Delta-Iota Chapter reflects on progress during 124th Founders’ Day
Please note: all pictures were taken before the COVID-19 pandemic. Click image to cycle through pictures.
Written by: Garrison Ledbury - 2/26/21
On February 26, Sigma Pi Fraternity International will celebrate its 124th Founders’ Day. To mark this occasion, Delta-Iota Chapter’s Communications Committee would like to reflect on the progress made by the actives and alumni during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The challenges of the pandemic have been hard on the active chapter. Online classes and less access to regular campus social and academic functions have made managing the fraternity difficult for the fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters.
“The active chapter is doing the best they can but is struggling to maintain their feeling of brotherhood due to COVID restrictions, especially when the house needs some serious attention from a strong alumni and active presence. I look forward to the day when we're all vaccinated and can meet in person again and really get that feeling of brotherhood back,” Chapter Director Anthony Milliren said.
Despite these circumstances, the actives have found success in their recruitment of the Delta-Theta pledge class for fall 2020, which added five new brothers to the chapter: Jaden Bartlett, Daniel Brins, Eduardo Garcia, Jack Konen and Paul Skogen. A few weeks later, Kennaniah Rouse, Lukas Buechel and Christian Rojas joined the ranks of the alumni.
“Now that the chapter has had a year to get used to fraternity life during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are fully confident about slowly bringing chapter operations back to how they were before. Many younger brothers are excited to get to work and put themselves into leadership positions. The chapter is currently sitting at 27 actives for spring 2021,” Sage Parker Reinhard said. “One of our main goals for this calendar year is recruitment. With 9 brothers graduating within the next year, the active chapter knows we are going to take a hit come 2022 and we are doing everything possible to make sure that will not be a problem.”
During the current semester, the actives have taken on the task of scanning thousands of pictures from the house’s collection of yearbooks dating back to 1965. While the project has only just begun, plans are in place to create a regular rotation of actives who will volunteer their time to see the project completed. Once all of the pictures are scanned, the Alumni Board will assess the best way to make sure the digitized pictures are easily accessible to all brothers, sweethearts and little sisters. More news on the yearbook scanning project will be provided in future Communications Committee articles.
On March 20, the chapter will participate in its first community service project with the Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums since the pandemic began. The partnership between the chapter and The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums dates back to 2017 when the actives first helped clean and care for the museum’s main building, the Hanmer Robbins School. The return of the chapter’s cooperation with The Mining and Rollo Jamison Museums directly benefits the preservation of Southwest Wisconsin history and Platteville pride.
Community service, philanthropy, and workshops are a staple of fraternal activities in Sigma Pi. In addition to working with the museums, the actives are currently searching for more opportunities to help out the Platteville community.
“We are always looking for alumni to lead workshops for the active chapter. Topics like leadership and management, professional development, health and wellness, and chapter safety are greatly needed by the chapter,” Milliren said.
In September of 2020, the Alumni Board approved the founding of the Communications Committee which has been tasked with providing regular news updates to the alumni and university on activity within the chapter. While the committee continues providing news and promotional content, there are also plans for other projects. These include research into the origins of Pioneer Pete and his relation to the chapter during the days when Sigma Pi Delta-Iota was known as Delta Chi Epsilon. Additionally, Chapter Director Milliren and the Communications Committee plan to create an officer guide for all eboard and committee positions within the active chapter.
The 555 Renovation Fund also saw major progress recently. With $28,370.00 raised, a demolition and cleaning project run by a collection of actives and alumni in December of 2020 kicked off the first step in remodeling the chapter house basement. In January of 2021, Badger Basement Systems installed supports and other upgrades to ensure the basement foundation would survive (http://www.sigmapiuwp.org/renovation-progress).
“We've made extensive progress in securing the foundation of our house and prepping it for a basement remodel. So many people have helped us get to this point with their time, knowledge and donations. I am excited to keep moving the renovation forward,” Alumni Board President Michael Brost said.
“Totally refinishing the basement is something the active chapter is really looking forward to. We are excited to keep seeing progress being made on this basement project and cannot wait to see what the finished product will look like,” Reinhard said.
Donations of time and money from actives and alumni have shown that a remodeled basement is in the chapter’s near future. Continued donations and support will only speed up the eventual return of brothers living in the basement again after nearly ten years of vacancy. Donations can be made at the Sigma Pi Delta-Iota Chapter website: http://www.sigmapiuwp.org/.
As Sigma Pi turns the corner on providing 124 years of pursuing its quest for excellence, Delta-Iota Chapter is showcasing that drive in the ranks of its actives and alumni despite the challenges of the pandemic. As the world continues to grapple with COVID-19, the chapter continues to accomplish goals and face challenges that have not been seen or undertaken before in its history. Continued support for these endeavors from alumni, their families and all those who have been impacted by Sigma Pi are vital for its continued survival and success.