Sigma Phi Epsilon - Colorado School of Mines

Page 3 President Eric Wilson '94 Treasurer Dean Willis '72 Vice President Cameron Afkhami '10 VP of Relations Geoff Lai '09 sigep.glai@icloud.com Chapter Counselor Andrew Aikman '23 Balanced Man Steward/ Mentor for Learning Communities Owen Norwell '23 Mentor for Finance Ben Rowse, Nebraska-Lincoln '14 Mentor for Recruitment Matt O'Donnell, Canisius '10 Mentor for Communications Parker Keating, Cleveland State '17 Mentor for Epsilon Challenge Kyle Ferguson, Houston '17 Resident Scholar Holden Anderson '23 General AVC Members Jared Canada, Memphis-Lambuth '07 Cory Grady '08 Parker Keating, Cleveland State '17 Faculty Fellows Derek Morgan, Evansville '94 Patrick Kohl Kenneth Osgood I must admit, when I arrived at CSM in September 1967, I was a bit of an introverted nerd. Being accepted by the brothers of Colorado Delta and being allowed to take on important responsibilities greatly increased my confidence and helped me develop leadership skills. Working as a team on various projects taught me important team-building skills that served me well in my professional life, especially when working with native crews where leadership, especially leading by example to build trust, was crucial. I was helped greatly by my brothers (especially my Big Brother, Norm Lewis '70, who kept me from flunking out my freshman year) and enjoyed helping and mentoring others. In the latter years of my career, those mentoring skills became increasingly important, as my task was more to pass on knowledge than to use it. Among the fun trips and misadventures, I have fond memories of passing the gavel at weekly Chapter meetings. In addition to providing informational announcements, the custom afforded the opportunity to speak freely to brothers about anything, which helped defuse many a brewing conflict. (Could we send a spare gavel to the UN?) As a graduate student working on my master's degree in geology (completed in 1977), I stayed in close touch with the SigEps, participating in athletics and other activities. I was also invited to serve as the first male "Housemother." A special honor, for sure. Keeping Brothers Together Back in 2002, Richard "Zombie" LaPrairie '74 and I, who both lived in the Reno area and stayed in close touch, decided to organize a reunion for our SigEp brothers. After difficulty gauging interest, we planned a summer party in Reno, figuring if only a few people showed up it would be worth the effort. Invites went out—and holy cow, the response was overwhelming. Several "pool parties" were held in Reno after that, including the "PV=nRT" fluid mechanics party in 2009. As part of the invite process, Richard assembled and maintained a list of contacts and kept everyone in touch via email for the past 22 years. When Richard passed away this April, I assumed responsibility for the SigEp email list. Sadly, the first email was to announce the loss of beloved Richard, followed shortly by the passing of Vic Miller '73. Twenty-three brothers congregated in Reno on the weekend of August 21 to honor our fallen brothers. Despite the sad reason for the celebration, it was a party in true SigEp fashion—one that Richard would have been proud of. In the future, I look forward to focusing on live brothers instead of celebrations of life for deceased ones. Maybe a get-together in Golden next summer, perhaps coordinated with Gary Thompson, who recently hosted two well-attended events at the Rock Rest. What Else? In summer 1971, my pledge brother Larry Fischer '71 and I worked on the Red Mountains between Ouray and Silverton, surveying, plane-table mapping, and geochemical sampling in some of the most spectacular alpine terrain in the country. That experience convinced me to pursue a career in exploration geology instead of engineering. I spent more than 50 years working for a variety of major and junior mining companies, exploring for precious metals, base metals, and energy resources on four continents and several archipelagos. After several years of part-time employment, I finally (fully) retired this year. I now hang out in my high-country cabin with my best friend, Spotz, hiking in the summer and waiting for the next powder dump to freshen up the slopes at Wolf Creek Ski Area in the winter. As for SigEp, I have attended all the reunions in Reno, several E-Day celebrations, and the Colorado Delta 100th celebration. My advice to brothers who may have lost touch: Get off your butt, reach out, and make an effort to communicate. There are multiple ways to do it: call a brother, sign up with the Mines Facebook group, follow the SigEp email list, and attend Homecoming or E-Day. No excuses—time is catching up with us old farts. Fraternally, Bob Cuffney '72 oreseeker@gmail.com Bob on the Continental Divide Trail with Spotz. A Rock-Solid Foundation Bob Cuffney '72 on Organizing Era Alumni Events AVC Board

• Cover