Sigma Phi Epsilon - University of Oklahoma

Oklahoma Beta Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon page 3 A Legacy to be Proud Of What the SigEp Brotherhood Means to David Newman '86 C oming to OU, David Newman '86 did not know a single soul, but the minute he walked through the red doors at Oklahoma Beta, he immediately felt welcomed. David, a SigEp legacy, had his eye on OK Beta, and although he looked at other fraternities during recruitment, the membership at SigEp drew him in. "They talked about intramurals, parties, how epic SAM's Place was and pledgeship, but it was the focus on brotherhood that stood out to me most," he said. "That was exactly what I was looking for in a fraternity and never got that feeling from any of the other houses on campus." Though Oklahoma Beta was not the most aesthetically pleasing house to look at— "kinda resembled a Skaggs Alpha Beta," David always took pride in the chapter and was impressed more by the brotherhood inside the walls than the house itself. As an undergraduate, he served as Golden Heart chairman for two years and pledge trainer with Scott Weed '86. During these formative years, SigEp taught David numerous traits he continued in his professional career. "SigEp taught me to work hard for something you love, that you don't have to be president of the house to make a positive impact. Not everyone can be THE leader; sometimes you have to be a good teammate," he said. "And learning to properly shotgun a beer at SigEp came in handy during an after-hours challenge at a national sales meetings in 1994." David has many great memories of his years in OK Beta, but some that stick out are pranking brothers, getting pranked, "the DU Open," SAM's Place ("the greatest party ever!"), dominating intramurals, game days, all-night pool tournaments, grabbing some rays on top of the house, and most notably, listening to Chip Long '82 and Brad Watson Sr. '84 tell stories of fraternity shenanigans. David was encouraged to help the alumni board in 2008 and officially joined the AVC in 2011 under then president Mark Fish '83, who notably was his recruitment chairman in '82. Today, he is the recruitment advisor and Balance Man steward. "It has been very fulfilling, and I've thoroughly enjoyed my alumni experience," he said. "I would say to my fellow alumni, if you aren't plugged in, you need to be. It is very rewarding, and you get to recall some incredible and funny stories about legends like—Chip Long '82, Mike Mewbourn '76, and Kyle Travis '78!" This year at the Carlson Leadership Academy, David was awarded the Outstanding New Volunteer award, which is awarded to someone who has selflessly given their time and energy to a local SigEp chapter. "I was humbled and honored to have received the award this year and making it extra special was receiving it from Marc Ganz '83," David said. "I don't volunteer for awards or recognition—I do it because I love my house, my brothers, young and old, and what our chapter stands for. I get back so much more than I give." Several years back, David was talking to John Payne '88, who said something that has stuck with him since. "I borrowed this quote from brother Payne and tell anyone who will listen: 'Outside of my wife and four kids, the two best things to ever happen to me were going to OU and signing SigEp,'" he said. "The SigEp house has given me the most incredible friends anyone could ever wish for. Brothers that are there to celebrate the good times and to give you a shoulder to cry on when tough times occur. There is no other fraternity chapter in the nation like Oklahoma Beta. We have something very special here." "There are many rewarding aspects of being involved with the chapter and although trying at times it has opened my eyes to see things in different ways that I otherwise would not have seen. Taylor Doe '11 on SigEp, REACH, and Serving His Community A s a collegian, Taylor Doe '11 was initially attracted to SigEp because of Oklahoma Beta's involvement with the community. Since then, his dedication to volunteering and philanthropy has only grown. Taylor started a ministry group on campus his sophomore year, which led him to a career in ministry upon graduation from OU. Since its founding in 2008, REACH Ministries has been an organization designed to get students excited to serve the community. Q: What are some events REACH Ministries has been involved with? A: With REACH Ministries, the goal was to serve. We got caught up in a lot of great things: sporting events, SigEp events, and various service projects on campus and in the community. We hosted a senior citizen prom at a local nursing home, complete with a king and queen crowing and dance. Another big event we did was a three-day extreme home makeover for a middle school boy with muscular dystrophy. Q: How have SigEp brothers supported REACH Ministries? A: The extreme makeover was a fun event alongside fraternity brothers and others from campus and the OU community. SigEp alumni helped financially support the cause and made connections. Jeff Marley '86 played a huge role in making the project happen. It wouldn't have been possible without alumni. Taylor's dedication to the Norman community was also apparent when he and a group of guys decided to buy candy, flowers, and cards on Valentine's Day in 2009. However, the goodies weren't for significant others, they were for fast food workers. The men decided to deliver treats to fast food employees as a small way to show kindness on a day that can be lonesome for some people. Q: How have the Valentine's Day deliveries expanded since 2009? A: We started by buying a bunch of chocolate and roses and delivering them to ladies at the restaurants as a way to show we care and are thinking about them. We've been doing this for nine years and the last three years we've stepped up the game a little bit. We rented tuxes and a limo to deliver the gifts. The Pioneer Woman (Ree Drummond) donated jewelry and a journal for us to give as gifts and fastfoodvalentines.com was established and other cities have signed up to participate. We're spreading kindness one drive thru at a time. (Continued on page 6)

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