Sigma Nu - Louisiana Tech University

S I G M A N U F R AT E R N I TY AT LO U I S I A N A T EC H U N IVE R S I TY S P R I N G 2 0 24 I t's an honor to follow Frank W. Potts HZ0465 as House Corporation president. I'm from Winnsboro, Louisiana, but I've lived in Austin, Texas, for the last 28 years. My wife, Becky, and I have three sons: a sophomore at Baylor, and a junior and freshman at Hill Country Christian School of Austin. I'm a business litigator with Dickinson Wright. In fall 1989, I pledged Sigma Nu aer my roommate persuaded me to go through recruitment. One week aer I'd moved onto campus, I was proud to hold a Sigma Nu bid in my hand at 803 W. Mississippi. (Remember when the address was at 803—not 809?) I joined Sigma Nu committed to Love, Truth, and Honor and was aware of how lucky I was to have found a fraternity whose beliefs matched my own. As a senior, I served as Commander. To this day, I'll tell anyone who will listen that serving as Commander was one of the highest honors of my life. At the time, we described the old house as "clean but not fancy." Even then our home away from home was showing her age; we would drive around Ruston looking for potential building spots or a big house we could buy, transform, and expand. We were so proud to be Sigma Nus that we felt compelled to move Eta Zeta into a new home. Unfortunately, the timing wasn't right, and it would take another 30 years (and the shove of a tornado) to turn that dream into a reality. Many of you could tell a similar story. You joined Sigma Nu with no clue about how much it would enrich your life, and you're still proud to be a Knight in the Legion of Honor. You recognize that being a Sigma Nu at Louisiana Tech was special. We didn't just talk about Love, Truth, and Honor. We lived the ree Ideals, and when we gave someone our "Word of Honor," there was no higher commitment. Today, the on-campus chapter lives in a house that many of us could have only dreamed about. It's an incredible structure. Standing head and shoulders above the rest, it's the finest fraternity house that has ever existed at Louisiana Tech. It's a symbol of the pride we have in our fraternity. But it's not the Eta Zeta Chapter of Sigma Nu. at's us. We are the Eta Zeta Chapter of Sigma Nu. at brings us to the question: Will you join us again to help Eta Zeta either financially or by mentoring our active brothers? Alumni President Jason Smith HZ0642 and I want to thank each of you who've already given generously to the house project. With your help, we've raised about 50% of the new house's construction costs. Now, we're committed to finishing the job. Our financial goal for 2024 is to eliminate one-third of the remaining construction debt. Large or small, your support is needed and will be deeply appreciated. Our brotherhood goal for 2024 is equally important. We want to connect 50 alumni with active brothers for mentoring and encouragement on what it means to be a Sigma Nu, both in college and the real world. If you'd like to mentor one of our brothers—even for just a few minutes a week or an hour a month—we'll tell you how that's possible. With Zoom, you don't need to live near Ruston to make a huge difference. If you're interested in donating, volunteering, or both, reach out to Jason or me. Speaking of Jason, many of you know him well. He pledged Sigma Nu in fall 1986 and is from Bossier City (Airline) and has served as Alumni Commander since 2020. He still lives in Bossier City and is president and CEO of Bonvenu Bank (formerly Citizens National Bank). Jason and his wife, Kimmie, have two daughters who are KDs at Tech and a son who is a sophomore at Airline High School. Jason can be reached by phone at (318) 218- 4985 or by email at jsmith@bonvenubank.com. If you want to connect with the Alumni Chapter, get in touch with him. He shares my passion for the chapter and house project. We're Coming to a City Near You! On March 27, we held our first Alumni Brotherhood Gathering in Dallas. Special thanks to Chris Hammons HZ0607 for hosting us at Bent Tree Country Club. We had a great time, and the event drew brothers from "just out of college" to "just retired." Our next Eta Zeta Alumni Brotherhood Gathering will be in Houston on May 29 from 6-8 p.m. at Karbach Brewing Company (2032 Karbach St, Houston, TX 77092). All are welcome! If you live anywhere close, please call your brothers and meet up with someone you haven't seen in years. Come join us! One Last Thing… We're looking forward to seeing you soon, and in closing, please consider this: Eta Zeta Chapter was exceptional when you were in college, and it still is. e House Corporation is actively looking for volunteers with accounting expertise. If you are an accountant by trade or if you have experience with business accounting because you run a small (or large) business, please call Jason for details. Get involved again! You'll be glad you did. Fraternally, John Nelson HZ0698 House Corporation President jnelson@dickinsonwright.com (512) 415-3014 Will You Help Eta Zeta? OUR BROTHERHOOD REMAINS EXCEPTIONAL EXCEPTIONAL Thanks to all who joined us for our first Alumni Brotherhood Gathering!

• Cover