Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Illinois

5 CHAPTER ETERNAL* Wilfred K. "Bill" Robinson '58 entered Chapter Eternal on January 2. He retired from Delta Air Lines as a pilot in 1996. Bill lived in Morris, Ill. He was the 856th member of Illinois Alpha. William C. Kuhn '74 entered Chapter Eternal on September 23. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, working at NCR and later at Kodak, where he has his name on several patents. Bill was an avid traveler and visited many exotic places in Asia. He also loved to bike, hike, and joined groups such as Rails to Trails and The Glacier Institute. Bill lived in Kettering, Ohio. Condolences may be shared with the family at www.routsong.com. Bill was the 1,040th member of Illinois Alpha. Gary Burkhardt '77 entered Chapter Eternal on October 9 at his home in Centennial, Colo. He was the 1,087th member of Illinois Alpha. ALUMNI NEWS A. George Komer '73 and his wife, Brook, built a new house in Ball Ground, Ga. "Don't ever build," he joked. They have a 3-year-old grandson who keeps them sane and in shape. Email: george.komer@gmail.com John Vercellino '76 volunteers his time to the State of Illinois Department on Aging as a Medicare and Medicaid counselor. During the tax season, John volunteers as an AARP Tax Aide. Outside of that, he still practices karate and plays with his '65 Mustang and ham radio. John and his wife, Mary, have two grandchildren, who keep them occupied. They also travel at least once a year with other SigEps. Email: jvercellino@yahoo.com George Pappas '78 enjoys an active retirement, living in Raleigh and Sunset Beach, N.C. He has kept up with as many of his SigEp brothers as possible and looks forward to Homecoming each year. Email: gppappas@gmail.com ALUMNI UPDATE Chris Dillion '03 was appointed to SigEp National Housing (SENH) Board of Directors after completing his term as District Governor- District 16. As director, Chris will advise local housing corporations on the special financing, development and construction needs of fraternity housing, as well as provide insight to trends nationally. His new volunteer position maps well to his professional role as president at Campbell Coyle, where he leads sustainable development and district-scale revitalization efforts, producing highly transformative real estate projects in a growing number of urban and micro-urban communities. *With a chapter close to 100 years old, we sadly see several of our brothers pass away each year. It's only fitting that Illinois Alpha honor those members. As such, Illinois Alpha AVC donates $100 to the Illinois Alpha Foundation for each brother who passes away throughout the year. The earnings from this account will be used to provide scholarships to undergraduate members of the chapter. T he Buchanan Outstanding Chapter Award, named in honor of Grand President and Grand Treasurer Edwin Buchanan, Ohio State 1911, is indicative of the highest level of undergraduate achievement in our Fraternity. The "Buc Cup" recognizes the best of the best Sigma Phi Epsilon chapters. Chapters are measured against the accomplishments of their peers at campuses across the country. Illinois Alpha's 18-year reign as a Buchanan Cup chapter has come to a close as the chapter left Conclave in Houston without an award for the first time since it was recolonized and rechartered in 2001. Chapter and AVC leadership spent the evening following the Balanced Man celebration, where the Buc Cups are awarded, discussing the chapter's state of affairs and the aspects of its operations that led to the disappointing outcome and the opportunity for both successful cultural and operational pivots. The committee that reviewed the Illinois Alpha Buc Cup application offered the following observations to the chapter: • Illinois Alpha was viewed as riding on its past success; • The application did not account for the recent decline in manpower; • The chapter operates with a "rush" mentality and lacks a year-round recruitment strategy. The committee views the Balanced Man Scholarship program as underperforming relative to the chapter's peers; • The chapter's performance on the Balanced Man Program application is well below its peers, and its membership development program needs an overhaul to focus on all four stages instead of only the first; • The chapter had failed to properly adopt and implement risk man- agement policies, which resulted in University sanctions (referencing the unregistered social event the chapter held with a sorority in 2017, where an underage guest was transported to Carle Foundation Hospital by ambulance); • The chapter's Learning Community program requires more faculty engagement; and • The University Fraternity and Sorority Affairs staff did not provide a letter of recommendation, as required. Ultimately, the "longstanding tradition of winning Buchanan Cups" as noted by the undergraduate application did not justify the award, nor has the chapter operated under the two-year "continuous growth" model for which the award is made. The AVC is utilizing this feedback to frame its dialogue with the chapter and its leadership as it seeks to regain Illinois Alpha's standing relative to its national peers. Fraternally, Illinois Alpha Alumni Volunteer Corporation BUCHANAN OUTSTANDING CHAPTER AWARD RECIPIENT REIGN ENDS FOR ILLINOIS ALPHA Undergraduates and AVC Reflect on Outcome, Focus on Ways to Improve Chapter

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