september 2008 newsletter

Volume 2, Issue 2

Inside this issue:

SigEp Spotlight #1—Dustin Kowalewski

1

SigEp Spotlight #2— Chris Molczyk

2

SigEp News 3

Undergraduate Info 4

Web Links:

NE-Gamma Alumni Website

National SigEp Web-site

NE-Gamma Under-graduate Website

SigEp Educational Foundation

Reflecting on SigEp Experiences Brothers Dustin “Polish” Kowalewski and Chris “Chico” Molczyk reflect on their time as undergraduates at UNK and as members of Sigma Phi Epsilon

Sigma Phi Epsilon. It’s funny, those three words at first only meant a way to meet girls and a fun way to party in college. Now, almost ten years later, with a wife and a career, I could never have imagined what those words would mean to me. I look back at my freshman year when I was first exposed to the Fraternity and our three cardinal principles of Virtue, Diligence and Brotherly Love and they seemed like good ideas, but I had no idea what kind of impact they would have on my life.

I still remember passing through each challenge of the Fraternity and the ritual that was part of it and fortunately I was one of the lucky ones that although it seemed like a lot of work at the time, got to send many other members through their rituals as well. What at first seemed monotonous, reading the ritual over and over again, actually was one of the best parts of college. It allowed me to really take in what was being said. I look back now and that time spent reading the teachings of the founding fathers of the Fraternity and their beliefs on how not only to run a fraternity, but how a man should run his life.

I might be a long way from the college lifestyle, and would look ridiculous wearing my “letters,” but Sigma Phi Epsilon is still a major part of my life. When I think about how I can be a good husband to my wife, and in the future, a good father to my children, the ideas and teachings that I learned about being Virtuous are at the forefront of my thoughts. The ideas of Diligence may have at first seemed like a way to succeed in college now directly translate into the real world. As an independ-ent Insurance agent I am on my own for work. I don’t have a boss that will give me a list of things to work on or is looking over my shoulder. If I don’t bring Diligence into my everyday life I can’t succeed.

Finally, there is Brotherly love, that one is different. What I learned about Brotherly Love doesn’t translate into my life today because it never changed. Yes I might not get to talk to other Brothers in the house near as often as I used to. I might only get to see a lot of the guys once a year that I used to see twice a day before. We might have changed from talking about the “Backlot” and how crazy the hall director is, to talking about careers, spouses, and how the kid is doing, but really, nothing has changed. I know we are all members of Sigma Phi Epsilon and will be for the rest of our lives. I know what we have all been a part of and I know what we all believe. It’s because of Brotherly Love that I know what I can expect when I talk to a brother whether it has been a week or a year. It is that bond that if you would have told me about when I was that new 18 year old in the fraternity I would have thought you were crazy. It’s amazing now to think that after all the parties and great times together, that it is the three Cardinal Principles that hold us together no matter where our individual lives lead us.

When Jay asked me to write this for the newsletter, I was extremely excited to put this together. Not because I am a great writer by any stretch of the imagination, but I was excited because it is one more way to give just a little back to the fraternity that I feel gave me so much. Sigma Phi Epsilon has done more to shape me into the person I am today than I ever could have imagined. Each year I am out of the Fraternity I keep thinking that the passion I have for being a SigEp will start to fade, but it doesn’t. I might not have as many ways to show it any more as I once did, but every time I talk to one of you, get an update on the house, or read the newsletter it all comes flooding back. It’s the reason I still have my paddle and all of my composites hung up in my office, and my house is also the only house on the block with a red door.

HFF

Dustin “Polish” Kowalewski—2003

Volume 2, Issue 2

Web Links:





Reflecting on SigEp Experiences—Part II Brothers,

What a wonderful organization for an underachieving college freshman lacking motiva-tion. I am speaking of Sigma Phi Epsilon, none other than Nebraska Gamma in the fall of 1993. Brothers, with all sincerity, thank you for seeing something more in me and offer-ing me the opportunity to move into your home. What a lost cause you decided to look upon, failing at school and completely unable to socialize. Boy, what a struggle it was for me because I was completely ill prepared for all college offered.

Thank God this was all to change upon meeting the SigEp Brothers and my eventual move into the pods. What an opportunity to see Brotherly Love in action first hand. It propelled me to move into the house as a non-member to fill a room vacancy. If it was not for the Brotherly Love shown to me, I would never have made it into the house, pledged, and earned the grades to become an active fraternity member. This desire to be among my brother’s love motivated me throughout my college days.

Just sitting at my desk reminiscing about my love for this fraternity and the experiences I have had, I wish you could all see the grin on this guy’s face. While I am looking back at this wonderful experience, it just hit me it would probably be unwise to publicly disclose all the details. You never know when one of us will be running for President someday. I would hate for the bearded lady to hunt down President Hammerstein.

Virtue, diligence, and brotherly love. Amen. Where would we be without these three? Thanks to Sigma Phi Epsilon, we will not have to find this out. The principles of virtue and diligence find a way into my life on a daily occurrence providing me the opportunity to practice diligently at avoiding all of life’s pitfalls.

Brothers, having looked back at what Sigma Phi Epsilon has done for me, it brings up the question what have I done for my Brothers at Nebraska Gamma today?

It is a joy to share this with you all that I am truly loving my life. Thanks to you all!

HFF,

Brother Chico

(Chris Molczyk Spring Pledge 1994)

Volume 2, Issue 2

Web Links:





Invest in SigEp at UNK

Educational Foundation allows alumni to donate to their specific undergradu-ate chapters

By joining the other Brothers of the Nebraska Gamma chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon in registering on the Educational Foundation website, you can contribute directly to the UNK undergraduate chapter. Periodically, the Fraternity needs items that will help them exercise fraternal business. This might include scholarships, computers, and a number of other items. In order to help them, you can make a difference today. Register on the Educational Foundation website and select the link Support Si-gEp Now. From there, choose the option Giving to your Chapter and fill in the required information. The goal is to initially have every registered member donate $25 to the undergraduate chapter. That donation would currently raise $2,500 for the undergraduate chapter. Please consider making a donation to the chapter today and reaffirm your belief that the Fraternity truly does have an im-pact on the lives of young men.

Nebraska Gamma Undergraduate Chapter Invests in a New Website

New website on GIN network allows the fraternity to conduct business online for undergrads and alumni to view.

It has been a long, long, long time coming, but the undergraduate chapter has finally invested in a new website to promote the Fraternity. The new system is on the GIN system and allows both un-dergraduate and alumni to take part in the fraternal experience like never before. Already, the chapter posts its weekly minutes and finance reports to the site, as well as meeting attendance reports. Other functions of the website are a working data base of all current and former members of Nebraska Gamma, a calendar of upcoming Fraternity events, a Q&A feature that allows members (both active and alumni) to ask questions of the executive board, a discussion board for all to en-gage in conversations from long distance, financial “dues” reports for the Fraternity, and a host of other options. This new webservice will allow the undergraduates to bridge the gap in communica-tion with alumni. All alumni are welcome to sign up for the most current information from the un-dergraduate chapter. If you are interested, email VP of Communications, Casey Glatter, at [email protected] and he can get you set up with an account. He will need your first name, last name, and an email address to get you started. Already there have been a number of alumni getting in-volved and it has been great.

Volume 2, Issue 2

Web Links:





Undergraduate News 2008-2008 Fraternity Officers

Jordan Gonzalez — President — [email protected]

Ryan Dorcey — V.P. Programming — [email protected]

Nate White — V.P. Finance — [email protected]

Andy Greer — V.P. Membership Development — [email protected]

Burke Wilson — V.P. Recruitment — [email protected]

Casey Glatter — V.P. Communications — [email protected]

Collin Grimes — V.P. Scholarship — [email protected]

Matt Junge — Chaplain — [email protected]

• The undergraduate chapter achieved an overall GPA of 3.18 and won the PHI BETA KAPPA Wheelhouse Academic Award for the first time in the chapter’s history. This is a very prestigious award from the National Fraternity. This proves that UNK SigEp knows how to have a good time while also getting it done in the classroom. The chapter is happy with the results, but they are looking forward to pushing their aca-demic excellence to newer heights.

• Jordan Gonzales, the Chapter President would like all alumni who have questions to contact him. He can share information regarding BD week, Chapter GPAs, etc. His email address is listed above and his phone number is 308-631-8591.

september 2008 newsletter

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