By: Grace Kanipe '26

ATLANTA, Georgia — The Ohio Sigma chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) at the University of Mount Union has earned national recognition as a finalist for the prestigious John O. Moseley Award for Fraternity Zeal—one of the highest honors a chapter can receive.

The Zeal Award, often considered SAE’s “chapter of the year” designation, recognizes a chapter that exemplifies true gentlemanly values through excellence in leadership, scholarship, service, and brotherhood. With more than 230 active SAE chapters nationwide, Ohio Sigma’s selection as a finalist highlights the chapter’s extraordinary growth, impact, and commitment to its community. 

“This award recognizes a chapter that goes above and beyond expectations, and we’re proud to have our work recognized on such a large scale,” said Luke Wagner '26, president of SAE at Mount Union and a double major in political science and international affairs and diplomacy from Massillon, Ohio. 

A Year of Achievement

Over the past year, Ohio Sigma has demonstrated remarkable dedication to both fraternity life and the wider Mount Union community. At the 2025 SAE Anniversary Convention, the chapter brought home first-place honors in six national categories, including Chapter Achievement, Philanthropy, Housing, Financial Management, Communication, and Chapter Management. It also earned runner-up recognition in four others, ranging from recruitment to scholarship.

Service and philanthropy were at the heart of their efforts. Members logged over 2,000 service hours—tripling their total from the previous year—and increased philanthropic donations from $1,250 to $3,750. These efforts helped the chapter place third nationally in SAE’s “March to Madness” service contest, competing against much larger public universities.

Academics were another area of pride. Ohio Sigma closed the academic year with a 3.38 GPA, the highest among Mount Union fraternities. Six brothers were honored with academic and leadership awards during the 2025 SCHOLAR Day.

Building Brotherhood and Community

The chapter also invested heavily in health, safety, and organizational reform. They hosted a self-defense workshop with Alpha Chi Omega, provided training in CPR and AED use for all members, and even stocked Narcan as a precautionary measure. At the same time, they revised 25 pages of bylaws to create clearer accountability standards, resulting in an impressive 99.45% meeting attendance rate. Celebrating its 140th anniversary last year, Ohio Sigma gathered more than 120 alumni for a dinner and fundraiser. Together, they pledged over $75,000 toward a new chapter house roof—a testament to the deep, multigenerational ties within the fraternity.

“Being the oldest surviving chapter north of the Mason-Dixon Line is a point of pride for us,” Wagner reflected. “But what really defines us is the way our brothers and alumni come together to invest in the future.”

Looking Ahead

As a finalist for the Zeal Award, Ohio Sigma isn’t slowing down. The chapter has set ambitious goals for the coming year: maintain a GPA above 3.3, record at least 3,000 service hours, and embody SAE’s guiding principle of living each day as “True Gentlemen.”

The fraternity also emphasizes collaboration within Mount Union’s fraternity and sorority life community. “The heart of FSL at Mount Union lies in the interfraternalism and solidarity that unite us,” Wagner shared. “On a smaller campus, we get to know and support one another across chapters. Every success—whether it’s ours or another fraternity or sorority’s—is something to celebrate.”

As Ohio Sigma continues its journey, its vision remains clear: to represent the very best of fraternity life and leave a lasting impact on Mount Union, the Alliance community, and the legacy of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

To learn more about Fraternity and Sorority Life visit https://www.mountunion.edu/campus-life/student-involvement/fraternity-and-sorority-life