Sigma Chi - University of Missouri

The The Tiger Sig Published by the Xi Xi ChaPter alumni assoCiation of sigma Chi fraternity COLUMBIA, MISSOURI SPRING 2018 THE YEAR IN REVIEW From Student Body President, Nathan Willett '18 T hough March 8, 2017, now seems eons ago, it was on that date that my running mate, Tri Delt Payton Englert, and I, altered the direction of elections here at MU. Not only did two Greek affiliates win, we generated the highest turnout in the history of our school, receiving 4,637 of the nearly 8,500 votes that were cast. Recognizing that numerous interest factions ranged on our campus, we created the campaign "Tigers Together," and have lived that position during our term in office. We ran on four pillars: stand up for our student community; build lasting campus relationships; bring more voices to the table; and build a system of support. We incorporated our vision into MU life immediately. There are more than 80 undergraduate positions on the Chancellor's standing committees; due to Payton's efforts, every one of these was filled for the first time in recent MU history. Instead of continuing former student leadership practices of assuming a passive attitude toward contribution, we no longer allowed decisions to be handed off to the university administration. If you had accepted the job, you came to the table and you contributed. The message we delivered was one of welcoming, diverse opinion, while expecting consistent accountability based on principled leadership. Last summer, The New York Times published a derisive article regarding the protests at MU. I wrote one in response—one that focused on the author's inaccuracies. My article was published in The Kansas City Star. I wrote: "We live in the "Show Me" state and need to do a better job of showing off all that our university has to offer. The quality of our instruction at Mizzou and the integrity of our student body continue to be the envy of schools across the nation. We are the flagship university of the incredible state of Missouri, with groundbreaking research and exceptional academic achievements occurring each and every day here in Columbia. This is a university to be proud of and I, for one, cannot wait to see what the future holds for MU." My response went viral, with over 15,000 shares on Facebook. Payton and I negotiated the delay of moving the student section from the east side of Farout Field until the south end-zone project was finished. We wanted more undergraduate impact at football games. We made such an "impression" on the athletic department that Payton will call several plays in the Black and Gold spring game. I sit on Chancellor Cartwright's Leadership Cabinet and constantly advocated for showing more pride in our university and emphasizing the contributions we make to our state. Payton and I were instrumental in naming a new dorm after Lucile Bluford, a lady of great demeanor who was denied acceptance to MU due to her race. I was guided in this regard by the principles of respect, responsibility, discovery and excellence, which were engrained in me at 500 College. Although my leadership term will end in the near future, I intend to continue my efforts of living our credo, "Tigers Together." I do wish to make final thanks to all my Sigma Chi brothers who supported me so strongly with their effort and financial backing. It was the lessons learned in Xi Xi Chapter that prepared me for this whirlwind and successful leadership role. Nathan and Payton finished their term as student body leaders as it began, with the support of the Greek community, and embodying their credo, "Tigers Together." Left: Sigma Chi with the Rosemary Cup after defeating Beta 4-3 in the Slap Shot on Cancer hockey game. Belonging to the Community Active Xi Xi's Have an Outstanding Spring D ear Worthy Brothers, the men of the Xi Xi Chapter had a tremendous school year, one that's been filled with campus functions, philanthropic events, and brotherhood. As much as we accomplished in the fall of 2017, we are much more excited for what is to come in 2018. Sigma Chi participated in several philanthropic events on campus this school year, including Delta Delta Delta's pancake dinner, DHOP, and Gamma Phi Beta's grilled cheese event. We competed in Pi Beta Phi's Big Man on Campus, a basketball tournament for charity, and (Continued on page 2)

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