tournament against Central Tampa. The Actives stand St. Jude Children’s Research other IFC organizations. as defending champs. Hospital. Friday Knight Lights is a co-‐ed flag football championship Sigma Nu also took 1st place in ΚΣ’s If you’re interested in playing, where teams pair up with another First Annual 5K philanthropy, with please contact Brett Farrar at organization and compete in a all the proceeds benefitting bwfarrar@mail.usf.edu or 813-‐ tournament to see who will set the military veterans. Congratulations 838-‐4770. stage for many years to come! to brother Jake Hamilton, who finished in first place, completing Unlike other on-‐campus the race in just 22 minutes. philanthropies, the bulk of the funds raised come from sponsorships and donations. This year, the tournament raised more than $5,500, a more than 100% increase over last year. 2 Brotherhood online @ www.SigmaNuUSF.com
- 3. 2 1 Spring 2012 Volume 45 | Issue 1 Alumni Beach Weekend III The Snakes are heading back to the Beachcomber! After the last three year’s hugely successful Alumni We’ll have all-‐day access to the pool, beach, game Beach weekends, with more than 100 people each room and, of course, the Tiki Bar! We will have time, we’ve decided to hold the event the same time games for the different decades (horse shoes, corn every year, the weekend after Father's Day. hole, etc.) to compete against one another. Pizza will be provided on Saturday. We will also have This year’s event will be held June 22-‐24, 2012 at the first-‐come, first-‐serve access to the overflow Beachcomber Resort on St. Pete Beach (727-‐367-‐ parking lot across the street. It will be a fun-‐filled 1902, 800-‐544-‐4222 or beachcomberflorida.com). day with friends and family in the sun! Hope to see “Celebrating our unique brotherhood at Beach everyone there! Weekend is about the best thing I can do,” says Dan McSherry (ΘA 317), the de facto host. “I look forward to it all year.” The hotel’s room rate is $115 per night, which is the same low rate as last year. The rooms are reserved under Dan McSherry’s name. Put it on your calendar NOW, and plan on bringing your family, kids, significant others and friends as it is sure to be a blast once again! 3 Brotherhood online @ www.SigmaNuUSF.com
- 4. 3 2 1 Spring 2012 Volume 45 | Issue 1 • Totally remodeled the kitchen • Represented the GHA at the and living room as an “all USF Student Affairs Fraternity brother” project with the & Sorority strategic planning generous contributions of meeting. time, talent and treasure from • Expanded the HC Board to Chris Beckwith (ΘΑ 459), eight members, adding Scott Nelson Cusmano (ΘΑ 94), Kalman (ΘΑ 386) and Brett Andy De La Parte (ΘΑ 216), Farrar (ΘΑ 741). Jim Harvey (ΘΑ 313) and Ernie MacFerran (KPATOΣ/ As we begin our plans for 2012, the HC ΘΑ 435). has set the following goals: • Awarded three full $1,200 scholarships to AJ Williams, • Continue the 50-‐50-‐50 Will Warmke and Brent Fundraising Campaign to raise Davenport from the Alumni $50,000 to support ongoing Scholarship Fund. maintenance, upgrades and • Rewrote and passed new improvements to the house, Chapter Bylaws to better chapter room and furnishings. define policies and procedures • Double the scholarship fund endowment. for house leases, parlor fees, priority for living in the house • Complete Phase II of the House and HC obligations. KPATOΣ Hall remodel and • Entered 2012 with more than begin Phase III, budget $15,000 in the Special Housing permitting. Corporation Fund and more than $8,000 in the Scholarship Fund. The • Update our five-‐year strategic plan to guide the long-‐term Report majority of these funds are budgeted toward completing future of the HC. 2011 has to be the best year in the history Phase II of KPATOΣ Hall Special thanks to the work and of the House Corporation (HC) since 1991 remodel with built-‐in trophy dedication of my fellow HC Board when we made the initial $20,000 down cases and wainscoting of the members, Mike Castellari (ΘΑ 462), payment toward our campus house. In entire chapter room. Brett Farrar (ΘΑ 741), Jim Harvey (ΘΑ partnership with the Active Chapter, we • In partnership with the Greek 313), Frank Hult (ΘΑ 139), Scott made significant accomplishments in Housing Association (GHA), Kalman (ΘΑ 386), Steve Mangione funding, house improvements, Sigma Nu took the lead to (ΘΑ 429), and Russ Maynard (ΘΑ 369). membership, scholarship, policy, and influence USF to hold the alumni connection. Greek Housing Lease at its Respectfully submitted, current rate with no increase Working together, we: Jim Crotty (ΘΑ 116) proposed for 2012-‐13. • Launched the 50-‐50-‐50 Fundraising Campaign and raised more than $30,000 towards our $50,000 goal. • Sponsored the Homecoming Alumni Reunion with more than 120 brothers and spouses attending. • Completed Phase I of the KPATOΣ Hall Chapter Room remodel with both KPATOΣ and Sigma Nu memorabilia and composites from 1985-‐2010. Before After 4 Brotherhood online @ www.SigmaNuUSF.com
- 5. 2 1 Spring 2012 Volume 45 | Issue 1 Reconnect Cari and Russ Burcham (ΘΑ 528) welcomed d aughter Whitley Belle Theta Alpha is online, able to connect into the family on November 10. with you through multiple channels. Big brother Everett is six. Start with SigmaNuUSF.com. It’s full Jill and Scott Arendell (ΘΑ 565) of pictures from across the years and Spencer Montgomery (ΘA 750), a welcomed their son Colby to the recently added a Brother Business leadership consultant with National, family on February 6. Big sister Directory. Joining is free and it’s a recently contributed the following to the Hailey is three. great way to stay current with the Sigma Nu blog (sigmanublog.com). chapter. All kinds of information is Jenn and Travis Loxton (ΘΑ 628) The first thing that comes to mind when regularly posted on this website. welcomed their daughter, thinking o f what I learned from being Savannah Kate, to the family on initiated into the Legion o f Honor is the true On Facebook, search for Sigma Nu – January 4. meaning of what it means to be a Sigma Theta Alpha. It’s a private group Nu. I s pent twelve weeks learning about all (meaning your posts are not seen by Mike Gonzalez (ΘΑ 724) married aspects of Sigma Nu including history, non-‐members) where more than 300 Julie Montgomery on March 24. leadership, our purpose, and more. Reading about the purpose of our fraternity over and of your brothers are maintaining the over again could only mean so much to me. bonds of brotherhood. Click the The active chapter recipients of the Request to Join link. The Facebook Alumni Scholarship Awards have I had been involved in all sorts of group helps keep you informed, and been announced. Kudos to Brent organizations on campus, but this experience there are many, many random and Davenport (ΘΑ 763), Jay Moor (ΘΑ was different. For the first time, I felt that I entertaining p osts. 803), Tyler Richter (ΘΑ 778) and was part of something bigger than myself. Will Warmke (ΘΑ 779),. Even though I was listening to a 22-‐year-‐old There are n umerous Sigma Nu groups from Clearwater, Florida, talk about the fraternity, I heard a young cadet at the to join on LinkedIn, plus one for Theta Alpha brothers who want to stay Join Us Virginia Military Institute speaking about his connected p rofessionally. Search for Team USF ΣN Alumni Golf is love of creating this fraternity. Sigma Nu – Theta Alpha. competing against Team USF ATΩ on Friday, April 13th at the USF It gave me a greater understanding of what I Claw. Brother Andy De La Parte had actually joined but in turn made me Congratulations! (and his ATΩ brother-‐in-‐law) will realize not everyone around me fully grasped William Bracken (ΘΑ 340) was host the after party at their Cold what we stand for. appointed b y Governor Rick Scott to Storage Craft Brewery exclusively Over 250,000 people have taken the same the Florida State Board of Professional for ΣΝ brothers, spouses and oath that I had taken that night and I wasn’t Engineers. significant others (and the ATΩ’s as sure if they actually took that seriously. well). The party starts at 6-‐ish p.m. Andy Coe (ΘΑ 537) was appointed to I learned from Initiation that it is my place to and lasts until it’s over. This will be the USF Alumni Association Board of hold other brothers accountable for their a great Happy Hour to hang out Directors. His term b egins in June. actions. with your brothers and try the Matthew Dolson (ΘΑ 745) is the delicious local craft beers that Cold It is my place to make s ure they are living to Storage has to offer for only a $5 a code of honor. Organizational Effectiveness Intern at HCA, the leading healthcare provider admission! Please RSVP to Jim It is my place to make a difference in this in the nation. Harvey at jharvey@kolter.com or world. 813-‐784-‐6398. Amanda and Kevin Fitzgerald (ΘΑ There are very few times in your life when a 391) announce the pending arrival of Check out their website – person will commit to an oath. I learned that a second child, which will join Ella, coldstoragecraftbrewery.com – or I needed to do my part and not take my oath like them on Facebook. to the Legion of Honor for granted. who is 13 months old. 5 Brotherhood online @ www.SigmaNuUSF.com
- 6. Spring 2012 Volume 45 | Issue 1 Tell Us What’s Going On Your brothers want to know about changes in your life. Help us stay current. While you’re at it, renew your Alumni Dues. It’s $75 – chump change for a successful magnate like you. Name: Badge: Address: Phone: ( ) This is my: ☐ Mobile ☐ Home ☐ Work Email Address: Marital Status: Children: Enclosed is: ☐ $75 for 2012 Alumni Dues ☐ $75 for 2011 Alumni Dues Mail checks to: Sigma Nu Alumni Club P.O. Box 23352 Tampa, FL 33623 Please detach the above section and return it to us with your Alumni Dues. By the way, has anyone told you that you look like you’ve lost a few pounds? Is your hair thicker? Gray hair is distinguished. Sigma Nu Alumni Club P.O. Box 23352 Tampa, FL 33623 Address Correction Requested