CHAPTER NEWS

“This fraternity will be

different, it will be based

on the love of God and

the principle of peace

through brotherhood.

- Carter Ashton Jenkins,

Benjamin Gaw, William Phillips

In This Issue

Leadership: The Back-

bone of Our Chapter

Living in the House

Our Chapter’s Program-

ming

Building Balanced Men

VDBL: The Values of

Sigma Phi Epsilon

Alumni Commentary

Northwestern SigEps at Shedd Aquarium

A Note from the Alumni Board Brothers, alumni, parents, and friends –

We’re very pleased that the undergraduate

brotherhood has taken it upon themselves to establish this

newsletter, which is meant to keep you all apprised of recent

Chapter developments – including some for which we welcome and

encourage your direct participation and involvement. Likewise, the

Alumni Board will periodically use this newsletter to keep you

updated of recent developments concerning our operations, as

well as those at the national fraternity level. Of course, communication is a two-

way street, so we welcome your input – not only on

the format and content of this newsletter, but any thoughts or questions

that you might have about the workings of the Chapter or the

Alumni Board. Please feel free to reach out to any of us.

Fraternally,

John Kaiser, (630) 849-6878, jkaiser@huronconsultinggroup.com

Nick Johnson, (312) 701-8943, njohnson2@mayerbrown.com

Mark McCann, mark.mccann@jpmorgan.com

Sigma Phi Epsilon at Northwestern University Winter 2015

Leadership: The Backbone of Our Chapter One of the main reasons I originally joined SigEp was the opportunity to start something new on Northwestern’s campus

and leave a lasting impact on its community. Starting out as a freshman who was still trying to get his class schedule in

order, let alone an extracurricular schedule, contributing to this mission seemed like a daunting task. However, as I very

quickly learned, SigEp provides many invaluable resources to bolster the leadership skills necessary to take on tough chal-

lenges both inside and outside of the chapter.

Less than a week after I joined, I had the opportunity to experience the Carlson Leadership Academy, an annual event or-

ganized by SigEp to give chapter members in-depth officer training by facilitators who are some of the most successful

people in their professional field. Not only did I learn an incredible amount about how to better contribute my efforts to the

chapter, I saw myself working more effectively in other groups outside of the fraternity. Thanks to the generous support of

our chapter’s alumni board, all members of our chapter are able to attend the upcoming Carlson Leadership Academy in

mid-February free of charge. I highly encourage all members to go, as it has proven to be extremely useful throughout my

college career. In addition to Carlson, I have been fortunate enough to attend the Ruck Leadership Institute, SigEp’s prem-

ier national event where 200 selected applicants spend a week in Richmond, VA in an intense, week-long leadership train-

ing course to hone their skills for their chapter and beyond. The skills learned here expanded upon those learned at Carl-

son and have continued to serve me well in my chapter, personal, and professional lives. From my experiences at Carlson

and Ruck, as well as experiences in leadership roles in the chapter, I have found myself more confident in any challenging

situation that may arise, whether it be fraternity-related or otherwise. These experiences are great conversation points pro-

fessionally as well, as I have found myself consistently returning to examples of my time in the chapter when talking during

interviews.

I believe one of the best parts about our chapter specifically is that these opportunities still exist at every level and for all of

our members. As we continue to work towards receiving our charter within the next year, it will take contributions from eve-

ry member to grow our chapter to meet the outstanding standards that our national headquarters has set for us. Being such

a new chapter means that everyone can have an impact on the future of the chapter, regardless of their specific leadership

role. This is truly a unique opportunity, and one that I am very excited to work with my fellow brothers to achieve.

-Tom Hyman, President

Living in the House One of the best parts about being a member of SigEp is the

ability to live in the house. The house, designated by the red

door that adorns the entrance of every SigEp house across

the country, is conveniently located on the North end of the

NU campus. This location gives members great access to

the Tech academic building as well as the wonderful athletic

facilities located on North campus. Since a large portion of

the house was renovated last summer thanks to the support

of our Alumni, all of the current residents get a big room and

new furniture.

Community within the fraternity really grows in the house,

whether we are hanging out late at night, watching TV, play-

ing foosball and pool, or even studying and doing homework. Several nights during Fall Quarter we had cookouts on the

porch in front of the house. While some brothers were preparing the food on the grill,others had a blast playing bag toss

and socializing The house has been, and will continue to be, the center of SigEp activities and growth on campus.

-Vince Rinaolo, House Manager

Upcoming Events

SigEp alumni and current

members are welcome to

attend the following

events:

Formal Chapter

Meetings

January 11...........................7pm

January 18...........................7pm

February 1...........................7pm

March 1……………………...7pm

March 15…………………….7pm

Rites of Passage

Sigma.....................January 11

Phi...........................January 18

Epsilon......................March 15

Fall Quarter’s Events

SigEpicMealTime Philanthropy

On October 10, 2014, our chap-ter organized our first philan-thropy event benefitting Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro-politan Chicago. Together with our sorority partner, Chi Omega Northwestern Xi, we successful-ly raised $800 for our benefi-ciary.

Balanced Man Scholarship Banquet

As part of the Grand Chapter’s goal to reward college men who exhibit the Balanced Man quali-ties of Sound Mind and Sound Body. This year, we awarded $5,000 to three deserving young men. Tom Ciupka and Shaan Somani each received $1,000 scholarships. Graham Anderson received the $3,000 award. Special thanks go to Jesse Suh, our Balanced Man Scholarship Chairman and Scott Schwartz, our Keynote Speaker.

Members play an intense game of Whirlyball during a brotherhood event in Chicago

Our Chapter’s Programming Ever since my first few weeks as a brother of SigEp I have been involved with the

chapters programming. I served on the chapter’s programming committee for most

of my freshman year and was elected the to be the Vice President of Program-

ming in October of 2014. As VP of Programming I strive to schedule events which

not that not only the chapter will enjoy the most but also ones that bring us closer

together. I always keep an open ear and am willing to take input from any and

every member as to what kind of things they would like to do, and thus our pro-

gramming schedule is a product of the chapter as a whole.

The events I take the most pride in are our philanthropy events. For example, this

winter we will be organizing a food sale in which all proceeds will go the Children’s

Starlight Foundation, the charity chosen this year for Dance Marathon. Besides

philanthropy, we have many other fun events planned for this quarter including,

but not limited to, a sleepover at the chapter house, a day at Xtreme Trampoline in

Buffalo Grove and Gone Greek Night, a night organized by the Interfraternity

Council and PanHellenic Association to celebrate the new members of every fra-

ternity and sorority.

Our programming events enrich the chapter experience through philanthropy,

community service and innovative programs that keep our brothers engaged with

each other as well as with other students of Northwestern University.

-T.J. Butler, VP of Programming

Why Do We Pay Dues?

Every quarter, we collect

membership dues from all of

our members. We utilize

these funds in a variety of

ways. First, a portion of the

money goes towards our off

campus events such as for-

mals and date nights, and

philanthropy events.

Our dues are also used for

Member Development pro-

gramming. These events are

focused around our Sound

Mind and Sound Body val-

ues, or for brotherhood pur-

poses.

The quarterly dues we pay,

which are well below the

campus average, are well

worth the cost. Not only are

you contributing towards an

amazing college experience,

but also towards personal

and professional develop-

ment that will benefit you for

the rest of your life. Fraterni-

ty dues are a long-term in-

vestment, with returns that

span for generations.

-Sam Young, VP of Finance

Brothers gather in the house to watch and discuss some TED talks as part of the BMP

Building Balanced Men The goal of the membership development committee is to help our

members achieve Sigma Phi Epsilon's goals of Sound Mind and Sound

Body. We do this by making sure our members are taking part in

meaningful activities related to personal, professional, and academic

development. Furthermore, we try to make all our new members familiar

with the resources Northwestern has to offer. Lastly, we encourage our

members to be engaged in campus by encouraging them to join other

organizations on campus and become prestigious leaders within those

organizations.

Each quarter we make an effort to bring in guest speakers and go on short trips as

a part of the member development program. Last quarter the Vice

President of Engineering of Kraft Foods Group, Inc. came and talked to our mem-

bers about how to excel in the workplace. Similarly, this quarter a SigEp alumnus

will be speaking about how to best prepare yourself for the current job

market. In past quarters, we have had brotherhood trips to Shedd Aquarium as

well as the Museum of Science and Industry. This quarter we will going to the

Field Museum in Chicago. We will also have members attend a Northwestern

main-stage production as part of their Balanced Man Program requirements.

We also have our members set individual Sound Mind, Sound Body, and GPA

goals. Through this activity, we encourage our members to become well rounded

individuals and to devote time and effort towards becoming a better man. Our

members are also expected to attend leadership events organized by the national

fraternity such as EDGE and the Carlson Leadership Academy, attend study

nights, and to exercise or engage in Intramural sports with other members of the

chapter.

-Brett Sleyster, VP of Member Development

Alumni Commentary: Fraternities and Women In the past few months we have all noticed the negative press with regard to alleged behavior of university fraternity chap-

ters around our nation. Many of the allegations have focused on the relationships between fraternity chapters and how fe-

male guests are treated at their events. To a SigEp, this subject is difficult to reconcile with the environment that our nation-

al headquarters has created dating back to our beginnings.

When joining SigEp, young men may or may not have dating experience, or have much experience in entertaining female

guests, but the education of respect for all guests starts from the first moments of involvement. The upper-classmen, along

with alumni board members begin to create this environment of respect, beginning with the chapter facility and its cleanli-

ness, all the way to the interpersonal relationships of the elder members. I remember knowing in my undergraduate experi-

ence all of the alumni board members, and the names of their wives, partners, and girlfriends. These were our most es-

teemed guests at the chapter facility, and the worst thing that could happen would be that one of our guests felt that our

environment was not clean, or was a place where someone would not feel comfortable. Our Balanced Man principles call

for us to not only perform academically, but in all aspects of life, including hosting or entertaining with respect for others.

Many decisions of youth take place out of peer-pressure. Our peer-pressure is to exceed the expectations of a gentleman's

environment.

-Dr. John Jaquish

Cal-Theta, 2000

VDBL: The Values of Sigma Phi Epsilon

The values of Sigma Phi Epsilon are the cornerstone of our fraternity. Our values are the bonds that

tie our fraternity together; what we all share in common. What we believe in as a group not only

shapes our individual lives, but also what we strive for as a fraternity.

Our first value is virtue: as a brotherhood we believe that it is our duty to act with pure hearts. For

example, we are involved in charity fundraisers to make our campus a better place. We also are

aware of the traditional problems that plague fraternities, and make every effort to make sure our

members are educated in risk management policies such as red watch and training.

Our second value is diligence: we believe our brothers should strive to get the most out of each and

every day. They should train both their minds and their bodies to maximize their potential. We be-

lieve this is best achieved as a group: our brothers study together, play sports together, go to muse-

ums, plays, and much more to push themselves and each other to be better.

Our third value is brotherly love: we believe it is our members' duty and privilege to support one an-

other and be accountable to one another. When a brother falls by the wayside emotionally, in school,

or in anything else, it should be his brothers who are there to pick him up. As our chaplain, I have

seen our members build the bonds by working hard and playing hard that will stay with them for the

rest of their lives. Our standards board has supported brothers who have needed help in any situa-

tion, but luckily enough the support system has extended far beyond that. The brothers in our frater-

nity trust each other enough that there is always a support system waiting in the wings.

-Rahim Shakoor, Chaplain

“Unless

someone like

you cares a

whole awful

lot, nothing is

going to get

better. It’s

not.”

-Sigma Phi Epsilon

Alumnus, Dr. Suess

A Note From the Editor

Fellow brothers, friends, parents, and alumni,

I hope this publication has been of use to you. The chapter and our alumni seek to

keep you updated with all of the goings-on within the chapter. Without your sup-

port, we would not be anywhere close to level of success we exhibit today. We

greatly appreciate everything you have done and will do to support Sigma Phi

Epsilon and our Illinois—Northwestern SEC Chapter.

If you have any questions you would like the chapter to answer for you, please do

not hesitate to contact us directly. We hope to answer any and all questions you

may have.

Fraternally,

-Blake Disiere, VP of Communication

SIGEPNORTHWESTERN@GMAIL.COM | FACEBOOK.COM/NUSIGEP

“This Fraternity will be different.”