Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Florida

University of florida, sigma Phi ePsilon information www.flalPha.org SigEp Gator Heart for alUmni and friends of the florida alPha ChaPter no. 45 • sPring 2023 2023 is off to a great start. Our undergraduate brothers have been hard at work to deliver the best fraternity experience on campus (denoted by another stellar recruitment season, amongst many other accomplishments), and our alumni volunteers have been alongside them, helping make it all happen. CONTINUED EXCELLENCE Our undergraduate brothers are driven by excellence, and as they continue to grow and accomplish new heights, they set their own bar higher. From walking away from the Carlson Leadership Academy with their share of awards to receiving their sixth-consecutive IFC Chapter of the Year award to earning the highest GPA for the third year in a row to being at the top of recruitment on campus, these young scholars continuously redefine what it means to be a SigEp. FLORIDA ALPHA CLASSIC We had a successful inaugural Florida Alpha Classic golf tournament in Turkey Creek on March 4, and we are looking forward to making it bigger and better next year. We had about three dozen golfers, with alumni traveling from three different states for the event! Special thanks go out to Jon Katz '19 for his help in planning and running the tournament. For more, read the recap article on page 6. After much positive feedback, we are considering the Ocala or Orlando areas for next year's tournament, as we want more participation from both alumni and undergraduates. This tournament offered a great opportunity to reminisce on the "good ole days" and build new connections with our brothers. BUCHANAN CUP APPLICATION The 58th Grand Chapter Conclave will be happening on August 2-6 at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio River Walk in San Antonio, Texas. Over 1,000 SigEp Brothers will gather to recognize Sigma Phi Epsilon successes and honor Chapters and alumni who have made an impact on our Fraternity. This year, like in 2019 and 2021, our Chapter applied for our Fraternity's most coveted award, The Buchanan Cup. Special thanks go out to Caleb Harris '25 and his mentor Steve Shewbrooks '66 for their exceptional work and unmatched dedication in preparing the Chapter's application. This could be our third-consecutive Buchanan Cup—but regardless of the outcome, we could not be prouder of Florida Alpha! OUR BELOVED HOUSE I am happy to report that our Chapter House is in great shape. We have a few projects planned for the summer. We are purchasing two new stoves for the kitchen and a new food service counter for the dining room. Also, we plan to replace the existing 4-ton rooftop air conditioning unit with a new 10-ton unit. The new unit will bring outside air in for better temperature and humidity control. This important project will cost approximately $80,000 and is a good investment for our house and our current and future undergraduate brothers. We hope you join us this fall for one of our alumni game day tailgates; look for details in the early fall. I am excited for what 2023 has in store for us. We hope to continue supporting our undergraduate brothers with their pursuits. If you have any ideas or recommendations on what else we could be doing as alumni, feel free to send me an email! Fraternally, Manny Vargas '07 AVC President manny.f.vargas@gmail.com FLORIDA ALPHA CONTINUES TO RISE Working Together toward Excellence F or many years now, alumni like you have enjoyed regular Florida Alpha updates through this newsletter, emails, and other mailings. This helps us stay connected as brothers and continue supporting our Chapter, as we can show you directly how your commitments—be they financial, attending a reunion, or simply checking in with old friends—are worth it. This year, we are excited to see this service made available to all Sigma Phi Epsilon Chapters! Through a partnership with Pennington & Company (who already works with Florida Alpha in this capacity), SigEp is rolling out a new Alumni Communications Program available to all its Chapters. How will this work, exactly? Each Chapter's AVC may opt in to the program, working together with Pennington to develop custom content that accomplishes the Chapter's goals. Pennington also helps Chapter clients gather alumni contact data and engagement info, cultivate donors, and monitor fundraising efforts and data. While Florida Alpha is not going to enroll in this program in favor of keeping our well-established program and partnership in place with Pennington, we are delighted for other Chapters to enjoy the same expertise of Pennington and the National Fraternity that we have. Questions on the program? Want to discuss the opportunity with a Chapter near you? Learn more today at sigep.org/resources/alumni- communication-program. Fraternally, Florida Alpha AVC A New Chapter for the Fraternity SigEp Announces National Alumni Communications Program

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