Sigma Chi - Auburn University

Inside... 2 Undergraduates Focused on Fostering Positive Brotherhood Atmosphere at Auburn 3 Gamma Sigma's Award-Winning Chapter Advisor 3-4 Alumni Update 4 White Cross Society Dinner 2019 SIGMA CHI FRATERNITY AT AUBURN UNIVERSITY SPRING 2020 THE AUBURN SIG A heartfelt thank-you goes out to more than 130 alumni, actives, parents, and friends of our Gamma Sigma Chapter for contributing over $429,000 to Phase 1 and Phase 2 of our capital campaign. You have allowed our new brothers to move into a beautifully refurbished home at 737 W. Magnolia and have provided funds to allow continued educational support into the future. Going forward, we will support our brothers through the Robert A. Benz White Cross Society (WCS). I hope you will continue your support by making a $1,000 annual contribution and becoming a member of the WCS in response to our upcoming request. We will have a WCS party again this year for all our supporters. Speaking of the party, we had a special day at our initial get together last September. We watched our Auburn Tigers whip up on Texas A&M in an exciting football game. After the game, we gathered for a group picture alongside our White Cross in the front yard. Our program began with honoring Bob Benz '60 for his lifelong contributions to Sigma Chi and our Gamma Sigma Chapter. Significant contributors (those who gave $5,000 or more) were recognized for their contributions with a plaque in their honor that is now displayed on the dining room wall. John Smyth recognized chapter advisor Brian Snyder, Troy '85, for his tireless leadership in guiding the Gamma Colony through the process of regaining our Sigma Chi charter at the initiation in April, and presented a plaque in Brian's honor that is now displayed in the house. Inge Waddle '66 then gave the group a brief but informative history of our house before cutting the ribbon to dedicate the newly renovated home. We received an update on the chapter's awards and accomplishments over the last several months from chapter annotator Ryan Barnes '20, which included most recently being awarded the Colony of the Year award by the national fraternity at the Krach Transformational Leaders Workshop last summer. Finally, scholarships were presented by President of the Foundation Board Alan Shackleford '90 to deserving brothers. It was a great day, and I hope to see you at this year's event. In Hoc, Fred McCallum '79 Capital Campaign Chairman ankful for a Successful Campaign Moving Forward with the White Cross Society See photos of the house on page 2! T he real world hit home here in Alabama, and Gamma Sigma is no exception to this rule. The massive effects of the COVID-19 disease are being felt hard in Auburn and are being dealt with appropriately. As the Gamma Sigma House Corporation, we were asked to follow Auburn University Housing Department's lead and shut down the fraternity house until we are notified that face- to-face learning will commence at Auburn. We are in full compliance. The students were all on spring break and many had already gone home. We gave a small grace period for the resident brothers to get into the house and retrieve their needed belongings before our lockdown. All electronic pass keys have been temporarily suspended. Access is only available through Brian Snyder '85, Inge Waddle '66, Jordan Moseley '94 and me. We are in the process of putting together a plan for the two graduating seniors and the one brother moving out to be able to come back to Auburn and clean out their rooms. It will be done with the full cooperation and adherence to guidelines from AU Housing and AU Greek Life. As per their instructions, our residents will have a few weekends before the spring semester ends to schedule a time to retrieve their belongings, gather numbers, facilitate key drops, etc., all while meeting the AU requirements on social distancing, The House Corporation has already had the house deep cleaned (after the residents left to go home) to ensure the structure is as germ free as possible, and we will schedule a repeat of this process prior to the house being re-opened (either for the summer or fall semester). We should be proud of the actives! They have handled this interruption with diplomacy and with a unified spirit that demonstrates the fraternity's ideals. I am sure that these young men will continue to display the positive Sigma Chi characteristics throughout the shut down and deal with all of its twists and turns appropriately. On a separate note, once we re-open for business, you owe it to yourself to visit the house and take a quick tour. It is amazing. A great deal of work went into the renovation. But the result was well worth the time and effort. As the HC president, if I can ever answer any questions, or if you want to volunteer to come on board and help, please reach out to me at bsareid@hiwaay.net. In Hoc, Reid Brown '81, House Corporation President Gamma Sigma and the COVID-19 Pandemic

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