by Huntley King

MuNews Summer 2023

Grüße From InnsbruckPictured: Mu Men Outside of Belvedere Palace in Vienna

As a part of the 48th annual Summer Study Abroad in Innsbruck, Austria, hosted by The University of New Orleans, 13 Mu brothers studied in Europe during the six-week program. The brothers lived in student dorms with new friends from Virginia, Alabama, Auburn, New Orleans, and even some fellow Sigma Nu’s from LSU. Over the course of the summer, the brothers attempted to surf the famous Munich River, saw the Red Hot Chilli Peppers in Vienna, took boat tours of Prague, Budapest, and Amsterdam, and enjoyed wine tours in Italy. Among many valuable life lessons learned between cuisine, culture, and international travel, some of the most important lessons learned by the Mu men include: you can indeed bring a sword through TSA, we are lucky not to have to pay for water every meal at home, and hiking steep mountains in flip flops is actually not a good idea. 

8th Consecutive Rock Chapter AwardPictured: JD (Mu 2863) Alongside Regent Maury Gaston (Mu 2952)

During June, Commander JD St Pé and Treasurer John D. Hawkins traveled to Fort Lauderdale to attend Sigma Nu’s Grand Chapter. As part of the ceremonies, Mu Chapter received its 8th consecutive Rock Chapter Award thanks to a continued lineage of historic participation and excellence from the Mu brothers both currently in Athens and those who have graduated but stay connected. Although as a chapter, the bar has been to continue being named a Rock Chapter consecutively, this should not take away from the incredible work it takes to continue Mu’s excellence. The chapter as a whole does a fantastic job with service, academics, and campus involvement, but I would like to make sure that Lieutenant Commander Chaz Martinez receives special recognition for his incredible work in making this year’s Pursuit of Excellence Program (PEP) that is used to gauge a chapter’s worthiness of the Rock Chapter honor. Additionally, Lieutenant Commander Emilio Ferrara did incredible work as well, as the Rock Chapter is bi-annual, so Emilio worked on the PEP starting during his term. 

Capitol HillPictured From Left: Jay Wright (Mu 2841) and Former Commander Walker Clark (Mu 2819)

During the summer, Mu Chapter had several members working on Capitol Hill in numerous positions ranging from working with congressmen to working with retired high-ranking former Pentagon advisors. Senior Jay Wright interned with David Kustoff of Tennessee’s 8th district as well as Tim Burchett of the 2nd district. In these roles, he attended committee meetings of the Committee for Ways and Means, the Judiciary Committee, the House Oversight Committee, presidential candidate hearings, and a personal highlight of SEC receptions where Jay met Nick Saban and John Calipari. Additionally, Senior and former Commander Walker Clark and Senior Russell Cox worked as congressional interns. Senior Griffin Boykin opted to serve in a different role. Griffin spent his summer in D.C. as a global military sales and strategy analyst for Textron Systems. Essentially, he worked on M&A with aerospace and defense industry companies; using his finance background, he was able to support directors of land, air, and sea systems in business development. 

Rush TeamPictured: “Big Hoss Race” Between Head Rush Chair Kyler Roy and Accept Mason BrunerDuring the summer, the rush team headed by Nic Sapp and Kyler Roy enjoyed a successful rush process. The team was able to assemble an impressive 41 accepts before the end of summer including 10 legacies and candidates from eight different states. In a conversation with Rush Chairman Alex Roberts told me “I just really enjoyed hanging out with my brothers in Athens this summer while having the opportunity to mould a new group of future best friends.” Rush highlights include rafting, band parties, “The Big Hoss Showdown” pictured above between Head Rush Chair Kyler Roy and accept Mason Bruner, and the continued timeless tradition of late-night hangouts on the famous River Road back porch. With rush officially concluding last night, congratulations are in order to Nic, Kyler, and the entire rush team for their fantastic efforts in building what will hopefully turn into the best Sigma Nu pledge class yet! 

Camp LeadershipPictured From Left: Jack Bahr (Mu 2897) with Carson Rutledge (Mu 2938)

Over the course of the summer, Brothers Jack Bahr and Carson Rutledge served in leadership and counselor positions at Camp High Harbour at Lake Burton. Brother Bahr led the advanced leadership academy overseeing 50 Leaders in Training (LITs) every three weeks over the 10-week summer that took part in a leadership experience that would transform them from campers into future staff. Jack set up the logistical side of the LIT program, evaluated all 150 candidates, and prepared daily leadership classes. Both Carson and Jack shared highlights of getting to enjoy Lake Burton and the mountains, the Fourth of July fireworks they get to set off, and seeing the growth of campers over the course of their camp sessions. 

Summer Spotlight: Philip Wilder’s ServicePictured: Phillip Wilder (Mu 2896)

Phillip served over 2,000 children and parents at JH Ranch in Northern California. JH Ranch is a Christian camp that focuses on using its undistracted environment to bring healing to families and the youth. While there, Phillip spent four weeks as a “coach” to roughly 30 different high schoolers, mentoring them through different trials and tribulations in life. He also safely guided over 40 groups of 6+ down class III and IV white water rapids. When asked about his favorite memory, Phillip can’t think of anything else other than being able to put the chaos of the world aside and experience God and His creation. 

Spotlight: Emilio Ferrara on High CouncilPictured Third From Left: Brother Ferrara (Mu 2815) Sporting a Bowtie at Grand Chapter

Among his awards on behalf of his academic excellence at the university, Brother Emilio Ferrara was selected to serve on the Sigma Nu National High Council as a student representative. When speaking with Brother Ferrara, he told me that “[by] serving on the High Council, I am able to bring the perspective of collegiate members to the national fraternity. I have participated in strategic planning exercises to form Sigma Nu Fraternity’s strategic imperatives and goals. The high council has also enabled me to witness a well-functioning board of directors and learn about the policy governance model.” Congratulations to Emilio for this fantastic achievement, and this opportunity to represent Mu Chapter to the national community!