Sigma Nu - Louisiana Tech University

S I G M A N U F R AT E R N I T Y AT L O U I S I A N A T E C H U N I V E R S I T Y S P R I N G 2 0 2 5 E ta Zeta is finishing the 2024-25 school year in a strong position! e chapter had a great fall recruitment class with 56 candidates (37 of whom are now initiated) and is looking forward to another strong recruitment in fall 2025. is pledge class came from all four corners of Louisiana and included new men from Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi. Last fall's recruitment chairmen will be serving in that capacity again in September. e chapter is current on its rent obligations to the House Corporation and has been current each month this school year. Our board has signed leases in hand for the fall, and all the residential rooms (12 downstairs plus the Commander's room upstairs) will be full. ■ ALUMNI INVOLVEMENT AND MENTORSHIP e House Corporation meets regularly with the chapter, mentoring our younger brothers as they grow in honor. Chris Killgore HZ310 works tirelessly with the house manager to maintain the chapter house and instill a sense of pride in our new home. Last summer, we hosted two separate Work Days, bringing undergraduates and alumni together to maintain the property and build pride in the house's stewardship. We will host Work Days again this summer and invite you to join us—stay tuned! As president of the Eta Zeta Alumni Chapter, I am building an Alumni Advisory Board to formalize the ongoing mentoring and advice we offer to our brothers. It's an evolving process, and we need your help. Please contact me if you are interested in helping "coach" the chapter. Joe Reyes HZ655 has served as chapter advisor for years, and we'll never repay our debt of appreciation to him. Because of some health challenges, Joe is stepping back. Chris White HZ686, who has returned to Ruston, is filling the role informally, keeping Joe, the Alumni Chapter, and the House Corporation informed. ■ OUR NEXT STEPS For decades, Eta Zeta grew to become a dominant national leader within Sigma Nu. Humble leadership and a strong work ethic pushed our chapter to prominence on the Louisiana Tech campus and to Rock Award status within the national fraternity. Our brothers were oen recognized as Alpha Chapter Affiliates, Athlete of the Year, and other national honors. Eta Zeta customarily held the highest GPA among fraternities on campus, the SGA President was frequently a Sigma Nu, and more Summer Orientation Leaders hailed from Sigma Nu than any other organization. e decade between 2010 and 2020 was a rollercoaster for all fraternities at Louisiana Tech. As general interest in fraternities declined—and Eta Zeta wrestled with some internal complacency—we lost the "old" house to a tornado, moved into the "temporary house," and experienced the unprecedented challenges brought by COVID-19. e 2018 Rock Award proved that Eta Zeta had a strong inner core, but the chapter found itself at a fork in the road. e easy path would have likely led to decline, just as some of the other once-proud fraternities on Louisiana Tech's campus have experienced. ankfully, with Herculean efforts from our alumni, Eta Zeta chose the harder path. e "new" house we built in 2023 came at a critical time, and Eta Zeta is fighting to reestablish its place as the strongest fraternity on the Louisiana Tech campus. e chapter now has the second-highest GPA among fraternities on campus, and undergraduate leadership is focused on regaining the top position. OFFICERS __________________________ President John Nelson HZ698 Vice President Frank Potts HZ465 Treasurer Chris Barr HZ452 Secretary Tophie Stegall HZ766 BOARD OF DIRECTORS __________________________ Charles Chadbourn HZ1 Billy McConnell HZ122 Malcolm Murchison HZ167 Bud Richey HZ169 Danny Rea HZ284 Chris Killgore HZ310 Mark Porter HZ315 Chris Barr HZ452 Frank Potts HZ465 Stanley Dupuy HZ488 Kyle Edmiston HZ544 Jason Smith HZ642 John Nelson HZ698 Tophie Stegall HZ766 Ryan Madden HZ774 Mitch Maxwell HZ887 Lomax Napper HZ1057 Eta Zeta House Corporation e State of the Chapter C O N T I N U A L A L U M N I S U P P O R T N E E D E D (Continued on page 3)

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