Sigma Phi Epsilon Newsletter Spring and Summer 2010

SIGMA PHI EPSILON Texas Upsilon Chapter

Southern Methodist University Building Balanced Leaders for the World’s Communities

Sigma Phi Epsilon was founded upon the principles of Virtue, Diligence and Brotherly Love. These are the core values that our founders wished to instill in the young men of tomorrow. They wanted a fraternity that was going to be different; a

fraternity that was going to help each of its brothers to possess a sound mind as well as a sound body. Sigma Phi Epsilon is the largest fraternity in the nation and has been creating an absolute brotherhood since 1901

All brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon firmly believe in the Balanced man ideal; someone that not only has a sound mind but a sound body as well. Each member tries to embody and live by this principle on a day-to-day basis, within and outside of their fraternity. By involving this principle in their every day lives, the brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon have bonded together and set an extremely high standard for the rest of the Greek

population at SMU. Brothers of the Texas Upsilon chapter take their

academics and the sound mind aspect very seriously. There is a diverse range of majors within the chapter from engineering to finance to music. This past spring semester SigEp finished first among all fraternities at

Sound Mind and Sound Body: Sigma Phi Epsilon Dominates Campus

Spring And summer 2010 Newsletter

Index

1-2

2

6

5

SigEp sets a high standard for the rest of the Greek community on campus

Jake Torres and Austin Prentice elected to lead and serve the student population as respective President and Vice President of Southern Methodist University

Members of Sigma Phi Epsilon believe in giving back to a community that has given so much to them

Welcoming the new outstanding group of guys all eager and ready to better themselves and their beloved fraternity

“A Sound Mind in a Sound Body is a short but full description of a happy state in this world”

– John Locke

Continued on Page 2

Brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon compete in both Homecoming and Sing Song and find themselves winners in both

3-4

Sigma Phi Epsilon Newsletter Spring and Summer 2010

2

SMU with an outstanding average chapter GPA of 3.464 and finished second highest among all Greek organizations at SMU behind the Delta Delta Delta sorority. Not only does the sound mind idea consist of academics but it also consist of leadership and involvement within the campus and community. Brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon are seen as leaders all across campus, through groups like Mustang 11, Emerging leaders, IFC delegates, Student senators, and program counsel. The mascot of Southern Methodist University is a Shetland pony named Peruna. Many students interview and try out for the coveted position of being a Peruna Handler. Currently at SMU, there are four Peruna Handlers, and three are SigEps. Although academics are

arguably the most important aspect of college the men of the Texas Upsilon chapter also believe in the sound body aspect of the Balanced Man ideal. To keep in shape several brothers showcase their talents in intramural sports as part of the Sigma Phi Epsilon teams. Each year a champion of Greek league intramurals is crowned based off wins, the playoffs, and sportsmanship of several intramural sports. This year the Texas Upsilon chapter competed their way to their first ever intramural Greek league championship at SMU! This year SigEp won the Greek league championship in outdoor soccer with an overtime shoot out win and a clutch performance by goalie, Brother Daniel Lopez-Romo.

Sound Mind and Sound Body: Sigma Phi Epsilon Campus Domination

Brothers Jake Torres (Senior) and Austin Prentice (Junior) have been elected as President and Vice President of the 97th SMU Student Senate. The Student Senate is the governing body of the campus that writes legislation to change University Policy, gives scholarships, and conducts regular university business. As President, Torres will work closely with the administration, especially President Turner. A well-rounded student from Mertzon, Texas, he is also involved in Relay for Life, InterFraternity council, and the College Hispanic American Students group on campus. Portland, Oregon native Austin Prentice will join Torres on the Executive Board, working to bridge the gap between Student Senate and the rest of the student body and addressing such issues as safety, student feeds, and the relationship between the administration and Greek life. In the close election race, their experience and dedication to the students helped them win the race. – By Brother William Badarak

Stealing Senate: Jake Torres and Austin Prentice

“God blessed me with three awesome sisters that I have grown up with all my life. After I came to

SMU he finally gave me my brothers.” – Jake Torres on his brothers in SigEp

SigEp also followed up the outdoor soccer championship with a win in the indoor soccer championship as well. Those wins along with a strong presence in other intramural sports and their excellent sportsmanship pushed SigEp to the very top of Greek league intramurals for the first time in their long history at SMU.

Sigma Phi Epsilon Newsletter Spring and Summer 2010

3

It was yet another great year for Sig Ep. Having rushed an excellent class, hosting great events, and generally conquering the campus, Sig Ep made sure that Homecoming and Sing Song were no exception.

The theme of this Homecoming was board games, and SigEp and Tri-Delta teamed up for Operation Homecoming to great success. Together, we created a float that won 1st place, a gigantic patient on a stretcher being put into the back of a blazing-red ambulance. Marc Bullock, our homecoming king nominee, had this to say about it: “Working with Tri-Delta was a fantastic experience. We really came together, putting all that hard work in, and it showed: we had the first place float. I can’t wait to see what’s next for SigEp.” It was thanks to the engineering expertise of some of SigEp’s finest and the organizational skills and efficiency of the lovely ladies of Tri-Delta that made this outcome possible. The teamwork that went into the float was monumental and unprecedented. No details were

Setting the Stage in 2010: Sing Song and Homecoming

left to chance, many SigEps and Tri-Deltas working into the early morning to ensure that. Of course, the massive pomping session at the end didn’t hurt either, and I have to say, it was awesome to see our float in the parade with a 1st place ribbon on it.

If Homecoming was any measure of success, then Sing Song smashed it. Sing Song is an annual song-and-dance competition where fraternities and sororities team up, with this year’s theme being Disney movies. We had the pleasure of performing “Mary Poppins” to a packed McFarlin Auditorium. Says Patrick Probst, our male lead in the show: “All of the groups worked extremely hard to put on their productions and I have to say that the competition was very strong this year with many contenders for 1st place. I was really proud of the work ethic, the time, and energy that all of my brothers put into the show and the ladies of Pi Phi were outstanding to work

Continued on Page 4…

Sigma Phi Epsilon Newsletter Spring and Summer 2010

4

with as well.” While other groups made the audience laugh, we captivated them. We made sure that our performance was the best it could possibly be and not only did Pi Phi and SigEp win 1st place, both our leads, Patrick Probst and Annie Bures, won 1st place awards as vocalists. SigEp and Pi Phi can say with pride that Sing Song 2010 was OURS.

So what’s next for Sig Ep? If last year was any indication, we have a bright future. However, that is no reason to be complacent. We must continue to excel in all areas, we must constantly strive to sculpt our minds and bodies until they are sound, and we must remember that we do not live in a vacuum: our relations with the sororities and the campus cannot be taken for granted. We must remember the reason we are successful is because of the hard work and combined effort of our brothers. Gentlemen, here’s to another great year for Sigma Phi Epsilon! –By Brother Ben Franco

SMU Honor Roll with High Distinction Trigg Burrage Tom Chapline Luke Friedman Johnathan Hill Alex Mezey Travis Miller William Snyder Patrick Probst

SMU Honor Roll with Distinction David Archer Nick Brown Nick Cunningham Sam Doerr Alex Mace Chris Shea Greg Standerfer

SMU Honor Roll William Badarak Ronnie Barakat Joe Gaasbeck Matt Hendrick Will Mahan Nick Skefos Michael Shapleigh Thomas Sterritt Chris Stimpson Corbin Swagerty

Congrats Brothers!

Sigma Phi Epsilon Newsletter Spring and Summer 2010

5

Another Successful Rush: Welcoming New Members

Brother Profile: Ben Niere By Ben Niere

Sigma Phi Epsilon prides themselves on their diverse group of members yet has a specific core foundation when looking for new members, The Balanced Man idea, sound mind and sound body. During spring rush of 2010 Sigma Phi Epsilon recruited 36 new members, the largest of any spring rush class at Southern Methodist University. They span from all over the country and world, from Singapore to California, from Connecticut to just up the street in Dallas, but are all united as brothers within SigEp. The new members come into SigEp with high ambitions of improving themselves as men yet the make sure to continue with their excellent schoolwork. The GPA of the Spring 2010 class was an astonishing 3.412, the highest of any of other fraternity on campus.

Several of the new members are President Scholars or Hunt Scholars, two of the most distinguished scholarships given out by SMU. Their majors range from economics to engineering, history to music, and several of them are double majoring or minoring on top of that. Aside from their scholastics almost each and every one of them is involved with their community or campus. Many of the new members are involved in senate, program counsel, or Environmental Club. Brothers Dave King and Chris Stimpson are part of the Mustang 11, a select spirit group for SMU sporting teams. Several members were involved in Mustang Corral, the program that puts together a retreat to welcome new students before the first day of classes at SMU.

After having thoughts about transferring schools for my freshman year second semester, I decided to stick it out and ended up joining Sigma Phi Epsilon. Although it sounds cliché, joining SigEp was really one of the best decisions I have made in my life. My fraternity brothers have enabled me to become more involved in campus life with clubs, such as Habitat for Humanity, the Environmental Club, as well as other campus activities. As a fraternity, we have also participated in various Greek sponsored events, whether it be building a home, or working in the assembly line of a food bank. Furthermore, my grade point average jumped up .5 since joining SigEp due to the fact that SigEp places an emphasis on sound mind hence brothers are willing to study together and help one another. Truly, none of this would have been as accessible if it were not for the great brothers I have. For example, the highlight of my year was traveling to El Salvador for two weeks to build a home. This would not have happened if it were not for a Sigma Phi Epsilon brother who encouraged me to go. My class has 36 brothers total, and I know I can rely on any one of them and that we share similar values by means of the fraternity. I find myself very fortunate for having such a strong bond with my fraternity brothers and plan to further strengthen that bond and become even more involved in campus as I mature and enjoy my sophomore year.

Sigma Phi Epsilon Newsletter Spring and Summer 2010

6

Brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon understand all that the community has done for them so the Texas Upsilon chapter at SMU and its members make a point to give back and volunteer. Each year Sigma Phi Epsilon and the Chi Omega sorority team together along with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to host a silent auction with members of both Greek organizations, their parents, and people in the surrounding Dallas area. This spring SigEp and Chi Omega raised over $13,000 and donated it all to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a non-profit organization that grants the wishes of children with life threaten medical conditions in order to provide hope and joy in their lives. Each year Southern Methodist University hosts Relay for Life with several of students partaking in the event. Relay for Life is an organization that raises money for cancer research. The event at SMU lasts from 4 P.M. to 4 A.M. while students on teams take turns walking around Bishop Boulevard. During the times while students aren’t walking they are playing games or listening to concerts or speakers. All organizations on campus from resident halls, to Greek life, to

program counsel have multiple teams to raise money. This year SigEp had three relay teams with 5 to 10 brothers on each team. Together the three teams raised a total of about $1,700. “Relay for Life is a great organization and I am so honored and proud of what we as students can do as a school for something as important as this.” says Brother Austin Poynter, a team captain for one of the three SigEp teams. The other team captains included Brother Clayton Brown and co-captains Brothers William Badarak and John Oakes.

Several brothers within our SigEp chapter have also done several other community service

projects they are the head of or started themselves.

Brother Daniel Shnider rallies a group of about 5 or 6 brothers to cook dinner and serve food at the Ronald McDonald house in Dallas once a month. Brother Jake Torres started the IFC community service project of reading to elementary school kids at an underprivileged school in Dallas. Both Brothers Jose Campos and Ben Niere have spent several hours working with Habitat for Humanity and Brother James Parker helped head up the Dream Big Soccer Camp with FC Dallas. These are just a

few of the many ways SigEp has given back to their community!

How SigEp Gives Back: SigEp in the community

“It was a gratifying experience that allowed us to bond while helping those in need.” – Brother Chris

Manthey on volunteering for the Ronald McDonald House.

Sigma Phi Epsilon Newsletter Spring and Summer 2010

7

TX Upsilon Alumni News: What are they doing now?

Class of 2007 Class Representative – Scott Swagerty

Scott.C.Swagerty@gmail.com

Eric Fultz Eric has been working for Amdocs Consulting here in Dallas as a project management/business strategy consultant since graduating. Last year, “I made my first grown up decision and bought a house in Plano; hopefully this coming January I'll start my MBA.”

Scott Swagerty Scott graduated from SMU in 2007 with a B.S. in Economics with Financial Applications. In 2008, he attended classes for his M.A. in Applied Economics while serving TX Upsilon as the SigEp Resident Scholar. After getting his M.A., Scott started working for BNSF Railway as a Trainmaster. Since joining BNSF, he has moved six times in just two years. He is currently residing in Houston, TX, while working out of Somerville, TX. Scott also has taken sometime off and traveled across the world.

Class of 2008 Class Representative – Position Available

Contact Nick Skefos to contribute

Mark Norris Mark is a Metro reporter for The Dallas Morning News.

Richard Abbott Richard is now working as an accountant at CBRE and working on his Master's degree and CPA certification. He plans on getting into federal law enforcement once he finishes. On a separate note, he is getting married in July 2011.

Matt Garvey Garvey is working as an Audit Associate with Grant Thornton here in Dallas.

Brooks Powell Brooks is managing the transition of The Gordie Foundation (www.gordie.org) to its new home at the University of Virginia. He says, “We will now be known as ‘The Gordie Center for Alcohol & Substance Education,’ or ‘GordieCASE.’” He is also working as a freelance journalist, photographer in Dallas.

Kent Spenner Kent graduated from SMU in 2008 and received a MS in 2009. He is currently working for Lockheed Martin in Colorado Springs. Over the years, he has traveled to the Middle East and all over the United States.

Class of 2009 Class Representative – Danny Wilderotter

danwilderotter@gmail.com

Danny Wilderotter Danny starting working for Booz and Company in October 2009, doing strategy consulting in our Energy, Chemicals, and Utilities practice. He has been working in the lovely cities of NYC, Cleveland, and Spokane developing growth strategies and performing market analysis for a variety of clients. Prior to starting work, Danny spent the summer working for his father making wine and growing grapes. On the weekends, he spends time playing golf and hanging out with fellow brothers in the Dallas area.

Class of 2010 Class Representative – Nick Skefos

nskefos@gmail.com

Nick Brown Nick is currently attending graduate school at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Stuart Campbell Two days after graduation, Stuart went to Europe for a month to see Monaco, Cannes, Rome, Paris, and a lot of England. When he got back, he had a month off before starting work at Raytheon as a member of their Financial Leadership Development Program.

Steve Croce After graduating, Steve enrolled in the Master of Science in Accounting program in the Cox School of Business. He is currently finishing up his last semester of the program while being involved with the MSA leadership team and a member of Cox's Honor Council. He recently received a job offer from RSM McGladrey and will be working in the audit department beginning next fall. After graduation in February, Steve will complete the CPA exam and find something fun to occupy his time until he starts at McGladrey.

Jordan Hofeditz Jordan has been working full time at the office for Flash Photography. This summer, he took a couple of trips to visit some fraternity brothers and attend a wedding. As of now, he is still looking for a sports writing job somewhere, but he is enjoying being in Dallas for the time being.

Jonathon Koh JKoh spent his time over the summer traveling around the country. He’s still in Dallas and is currently in his first year of law school at SMU’s Dedman School of Law.

Continued on Page 8…

Sigma Phi Epsilon Newsletter Spring and Summer 2010

Sigma Phi Epsilon

3050 SMU Boulevard Dallas, TX 75275

Contact Us

AVC President – Ryan Lamb – ryan.lamb@styker.com Chapter Counselor – Tyler Allie – tyler.allie@gmail.com Chapter President – Kyle Schornick – jkschornick@smu.edu Vice President of Communications – Andrew Nelson – drewn@smu.edu

I believe in the American college fraternity. I believe in Sigma Phi Epsilon. – Sigma Phi Epsilon Creed

On behalf of the brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon, I want to express my thanks for all the support from alumni and parents we have received thus far. SigEp believes in making the most of your years here, and maximizing the experience by being a part of our incredibly strong Greek system, and we could not do it without the help of our AVC. Our chapter demonstrates a dedication to be a chapter of Balanced Men. I encourage you to get a first hand look at how our fraternity emphasizes the importance of a degree, gives back to the school and community, and facilitates an

unmatched brotherhood. Last year our chapter of 114 members boasted the highest IFC grade point average in the history of our district of 3.464, the intramural championship, and awarded the top fraternity award - the IFC Torch. We strive to be the best in everything that we do, and we look for men who want to better themselves, the school, and the fraternity by having our same goals in mind. SigEp is about being a part of something bigger, and we want to prove that we are the largest fraternity in the United States by reaching out to all those who wish to help or get involved

Message from the President: Kyle Schornick Tells All

in any way. We hope you can come out to one of our events this year so you may meet our incredible chapter.

Don’t forget to check out our website… smusigep.org!!

Alumni News Continued: Nick Roberts

Nick interned at Amerisource Bergen Specialty Group this summer. He is currently attending graduate school at SMU, pursuing his Master's of Science in Accounting (MSA).

Nick Skefos Nick is finishing up his final courses at SMU, taking the MCAT, and applying to medical school.

Greg Standerfer This summer Greg worked as an intern for General Dynamics C4 Systems. He is back at SMU getting his masters in Computer Engineering and is also a TA for a several classes, including one that has two SigEps in it.

David “Toups” Stewart Toups has been interning with the PGA TOUR—working with the Frys.com Open in San Jose, He says, “I've been out here for about 1.5 months so far, and I’ll be here until at least October 31st. If I can land a job out here, I'll stay; if not, I'll make the trek back east.... Stopping in Dallas yeeeeah!”.