Sigma Phi Epsilon - Auburn University

Generally SPEaking page 2 rior projects, including a new patio outside our pool room and new poker tables and televisions in our brotherhood room that is used every night a football game is on. The alumni board has been gracious enough to help us with projects like new boilers in the house, as well as trees and gardening supplies for the front yard. ON CAMPUS INVOLVEMENT A long-standing SigEp tradition has always been excelling on campus in both leadership roles and intramural sports. We currently have the third most active brothers involved in student organizations out of 31 fraternities. These roles include, but are not limited to, SGA representatives, Camp War Eagle leaders, student recruiters, athletic tutors, Freshman Leadership Program, student ambassadors, Executive Society for the business college, ROTC, and BIG Event leaders. All of these men not only give us a strong presence in the eyes of administrators, but they also give every brother an opportunity to get involved outside of our fraternity. We had an off year by our standards in intra- murals and finished in fourth place out of all fraternities in cumulative standings. We did haul in volleyball and soccer championships, but fell short in the playoffs in football and basketball. We have no doubt that this year we will compete for the campus championship and retain our spot on top of the rankings. STOP BY THE CHAPTER HOUSE I want to extend an invitation to you and your loved ones to come back to Auburn and visit the Chapter House any chance you get. We had a 1980s alumni tailgate this fall, and the alumni had a great time seeing all their brothers again while the active members had an even better time meeting and interacting with the men who made Alabama Alpha what it is today. The future is bright for the brothers of Alabama Alpha, and I truly believe that with the most alumni involvement, this Chapter can reach heights that no other Auburn fraternity could ever imagine. I hope to meet many of you before I graduate and leave the greatest experience of my life. We work on a daily basis to make our alumni proud who laid such a strong foundation for the future of Alabama Alpha. Fraternally, Preston Bodnar '15 Chapter President prestonbodnar@yahoo.com ALABAMA ALPHA DEDICATED TO SUCCESS (Continued from page 1) Newly initiated brothers Alex Gryski '17, Joe Rodriques '15, John Beck '16, Houston Launius '17, and Nick Caruso '17. Brothers, family, and friends gather in front of the Chapter House to celebrate Homecoming 2014. Attendees had a blast watching Auburn beat Louisiana Tech 45-17. B orn and raised an Auburn fan, Tyler Stephens '11 always knew he wanted to follow in his parents footsteps and become a Tiger. "Being on campus felt like the right place for me to be," he recalls. Walking through the doors of Sigma Phi Epsilon during recruitment, Tyler felt a similar sentiment, and knew that was the place he would eventually call home. Tyler attributes his decision to make Alabama Alpha his outlet for campus involvement on his wonderful recruitment experience and instant connection he made with active members. "You could tell there was a strong connection and true brotherhood." What Tyler didn't realize at the time, however, was just how influential his SigEp experiences would be. Tyler's most cherished memories were getting to watch and be part of the initiation ceremony with each new member class that followed him. "Seeing the faces of the new brothers as they run through the red doors with such excitement was incredible," he recalls. "It brought me back the joy I felt when I was in their shoes." Without the lessons he learned as vice president of programming and Chapter president, Tyler says he wouldn't be where he is today as those positions taught him how to work with others to achieve a common goal. Tyler explains that one of his most difficult jobs as president was learning how to inspire 120 individuals with different personalities to work collectively as a group. Overcoming these obstacles and propelling the Chapter toward success was a learning experience unlike any other. "Nothing is more difficult than a 21-year-old trying to manage a group of his peers," he says. "It was a unique and rewarding challenge to have the opportunity to take a vision, motivate others to get behind the vision, and drive the fraternity to create a better Chapter." Alabama Alpha played a very important part of Tyler's college career and remains a positive fixture in his life. Tyler believes one of the biggest catalysts for his success has been taking chances and breaking out of a normal routine. As an investment banker for Sun Trust Robinson Humphrey, Tyler attributes much of his success to the risks he took and experiences he gleaned at Auburn. He encourages undergraduates to "get involved, build a network, and meet as many people as you can, because the experiences you have are more valuable than anything you can learn in the classroom." Since living in Atlanta, Georgia, Tyler and his wife, Jessica, have become big foodies and enjoy discovering new restaurants around the city. E-mail: tyler.stephens@suntrust.com Tyler Stephens '11 Shares Personal Success and Strong SigEp Friendships

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