Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Alabama

THE RED DOOR p. 2 AlAbAmA betA ChApter looks to tAke the top spot in ACAdemiCs this FAll STRIVING FOR CONSISTENT IMPROVEMENT T he 155 brothers of Alabama Beta Chapter are in our second full year of utilizing the new Chapter House on University Boulevard. The house is occupied by 34 brothers and serves as a place to relax, hang out, and study. As a substance-free facility, the Chapter uses the house for philanthropy events, social gatherings, and hosting guest speakers. We excelled academically this year, earning an overall GPA of 3.41 for the fall 2019 semester and a 3.78 for the spring 2020 semester. This is markedly higher than the all-undergraduate men's GPA of 3.06. With our Chapter ranked second in GPA for fraternities at the University of Alabama, we hope to improve again and overtake that top spot as academics remains at the forefront of our priorities moving forward. At Alabama Beta, we not only pride ourselves in academics, but we are well rounded and involved individuals. Brothers like Matthew Sink '21, who serves on the Interfraternity Council as vice president of membership development and recently won the SigEp Ruck Leadership Award, consistently look to be leaders on campus. Brothers Jack Callahan '22 and Reid Blackmon '22, both of whom serve on the Chapter's executive board, are members of the Culverhouse Investment Management Group, one of the most prestigious investment programs on campus. "It's important to me and to our Chapter as a whole to apply ourselves beyond the classroom as it is so crucial to be balanced in life," Jack said. Many of our brothers hold leadership roles on campus and are actively influencing the culture at Alabama. Alabama Beta hosted the SigEp 2020 Southeast Transition Retreat in which executive boards from various schools across the region met to discuss leadership strategies and set goals for their chapters. Pictured is our executive board and their facilitator for the weekend, former SigEp Grand President Steve Shanklin, Murray State '70. Sam Lumia '21, Alex Hall '21, Matthew Sink '21, Tripper Warlick '21, and Bret Bolin '22 are joined by University of Alabama Police Department Officer John Conger during a Crimson Tide football game last fall. The brothers wore blue to honor the memory of Officer Dornell Cousette, a cop who was killed while on duty. In addition to being involved on campus, Alabama Beta also serves the surrounding Tuscaloosa community. Last year, we participated in a community service project at Lake Lurleen. Brothers helped clean up the lake, cleared out vegetation for a new trail path, and built a new gazebo. Former Chaplain Aaron Hurd '20 said, "The event was an awesome way to serve others! We had full membership participation for a fun way to give back to the community we are a part of." The Chapter hopes to make this an annual event and plans to participate in a similar community service project this year. During the fall 2019 semester, we held our traditional Golden Heart Ball. Through social media, brothers raised money for a charity of their choosing. They set a goal to raise $100 each, with the top donation of $1,400 made by Millard Young '23. Once brothers met their goal of $100, they received an invitation to attend the Golden Heart Ball to celebrate their contributions. Philanthropy Chairman Cade Pfeifer '22 called the event a great success as we raised over $12,000 for charity. Another successful spring event was Blackjack Ball. This event benefited our Chapter's philanthropy, Big Brothers Big Sisters, which is an organization that pairs children with an adult mentor. The event took place at the Tuscaloosa River Market, where brothers and their dates gathered to play blackjack and poker, raising over $2,000. Our Chapter also donated $2,000 to The Brown House, an after-school mentoring program for underprivileged kids in the Tuscaloosa/Northport community. While the remainder of the spring semester events had to be canceled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are looking to start a new tradition known as the Mike Rowe Micro Marathon. One of our members, Mike Rowe '22, suffered from a brain tumor in high school. So, to pay homage to his courageous and victorious fight, the Chapter is looking to host a micro half- mile marathon in which participants will sprint from the starting line with the finish line being Innisfree Irish Pub. The proceeds of the event will be donated to philanthropy. Active members sit down for a goal-setting meeting to find ways to improve the Chapter. Many great ideas were shared that we look forward to incorporating!

• Cover