Sigma Nu - University of Washington

SIGMA NEWS A PUBLICATION OF THE GAMMA CHI CHAPTER OF SIGMA NU UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON s FALL 2020 WEATHERING THE STORM Gamma Chi Examines Immediate and Long-Term Needs T o put it lightly, this spring was challenging for Gamma Chi and everyone on campus. Even with UW classes held remotely, the house was at half capacity. We were able to maintain our only employee, chef Geri, on her normal salary; Geri kept the brothers fed by dropping off food supplies each week. This summer, we maintained a live-in presence in the house—a mix of members and sorority women—while practicing appropriate social distancing with single rooms, constant bathroom cleaning, etc. All of this was in keeping with strict quarantine and isolation protocols mandated by local officials. Operationally, on June 1 we transitioned to a new, local property management company. This group operates with four other UW fraternities, has a better local network of contractors, and is able to be a more active presence with the chapter. They have already added value by assisting us with better security, close monitoring of COVID-related updates, and sharing best practices from other houses on campus. This fall, we are doing our best to weather storm. UW decided students will begin the year with distance learning. Of our 46 members, very few are interested in living in the house during fall quarter. This creates a huge financial challenge and the risk of losing one of our greatest assets: Geri, our cook. We are working on creative ways to keep Geri and provide incentives for our members to live-in, but this is an uphill battle at best. We will keep you posted as we continue to work through this difficult time. See page 2 for the improvement project update from brother Jeff Roberts '81. With our COVID-impacted budget limitations, your contributions aid our investment in the facility—especially with the city compliance-mandated items (such as kitchen safety, dead tree removal, or bathroom refreshes to add distancing and safety). HOW YOU CAN HELP • FINANCIALLY: We have many ways to give back to Gamma Chi—both directly to the facility as well tax-deductible options for scholarship funds, which help with recruitment. • REFERRALS: If you know anyone at UW or about to enter, please contact Chapter Advisor Doug Ichikawa '78 and the Recruitment Chairmen. We don't just accept incoming freshmen anymore; all UW fraternities are seeing better success recruiting men from the dorms instead of relying on summer recruitment. Especially with COVID concerns, our safety procedures and exposure points in the house will be better than in the general campus dorms. • VOLUNTEER: We have three different volunteer teams, all of which could use some help depending on your areas of interest (such as mentoring a chapter officer, helping with resume writing, helping with facility improvements, or planning the next alumni tailgate). Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns about safety procedures, or if you'd like to send recruitment referrals or inquire about volunteer opportunities. We look forward to a safe and healthy semester for our active brothers. Love, honor, truth, Jon Magin '06, Gamma Chi Clubhouse President jon.magin@gmail.com

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