Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Texas

Inside Chapter Officers ~ p. 2 Skull & Crossbones Society Members ~ p. 3 Active in Austin ~ p. 3 T E X A S A L P H A s U N I V E R S I T Y O F T E X A S S I G M A P H I E P S I L O N A E CCOLAD SPRING 2023 G reetings from Texas Alpha! We are over halfway through the spring semester, and all is well. The chapter's membership is 190, and we have over 90% senior retention! The chapter GPA is 3.47, with the new member class coming in at 3.55. Summer recruitment is already underway. If you have any member recommendations, please send them to Harrison Jones '25 at hrj514@me.com. The chapter has had a busy semester so far. The men raised $9,000 from their dodgeball tournament for the Ronald McDonald House. They've also hosted several blood drives this year and continue to work regularly in the after-school program at Zavala Elementary, an East Austin school with 90% minority, economically disadvantaged students. The chapter's involvement has been a multiyear commitment that, quite frankly, the alumni board was not aware of until the last few years. I bring this up because, although the general public never really hears about it, our men continually contribute to campus and the Austin community in positive and constructive ways. In February, we sent eight officers and members to the Carson Leadership Academy. We have four men applying for the weeklong Ruck Leadership Institute in Richmond, Virginia, and we'll take a large contingent of men to the biannual National Conclave in San Antonio August 2-6. Your contributions to the Texas Alpha Skull & Crossbones Society cover all expenses for these training trips as well as the academic scholarships we give to members. We appreciate your support! Finally, for alumni, don't forget to join the chapter's LinkedIn page at linkedin.com/groups/3089903. We want to hear from you! HFF, Lynn Butler '88 hamiltonbutler@gmail.com (512) 345-8339 Shaping Young Leaders Brothers Focus on Philanthropy and SigEp Education G rowing up in Dallas, David Deniger '68 was socially active with an "entourage" of neighborhood kids in the Park Cities but was never mistaken for the best student. He enrolled in architecture at The University of Texas, where a Dallas friend named Jack Blocker '66 introduced him to SigEp. After pledging, David became roommates with Dick Vermillion '67 in the chapter house, and as they got to know each other, David realized he hadn't had a new, close friendship in a long time. He found exactly that at Texas Alpha as he became closer with brothers like Dick, Bruce Schnitzer '66, Tom Dunning '65, Tom Hicks '68, and Dan Blanks '69—as well as his big brother, Rob Adair '65, and little brother, Mike Fields '68. "All of a sudden, I had a family," David said. "People who cared about me, held me accountable for missteps, and supported me in areas I needed help. It was a huge transformation." Texas Alpha grew as a respected campus chapter in those years, which David attributes to the quality brothers who surrounded him. Rob helped him get serious about his studies, Ron Mahoney '66 represented the chapter well as a UT cheerleader, and Bruce was excelling academically and socially, showing us all that the future is ours to decide. Brothers like them became leaders on campus and excelled in intramurals, all serious about making SigEp a top fraternity at UT. "The fraternity helped create a new narrative for me: I could change my life, do anything that I wanted to do," David recalls. "I might fail, but I could try anything that I wanted. It was a huge transformation for me." DEVELOPING A FUTURE In his junior year, David married his high school sweetheart, a Golden Heart in Tri Delta. He was less active in Texas Alpha as the couple worked to pay their way through school, but he kept up with his brothers through intramurals. Upon graduating, they moved to Dallas, where David worked in leasing office buildings in the north Dallas markets. Why Texas Alpha Was Life- Changing for David Deniger '68 (Continued on page 2)

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