Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Florida

Chapter Officers President Scott Ater '22 president@floridasigep.com (813) 466-8820 Vice President of Recruitment Zach Karpinski '22 recruitment@floridasigep.com (850) 274-4782 Vice President of Programming Brady Alexander '22 programming@floridasigep.com (719) 237-2940 Vice President of Communications Logan Hyder '21 communications@floridasigep.com (813) 957-1303 Vice President of Finance Kyle Wray '22 finance@floridasigep.com (941) 387-4804 Vice President of Learning Community Carlos Jimenez '22 learningcommunity@floridasigep.com (305) 562-8300 Vice President of Member Development Evan Savage '22 memberdevelopment@floridasigep.com (919) 671-8628 Chaplain Andrew Storer '21 chaplain@floridasigep.com (407) 921-5156 Page 4 SigEp Gator Heart MEET MAMA D Florida Alpha's New House Director D ebra Ludena, Florida Alpha's new house director, has an abundance of experience with being a mother to a group of boys; she is the proud mother of four sons and is the only sister to her four brothers. Debbie, as she likes to be called, or Mama D as the SigEp brothers call her, comes to Florida Alpha following years of experience in many fields, including as a preschool teacher, an assistant in a West Palm Beach human addiction program, and a front office guest services position with Target. Before coming to SigEp, Debbie had been a substitute house director at Tri Delta sorority. She had been coming to Gainesville for the past few years to visit three of her sons, who live together here, when a friend told her about the opening as a temporary house director for Tri Delta. When she learned of the opening at Florida Alpha, she applied for the job. "As the mother of four boys I thought it would be a better fit for me to work with a fraternity." And, she said, in her fast–talking, obvious New York accent, she has quickly bonded with the brothers and is impressed with how seriously they work on being the best fraternity on campus. Neither she nor anyone else knew what was in store when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but Debbie has handled the sometimes- complicated issues involved in stride. After the university announced it would require fraternities and sororities to find space in their houses for residents who tested positive, Debbie went to work. When the decision was made to turn the Alumni Room into a potential quarantine area, she was tasked with getting the room ready. She hired the movers to safely remove all the furniture, found a nearby storage unit, supervised the move and coordinated the furnishing of the area with two bunk beds. She made sure the storage area was air-conditioned and checks on the stored furnishings often. "I know how important it is that we safely and securely protect not just the furniture, but all the important historical treasures in that room," Debbie said. Debbie had signs printed and put them up throughout the house reminding brothers to wear face masks, wash their hands often, and follow the social distancing rules, and she reports that the members have been very cooperative in following the rules. Debbie has been in Florida for 17 years, coming south from the Yonkers area of New York. In addition to spending time with her sons, Debbie is an artist and likes all outdoor activities, especially walking, cooking, "hitting the beach," and horseback riding. When asked about her love of horseback riding, she said, "You might be surprised to know that I consider myself a New York cowgirl. Since I was 10 years old, I have been riding horses in competition—mostly barrel racing." She explained that as her four boys were coming along, she had to give up riding but hopes to own a horse again someday. "To stay close to the animals I love, I volunteer at a horse rescue facility south of Gainesville," she said. AVC Vice President John Sandstrom, Oregon State '74, who carefully watches over the operation and physical plant at 5 Fraternity Row, said, "Debbie has adapted very well to the craziness of Gainesville and the University, and the brothers really like her. We are fortunate to have her with us." Welcome, Mama D! "Debbie has adapted very well to the craziness of Gainesville and the University, and the brothers really like her. We are fortunate to have her with us." - AVC Vice President John Sandstrom, Oregon State '74 Written by Al Alsobrook '60

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