Sigma Phi Epsilon - Auburn University

In Memory of Dakota Parker '19 Undergraduate Brother Consistently Demonstrated Love Sigma Phi Epsilon page 3 Dakota and his dog, Spud. "Love is a verb." These words, originally spoken by Alabama Alpha's late Bear Townsend '13, could not have had a greater example than the way Dakota Parker '19 lived his life from the beginning to the end. Dakota passed away all too soon on April 9. He decided to attend Auburn University in the spring of 2015 and pledged Sigma Phi Epsilon in the fall. Alex August '19, his closest friend and pledge brother, remembers his encounters with Dakota during the short but gracious period he knew him. "I remember one of the first times we hung out. We were going to get food and he was driving me in an awkward silence," Alex says, "And he just looked over and said, 'So tell me about yourself, Alex!' It seemed really insignificant at the time, but it really speaks volumes about the kind of person he was and how much he cared about individual people." Dakota had a personal mission to go and seek out the greatest aspects of each person and magnify these qualities—making each person understand that they are special and loved. Another exceptional quality that Dakota displayed was his drive for only the best. He truly wanted Sigma Phi Epsilon's Alabama Alpha Chapter to be not just the best fraternity in Auburn, not just the best fraternity in the United States, but the greatest place in the world. Another one of his pledge brothers, Gage Ellis '19, remembers one of his first experiences with Dakota. "He and I had history together and one day we were walking back to his apartment after class and I asked him why he chose to be a chemical engineering major. He just tilted his head and said, 'Well, I heard it was the hardest major here and I figured I might as well start at the top and work my way down,'" recalls Gage. "He always strived for the best; if his mind was made up, then it was most likely going to happen." Dakota readily loved people, those known and unknown to him. He was a man one could talk to for hours just because someone was wearing a shirt he liked. His appreciation for life and all of his surroundings makes him one of the most unique and beautiful people to have ever walked on Earth. This piece could never fully explain how much Dakota meant to this Chapter and every person that knew him, but it will be closed with his own words that truly express his life as a man of virtue, diligence, and brotherly love. "Look at every person with value and wealth and you will find it in them, even those most criticized by others." - Dakota Parker '19 Collins Sigler '18 coaches a youth league soccer team every week. Alpha Epsilon Delta (Pre-Med Honor Society) Alpha Eta Rho (Professional Aviation Fraternity) American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Army ROTC Auburn Chapter of the National Stuttering Association Auburn Cooperative Education Program Auburn Formula SAE Team Auburn Hyperloop Design Competition Team Auburn Mentoring Program Auburn Outdoors Auburn Striped Wings Ambassadors Auburn University Chapter of the National Stuttering Association Auburn University Student Recruiters Beta Alpha Psi (Accounting Honors Society) College of Architecture, Design, and Construction (CADC) Ambassadors Cru (Campus Ministry) Cupola (Engineering Ambassadors) Delta Sigma Pi (Professional Business Fraternity) Executive Society (Business Leadership Organization) Financial Management Association Honors Society (FMA) Freshman Leadership Programs (FLP) IFC Cabinet Institute of Industrial Engineers Phi Lambda Upsilon (Honors Chemical Society) Pi Lambda Sigma (Pre-Law Honors Society) Project Uplift SGA Cabinet The Big Event University Program Council (UPC) Alabama Alpha Community and Campus Involvement O ur brothers are involved on campus in a wide range of clubs and organizations. Take a look at some of these below.

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