To see hundreds of other photos from the 74th Leadership School,
visit the Fraternity’s collection on Flickr.

To a brother who hasn’t attended Leadership School, attempting to describe the experience often falls short — like one generation explaining the 1963 Kennedy assassination, or even the events of 9/11, to future generations. The camaraderie, the brotherhood, the sheer experience of being on a cruise ship with nearly 600 men with whom you share a sacred bond. These are the things that make Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s experience different from things only read in a book or heard in a classroom.

It’s obvious that those who attend the John O. Moseley Leadership School are there to learn — from their assigned faculty member, from each other, from themselves. The curriculum provides a structure for this type of offbeat learning, and flexibility is a virtue in such a situation. “No matter what happens, the undergrads make it the best experience of their life,” Eminent Supreme Archon Marty Wiglesworth says. “They feed off each other, and they learn from each other. And we shepherd them along.”

The “we” Wiglesworth referred to is a large group. It includes the faculty, the staff, the leaders, the ambassadors — and, more generally, the Fraternity at large. The mechanics are simple: Undergraduates attend the school while other undergraduates and select alumni spend time teaching, helping and molding those active members. In reality, though, the process is rarely simple. How does the Fraternity ensure it’s giving the attendees the right programming? How can you prioritize the idea of “learning” over the idea of “leadership,” or vice versa? How do you keep track of nearly 600 college-aged men in the midst of 1,600 other people on a cruise ship?

Those questions don’t have easy answers. To find out about the issue, however, we spoke to five brothers, each representing a different group: Ignacio Belmonte, a colony member who is just learning about the role Sigma Alpha Epsilon could play in his chapter’s life. Steve Knapp, who was attending for the third time as an undergraduate before he continues his leadership training in the Army. Patrick Fredricks, who was selected as an ambassador, an active member of promise who assisted the faculty and staff with their roles. Joe Laux, a three-time faculty member who enjoys giving back to the Fraternity and telling stories for the newer members to emulate. And ESA Marty Wiglesworth, a man who has seen years of Leadership Schools come and go, who has been with the Fraternity for decades and who now leads it as its national president.

Each man had a unique story to tell, but all those stories were woven from the same threads. They shared the camaraderie of getting on a boat in the Port of San Diego for a four-day cruise, and for many of them, it’s about the connections. “The best part is meeting other brothers from other parts of the country,” Knapp says. “We may have different issues in our chapters, but they’re all the same on some level.”

• Raised more than $75,000 for charity in the Jail n’ Bail event
• Received the school’s top intramural ranking with more than 75 percent of brothers participating
• Kept the calendar packed with events so all brothers had an opportunity to participate
• Used a detailed transition report to ensure there is not a lull in leadership during the transition period
• Invited the parents to the Formal Pledging ceremony, allowing them to ask questions about the Fraternity
• Worked with Iowa Gamma to create the J.W. Walt Award, which is given to the best pledge class from either chapter
• Organized a sexual-assault prevention program for the entire Greek community
• Used the Ritual team to keep the active and new members appraised of the Ritual’s importance
• Combined alumni relations and scholarship during the annual scholarship awards dinner
• Gave each brother $400 for a GPA above 3.5 and $175 for a GPA between 3.15 and 3.49 GPA
• Performed more than 2,500 hours of community service
• Employed a sober-brother monitoring system to ensure the safety of members

To see hundreds of other photos from the 153rd Anniversary Convention,
visit the Fraternity’s collection on Flickr.

In the summer, New Orleans is a city where anything can happen. The steamy bayou textmperatures give way to muggy evenings, where a carriage ride can show visitors the ghosts that haunt the historic French Quarter and where parades of jazz bands through the streets give hint of a tradition that, despite being created nearly 300 years ago, is still very much alive. It was no accident that a convention that would continue to shape Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s history and heritage was held there — in the depths of that summer heat.

In the short time between July 30 and August 1, 2009, more than 400 brothers met in the Big Easy for the 153rd Anniversary Convention of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, ready to perpetuate the business of Fraternity and to elect the men who would lead them for the next two years — either as the Supreme Council or on the board of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation or the SAE Financial & Housing Corporation. The event kicked off in style, with convention co-chairmen Province Theta Archon James Irwin (Nicholls State ’05) and director of the SAE World Series Geary Mason (Louisiana State ’84) leading a parade of men from the New Orleans Area Alumni Association through the luncheon hall. The eight brothers were dressed as Mardi Gras revelers, hiding their faces with veils and masks in true Carnivale style. “Having the convention return to New Orleans was an incredible honor,” Irwin said. “It allowed those of us in the area to share our Southern hospitality and rich culture.”

But while the festive mood continued, delegates knew it was time to get down to business, and that first order of business is always the election of the Fraternity’s leadership for the upcoming biennium. While many of the elections were uncontested there was some good and vigorous debate about the men best qualified and prepared to serve the organization with their time and expertise. In the manner of most previous conventions, debates could be heated at times. Tough questions were asked: Who has the best plan for alumni networking? How would each candidate’s proposals affect undergraduate dues? But in the end, fraternal camaraderie won the day as five men, along with honorary Eminent Supreme Archon Robert A. Dickinson, were slated to join the ranks of the Supreme Council. The Foundation and F&H boards, too, presented their slates of candidates to reaffirm their leadership for the next biennium.

At that point, the most contentious part of the 153rd Anniversary Convention was over. But now delegates had to deal with the long, tedious and very necessary part of business — that of picking through the 66 law proposals that faced the books. And, just like in previous conventions, those proposals ran the gamut from mere housekeeping amendments to existing law, all the way to changing the structure of the Supreme Council by adding an undergraduate member — a proposal that required two full pages in the Phi Alpha, the official convention booklet, ten legal subsections and an appendix to fully explain. While that initiative did not pass the vote on the convention floor, some notable changes to Fraternity law did take place, including changes to the duties of Province Archons and the Council of Province Archons, as well as measures calling for the expulsion of members who knowingly reveal Fraternity secrets — a necessity in a world of digital information that can effectively mask the original source.

And in what must surely be a record in Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s history, the New Orleans convention marked the second consecutive lawmaking meeting that finished its business early. Former Eminent Supreme Archon M. Todd Buchanan, filling his last official duty in his leadership role, kept the sometimes unruly floor on task. He did have some help, though, in breaking up the monotony of voting and parliamentary procedure. Four Distinguished Service Awards were given at convention — three during business sessions and one at the final banquet — each celebrating the life of an important brother and volunteer, featuring a “This is Your Life”-style video presentation created by the Fraternity Service Center.

To see hundreds of other photos from the 24th annual SAE World Series,
visit the Fraternity’s collection of convention and World Series pictures on Flickr.

Despite months of preparation, sometimes Mother Nature forces a change in plans at the last minute. This year’s SAE World Series, the 24th time the event has been held, was slated to take place in conjunction with the 153rd Anniversary Convention — as both events would be in New Orleans in late July. The convention, which started on the evening of July 30, featured a kickoff ceremony to get the attendees ready for the Fraternity’s annual softball tournament. But heavy rains took their toll on the playing fields, forcing the tournament’s host committee to switch to a different venue — the sports complex’s adjacent soccer fields.

Ron Rigamer and Geary Mason, the tournament’s directors, had to make the last-minute preparations. Players from more than 20 teams from around the country pitched in to move the soccer goals and to set up bases and infield lines on the wet-grass fields. With such a difficult start, play did not finish that evening until well after 11 p.m., but the late hour gave the convention attendees something to cheer about after sitting in meetings and sessions all day.

A group of middle-aged alumni who compete in the tournament year after year entered their team, the Rejects II — named for their previous incarnation, the Rejects — which is the only team to compete in each of the 24 years. While the Rejects II would lose two games that first evening, 6–2 to the Cal State-Northridge Alums and 10–0 to South Florida, other newcomers would fare better. The active members of the Birmingham- Southern chapter showed the Tulane Old Alums who was in better shape, trouncing the older members 26–2 before defeating the Louisiana Tech Alums 9–2 — placing Birmingham in the winners’ bracket. But it was the defending champion, the Nicholls State A team, who would post the most impressive scores. The men thrashed South Florida 22–6 before hitting even harder against in-state rival LSU, winning 30–1. The Nicholls State B team turned in opposite results, however. In a game where active members faced their own alumni, the B team lost 27–12 and then continued that negative streak, dropping the game to the Southern Mississippi Alums 20–3. Their less-than- impressive showing earned the members the tournament’s Last Place Award for the fourth year in a row.

When I first met with the 2009 True Gentleman of the Year, he seemed an unassuming person: Flyaway blonde hair, small build, a standard suit jacket. It was quickly apparent, though, that he was accustomed to putting others at ease. He answered questions quickly, but conversationally. He didn’t flinch when we brought up his many Fraternity accomplishments. He never appeared uncomfortable or worried that his next statement might end up in The Record.

And that poise was noticeable from the beginning, as we started the interview with a difficult question, one that may not have an answer: “Are leaders born or are they made?” I ask.

He pauses. “I believe leaders are born,” he says, “but they have to find their true path. When a leader finds his passion, that’s what defines him and shows him his potential.”

It’s an answer that’s specific enough to make me think he had been anticipating the inquiry. But the ability to anticipate the unknown is one of the qualities that makes Robert McNamara deserving of Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s highest individual honor: being named True Gentleman of the Year. Such an award brings a lot of prestige, some bragging rights and a $10,000 check, provided through the generosity of former Honorary Eminent Supreme Archon Warren P. Poslusny. But none of those things seem to interest McNamara. It’s leadership — or, more precisely, the betterment of those around him through his leadership — that matters.

We Stand Together is an interactive, educational endeavor that reaffirms our zero-tolerance policy for hazing. The program contains several vital components, many of which utilize multimedia and online resources. Sigma Alpha Epsilon has created an exclusive section of the True Gentleman Initiative, the Fraternity’s educational website at www.thetgi.net, specifically for We Stand Together. The exclusive content includes documents, presentations, tips, links and customizable tools on how to recognize hazing and how to prevent it.

We Stand Together is leading the way in the Greek world and includes components for alumni, parents, actives, and pledges. Hazing is not a problem for just one organization. To stop it, we need everyone’s help. Sigma Alpha Epsilon is strongly against hazing and is committed to creating a safe, meaningful environment for all of our members, regardless of status. Our undergraduate members, as well as parents and alumni, are urged to go to the TGI’s website and check out the section for their group.

The program’s highlights include:

An open letter to actives and pledges
There are two letters available to share. One is directed towards the pledges and should be read to them at a meeting. The other is for active members and should be read at a weekly chapter meeting. Each letter outlines the new program and presents effective ways of achieving brotherhood. Members can print the letter for each brother or post it in the chapter house as a constant reminder that Sigma Alpha Epsilon does not tolerate hazing.

PowerPoint presentations for undergraduates
The www.thetgi.net site has two PowerPoint presentations full of information on the new hazing-prevention hotline, as well as alarming statistics from a recent hazing study. The presentation for the active chapter should be presented by the Eminent Archon or the continuing education chairman. The pledge educator should present the pledge PowerPoint.

The new hazing hotline: 1-888-NOT-HAZE
Sigma Alpha Epsilon has established a new anti-hazing hotline for anyone, on any campus or in any situation, to report hazing anonymously. The new hotline number is 1-888-NOT-HAZE. Sigma Alpha Epsilon takes every message seriously, and the hotline is available for anyone, including actives, alumni and parents.

The Response Ability DVD
Response Ability is a reality-style educational DVD package that brings viewers to understand how group dynamics can prevent people from taking action. It also demonstrates how to intervene successfully when brothers witness hazing or other dangerous or unhealthy behavior. The Response Ability video is being presented by each Regional Director during chapter visits, and all chapters will receive a copy of the DVD to use as part of its educational programs. Chapters should also share the DVD with alumni or other interested groups.

A reassessment of activities: What is hazing?
After reading the documents and hearing the presentations, chapters should have a good idea of what would constitute hazing – and how individual members can stand up to it. Although some chapter activities may seem harmless, it is important to assess those traditions and make sure they are not harming any member physically or mentally. The www.thetgi.net documents also include alternative programming that fits each chapter’s needs but does not include hazing.

A sharing of resources with alumni associations
Sigma Alpha Epsilon has outstanding and dedicated alumni who devote countless hours of time and service to promote the Fraternity and its mission. In order to help alumni and undergraduates understand hazing and its negative effects on the Fraternity, the online repository is full of tools and resources to help each member become a better adviser, alumnus or brother, whatever his role.

A sharing of resources with parents
Chapters are encouraged to communicate their pledge programming to parents and alumni. Many chapters maintain a parents’ or Minerva’s Club, used to keep parents up-to-date on the chapter’s activities. We Stand Together includes a specific section on the role that parents play in preventing hazing, and a section of www.thetgi.net is just for parents.

The We Stand Together program has been created to help save lives and live our values. As more documents and resources become available and as new components to the program are introduced, chapters will receive further notification.

For more information or for any questions about We Stand Together, contact Director of Educational Programs Zach Rus at zrus@sae.net or at (847) 424-3032.

Sometimes the direction of a brother does not follow a typical path. We know undergraduate life conjures up notions of 18-22-year-olds fresh out of their parents’ homes with a bounty of freedom. But Sigma Alpha Epsilon has a large crop of collegiate members who could be classified as non-traditional students, for they’ve had other life-changing experiences before they even set foot in our chapter houses.

At 23, Steve Shopher from Tennessee Tau — whom the brothers have nicknamed “Sho” — arrived on campus with a well-established skill set and the maturity of a grown man. Still in high school, at the age of 18, he enlisted in the United States Army Reserve and served as a team leader while he was in Iraq. His deployment took him to the hotbed called the Middle East, sharpening his leadership skills and teaching him some vital life lessons. After he completed his commitment, he headed for school — a process that required an adjustment.

“The first thing I had to do when I got back [from active duty] was to get acclimated back to the lifestyle,” he says. “Coming from Iraq, the college lifestyle is a complete 180.” During that adjustment phase, he sought to get involved on campus, but he noticed something. Most of the students who were actively engaged were members of Greek-letter organizations. As he dove into extracurricular activities, he started to meet sAE members on a first-name basis. His future in the Fraternity was already finding its roots. Plus, he came well-prepared with an artillery of his own experience.

Through his tenure as a soldier, Shopher learned to deal with diversity and different personalities. “Every day, someone different is coming up to you with a problem or issue or assistance he needs,” he says. “There is so much I was able to bring back from my deployment, such as patience. It helped me work on my planning process.” Shopher compares his brothers in arms to his brothers in fraternal bonds. “You can be friends, but when it comes right down to it, you have to hold people accountable for their actions,” he says. “And when you disseminate information, you have to make sure it goes through as smoothly as possible.”

He believes that wherever life takes us, it’s important for us to leave our mark. And he thinks the ability of a brother to leave something better than we found it will define our legacy ultimately. The dent Shopher is leaving behind comes from a continuous zeal for Sigma Alpha Epsilon and a little bit of inspiration from what he learned from his peers.

He brought back an idea from Leadership School to his chapter about a philanthropic cause but had no idea just how much the Greek-letter community would embrace it. During the school, he wrote a big note down on his notepad that read, “Walk a mile in her shoes.” When he got back, he told his brothers they had to follow through on the idea. So, using his leadership experience, he communicated his idea with his brothers, tweaked the concept a bit and got buy-in from other fraternity and sorority presidents. Women donated hundreds of pairs of high heels, and the community rallied behind the event, which was a first-of-its-kind at UT-Martin. Following the event, proceeds went directly to the campus security department in the name of all Greeks, not just Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

When we played games as young boys, many of us found our fantasies turning to legendary fighters and warriors throughout time: Cowboys and Indians. Knights of the Round Table. Vikings, explorers and ninjas. But then we grew up and we turned our attentions to other pursuits, from school to a job and kids and modern life. Spending time dreaming about things that would never happen was no way to spend our lives. For many of us, that part of childhood gets lost to time.

But luckily, there’s still a man who gets to live out those boyhood fantasies — and who gets to tell us all about them. Terry Schappert (North Carolina-Wilmington ’88), who just finished filming the first season of his show Warriors with Terry Schappert on the History Channel, found himself wearing the armor of the Knights of St. John, crossing swords with the 12th descendant of legendary samurai Myamoto Musashi and creeping through the dark forests of Germany at nighttime, reenacting the battles of the barbarian hordes that once ruled the area.

“I’m living a boy’s dream,” he admits. “I’m traveling. I’m fighting with weapons. I’m on fields where you can feel the presence of history.” And it’s not as if this 44-year-old Green Beret, with multiple combat tours in the Middle East and the Balkans, hasn’t seen his share of the world. It’s that, after years of Special Forces, Army Ranger and paratrooper training — and a four-year hiatus to study acting — he’s finally bringing it all together.

And he gets to do it on television.

Warriors started on a lark, as a side project that blindsided even Schappert. “When you’re 20 or 21,” he says, “you don’t know what you want. But suddenly I realized that I wanted to be in the Army.” He enlisted directly out of college and found it fulfilling in every possible way. He became a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne. He passed his Army Ranger tests. He trained for two years to become a Green Beret. All of those milestones required years of training and grit and effort, but they would help him down the road with the Warriors show. “Being a Green Beret is extreme,” he says. “They push you to the point where you can’t go any further and then push you a little more.”

But after nearly nine years in the military, he found himself able to pursue another passion that had been put on hold — acting. He moved to New York City and was accepted into the Circle and the Square Theatre School, eventually playing roles in small theatre and television productions. Fate, though, had other ideas. After experiencing the tragedy of 9/11 close-up, he knew that, with his background and training, he was being called again to serve his country.

He re-enlisted and found himself deployed to Iraq, running special-forces missions. But his two lives — military and civilian — started to meld. The agents and industry insiders he met during his four years as an actor thought that he had the total package: He was an accomplished soldier who was at home in front of the camera. A production company pitched a concept to the History Channel, the one that would become Warriors, and Schappert submitted a tape — a home-recorded audition video shot by his wife.

After landing the show, he realized how much his background would help inform his presentation style. Schappert took as much from his background with Sigma Alpha Epsilon as it did from his military career. “I had moved on from the Fraternity after college,” Schappert says. “A lot of the guys had stayed in touch with me and knew I was in the military. But in 2006, a few of the alumni invited me to come and speak to my chapter at its 25th anniversary.”

This summer, Sigma Alpha Epsilon announced We Stand Together, an interactive, educational endeavor that reaffirms the Fraternity has zero tolerance for hazing. We Stand Together contains several components, including multimedia and online resources. The Fraternity has created an exclusive section of the True Gentleman Initiative — our educational website at www.thetgi.net — for We Stand Together, which includes documents, presentations, tips, links and customizable tools on how to recognize and prevent hazing.

Sigma Alpha Epsilon strongly opposes hazing and is committed to creating a safe, meaningful environment and programming for all of its members. We Stand Together has also been introduced to undergraduate members, advisers and volunteers. The Fraternity will continue to send the message to colleges, universities, Greek-letter organizations and parents in an effort to promote anti-hazing education and programming year-round.

Some of the major components of We Stand Together include PowerPoint presentations, informational documents and action plans. The documents also include resources for alumni, parents and anyone who wants to gather more information. In addition to online quizzes and educational tools, We Stand Together also employs the use of Response Ability, a reality-style educational video package that brings viewers to understand how group dynamics can prevent people from taking action to stop dangerous or unhealthy behavior. For more information on We Stand Together or to provide your feedback, contact Director of Educational Programs Zach Rus at zrus@sae.net or at (847) 424-3032.

Here’s the Hotline. Write It Down

Sigma Alpha Epsilon, as part of We Stand Together, has a new anti-hazing hotline by which anyone on any campus or situation can report hazing anonymously. The new hotline number is 1-888-NOT-HAZE. Sigma Alpha Epsilon takes every message seriously, and this hotline number has been and will continue to be publicized for our membership, especially new members.

A Distinguished Roll Call

In 2009, Sigma Alpha Epsilon recognized five of its best with its highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award. The award recognizes loyalty, zeal and service to the organization above and beyond that of our everyday experiences. The noteworthy gentlemen who received the DSA this year include: Robert H. Banks Jr. (Southern Mississippi ’72), Kenneth E. Jernigan (West Florida ’71), John D. Kelley (Central Florida ’77), William Geary Mason (Louisiana State ’84) and J. Michael Scarborough (Salisbury ’76). As part of the award, each brother receives the DSA medallion, a lapel pin, a framed citation of accomplishments and a video tribute to his life. All of the video presentations can be found online at Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s YouTube page, located at www.youtube.com/SAEeditor.

Get on the Horn for Housing

For the past few years, Sigma Alpha Epsilon has promoted actively alongside other Greek-letter organizations its support of the Collegiate Housing & Infrastructure Act, or CHIA. The legislation we are rallying behind would allow alumni to make tax-deductible donations that can be used to improve all aspects of chapter housing — because current laws do not allow your donations to do so. To help us get our message out to lawmakers who do not support the legislation, the Capital Fraternal Caucus has created a Facebook application that allows users to petition their Congressman. If you have a Facebook profile, we strongly encourage you to join the Capital Fraternal Caucus page, located at www.cfcfacebook.com.

A New Address for Donations, a New Card for Donors

The Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation has a new location to which to address your gifts and donations. All donations should be sent to the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation, P.O. Box 112, Evanston, IL 60204-0112. The old lockbox was closed as on July 1, 2009, so please throw away any return envelopes with the Eagle Way address. In addition, you can make your online donation anytime at www.sae.net/donate.

As an additional note, the Foundation’s new Loyal Donor membership-card program is currently underway. Every donor to the SAE Annual Loyalty Fund will receive a full-color card including his name, badge number and initiation date, as well as an embossed gold-leaf coat-of-arms and the words of “The True Gentleman” on the reverse side. Sigma Alpha Epsilon appreciates the loyalty and generosity of its members and friends.

To make a gift online and receive your card, visit www.sae.net/donate.

A Master Listing for the Masses

After embarking on the year-long directory project, Sigma Alpha Epsilon is pleased to announce the 2009 alumni directory is now complete. Members who ordered either the hard-bound version or the data disc should have received their copies in the mail. The directory lists as many of our 190,000 living alumni and their contact and professional information. For questions related to the directory or its distribution, contact Associate Executive Director of Communications Brandon Weghorst at bweghorst@sae.net or at (847) 424-3038.

Look Who’s Joined Us

The Fraternity recently colonized new groups in its continuing effort to bring college men into our fraternal experience. Our newest colonies include: Connecticut Nu- Eta at the University of New Haven, Maryland Beta at the University of Maryland-College Park, Massachusetts Iota- Tau at MIT, Massachusetts Sigma at Suffolk University, North Carolina Beta at the University of North Carolina- Charlotte, Texas Phi at Stephen F. Austin State University and Texas Sigma at Texas State University.

Awarding 2010 Member Scholarships

Applications for the 2010 Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation scholarships are now available and are due by February 1, 2010. Applicants are encouraged to make their transcript requests early this year to avoid processing delays. Last year, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation awarded more than $65,000 in scholarships to members who excelled in their respective fields of study or interest. For application forms and details, visit www.thetgi.net.

The One and Only Flag

This year, don’t miss the chance to get the only official Sigma Alpha Epsilon flag, available in both 3′ x 5′ and 4′ x 6′ sizes. It’s the perfect item for Fraternity events, tailgates and wall decoration in the chapter house. The flag is made from durable nylon, making it waterproof and less likely to wear. Don’t be fooled by imitations; this is the one-and-only SAE flag, as used by generations of brothers. To order the flag and to see all of Sigma Alpha Epsilon’s official merchandise, visit www.greekmarketplace.net/sae.

The Sigma Alpha Epsilon Foundation is committed to bettering its undergraduate members. To that end, the Foundation awarded $66,500 in scholarships for the 2009-2010 school year. Miles McGinley, an undergraduate at Northwestern, received $3,000 through the W. Emil Forman Award for Community Service. He recently spoke to The Record about the role community service plays in his life.

How did you get involved with community service?
Community service was something I started in high school. I worked with the Red Cross as a first-aid team volunteer. We worked at the University of Oregon football games, and we were the first to respond in an emergency.

So the Red Cross played an important role in your life?
Actually, senior year of high school, my family’s house burned down. The Red Cross was the first to help as part of its community-outreach program, offering us support and providing some basic needs. Through the generosity of others, I realized how much that volunteer work means to the people who receive it. I was involved with the Red Cross before the house fire, but I have trained as a wildlands firefighter for the last two summers, helping to control fires in Oregon and California, because I know how much it means to lose your home.

How did you become involved with the Fraternity?
I was athletic in high school and was the captain of our varsity football team. When I arrived at Northwestern, I joined the club rugby team. Many of the guys on the team are brothers, so I learned about the great things Sigma Alpha Epsilon is doing. I wanted to be a part of that.

And that made you join?
Yes. And through a lot of the brothers in the house, I’ve branched out with my studies. I’m a junior, getting a degree in a program called mathematical methods in the social sciences. The other members are involved with the Kellogg [School of Business] certificate program, so I found out about opportunities to study in that field. I even got a job working for a private-equity firm last summer to get a taste of financial markets, finances and banking through my Fraternity connections.

So you have other work experience?
Yes, and that experience comes back to community service, too. I worked with a Kellogg [School of Business at Northwestern] professor as a consultant to a nonprofit group called the Child Care Network of Evanston, which helps kids find learning programs and care groups at a young age. I’m also the manager of the chapter house, so I’m getting leadership experience. Being the risk manager of the chapter helped, too, because having to discipline your peers isn’t easy.

What’s been the best part about the Fraternity experience?
We have a lot of international members in our chapter. One brother is actually from Jakarta, Indonesia, and we had an opportunity to visit him in his home country. That was an incredible experience and an incredible resource for my life.