Sigma Alpha Epsilon - Purdue University

Page 3 S A E An Education Gained from Life at SAE Spotlight on Bill McConnell '80 "I wanted to join a fraternity for the social experience," said Bill McConnell '80. "College provides the knowledge students need to get a job. The fraternity provided people skills, which are every bit as important as knowledge." Bill gathered the lessons of living with 80 brothers and holding leadership positions as pledge class president, eminent deputy archon, and social chairman. During the spring of his senior year, he wrote letters to 10 companies in Houston, looking for a position in a chemical plant. The city's large chemical industry and rich culture interested Bill, so when an international chemical company contacted him, he jumped on the opportunity. Today, Bill is with the same company, now as plant manager of two chemical plants in Texas where he is responsible for all aspects of the sites. In addition to his degree in mechanical engineering and MBA from the University of Houston, Bill credits SAE with helping to develop some of the soft skills necessary for a successful career in a technical industry. "In my field of engineering, careers can generally take a technical route or a managerial route. The managerial route typically has more responsibility and, as a result, more rewards. Purdue did not prepare me to work with people. Living at the Lodge on Littleton Street provided a good education at working with people, which really helped my career." Though work has taken him a significant distance from Indiana Beta, Bill has continued to invest in the chapter as opportunities present themselves, particularly as an alumni advisor. "In the last two years, I have led my company's work to recruit engineers from Purdue. It was great to be back two or three times per year to support that effort. Visiting with the brothers during my business trips to Purdue is always a treat. They seem more focused on grades and campus standing than we were. The house average grades are higher than ours were and they seem more in tune with the campus. That says a lot for the current members." Bill makes his home in The Woodlands, Texas, with his wife, Nancy. They have two daughters and one son. Outside of his work and family, Bill enjoys fishing and restoring antique guns. He is a direct descendant of a family of gun makers active around the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. Over the years he has been able to find and restore muskets made by his relatives. Bill can be reached at mcconnellw@aol.com. Historic Recruitment Proves Extremely Successful E very year, we understand that recruitment is not solely up to a recruitment chairman. It is an entire chapter effort. Taking the recently imposed True Gentleman experience in stride, we developed a new plan under the guidance of Recruitment Chairmen Neil Schaefer '15 and D.J. Sternasty '17. We knew that this recruitment was monumental. Being the first under the True Gentleman Experience, we needed to set a precedent. We were prepared to undertake the challenge. Each event began with a pep talk in the Great Hall. Everyone gathered to hear the agenda, objectives, and which potential new members we were intrigued to learn more about. As the recorder, I was pleased when I took attendance and saw very few names absent. Countless candidates told me that their favorite things about our chapter members were how amicable and down to earth we are. That was a fantastic compliment as it requires the whole chapter's active participation to leave such an impression. Another incredible bonus was the active participation of highly esteemed alumnus Wayne McIntyre '64. Once again, Wayne flew out from California to assist us. We appreciate not only his guidance, but the message that his lifetime of involvement in our chapter sends to these candidates who know so little about Greek life. After events, another hour or so was devoted to discussing each individual who came through the house. More than 400 unique candidates came to our events. Out of this staggering number, we ended with 43 accepted bids. The period during which we extended bids only lasted 15 days. Our goal this semester was to set a precedent. With the best recruitment in recent history, I would say this goal was accomplished with flying colors. Once again, we showed that it does not matter what obstacles we face as a chapter. Indiana Beta will always come together and devise a way to succeed. As a senior, I could not be more proud of the progress of our chapter. Unlike struggling chapters on campus, we recognize that progress does not just materialize. Progress is a united front. Recruitment is the process by which we choose those who will man that united front in the future. Thus, we undertake it with the utmost importance. Please keep a lookout for our spring 2015 Gala! Contact EDA External Joe Murphy '15 at murph11670@gmail.com for more information. Phi Alpha, Mike Cody '15 Eminent Recorder mdcody0712@gmail.com Kyle Ratner '18* Wilton, Conn. (Uncle Matthew W. Pollack, Carnegie Mellon '87) Jacob Reyes '17 Orange County, Calif. Nick Roberts '18 Zionsville, Ind. Daniel Schmidt '18* Pittsburgh, Pa. (Father Christopher C. Schmidt, Wisconsin '85) Conner Shaw '18 Greenfield, Ind. Mickey Smith '18 Oak Park, Ill. Benjamin Stallings '17 Irvine, Calif. David Stier '18 Franklin, Ind. Jonathan Suzuki '18 Los Gatos, Calif. Kyle Tincup '18 Carlsbad, Calif. Owen Veeser '18 Ann Arbor, Mich. Ryan Wendel '17 Manhattan Beach, Calif. Robert Yoder '18 Saint Charles, Ill. Jack Crowley '17 Laguna Hills, Calif. Corey Mazo '17 Lake Forest, Calif. Jacob McCrory '17 Carmel, Ind. Will Yardley '17* East Grand Rapids, Mich. (Grandfather Thomas Yardley, Minnesota '45) *Legacy; relative in parentheses

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