Groups of students who walked by the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house Monday afternoon weren’t all talking about the Gators. Some gossiped about a different animal — the missing lion.
According to SAE President Nathan Kenney, the fraternity will replace Leo the lion statue. Leo has been outside the house for about 20 years.
“It had no nose or tail,” said Kenney, a 21-year-old food science and human nutrition senior. “Parts of it were held together by the layers of paint.”
He said the fraternity ordered its new brass-and-steel lion, which will be the fourth one outside of the house, from a company in China. It was supposed to arrive for Homecoming this weekend, but it was shipped through New York and was delayed due to Hurricane Sandy.
It will be a little bigger than the previous lion and will cost about $8,500, Kenney said. SAE alumni raised most of the money, with a few of the funds coming from active members.
Kenney said they plan to have a ceremony with alumni this weekend to honor the new lion.
He said that Leo is a mascot for the fraternity and a way to differentiate the house from others.
“It’s a landmark,” he said. “I tell people, ‘It’s the house with the lion in the front.’”
Will Simpson, a 21-year-old industrial and systems engineering junior and SAE brother, said Leo guards the fraternity house.
“It’s more of something that brings us together,” he said.
The brothers paint the lion for social events, football games and holidays, Kenney said. SAE plans to prime the new lion so the brotherhood can continue to paint it for events.
Leo will be back in the front yard next week for all the students who are used to its majestic glance and bright colors.
“It’s our unique way of defining our chapter,” Kenney said.
Contact Kathryn Varn at kvarn@alligator.org.
