Welcome home, Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
The fraternity brothers of SAE officially opened their new $1.5 million fraternity house near Kettering University on Sept. 17, 2010. The 7,200-square-foot, two-story structure will be the home for up to 31 SAE brothers. It is located two blocks east of Kettering, at 1509 University Avenue, on the corner of University and Mathewson.
SAE A-Section President Shaun Yuchasz hosted the ribbon-cutting ceremony, saying “today is a special day for SAE. This new house is the best advantage any fraternity could ever ask for!”
Yuchasz credited many SAE alumni, especially Sam Hoff and Chris Stanley, for helping make the new chapter house a reality. “This is a huge accomplishment for our chapter. A- and B-Sections will take all the steps necessary to make this chapter a success,” he added.
Sam Hoff ’90, president of Michigan Epsilon Housing Corporation, thanked those in attendance for the many accolades he received, saying, “You are an SAE for life; we share a common bond. With this project, we will build on our past and look to a dynamic new future for SAE at Kettering,” Hoff added.
See a comprehensive slide show of construction, created by Robert Marias of Greek Life and Brian Beck of Video Operations, at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGjkG3U0Qnc
Kettering President Stan Liberty congratulated the fraternity and said, “Since Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s original founding on Nov. 6, 1965, SAE has been a key component of Greek Life at our institution – whether you graduated from GMI, GMI-EMI or Kettering University. Among your brothers are many of our institution’s most dedicated alumni – to name just a few: Trustee Chair Gary Cowger, Class of 1970; Trustee Greg Deveson, Class of 1984; Former Trustee J.T. Battenberg III, Class of 1966; and: Bob Goebel, Class of 1967 – who has shared stories about the brothers who moved from the fraternity house on Neome Drive to the Beecher Road house and now here. My congratulations to you all,” Liberty added.
Flint Mayor Dayne Walling said the opening of the house is one more way that the University corridor between Kettering and the University of Michigan – Flint has been strengthened. “What we are witnessing here today is a great milestone for our city. To all the True Gentlemen of SAE, congratulations and thank you for your commitment and investment in Flint.”
Chair of the Kettering Board of Trustees Gary L. Cowger ’70 and an SAE alumnus said the day’s ceremony had special meaning for him. “This is important for the brothers and a great step forward for the future of Flint,” he noted. “This is a beautiful site. The campus is really starting to look like a university campus. A new day is coming and Kettering will play an important role. This couldn’t have happened if a group of brothers hadn’t dug in and made this investment,” he added.
Robert Marias, director of Greek Life, had a personal presentation for the fraternity on their grand opening day. As a symbol of the past, Marias presented the SAE chapter with the fraternity pin of the late John J. Parks, returning the Greek jewelry for the chapter’s eternal safekeeping. Parks, originally from East Liberty, Ohio, was a member of the fraternity when it was called Pi Tau Alpha in the early 1950s. Parks had given his pin to a sweetheart in the 1950s. When the couple parted, she held on to the jewelry for 50 years and the SAE pin was found in her jewelry box upon her death. A friend of the woman returned the pin to Flint just in time for the special SAE presentation.
B-Section President Derek Morey thanked everyone for coming to the grand opening and helped officiate the ribbon cutting.
SAE’s new fraternity house sits on a 1.27 acre corner lot. It features a 3,600 square foot walk out basement. There will be a commercial-grade kitchen for student dining. A state-of-the-art fire and security system were incorporated into the design for student safety. Energy efficiency and maintenance free construction practices will ensure that the house will maintain its curb appeal and cost less for future SAEs.
The SAE brothers of B-Section will move into house in October.
To see a Flint Journal photo of the ceremony, visit: http://photos.mlive.com/flint-journal/2010/09/sigma_alpha_epsilon_house_open_3.html