Epsilon Nu is Cookin at Connecticut. (See story, page 11) In this issue: Sammies in the News... page 4 Sigma Pi Returns to UCLA... page 5.

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1 Spring 2016 Epsilon Nu is Cookin at Connecticut (See story, page 11) In this issue: Sammies in the News.... page 4 Sigma Pi Returns to UCLA... page 5 Chapter Eternal.... page 7 Alumni Club & Reunion News.... page 8 ΣΑΜ to Partner with Boy Scouts.. Back Cover

2 From Supreme Prior David Sergi Progress Positive progress best describes the state of the Fraternity. Sigma Alpha Mu s vision is one of progress. Our primary goals are 1) growing the undergraduate fraternity membership, 2) increasing alumni involvement, and 3) improving the financial health of SAM. Our wide-ranging activity continues to drive progress in these three areas. I am pleased to report that we have also made significant progress towards one of the goals first expressed when I was elected as Supreme Prior. In working together to implement our joint, strategic visions, the Octagon, the SAM Endowment Fund and the SAM Foundation have increased and strengthened their dialogue while each remaining true to meeting their fiduciary obligations. We are building upon our traditional identity as a Jewish Fraternity whose membership is open to all men who appreciate our heritage and embody our values. To advance our historic identity, we are developing programs for Jewish and non-jewish members alike to connect with Israel. We have also created partnerships to prepare our members to address anti-semitism on campus as well as the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement. Through our newly created SAM Educational Freedom Award, the fraternity will begin recognizing colleges and universities that partner with Israel. The Fraternity provides lifelong value by creating connections far beyond just the brotherly friendships you first made while in college. Alumni involvement is also making significant progress on a professional level through newly created social media networks for lawyers, CPAs, and other professions. Through these networks, we envision offering professional development, promotion of employment and internship opportunities, and providing more volunteer opportunities for hands-on application of essential life skills. To the latter, our brand new partnership with the Boy Scouts of America (see back cover) creates an immediate opportunity for our SAM alumni to help cultivate the values-based, leadership development of future generations. All of these efforts, and more, are unlocking new doors for the Fraternity to increase its capacity and achieve its worthwhile vision of a growing, healthy organization. Long live Sigma Alpha Mu. From Executive Director Andy Huston In today s collegiate fraternity world, making progress on campuses across North America is a significant challenge. The landscape of higher education is complex and rapidly changing. The pressures for today s college student have never been higher with rising student loan debts, intensified media scrutiny of campus conduct processes, and an uneasy job market. Despite these challenges, Sigma Alpha Mu continues to rise to the occasion. Just as campuses have evolved, so, too, has our Fraternity. We believe that the health, safety and well-being of our members is of paramount concern. This issue of the Octagonian includes the Sigma Alpha Mu Risk Management Policy (see page 14). The Fraternity dedicates substantial time and directs significant resources toward educating our members about risk management, as we also do enforcing the policy. At the local level, the oversight of chapter risk management is typically assigned to the Vice Prior. However, when understood and implemented correctly, every member of the chapter is a risk manager. Sigma Alpha Mu is not an organization that simply reacts. We are proactive, taking a leading role in addressing issues such as alcohol, hazing and sexual assault on campus. As a member of the Fraternity Health and Safety Initiative, SAM is providing facilitated, chapter-level programming on these topics. These are challenging, necessary and important sessions intended to equip our members with the knowledge they need to help prevent situations from arising or to intervene when they identify a potential problem. Helping our undergraduate members to identify and address these critical issues on college campuses develops leadership skills, critical thinking, and confidence that will benefit them long after college. We also believe this keeps Sigma Alpha Mu relevant and true to our ideals. The OCTAGONIAN ISSN LEONARD DAVE, Editor Vol. CIII, No. 1 Spring 2016 ANDREW J. HUSTON, Executive Director The OCTAGONIAN is published quarterly in the spring, summer, fall and winter by Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity, Inc., with editorial and business offices at 8701 Founders Road, Indianapolis, IN Copyright 2016 by ΣΑΜ. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. Periodical postage paid at Indianapolis, IN, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The OCTAGONIAN, 8701 Founders Road, Indianapolis, IN All manuscripts and matter for publication should be addressed to Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity, 8701 Founders Road, Indianapolis, IN Return of manuscripts and photographs promised, if requested. Articles published and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent the editorial views of The OCTAGONIAN or of the national officers and various entities of Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity.

3 AM Convention Join Us in Indianapolis August 12-14, 2016 Educational Leadership Programming plus Recognition for Outstanding Individual & Chapter Achievement Experience a spirit of fraternity on an unparalleled, international scale. Come to learn, to share best practices and to network among alumni and undergraduates. Full registration includes hotel accommodations for 2 nights (August 12-13), all events, official meal functions and the Convention Business Session. Registration requested by May 2. Contact the Fraternity Office. jeanr@sam.org or call ( ). Sigma Alpha Mu Official Family The Octagon Supreme Prior: David K. Sergi (San Marcos, TX) Vice Supreme Prior: David P. Kleppel (Gahanna, OH) Supreme Exchequer: Bruce E. Bernstien (Dallas, TX) Supreme Recorder: Rabbi Andrew M. Paley (Dallas, TX) Consul: Andrew M. Ahitow (Chicago, IL) Consul: Daniel A. Grossberg (North Potomac, MD) Consul: Jerry L. Conrey (North Tustin, CA) Young Alumnus Consul: Nelson France (Washington, DC) Undergraduate Advisory Committee Jason M. Peretz, Delta Omega (Rochester) Daniel J. Puentes, Delta Zeta (Florida International) Seth A. Schachter, Mu Theta (Southern California) SAM Endowment Fund Trustees Chairman: Richard H. Williamson (St. Simons Island, GA) Vice Chairman: Ronald S. Katch (Highland Park, IL) Secretary: Phillip I. Glauben (Dallas, TX) Treasurer: David H. Phillips (Westerville, OH) Trustee: Marc E. Perlstein (Richardson, TX) Trustee: Hanno D. Mott (New York, NY) Trustee: Craig L. Ludin (Winter Park, FL) SAM Foundation Directors President: Hanno D. Mott (New York, NY) Vice President: David H. Phillips (Westerville, OH) Treasurer: Ronald S. Katch (Highland Park, IL) Assistant Treasurer: David S. Rice (Chicago, IL) Secretary: Dennis G. Paese (Newburgh, NY) Director: Jerry Miller (Oxford, OH) Director: Robert B. Fagenson (New York, NY) Director: Robert S. Weiss (Edmond, OK) Director: Barry M. Epstein (Dallas, TX) Director: Aaron M. Girson (Indianapolis, IN) Director: Sidney H. Guller (St. Louis, MO) Director: Lawrence J. Leib (Farmington Hills, MI) Director: Nathan C. Margolis (Houston, TX) Director: Harvey A. Weisblat (Dallas, TX) Director: Roy M. Neulicht (Raleigh, NC) Director: John Paine (Los Altos, CA) The Octagon has identified a critical need for alumni volunteers to serve SAM as Chapter Advisors and Regional Governors. We need you! Please contact Executive Director Andy Huston at andyh@sam.org. 3

4 Sammies in the News In Business: Moonves Named Chairman at CBS Already the President and CEO of CBS Corporation, one of the world s leading media enterprises, Leslie Les Moonves (Sigma Phi 68) has recently also been appointed as its Chairman. Moonves oversees programming, sales and marketing operations of all of the company s broadcast television efforts, including entertainment, news, sports and syndication. Moonves came to CBS in 1995 as President of Entertainment after serving as President of Warner Bros. Television since its 1993 merger with Lorimar Television. Born in Valley Stream (Long Island), New York, Fra Moonves attended Bucknell University and, after graduation, initially pursued an acting career. Though he performed in numerous stage and television productions, he opted to produce plays on Broadway and in Los Angeles. Over the years, Moonves has developed, produced and programmed some of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful television and entertainment projects. In the 1990 s, he was appointed to co-chair a White House commission looking at the relationship between broadcasters and the federal government. In Higher Education: Perlman Stepping Down at Nebraska Having served as Chancellor of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln since 2000, Harvey Perlman (Sigma Omicron 60) is stepping down at the end of June. He plans to return to the Nebraska College of Law faculty. He served as its Dean from During his tenure leading his UNL alma mater, student enrollment has grown to an all-time high of 25,260, an overall growth rate of 14.3% in the past decade. When the school joined the Big Ten Conference in 2011, beyond just the new athletic competition, the move also created new opportunities for academic and research collaborations. Not one to shy away from poking fun at himself, Fra Perlman s deadpan sense of humor is evident in his Perls of Knowledge video series, viewed widely via social media. His Twitter persona has quite a following, too. With athletics as a passion, Perlman has been a prominent voice in the NCAA, having served on the Board of Directors and the Bowl Championship Series Presidential Oversight Committee. 4 In Entertainment: Stone Receives USC Honors Award-winning independent television producer Scott Stone (Mu Theta 74) has received the Alumni Merit Award from the University of Southern California. The honor recognizes those individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to the university and community as well as bringing honor and recognition to themselves and USC. Born in Massachusetts and raised in Indianapolis, Fra Stone has produced nearly 50 television series in a career that began when he was a Freshman in college. Stone and his creative colleagues have won two Emmy Awards and a Cable Ace Award. He has created and produced shows for every major broadcast network and many cable networks. Programs with which he has been associated include The People s Court, Jane Fonda exercise videos, Love Connection, BrainSurge, The Mole, Loveline, Dr. Drew, The Man Show, Shop til You Drop, and Tim Gunn s Guide to Style. As for Fra Stone s deep Sammy roots, he served as a two-term Prior of his Mu Theta chapter, a past Octagon Consul and a past Director of the SAM Foundation.

5 Sigma Pi Returns to UCLA Following a sustained, successful string of achievements during their colonization, our Sigma Pi chapter at UCLA was officially re-installed on Saturday evening, February 20. The ceremony immediately followed the West Coast Chapter Leaders Day program, allowing local alumni and undergraduate fratres from other chapters to participate. Ritual was officiated by Supreme Prior David Sergi with the assistance of Consul Jerry Conrey. The proud chapter enthusiastically submits this report on their accomplishments. Building our brotherhood and helping others; that was and is our fraternity roadmap. We have volunteered at the local Food Bank, participated in the Los Angeles Walk to End Alzheimer s and Relay for Life. We will be hosting our first major philanthropy event in mid-april, Tug on Alzheimer s, a tug-of-war tournament to raise awareness and money for the Judy Fund in the Alzheimer s Association. Several of our men visited Alta Loma Elementary School and participated in the Reading to Kids literacy program. Other brothers were involved in making Valentine s Day cards for Mattel Children s Hospital. In working together, volunteering together, studying together, and yes, playing together, we have taken two dozen men from being relative strangers to becoming a Sammy chapter focused on building upon something that proudly began at UCLA in We ve gone on a brotherhood camping retreat, participated in intramural sports (with our soccer team faring quite well), and worn our letters proudly around campus. Among our most important lessons learned was that chapter growth is essential. Our recruitment efforts in the fall doubled our size and increased our energy exponentially. We went to UCLA football games together, played poker together, and even enjoyed a Bad Movie night. If you want to keep up with the men of Sigma Pi, you ll find us on Facebook at: UCLASigmaAlphaMu From Generation to Generation One family three generations of Sammies. From left to right are Lewis Meyers, Jeremy Meyers and Mel Meyers. When Jeremy Meyers (Gamma Kappa, Texas A & M 15) was initiated last November, imagine the emotional surprise he received when his father, Lewis Meyers (Sigma Omicron, Nebraska 85) and his grandfather, Mel Meyers (Sigma Alpha, Oklahoma 57) stepped forward to give him his fraternity pin! Across the decades and spanning generations, our storied fraternity rolls on. For many, being a member of Sigma Alpha Mu is a proud, family tradition. There are countless legacies. Know of a legacy entering college in the fall? Tell us. Also, there are many 3 rd generation Sammy stories, and maybe a handful of 4 th generation ones. Are you among them? Tell us your family s Sammy story. editor@sam.org. 5

6 Active Chapter Roll Founded at the College of the City of New York, November 26, 1909, as a fraternity of Jewish men. For more information on our Chapter Roll, please visit BETA Cornell ETA Syracuse THETA Pennsylvania KAPPA Minnesota RHO Illinois TAU Alabama PSI Pittsburgh SIGMA DELTA Rutgers SIGMA ZETA Indiana SIGMA THETA Texas SIGMA PI UCLA SIGMA SIGMA UC-Berkeley MU EPSILON Miami (FL) MU ETA Drexel MU THETA Southern California MU LAMBDA Penn State MU RHO Rochester MU PSI Miami (OH) BETA GAMMA Arizona BETA IOTA Wisconsin BETA PSI Virginia BETA OMEGA Kentucky Wesleyan GAMMA EPSILON Illinois (Chicago) GAMMA THETA UC-Davis GAMMA IOTA Towson GAMMA KAPPA Texas A & M GAMMA LAMBDA Northern Illinois GAMMA RHO UC-San Diego GAMMA TAU Florida GAMMA PHI Arizona State GAMMA CHI Brandeis GAMMA PSI Temple DELTA ALPHA Hofstra DELTA BETA American DELTA ZETA Florida International DELTA ETA West Florida DELTA THETA SUNY-Stony Brook DELTA PI Ottawa DELTA UPSILON UNLV DELTA OMEGA RIT EPSILON ALPHA Stephen F. Austin EPSILON DELTA Johnson & Wales EPSILON EPSILON SUNY-Geneseo EPSILON ETA Louisiana State EPSILON THETA West Virginia EPSILON IOTA Chapman EPSILON LAMBDA Buffalo State EPSILON NU Connecticut EPSILON XI Emory COLONIES: SIGMA BETA Ohio State SIGMA NU Washington SIGMA OMICRON Nebraska MU CHI Michigan State MU ZETA Washington State GAMMA OMICRON Iowa SUNY-Purchase INTEREST GROUP: MU UPSILON Brooklyn College Listing of school names does not imply college/university recognition but only notes a chapter s location. 6 Play Ball then and now! In the February 1950 Octagonian (above), Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers was shown receiving the Benny Leonard Good Sportsmanship Trophy from SAM s D. Beryl Manischewitz (Cincinnati 33). Last year, Past Supreme Prior Andy Ahitow (left) received the honor of delivering the game ball to the Wrigley Field mound. New to the Sammy Staff With the hiring of Michele Peterson as the fraternity s new Director of Chapter Services, SAM adds an experienced, collegiate professional to manage our educational, expansion and risk management programs while also overseeing our traveling Educational Leadership Consultants. A graduate of Western Illinois University and a proud member of Delta Zeta 03, Michele went on to earn an M.A. in Student Affairs in Higher Education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Working with the Greek community there, she went on to apply her knowledge and skill in serving Greek Life communities at Winthrop University and Western Carolina University before most recently serving as Assistant Director of Student Success, Dean of Students Office at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Michele jumped head-first into her position with Sigma Alpha Mu, meeting scores of chapter leaders at several of our Chapter Leaders Day events across the country. And, when it comes to leadership, she is well versed. Michele is a member of Blue Key National Honor Society, Mortar Board Honor Society, Rho Lambda National Sorority Leadership Recognition Society, Omicron Delta Kappa Leadership Honorary Society and Order of Omega Greek Honor Society. Michele is an avid traveler who enjoys a variety of outdoor activities. Welcome!

7 Chapter Eternal Editor s Note: For accuracy and consistency, the year shown after a frater s name is his initiation year, not his graduation year. Chapter Eternal information comes to the Fraternity Office from sources of varying reliability. Occasionally, innocent errors are printed in spite of our best efforts to prevent them. While the Octagonian cannot guarantee the accuracy of Chapter Eternal listings, we continue to publish this feature because our readers want it. Arthur J. Simon (Alabama 45) Phillip M. Kane (Case Western Reserve/ Miami-FL 66) Jack J. Heines (Cincinnati 54) Philip W. Dunsker (Cornell 52) William M. Feinberg Cornell 42) Henry Green (Drexel 62) Michael A. Pagliarella, Jr. (Drexel 65) Mark A. Savrin (Drexel 51) Stanley I. Grad (Indiana/Cincinnati 39) Lewis I. Rothbard (Indiana 57) Stanley B. Trockman (Indiana 48) Jason H. Bodzin (Miami-OH 63) LTC Barry Stuart Sidenberg, USA (Miami-OH 60) Harold L. Fink (Minnesota 47) David H. Cohen (Nebraska-Lincoln 51) Richard M. Korn (New York U 52) J. Scott Rives (North Carolina State 88) Lawrence M. Goldstein (Northwestern 67) Marvin H. Sobel (Ohio State 42) Herbert E. Grodnick (Pennsylvania 48) James J. Goodman (Pittsburgh 51) P. Jason Hoff (San Diego State 93) Dr. Byron A. Cole (Texas 55) Leon A. Schmidt (Texas 34) Melvyn A. Kohn (UCLA 61) Sigmund L. Liberman (Washington 42) Herbert E. Rosen (Washington 40) Jeffrey G. Balkin (Wayne State 61) Ernest Bennett (Wayne State 55) Kenneth Fox (Wayne State 54) Paul Schlachman (Wayne State 54) Sires & Sons Jared Appelbaum, Wisconsin 15, grandson of Joel M. Appelbaum, NYU 59 Jacob M. Bauer, Indiana 15, son of Scott I. Bauer, Illinois 85 Justin P. Belasco, Penn State 15, son of David J. Belasco, Rutgers 85 Sterling R. Lusk, Wisconsin 15, grandson of George B. Lusk, Bucknell 39 Daniel E. Echt, Illinois 15, son of Jeffrey D. Echt, Indiana 85 Bradley R. Kaplan, Illinois 15, son of Brian J. Kaplan, Indiana 82 Parker H. Leshin, Illinois 15, son of Edward W. Leshin, Wisconsin 86 Michael J. Blasky, USC 15, grandson of Harold F. Blasky, Lehigh 32 Andrew G. Ezersky, USC 15, son of Mark B. Ezersky, USC 81 Samuel N. Karchmer, USC 15, grandson of Alfred H. Karchmer, Oklahoma 42, and great grandson of Nathan Karchmer, Oklahoma 28 Dividends Fra and Mrs. Hideki J. Kinoshita, Johns Hopkins 98, a son, Darius Fra and Mrs. Grant M. Kamin, Minnesota 01, a son, Grayson Thomas Fra and Mrs. Texas E. Reardon IV, Stephen F. Austin 02, a daughter, Abigail Kathleen Fra and Mrs. Marcus A. Magy, Minnesota 01, a son, Mayer Allan Fra and Mrs. Alexander Shkolnik, Minnesota 00, a daughter, Manja Louise Martin A. Leonard, Syracuse 15, son of Larry C. Leonard, Syracuse 82 Jeremy B. Meyers, Texas A&M 15, son of Lewis T. Meyers, Nebraska 95, and grandson of Melvin P. Meyers, Oklahoma 57 Joseph F. Levin, UCLA 16, son of Dr. Wayne I. Levin, UCLA 86 Daniel N. Meade, UCLA 16, grandson of Sanford P. Meade, Penn State 57 Liam J. Bronstein, Minnesota 16, great grandson of Jacob Weinstein, CCNY 28, and great grandson of Capt. Stanley A. Loewenberg, Cornell 28 Benjamin M. Krelitz, Minnesota 16, son of Steven A. Krelitz, Minnesota 84 Jacob M. Fink, Cornell, 16, grandson of Dr. Jules M. Fink, Cornell 53 Ethan B. Volk, Pennsylvania 16, son of Judd A. Volk, Pennsylvania 86, and grandson of Kenneth H. Volk, Pennsylvania 57 Mergers Past Supreme Prior Joel A. Goldman, Indiana 82, and Donald Peterson Terrence Brown, Illinois State 99, and Kristy Henriksen Christopher R. Herrin, Stephen F. Austin 11, and Bethany Broussard Graham N. Schlanger, Texas A&M 07, and Sam Caplan Jason L. Crane, Stephen F. Austin, 06, and Kimberli Smith 7

8 8 Alumni Club & Reunion News Sigma Omega North Carolina State When two dozen Sigma Omega alumni from the mid s gathered in Boca Raton last November, some gladly traveled from as far away as Guatemala, Haiti and Peru to be with their fraternity brothers. Over the span of two dinners, a cruise on the inter-coastal and hours on the golf course, they told stories, laughed heartily and shared fraternal hugs and handshakes. To keep in touch, contact David Spiegel: spiegel4@optonline.net. South Florida Alumni Club On Saturday, February 27, we hosted Thanks for the Memories, a fundraiser to benefit the Judy Fund in the Alzheimer s Association. The event brought in over $25,000. Once again, we partnered with Boca Raton Regional Hospital. Our keynote speaker was Dr. James Galvin, Associate Dean for Clinical Research at Florida Atlantic University. He is internationally known as a leading researcher in studying Dementia. The sold out dinner was attended by undergraduates and alumni alike. For news about our next South Florida Alumni Club event, please contact Steve Stern, sstern1054@aol.com. New York Metro Alumni Club Our alumni club is picking up momentum with each new activity. The networking breakfast (shown below) was beneficial on many levels; fraternal, social and professional. Alumni in attendance represented seven Sammy chapters. We discussed best practices and generated ideas on how best to create or utilize an App to better communicate and recruit new alumni members into our club. For more information on our next event, please contact Joe Weinholtz 91, joseph.weinholtz@gmail.com or sammy.nymetro@gmail.com. Upcoming Alumni Events Mu Psi Miami (OH) Alumni from the early-mid 1980 s are gathering in Southwestern Ohio late April. Join us! Here s the schedule of events: Friday, April 29 Dinner at Jack Binion s Steakhouse in the Horseshoe Casino (in Cincinnati) Saturday, April 30 Visit Oxford for lunch at 206 South Campus. That night, we ll be dining at the Montgomery Inn (Cincinnati). Sunday, May 1 Farewell Brunch For more information, contact Gary Vigran, gary@vigran.com or Omicron Cincinnati Alumni from are having a reunion on Saturday, September 24, 2016 in connection with the big UC vs. Miami football game. Contact David Weiner, dweiner@dhplaw.com or call Meanwhile, the entire chapter is preparing for our centennial anniversary celebration in Join the committee to help us plan the gala. For more information, please contact either Sid Lieberman, scllaw@hotmail.com or Mike O Brian, mike.obrian@gmail.com. Nu Buffalo Alumni from the 1960 s are getting together on October 7-8. Join us for a reunion celebration, the Homecoming football game, tasty tailgating, campus tours and so much more. Visit or call Bob Rose, Sigma Kappa Lehigh Keep in touch with your fellow Sigma Kappa alums. Contact David Polakoff directly: David@dpolakoff.com. Find us on Facebook: groups/ Find us on LinkedIn: Planning an Alumni Event? If you would like to see your alumni club or chapter reunion listed and promoted, please submit your information to editor@sam.org by the following deadlines: Issue: Need by: Spring February 10 Summer May 10 Fall August 10 Winter November 10

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10 Around the Chapters Reports from the following chapters and colonies were held over from the winter issue. Many thanks to these groups for responding to the Octagonian s request for an updated report on their accomplishments and activities of the past year. DELTA UPSILON UNLV Back in the spring of 1995, Fra Mike Wikler (who had transferred to UNLV from another Sammy school) could only dream of the day when the new chapter he helped to found would celebrate its 20 th anniversary. This past year, we ve done our best to serve as a proud reminder of why his efforts were worth it. Alumni spanning two decades have been touching base with us to see how we re doing and to share a few stories of their glory days. We took part in the Walk to End Alzheimer s last fall, the same weekend as we celebrated our chapter s 20 th anniversary. Also in the fall, we recruited a strong, smart candidate class to carry us forward. Delta Upsilon men have participated in numerous campus Greek philanthropies and we ll be hosting our own event this spring. Next time you come to Las Vegas, please stop in to say Hi to your Sammy brothers at UNLV. DELTA OMEGA RIT - Scholastic Recognition Award - Religious Endeavor Award It has been a very good year for Delta Omega. We have grown past the 30-man threshold and there s no turning back! We have made great progress in structuring a stronger budgeting process that will help guide us for years to come. At Convention in Phoenix, Delta Omega accepted awards for chapter excellence in Scholarship and for Religious Endeavor (among other things, we hosted a Greek Shabbat event with AEPi and Hillel). Our alumni BBQ was a tasty success. And, our very own Jason Peretz (shown left) was selected by SAM to participate in last year s Developing Leaders Initiative program. He also received Honorable Mention for the fraternity s prestigious Rabbi Leibman Award. The Convention capper, though, was Jason s being elected to serve on the Undergraduate Advisory Committee that reports to the Young Alumnus Consul. Jason represents us well! At our formal in mid-april, we ll be celebrating our chapter s 20 th anniversary. Delta Omega has a proud past and a bright future! EPSILON THETA West Virginia As our chapter grows, so does the strength of our brotherhood and our involvement with the campus Greek community. Fall semester, we hosted a rock band concert, SAMstock. This was, by far, our largest (and loudest) philanthropic event in recent years. We also organized a sorority football tournament. Money raised from both of those events went to the Judy Fund. Epsilon Theta participated in an Earth Day clean-up around Morgantown and also conducted a clothing drive for a local homeless shelter. In intramural sports news, we can boast of winning the football championships and placing second in both softball and soccer. Brotherhood is tested not just in the bright lights, but also in the dark days. Last year, Adam Singer, one of our outstanding young alums, passed away after a hard fought battle with cancer. The chapter received messages of sympathy and support from our WVU Greek community and from across the Sammy landscape. We shared this comforting outreach with Adam s family. They were most appreciative. EPSILON LAMBDA Buffalo State From within and outside of the campus environment, the men of Epsilon Lambda have taken great strides in reaching out to make a positive impact. Last spring semester, we instituted a new scholarship 10

11 policy to encourage our members to focus on academics and pursue scholastic excellence above the All Men s average. In philanthropic and community service activity, we participated in the local Breast Cancer walk and partnered with Phi Iota Alpha (the oldest Latino fraternity in existence) for a cultural Mix & Mingle. Soon, we ll be cleaning up the local Japanese Garden. Most exciting to report, however, is that Epsilon Lambda partnered with the Campus Role Playing Anime Gaming Group to host a two-day gaming tournament, SAM Smash, with proceeds going to the Judy Fund. All in all, it s been a very good year; one upon which to build. EPSILON NU Connecticut - Jimmy Hammerstein Award - Religious Endeavor Award What a year it s been! In recruitment, we added 16 men, helping us to surpass the 40-man plateau. Epsilon Nu participated in Homecoming for the very first time, partnering with Delta Gamma, Phi Rho and ZBT. In addition to building a great float, our team participated in the Lip- Sync Dance competition. We placed 3 rd among all Greek teams. In December, Epsilon Nu fried up over 300 latkes (see cover photo) for 120 guests at our 2 nd Annual Latkepalooza, partnering with UConn Hillel to celebrate Hanukkah in culinary style. We also collected donations there for the Judy Fund. Receiving a Jewish Endeavors Grant from the SAM Foundation helped to make the event possible. Also for the Judy Fund, our efforts in the campus Late Night philanthropy saw us place 3 rd among all Sammy chapters. Involved with our fellow Greeks, we ve participated in Kappa Alpha Theta s Kats and Bats, Kappa Proudly holding their newly issued charter at the 2015 Convention in Phoenix are (left) former Prior Andrew Carroll and (right) current Prior Daniel Weiner. Sigma s Military Heroes Bowl, and Pi Phi s Arrowspike. Among the greater UConn campus community, we participated in Huskython, an 18-hour dance marathon to benefit the Connecticut Children s Medical Center. Greek Week is our big spring challenge for which we ve been practicing. In April, you re invited to attend our Alumni BBQ. Drop us a line! Prior daniel.r.weiner@uconn.edu. EPSILON XI EMORY By the time you read this, our Emory colony will have just been installed as the newest chapter on the SAM roll - Epsilon Xi (on April 2). We couldn t be more proud of those letters! Getting recognized by the university last May was a huge hurdle for us to clear. Ever since then, we ve been exceeding our own expectations. Understanding that growth in numbers is essential to our stability, we recruited 14 men, bringing our total to 47. Of those, 40% are athletes competing at either the club or Division III level. Involved on campus? You bet we are! Seventy-five percent of our men hold leadership positions in at least one campus organization. Focused on academics? Absolutely! Our 3.55 GPA was second highest among all Greeks. We raised over $1,300 for the Judy Fund from our participation in No Shave November. We added another $200 from a poker tournament we co-sponsored with Hillel. Our men also volunteer with Best Buddies, an organization that creates opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. For the support we have received from so many fratres from across the country, from the SAM leadership and especially from our local Atlanta alumni, please accept our sincere and fraternal Thank You. Epsilon Xi has arrived! COLONIES: SIGMA NU Washington The road to chapter status is challenging for a reason, but we re up for it! Most notably, we achieved IFC certification. This was a huge step forward for us. Sigma Nu colony participates actively in UW intramurals. Our soccer team has turned a few heads! We have also hosted some brotherhood events out on the waters of Seattle s beautiful Union Bay. Our major philanthropic event this year was SAMSQUATCH, a mini music festival featuring seven local bands. The money raised went to the Judy Fund at the Alzheimer s Association. Our goal remains to grow in size, to develop our structure as a fraternity and to create even stronger bonds of brotherhood. Coming to Seattle? Visit us! (continued on page 12) 11

12 Around the Chapters (continued from page 11) MU CHI Michigan State The 35 brothers of Mu Chi colony have been focusing on philanthropy to not only make a difference here in East Lansing, but for others around the state as well. In responding to the Flint Water Crisis, we organized an event called #GotWater as well as creating a GoFundMe account to collect donations. In just a few short weeks, Mu Chi raised over $7,000 for the people of Flint. In late January, we presented a check for $5,500 to the Eastern Michigan Food Bank. The rest of the money went to donating pallets of bottled water which we delivered to other places in Flint, such as the Church of Guadalupe and the YMCA of Greater Flint. At each location, the people who greeted us were extremely appreciative. At the church, one thankful fellow had tears in his eyes. We won t soon forget that moment. Thank you to Jacob Gordon, our Philanthropy Chair, for coordinating this massive effort. Within the MSU Greek community, we ve also been participating in the philanthropy events of other fraternities and sororities. Ultimately, building a solid SAM chapter with a strong sense of brotherhood is our main goal. Our membership reflects upper class experience, with 14 juniors, 13 sophomores and 9 freshmen. In the few short months since SAM consultant Ken Schneider helped us get off the ground, we have hosted a Mu Chi basketball tournament, attended a Detroit Pistons NBA game (shown below), gathered to watch the NCAA basketball tournament, enjoyed several fraternity dinners together and even held a friendly poker tournament. We know that legions of proud Mu Chi alumni are counting on us to achieve chapter status as just the beginning of our Sammy journey. Our job now is to deliver. Pride in Their Letters Having grown in chapter size to now over 80, the Men of Mu Psi (Miami OH) display pride in their SAM letters all around the chapter house, from the front stairwell (upper photo) to the front of their house at 206 South Campus (lower photo). The alumni house corporation is investing a hefty sum for Phase 2 of a major renovation this summer, literally from top to bottom. Questions? Contact Chapter Advisor Jerry Miller: jerry.miller@miamioh.edu. How To Reach Us Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity SAM National Properties, LLC Sigma Alpha Mu Foundation Sigma Alpha Mu Foundation of Canada The Octagonian Address: 8701 Founders Road Indianapolis, IN Fraternity Phone: Foundation Phone: Fax: Recruitment Hot Line: editor@sam.org 12 Fraternity: Andrew J. Huston, Executive Director.... andyh@sam.org Leland D. Manders, President, SAM National Properties, LLC... leem@sam.org Bill Schwartz, Executive Director Emeritus... bill@sam.org Michele Peterson, Director of Chapter Services... michelep@sam.org Jean Richardson, Office Manager.... jeanr@sam.org Lenny Dave, Director of Alumni Services & Communications.. lennyd@sam.org Denise Benson, Administrative Assistant... deniseb@sam.org Ken Schneider, Educational Leadership Consultant.... kens@sam.org Jacob Isaacson, Educational Leadership Consultant.... jacobi@sam.org Tyler Kieffer, Educational Leadership Consultant.... tylerk@sam.org Foundation: Maria Mandel, Director of Scholarships and Donor Relations... mariam@sam-fdn.org Lu Cohen, Administrative Assistant.... luc@sam-fdn.org ΣAM Foundation (U.S. and Canada).... sam-fdn@sam-fdn.org

13 Contributions to the SAM Foundation are accepted in memory of fratres, family and friends, and to honor living members. Those individuals or their families receive notification of the gift that is used to further the Foundation s educational efforts on behalf of our student fratres. In Honor Of: In Honor of Madeline Florence, Mother of Andy Dickson (Washington U 83) To the Andy Dickson Scholarship Fund By her Daughter, Elana Grissom, Andy s Sister By her Daughter, Risa Dickson, Andy s Sister By Ellen Silverman In Honor of Lee Manders (Miami-OH 72) For his service as Executive Director of SAM Fraternity By Jerry Miller (Miami-OH 76) In Honor of Jeremy Blake Meyers and his initiation into Sigma Alpha Mu (Texas A&M 15) By his father, Lewis Meyers (Nebraska 85) and By his grandfather, Mel Meyers (Oklahoma 57) In Honor of Executive Director Emeritus William P. Schwartz (Oklahoma 50) By Marc E. Goldfeder (Case Western Reserve 62) In Honor of the 100 th Birthday of Trudy Weil To the Jonathan Schmidt Scholarship Fund By Trudy Farina By Connie Boorer By Inga Geiss In Memory Of: In Memory of Greg Fox, Son of The Honorable Sam Fox (Washington U 48) and his wife Marilyn Fox By Sidney H. Guller (Washington U 43) Jewish Endeavor Grants Assist Chapters Here are just a few of the campus programs our Jewish Endeavors Grants have helped to make possible this year: - Traditional Shabbat dinners were held by our Sigma Omicron (Nebraska) colony and our chapters at Sigma Theta (Texas), Delta Omega (RIT) and Kappa (Minnesota) to help foster an understanding of Jewish traditions. These dinners were available for all students to attend. - Sigma Zeta (Indiana) sponsored a screening at Hillel of the powerful documentary film, Brave Miss World, about Israeli beauty queen Linor Abargil who was abducted and raped in Italy two months before being crowned Miss World in An intense discussion followed the film screening. - Psi (Pittsburgh) hosted Chanukah and Purim celebrations and discussions. Foundation In Memory of Alan Grushcow (Purdue University 60) To the Alan Grushcow Memorial Scholarship Fund By his sister, Judy Grushcow In Memory of Ken Ishida (UC Berkeley 96) To the Ken Ishida Scholarship Fund By Derrick Chi (UC Berkeley 76) In Memory of Charles A. Kreinik (West Virginia 04) Nephew of Stuart C. Gilman (New Orleans 67) By Sean Whelan (West Virginia 04) In Memory of Rachel Reichner, Great Grand Daughter of Walter Rose (Syracuse 17) and Daughter of Kenneth J. Reichner (Syracuse 82) To the Walter Rose Scholarship Fund By Martin J. Rose (Syracuse 64) In Memory of Past Supreme Prior, Foundation President and Treasurer, Lawrence D. Larry Schaffer (Ohio State 48) By Eugene R. Schnell (Rochester 82) By Alan C. Thomas (Penn 78) In Memory of Jonathan Schmidt (Stonybrook 06) To the Jonathan Schmidt Memorial Scholarship By his parents, Gary and Del Schmidt By his grandparents, Joseph & Melitta Schmidt By his great aunt, Trudy Farina In Memory of Betty Siegler By Mark Siegler (Bucknell 64) In Memory of Lee Wolkowitz By Edward M. Wolkowitz (Cal State Northridge 68) - Epsilon Nu (Connecticut) participated in a progressive Chanukah celebration on campus, cooking 300 latkes for Latkepalooza, attended by over 100 guests. - Gamma Psi (Temple) hosted a Purim celebration for chapter members and guests. In addition, individual grants supported students from Sigma Theta (Texas) and Kappa (Minnesota) to travel to Israel on public service trips, to travel to Poland, Hungary and Romania to volunteer in local Jewish communities, and to travel to the AIPAC Conference in Washington D.C. Thank You to the SAM Foundation donors who helped make these programs possible! This page is endowed by a gift to the Centennial Campaign. 13

14 Managing Risk in the 21st Century One of the key indicators of a good chapter is its ability to manage Risk. The limits of responsible behavior in today s litigious society are frequently tested by chapters and members who temporarily lose sight of their understanding of right from wrong, good from bad, and legal from illegal. As is our requirement and obligation, the Risk Management Policy of Sigma Alpha Mu includes the provisions that follow and shall apply to all fraternity entities and all levels of fraternity membership. ALCOHOL AND DRUGS 1. Chapter officers and committee chairmen shall be familiar with all applicable laws, university regulations, interfraternity council rules, and fraternity policies concerning alcoholic beverages and other controlled substances. 2. The possession, sale, distribution, use or consumption of alcoholic beverages, while on chapter premises, during a fraternity event, in any situation sponsored or endorsed by the chapter, or at any event an observer would associate with the fraternity, must be in compliance with any and all applicable laws of the state, province, county, city, and institution of higher education (including interfraternity council policies), and must comply with either the BYOB or Third Party Vendor Guidelines. 3. No alcoholic beverage may be purchased through or with chapter funds nor may the purchase of same for members or guests be undertaken or coordinated by any member in the name of, or on behalf of, the chapter. The purchase, use, or possession of a bulk quantity or common sources of such alcoholic beverage, for example, kegs or cases, is prohibited and the chapter shall not permit their possession or use by members or guests, on chapter premises or at any chapter function. 4. A chapter shall not sell alcoholic beverages to members or guests by selling tickets or cups, by charging admission fees, by taking up collections, or by any other direct or indirect means of collecting moneys from persons attending chapter functions. 5. Open parties, meaning those with unrestricted access by nonmembers of the fraternity, without specific invitation, where alcohol is present, are prohibited. The term open party also includes: - a social function to which non-members are invited by a blanket or open invitation, express or implied; - a social function to which non-members are invited through advertising or publicity, including signs, posters, billboards, handouts, and the use of newspapers, radio, or television; - a social function hosted by a chapter to which the number of nonmembers invited is greater than twice the number of chapter members in good standing; 14 - a social function co-hosted by two fraternity or sorority chapters to which the number of non-members invited is greater than the membership of the host chapters; - a social function co-hosted by three or four fraternity or sorority chapters to which any non-members of the host chapters are invited; and a social function co-hosted by more than four fraternity or sorority chapters. 6. No members, collectively or individually under chapter auspices, shall purchase for, serve to, or sell alcoholic beverages to any minor (i.e., those under legal drinking age ). 7. The possession, sale, or use of any illegal drugs or controlled substances while on chapter premises or during a fraternity event or at any event that an observer would associate with the fraternity is strictly prohibited. 8. No chapter may co-sponsor an event with an alcohol distributor, charitable organization, or tavern (tavern defined as an establishment generating more than half of annual gross sales from alcohol) where alcohol is given away, sold or otherwise provided to those present. This includes any event held in, at or on the property of a tavern as defined above for the purposes of fundraising. A chapter may rent or use a room or area in a tavern as defined above for an event held within the provisions of this policy, including the use of a third party vendor and guest list. 9. No chapter may co-sponsor or co-finance or attend or participate in a function where alcohol is purchased by any of the host chapters, groups, or organizations. 10. All recruitment or rush activities associated with any chapter will be nonalcoholic. No recruitment or rush activities associated with any chapter may be held at or in conjunction with an alcohol distributor or tavern as defined in this policy. 11. No member or candidate shall permit, tolerate, encourage, or participate in drinking games. 12. No alcohol shall be present at any candidate program, activity, or ritual of the chapter. This includes, but is not limited to activities associated with bid night, big brother little brother events or activities, family activities and initiation. 13. Each chapter shall actively promote and support the adoption of dry rushing policies by the interfraternity council and university administration on its campus. 14. For the purposes of this Policy, the term chapter includes colonies, interest groups and alumni clubs. SEXUAL ABUSE AND HARASSMENT The fraternity will not tolerate or condone any form of sexually abusive behavior on the part of its members, whether physical, mental or emotional. This includes any actions, whether on chapter premises or off-site which are demeaning to women or men, such as verbal harassment. Sexual assault in any form will not be tolerated. Chapters are expected to abide by all applicable laws. Strippers at chapter events are specifically prohibited. FIRE, HEALTH, AND SAFETY All chapter houses should meet all local fire and health codes and standards. All chapters should have posted by common phones and in other locations emergency numbers for fire, police and ambulance and should have posted evacuation routes on the back of the door of each sleeping room.

15 All chapters and house corporations must cooperate with chapter facility inspections by the Octagon or the Fraternity s insurance provider. In addition, chapters, in cooperation with the house corporation, must respond in writing to any corrective actions recommended as the result of facility inspections. The possession and/or use of firearms or explosive or incendiary devices of any kind within the confines and premises of the chapter house are expressly forbidden. HAZING Candidate education programs are to be limited to 8 weeks or less. No chapter, colony, student, or alumnus shall conduct nor condone hazing activities. Permission or approval by a person being hazed is not a defense. Hazing activities are defined as: Any action taken or situation created, intentionally, whether on or off fraternity premises, to produce mental or physical discomfort, embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule. Such activities may include but are not limited to the following: use of alcohol; paddling in any form; creation of excessive fatigue; physical and psychological shocks; quests, treasure hunts, scavenger hunts, road trips, or any other such activities carried on outside or inside of the confines of the chapter house; wearing of public apparel which is conspicuous and not normally in good taste; engaging in public stunts and buffoonery; morally degrading or humiliating games and activities; and any other activities which are not consistent with academic achievement; fraternal law, ritual, or policy; or the regulations and policies of the educational institution, or applicable state law. Candidate class trips (road trips or walk outs) are prohibited unless the following conditions are met: (1) The trip cannot be mandatory or serve as a requirement of initiation, (2) Candidates may not make up more than 50% of the participants, (3) At least one member of the Chapter council must go on the trip, (4) If visiting another chapter, the chapter being visited must be contacted four weeks prior to the trip and they must give permission for the visit to occur, (5) Weekend trips should not exceed seven hours of travel time (round trip), and (6) All participants must sign a waiver agreeing to abide by Fraternity Risk Management Policy and agreeing to hold the chapter and Fraternity harmless. Intensive final week(s) or day(s) of candidate programs are prohibited, as are any events that require the candidates to sleep over. Hell Week/ Day, Help Week, Inspiration Week, Work Week and other such intensive activities are specifically prohibited. EDUCATION All undergraduate and alumni members of chapters shall annually receive a copy of this Risk Management Policy. Each chapter shall conduct a risk management review for all members every semester/ quarter. In addition, candidates shall be educated on the Sigma Alpha Mu Risk Management Policy within two weeks of affiliation; this includes successful completion of the GreekLifeEdu program within five weeks of affiliation. GENERAL Payments of all Risk Management Contributions shall be made by the invoice due date. Potentially risky events ( Fight Night, Car Smashes, and Bull Riding ), are specifically prohibited unless permission is obtained from the Octagon. Requests for special permission must be submitted at least eight weeks prior to the event. No chapter, house corporation or alumni club may enter into any agreement agreeing to name any organization an additional insured on the Fraternity s liability insurance policy without written permission from the Octagon. No chapter officer, Chapter Advisor, alumni advisory board member, Regional Governor or house corporation officer may enter into agreements, contracts, or documents on behalf of the Fraternity that would bind or otherwise obligate the Fraternity to defend or indemnify a college or university. AUTOMOBILES AND TRANSPORTATION Any individual who drives or provides transportation in conjunction with fraternity activities shall obey all applicable motor vehicle laws, including, but not limited to, those concerning vehicle safety, vehicle operation, financial responsibility and / or insurance, and the transportation and consumption of alcoholic beverages. Operators shall ensure that vehicles are properly maintained, not overloaded, and are operated in a safe manner. Rental vehicles shall be operated in accordance with rental contracts. Use of personal vehicles shall be strictly voluntary and the sole responsibility of the vehicle owner/ operator. Financial Responsibility laws generally impose responsibility on the Driver or Owner of vehicles. The fraternity assumes no responsibility or liability and provides no insurance to Drivers or Owners of vehicles for accidents or injuries, or an any damages to vehicles not owned by the fraternity that may be used in conjunction with fraternity activities. MEMBERS PERSONAL PROPERTY Use of personal property in fraternity activities shall be strictly voluntary and the sole responsibility of the owner. The fraternity assumes no liability or responsibility for any loss or damage to any personal property of members even if used in conjunction of fraternity activities. CONTRACTUAL & ADDITIONAL INSURED AGREEMENTS No chapter, member, or housing organization may enter into any written or oral contract or financial agreement using the name of the fraternity. This includes without limitation such agreements as leases, contracts, hold harmless agreements, liability releases, account statements, purchase orders, and hotel or banquet contracts. As the fraternity s insurance does not afford protection for outside parties, no chapter, member, or housing organization may enter into any written or oral agreement under which the responsibility or liability of some party other than the fraternity is assumed. Additional Insured status under the fraternity s insurance requires the agreement of both the fraternity and its insurers. Applications for additional insured status must be submitted to the Executive Office and insurance carrier for approval at least two weeks prior to the date needed. WARNING: Failure to abide by the Fraternity s Risk Management Policy may result in the loss of any insurance coverage that may otherwise be available under the fraternity s insurance. It may also result in the loss of your chapter s or your individual membership in the fraternity. Fraternity Responsibility Accountability 15

16 SIGMA ALPHA MU FRATERNITY 8701 Founders Rd. Indianapolis, IN Moving? Please send your new address to or to the address above or call or fax. Parents: Has your son established his own address? If so, please tell us and we'll correct our records. SAM to Partner with Boy Scouts Sigma Alpha Mu and the National Jewish Committee on Scouting (NJCOS) of the Boy Scouts of America have entered into an innovative partnership to promote the development of young Jewish men throughout the country. Fraternity alumni will be cooperating with local Boy Scout packs, troops and crews to fill leadership positions and encourage the formation of new Scouting units. This creative partnership also provides SAM alumni with new opportunities to serve their local communities, to be a positive influence for other young men and, of course, to share quality time with their own sons. Teaching leadership skills and offering social and service opportunities to our alumni as well as to our undergraduates is a key component of our SAM mission, explains Supreme Prior David Sergi. This has been a personal mission of mine; to elevate the Fraternity by giving our fratres the opportunity to serve and also to recruit those young men who are instilled with Scouting values into the world of Jewish fraternalism. Every day, we re hearing about more and more alumni and undergraduates who were actively involved in Scouting. And, some still are! Bruce Chudacoff, Chairman of NJCOS, welcomes this new, collaborative effort. With their strong leadership skills, fraternity alumni are ideal candidates to help us train the future leaders of our country and instill in them the values that will help them make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes. Our new partnership will strengthen both organizations. Sergi concurs, NJCOS and SAM share a mission to develop values-based leaders through true Jewish fraternalism. This partnership will help young people across the country develop their value systems and become the leaders of tomorrow while providing opportunities for our alumni to support the growth and development of the Scouting program. Sigma Alpha Mu will provide leadership and financial support as a part of the partnership on a national level with the Boy Scouts of America. More information about the National Jewish Committee on Scouting is available at: Are you an Eagle Scout? Are you involved in Scouting? We want to hear from you. Please visit: Did You Know The SAM Foundation offers the Theda & Leonard Leventhal (Sigma Alpha 47, Oklahoma) Scholarship for a member of Sigma Alpha Mu who reached Life, Star or Eagle status as a Boy Scout. The applicant must be in (or will be attending) graduate school. In 2016, this scholarship award is $3,400. For more information, contact Maria Mandel in the SAM Foundation office: mariam@sam-fdn.org.