Sigma Pi - Missouri University of Science & Technology

Fall 2016 the crossing A. i. SP S i g m a P i • a l P h a i o t a C h a P t e r The Crossing T here is much good news to report from Alpha Iota over the last six months. The Building Association has been working hard on plans to provide new, competitive housing on campus and is excited about what the future holds for our chapter. Although these plans come at a time with many opportunities, we have our share of challenges as well. With continued negative news in the media about fraternities, it is as important as ever that our brotherhood remain vigilant in honoring our traditions and improving the culture of our fraternity. In light of this, the chapter is working side by side with Sigma Pi International to implement educational programs to improve the culture of the chapter to more closely align the behaviors with our shared ideals. There also continues to be pressures nationally to reduce liability coverages to fraternities, forcing fraternities to pool their coverage on top of reducing coverage limit amounts. This has forced the Building Association to purchase additional general liability coverage to offset reduced coverage from National. The good news is MS&T's campus continues to see increased enrollment and ongoing construction of campus facilities and student housing. These are positive signs that the education the students receive here continues to be a good investment. Two more fraternities, TKΣ and Lambda Chi, have broken ground on new housing and we are confident this trend will continue. Our focus continues to be the development of plans for the future of our chapter facility to ensure that Sigma Pi remains competitive with other fraternities and housing options at MS&T. The building association will continue to share our progress as we move forward with steps to ensure the chapter's future success. Fraternally, Kurt W. Steinmann '97 Alpha Iota Building Association President (314) 409-6773 ksteinmann73@gmail.com F amily connections and friendship first drew Jeff Tottleben '92 to Sigma Pi. "My cousin, Steve Buechler '90, was a member and I looked up to him. I also met a bunch of great guys on a float trip the summer before my freshman year." Once a member, Jeff knew he had found something special. "Alpha Iota was everything to me—I cannot imagine going to UMR without the brotherhood I experienced, the structure of fraternity life, and the social relationships I developed as a member." Jeff says he most loved the events where the chapter would show up together as a large group. "It didn't matter whether Forging ahead greetingS From alPha iota'S new ChaPter direCtor Brotherhood For liFe AlphA IotA Set Jeff tottleben '92 up for SucceSS s igma Pi Fraternity I n t e r n a t i o n a l selected me to serve as the new chapter director of the Alpha Iota Chapter. I joined Alpha Iota in 2011 and graduated in May 2015. I had a wonderful experience as an undergraduate member and I'm excited continue my involvement as chapter director. This is a thrilling time for Alpha Iota and I look forward to seeing where our chapter goes in the future. If anyone has any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas, please reach out to me. I really am interested in hearing what alumni have to say about our chapter. I'm in the process of developing an alumni advisory board for the chapter, with more information to come soon. I look forward to speaking and meeting with many of you in the future. Fraternally, Kevin Ponder '15 (314) 313-5862 alphaiotacd@sigmapi.org (Continued on page 2)

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