SAE Brothers host Parents' Weekend
Brothers Enjoy Successful Retreat
I worked my tail off all year long and led my team to two Team State Final appearances, winning the Team State title as a senior. I always wanted to be the best, but I also wanted my team to be the best. The point I am trying to make is not that I was this great wrestler, and you should all know that, but rather understand that when I do something, whether it's wrestling or anything I do, I want to be the best at it and get the most out of it. I knew back then that Sigma Alpha Epsilon is a remarkable place and your experience as a brother is what you make out of it. I've realized that many things throughout life are complicated and sometimes seem impossible, but with the passion in your heart and the help of others, you can achieve great things. That's why I decided to run for president and have our first annual brotherhood retreat. Each year, there is always an officers' retreat to go over goals and to start the year off on the same page, but why not do that with every brother in the chapter? At the end of the day, it's about all of us. An officer is elected into his position because he is a workhorse and wants to get the most out of his experience while he is at Cornell. That's great, but being in a fraternity shouldn't just be a resume builder; it's much more than that. It shouldn't just be a place to socialize and party; it's much more than that. It shouldn't just be a place that you call home; it's much more than that. That being said, this year's fall retreat was astounding. It took place August 30, 2008, at Robert H. Treman State Park. We had 100-percent participation (excluding valid excuses) from the brotherhood this year, and our chapter advisor, Ron Demer '59, joined us, too. We started the day off with an introduction of all of the officers and their plans for the coming year. The morning was a more relaxed setting for the guys as we broke off into groups of older and younger guys. We also had two transfer students join us this year, and it was a really good experience for them to meet the rest of the brotherhood as well. We stayed in the groups for almost an hour, catching up on summer stories as well as meeting each other for the first time (many juniors were abroad last semester and hadn't met the new guys yet). After an hour, we gathered into a big group circle and each of us (over 50 actives) told the brotherhood something we didn't know about each other.It was a lot of fun, and the guys thought it was one of the best parts of the retreat. We then ate lunch prepared by our chef. After lunch, many guys played a pickup game of football while others just relaxed or played some frisbee. Watching the guys have fun and not complain about having to be somewhere (other than chapter or a social event) was very exciting for me. We then returned to the pavilion to start some work. The afternoon portion of the retreat was a little more serious; the topics of discussion were based on the 12 Core Areas of the True Gentleman Initiative. Many great ideas were expressed, and some have already been implemented this year. We had discussion for two hours and then returned to Hillcrest. The feedback from the brotherhood was remarkable, and I'm already in the process of planning our spring retreat, which will take place sometime in May. The brotherhood retreat is something I hope will be continued in the coming years. It is a great way to begin the year and a great way to end the year. In the beginning, you get together and catch up on everything that happened over the summer. You establish goals and standards for the year and strive to achieve them. At the end of the year, you assess the chapter and see what you did right and work on what you might not have accomplished. By doing this, everyone is more involved, and the chapter achieves great things through the help of the brotherhood and not through just a small number of officers. In closing, I hope this year proves to be another successful year for the brotherhood at NY Alpha. We've already started out successful, and I expect nothing less than the best from our house when the year comes to a close. Phi Alpha, Dyson Scholarship Winners The New York Alpha Alumni Association would like to congratulate the fine young men who received a Dyson Scholarship Award in 2007-2008: Powers van der Mandele '09 -- Ag&LS, Hamilton, NY; Social Chair 2007 Jason Davis '09 -- Ag&LS, Jefferson City, MO; Social Chair 2008 Michael Glamore '09 -- Engineering, Melbourne, FL; Houseman 2008 Svante Myrick '09 -- Ag&LS, Hamilton, NY; EDA 2007, IFC VP Undergrads, Alumni Enjoy a Career Networking Event in New York
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