Sigma Chi - University of Nebraska

Spring 2014 Winter 2017 INSIDE: From the Desk of the Chapter Advisor (2) • Alfonzo "Al" Cooper Settles in as House Dad (3) THE HUSKER SIG Alpha Epsilon Chapter of Sigma Chi at the University of Nebraska (Continued on page 2) Greater Nebraska Area Alumni Chapter Update Plan to Attend One of Our Events in 2017 for Brotherhood and Fun! T he Greater Nebraska Area Alumni Chapter officers had a preview meeting late last year and a schedule of the core Greater Nebraska Area Alumni Chapter (GNAAC) events for 2017 is in progress. The purpose of this organization is to support the Alpha Epsilon undergraduate Chapter, to continue to build the bonds of brotherhood beyond the undergraduate years, and to promote the ideals of Sigma Chi. We are excited to share the following plans with you for the coming year. In April, we will have our annual Spring Luncheon, which all local alumni are encouraged to attend. Given our past experience, we have recommitted to holding the Spring Luncheon at a downtown location, which optimizes attendance. A specific date in April and the location will be announced separately, as we are exploring our best options. In June, we are considering relaunching a Sigma Chi Alumni Golf event. It would be helpful to have an "electronic show of hands" to determine the level of interest among Sig alumni. If you are interested, please send me a quick e-mail at Curt.Denker@pinnbank.com. The more interest we have, the higher the probability that we will organize an event at one of the courses in Lincoln. In July, we will repeat our successful Summer Rush Showcase at the Lincoln Country Club. The exact time and date will be determined as summer rush begins and we get an indication of the availability of potential pledges and their parents. Be alert for an announcement of time and date in June! In October, we'll plan another Homecoming reception at the Chapter House. The University has not announced which game will be designated for Homecoming, but chances are it will be the Wisconsin game on October 7 or the Ohio State game on October 14. As soon as we have confirmation on the date, detailed Sigma Chi Homecoming plans will be published. In December, we will have our annual Sigma Chi Holiday Party. Date, time, and location are all still to be determined. Look for our announcement SIGMA CHI'S IMPROVED PLEDGE TRAINING PROGRAM LAUNCHED AT ALPHA EPSILON Reporting on Preparation for Brotherhood F all 2016 was a big semester for the Alpha Epsilon Chapter, as it was our first semester operating under the new international pledge training program known as Preparation for Brotherhood, or P4B. P4B puts more emphasis on individual learning. The new program is shorter in length, only eight weeks long, and is structured so that pledges learn everything about Sigma Chi that was included in the old pledge program at a faster pace and in a more concentrated fashion. P4B requires pledges to learn from video presentations about Sigma Chi's history and our Founders. Then, each week each pledge must successfully pass a quiz on the information they learned. Unlike our previous program, the P4B requires that the quizzes are taken online. This new path to brotherhood has naturally been met with some apprehension by actives and alumni alike, as are many things that require change. "Breaking tradition is always hard," Ty Khubchandani '19, new magister for the spring semester said, "but I think our Alpha Epsilon Chapter has done a fantastic job so far of making that transition." "With the new P4B, we're now fully aligned with the best practices of the International Fraternity," Carter Deras '18, the fall magister, said. He continued, "Grand Praetor Art Cox, Iowa '75, was instrumental in helping us with this transition." Along with a focus on individual learning, P4B provides more opportunities for the active Chapter to get involved with pledgeship. For example, the new pledge program provides the opportunity, via ConnΣXtions, for pledges to meet with actives to discuss the material pledges are learning about in a particular week. In fact, pledges are required to have five ConnΣXtions meetings with different actives in the house each week, providing them a broader spectrum of different relational and informational experiences relative to that week's curriculum. Under P4B, pledges have readings every week, as opposed to only during Introspection Week as they have in past years. The feedback from our first pledge class to go through this new protocol has been quite positive. "Through the readings, reflections, and talking to actives, I definitely think I was ready for initiation," said Jon Camenzind '20, a fall 2016 initiate. "I think most pledges would say that the readings and talking with the actives about it were very beneficial. I love how we had those weekly, not daily, readings, because we could re-read the weekly readings each day and reflect on them." All in all, P4B has the Chapter's full support and we know that this is the future for young men learning about the values of Sigma Chi prior to initiation. In Hoc, Trevor Wood '19 Undergraduate brothers gather on the lawn of the Alpha Epsilon Chapter House to celebrate the initiation of 28 new brothers, the largest pledge class in recent years. The Chapter contributes its success to their new recruitment strategies and revamped P4B pledge program.

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