Our 2026 Goal: Add $8,000 to our CSF to add another annual SLA scholarship!
The 2026 SAJ Weekend of Giving is another chance to build on this momentum. Every dollar donated during the campaign goes 100% directly to Theta Upsilon’s Chapter Scholarship Fund, which is professionally managed and distributed annually to our own undergraduates. With our CSF now approaching $80,000, if we add another $8,000 in donations this year, we will add another SLA annual scholarship!
To help us reach this year’s goals, four alumni have created five matches to encourage every brother to reflect on the impact Kappa Sigma has had on his life and to take the opportunity to help the next generation of Kappa Sigs at Miami University!
- 2:1 Match for Alumni from 1967-79: Brother Jim Lewis (Initiation Class '74) will match every donation two to one from Theta-Upsilon Alumni up to $2000.
- 1:1 Match for Alumni from 1980-1989: Brother Michael Schoedinger (Initiation Class '86) will match every donation from Theta-Upsilon Alumni initiated from 1980-1989 up to $500 total.
- 1:1 Match for Alumni from 1990-1995: Brother Clay Hunt (Initiation Class '90) will match every donation from Theta-Upsilon Alumni initiated from 1990-1995 up to $500 total.
- 10 First Time Donors Challenge: Brother Wes Bren (Initiation Class '85) will donate $500 when there are 10 FIRST time donors to the Theta-Upsilon Chapter.
- Five Donations 1996-2015: Brother Wes Bren (Initiation Class '85) will donate $500 when Five Theta-Upsilon Alumni initiated from 1996 to 2015 have made donations this year.
To donate and see the progress go to our Chapter's page. The donation site is open during March 6-8 only. Donors will be recognized on our donor page. Celebrating Our 2025 Scholarship Award Recipients
The impact of our generosity is immediately visible. This December, a record ten Theta Upsilon undergraduates received scholarship awards from the Kappa Sigma Endowment Fund—an unprecedented milestone for our chapter. These awards included the three named scholarships from David E. Ledman Scholarship ($2000), the Clifford Browne II Scholarship - ($1000), the Brian P. McDowell Scholarship ($1000), along with six Donald C. Dilley Scholarship Leadership Awards recognizing academic excellence, leadership, and service. In addition, Theta-Upsilon benefitted from the Toby H. Taylor Scholarship bequeathed to Chapters in Southern Ohio. Brother Taylor is past WGM, WGP, WGMC and past DGM of Ohio. See January’s post for the names of 2025 award winners.
Thank you to our 2026 SAJ Weekend of Giving Donors
Donations came in from 60+ alumni representing five decades that Theta-Upsilon has existed! The total of $15,842.72 was raised placing Theta-Upsilon 12th in the rankings of almost 300 chapters.
1967
Bob Coons HOF
George Duffield
Al Higgins HOF
Tom Wenning HOF
Bill Slouffman
1968
Robert Fete
Tim Willis
1972
Craig Stichtenoth
1976
Bob Biederrman
1980
Bill Broderick HOF
Jay Cavender, AAA
1981
Ed Bash
David Brinkman, HOF
Chris Connolly
Timothy Solt
1982
Brad Mikes HOF
James Puccio
Rick Sippola HOF
1986
Matt Garvic
Rob Miller
Scott Richardson
Larry Rosinski
Michael Schoedinger, HOF
1987
Dave Buckley
Mark Heppner
Jeff Meek
Matthew Smith
Joe Turner
1989
Guy Bradley
Christopher Broome, HOF
1990
Preston Belding
Clay Hunt
Rob Merkle
Timothy Storer
1991
Jonathan Frankmann
Patrick Hallagan
1992
Bob Dittrich
Chris Veneklasen
1998
Cole Condon
Ryan Egli
Michael Kuhnell
Luke Massey
Joe Pesci
2022
Zach Clemons
Mark Colavita
Luke King, AAA
Kian Metcalfe
Patrick Miller
Fernando Romero, AAA
Quinn Sippola
Kirt Sippola
Will Stout
Nathan Zobrist, AAA
Cossa Challenge coming up Very Soon! Seeking Donations to help purchase Water softeners.
The KSTUAA Board voted February 22 to devote the proceeds of the years Cossa Challenge to the Housing Company to raise awareness of a needed project that Theta Upsilon Housing Company is researching: Installation of Water Softeners.
As most of you remember, Oxford, Ohio, is notorious for its extremely hard water, often exceeding 20 grains per gallon due to the region’s limestone-rich groundwater.
Without a water softening system, these high mineral levels lead to rapid scale buildup inside plumbing, water heaters, and appliances, significantly shortening their lifespan and increasing maintenance costs! Installing a softener is a proactive investment that protects the property’s infrastructure from internal corrosion and ensures tenants don't face constant issues with clogged showerheads, inefficient heating, or mineral-stained fixtures.
More details will come out closer to NCAA Basketball Selection Sunday. Contact Brad Mikes or KSTUAA&Gmail to make sure you get an invite to our private March Madness game.
DGM Bren organizes Great Lakes District Conclave as his Southwest Ohio District hosts and Theta-Upsilon plays an important role
The 12th Annual Great Lakes Conclave was the result of a year‑long effort led by District Grand Master, Wes Bren IC '85, who planned, organized, and emceed one of the largest district conclaves in the country. Undergraduate members and volunteers of the Theta-Upsilon Chapter were involved in the planning and logistics.
More than 300 Kappa Sigma undergraduates and volunteers representing over 40 chapters, colonies, and interest groups across all of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Michigan and Western Pennsylvania traveled to Cincinnati for a full day of leadership development, training and brotherhood! 
Distinguished national officers including the
Worth Grand Master of Ceremonies, Brother Nick Snowberger and Past WGS, Dan Tierney attended as VIPs and speakers, underscoring the significance of the GLC event which is known as one of the best conclaves in the nation. Theta-Upsilon GM, Ryan Bowyer had the honor of introducing the WGMC.
Under Bren’s direction, this year’s Conclave expanded dramatically—introducing vendors, door prizes, and four awards for the first time. The G. Miles Arnold Journey Award recognized the chapter that made the greatest investment to attend, multiplying distance by number of attendees. The Military Heroes Month Excellence Award honored a chapter or colony whose November service best supported the program and the Wright State Colony Brothers Bren and Rob Miller IC '86 have been assisting was named the winner and presented with U.S. flag flown in service overseas on December 10th, Kappa Sigma’s founding date. 
A special expansion award recognized chapters that submitted multiple leads to help the Fraternity expand to new campuses without active chapters was won by two chapters.
And the tongue-in-cheek. crowd‑favorite... The Brother Boyd Bristle Trophy, inspired by Brother Boyd's handlebar moustache and some similarity to some well know Cincinnati brands brought energy and humor as attendees cheered to select the winner.
The event, hosted on UC's campus with extra room included a 50% increase in the number of breakout sessions and panels, three new roundtables, providing more options and topics to help Chapters and their leaders! 
This years event also expanded to Friday night with two events to promote brotherly fellowship and networking. For the undergrads, a Euchre tournament benefiting a MHC charity was hosted by the UC chapter with support from Miami, Capital, and Wright State. Miami members designed the championship hats. For Alumni Bren organized an Alumni Happy Hour at New Riff Distillery, complete with tours! Bren, who turned 60 the weekend before brought a Busken Birthday Cake to the evening festivities featuring a composite photo from 1988-courtesy of his Kappa Sig sweetheart.
Bren also brought together most of the 33 volunteers he oversees in the district for a team dinner at iconic Montgomery Inn Boathouse restaurant along the river. Longtime volunteers mixed with new volunteers with initiation years ranging from 2025 to 1974!
Bren made sure there were many nods to the hometown throughout the weekend including: donuts from Graeter’s, Skyline 3‑ways as a lunch option (over 120 ordered!), Pringles and Grippo’s BBQ chips, and Rhinegeist beer and KY Bourbon at the closing reception.
The Conclave’s scale, creativity, and execution reflected the hard work and collaboration of two planning teams and Bren’s year‑long leadership—delivering an event that strengthened chapters across the region and provided Miami University’s members with a model of excellence in fraternity leadership and a life lesson that Kappa Sigma is not for a college term only!
Fricker Report Publication Delayed
See the article on GLC above to understand why... ;-)
