FALL 2014 BETA CHAPTER SIGMA TAU GAMMA Value Learning Leadership Excellence Benefit Integrity The brothers of Beta Chapter have been hard at work this past semester to build off of their impressive finish last year. The year kicked off with a great rush week where we recruited 15 of the finest men that Truman has to offer. It was continued with a very fun and service filled homecoming week. Shortly following homecoming the annual Roktoberfest philanthropy took place. The semester was wrapped up with our brand new executive board taking up their respective positions. Throughout the semester we have been working hard with the intent of defending our numerous awards from last semester. Brother Daniel Robison - Fall 13 1
New Leadership, New Beginnings By: Kevin McKenna President Elect: Connor Pratt Brother Pratt joined Beta Chapter in the Fall of 2012. Since his arrival Sig Tau, he has carried himself with the six principles of Sigma Tau Gamma and made an exceptional impact on the brotherhood and the community. Brother Pratt is an Exercise Science major from St. Louis with a goal to become a physical therapist. Outside of Sig Tau, Brother Pratt plays for the Truman Club Soccer. Brother Pratt is also one of several Sig Taus who represent the fraternity in the Blue Key National Honor Society. Brother Pratt also left his mark on Truman Greek Life this summer when he worked as an intern for the Center for Student Involvement's Greek Life Office. Within Sig Tau, Brother Pratt has made a significant impact both in the positions he has held, and his role as a member of this brotherhood. From the beginning of the Fall 12's time here, Brother Pratt played a large role in keeping his associate class together and building a relationship with the Chapter. Brother Pratt has held several key positions in Sig Tau, including: House Manager, Social Event Chair, and Vice President of Programs. The Chapter believes that Brother Pratt will bring about new endeavors for Sig Tau and continue its recent success with his exiting and charismatic leadership. Together with the other executive officers, Brother Pratt will push the fraternity forward and provide an environment for the brotherhood to thrive. Executive Vice President Elect: Alex Kehm Brother Kehm also joined the Beta Chapter in the Fall of 2012. During his time at Sig Tau, Brother Kehm has brought a fresh sense of energy and excitement to the fraternity. Brother Kehm is an International Business major from St. Louis seeking a degree in Business Administration and a minor in German. The drive Brother Kehm exhibits in his academics stands out in other organizations he is a part of, like Phi Mu Alpha, Truman's music fraternity, where Brother Kehm is an executive officer. On top of this, Brother Kehm also plays in the Truman University Orchestra. Within Sig Tau, Brother Kehm has held several key positions, including Fundraising Chair, Community Service Chair, and Chapter Secretary. Brother Kehm's commitment to academics and dedication to maintaining a productive and safe environment for his brothers will make him a great Vice President. 2
Vice President of Membership Elect: Dakota Kiper Vice President of Programs Elect: Patrick Moranville Vice President of Finance Elect: Rex Michitsch It is always exciting to see young members of the fraternity take on big roles. Brother Kiper is one of the many young members who have done so. Brother Kiper joined Sig Tau in the Fall of 2013 where he immediately planted his stake in the brotherhood. Brother Kiper is a Business and Economics major from Kansas City. Though only a brother of Sig Tau for a short time, Brother Kiper has played a large role in carrying the pride of Sigma Tau Gamma throughout the Truman community. Just this year, Brother Kiper successfully organized and facilitated the fraternity's Dad's Day, a day that everyone enjoyed. With his election to the executive board, the chapter is confident that Brother Kiper will bring a variety of new ideas and a unique perspective to Sig Tau in addition to recruiting the best men that Truman has to offer. Brother Moranville is the third member of the executive board who joined Sig Tau in the Fall of 2012. Brother Moranville is a Biology Major from St. Louis hoping to become a marine biologist. Since his arrival, Brother Moranville has shown great passion and has been dedicated to helping the fraternity succeed. Brother Moranville served the fraternity as both the Greek Week and Homecoming Chairs in recent years. With Brother Moranville's leadership, the fraternity won first place in the 2014 Greek Week Competition and took home the Leadership Pillar Award. Brother Moranville's ability to motivate the brotherhood and organize crucial events will make him a great VP of Programs. Brother Michitsch joined Sig Tau in the Fall of 2013. He too has had only a short time at Sig Tau, but has proven himself to be an excellent leader and dedicated brother. Brother Michitsch is a Biology and Business major from Jefferson City and currently holds a 4.0 grade point average at Truman State. In addition to Sig Tau, Brother Michitsch is a member of Alpha Kappa Psi, Truman's business and accounting fraternity. Within Sig Tau, Brother Michitsch has served as the Intramurals chair and on various other committees. Brother Michitsch's responsible handling of chapter affairs and dynamic understanding of financial organization will make him a crucial member of the new exec. 3
Project Homeless Connect For the second year in a row, many of our brothers participated in the event Project Homeless Connect in early October. This event, put on by Preferred Family Healthcare, offers many amenities such as physical exams, eye sight test, housing assistance, job opportunities, and many more to those who are not regularly able to obtain such assistance. The brothers accompanied the participants around the event providing direction and aid to them as they tried to help the participants in getting back on their feet. All in all, the event went off without a hitch and those in charge of the event thanked the brothers who volunteered. Look for this event to become an annual thing that we participate in. Following up an award winning year in service is no easy task but just in the first few months of being back at school, we have already set ourselves up to outdo the service performed this past year. Brothers have been performing service all over the Kirksville community. Just to name a few of the numerous services that we have been participating in are working at the Adair County Humane Society, volunteering at area preschools in their after school programs, and partaking in numerous blood drives throughout the semester. All in all, my brothers and I have been working diligently to give back to the community as much as it has given to us. Brother Daniel Robison - Fall 13 4
Homecoming Homecoming for Truman State University 2014 was held in the week from October 6 th to October 11 th. Our team, named Elephant Indigo (consisting of the organizations Sigma Tau Gamma, Tau Lambda Sigma, Delta Chi, and Cardinal Key) started off the week well, winning the team tug-of-war along with the ferocious beard contest. In events such as the CANstruction we placed 2 nd, along with scavenger hunt. However, due to unfortunate circumstances and despite best efforts, we consistently placed lower than hoped in most of the other events throughout the week. The ridiculous relays, lip-sync, and the parade were unfortunately the worst of our events, causing us to place 4 th overall in Homecoming. The overall winning team for Homecoming was the team Trapeze Teal (consisting of the organizations Sigma Kappa, Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Lambda Phi, and Alpha Phi Omega). The team was able to put their best efforts to use and triumph over all the others. Even though various organizations competed against each other for the title, we all still managed to keep the competition clean and all organizations had a lot of fun participating. Overall, the entire homecoming event raised over $9000, which was funded toward various charitable organizations of the winning team s choice. The amount raised was one of the highest in many years. We could not have done it without the spirit and cooperation of the Truman State student body. Mental Wellness Dealing with the stresses and hardships that college presents can be particularly difficult at times. To help brothers deal with these stresses and hardships Brother Justin McKean created the Mental Wellness committee. This particular committee leads members toward a healthy state of mind when dealing with all of the daily stressors that life has to offer. It is highly important for our brain to be happy when getting rid of stress. The committee introduces brothers to several ways of managing stress in a peaceful manner. Justin participates in a weekly meeting of with the Art of Living Club on campus and invites us to perform light body stretching, rejuvenating breathing techniques and absorb into a peaceful state of meditation. These sessions provide both a calm and energized mentality. This practice is clearly one of the best ways to relieve stress from the mind and the entire body simultaneously. Even though relatively new, the impact the committee has had is a very positive one. Brother Andrew Graham - Fall 11 Brother Qui Bui - Spring 14 Brother Justin McKean at the Grand Canyon Elephant constructed from donated cans for Homecoming week (Left) 5
Fall 2014 Pledge Class After a successful fall rush Sigma Tau Gamma Beta Chapter gained 15 new associate members. The 15 new members were selected on the basis of who would benefit the fraternity the most. The group of new associate members includes a wide variety of individuals spanning from athletes to musicians and everything in-between. Just like most of Truman State s student population, a majority of the new associate member pledge class is from St. Louis and Kansas City, MO. Similar to pledge classes before them, the new associate members will be encouraged to join on-campus organizations to increase campus involvement within the fraternity. Joining another organization not only helps the fraternity s reputation, but also allows the new associate members to branch out from Sigma Tau Gamma and make other connections that will help them during their collegiate career. In addition to being encouraged to join oncampus organizations the associate members have been following the Path of Principles new associate members program which is teaching them the skills necessary to be a leader of the fraternity and better themselves as men. Overall the new associate members show a lot of promise and will someday become leaders of the fraternity and improve it just like leaders before them. Brother Patrick Moranville - Fall 12 6
Roktoberfest Here at Sigma Tau Gamma we take pride in our philanthropies and our community service. One of our philanthropies is Roktoberfest which takes place annually during the fall semester. All of the proceeds raised go to support the Special Olympics. The event consists of a variety of live local bands. This year Roktoberfest had three bands participate: On the Fence, The Black Daniels and the Bears, and Sig Tau s own The Wobbly Goats. T-shirts and wrist bands were sold on the quad and in the Student Union Building in order to raise funds for the Special Olympics. The event was held at Wrong Daddy s which is a local bar in downtown Kirksville. The entire event went very smoothly and an estimated $1,500 was raised for the Special Olympics. Brother Johnny Richert - Fall 11 $1,500 Estimated amount raised for Special Olympics from Roktoberfest Headlining for Roktoberfest 2014: Black Daniels and the Bears Dads' Day This Year's Dad's Day was eventful for all who attended and full of interesting and engaging activities. The real fun began during Roktoberfest when several dads came up to Truman early to enjoy phenomenal music and stellar drink specials. The day of festivities, October 25th, featured games, activities, food, and more. The day began with golf at the Kirksville Country Club. Following this was shooting at the Sugar Creek Conservation Area range, which was a blast for everyone involved. The main attraction for the day was the beautiful weather, outdoor games, and special "Sig Tau" Burgers at our chapter house. The day was very refreshing and was full of good spirits, perfect weather, and the captivating brotherhood that every Sig Tau feels pulsing through their veins. The active chapter was thoroughly pleased with 2014's Dad's Day and all of us cannot wait for parent's weekend in the Spring. Brother Chris Davies - Fall 13 7
A Letter from the President Hello to all alumni, family, and friends of Sigma Tau Gamma Beta Chapter. I hope this letter is finding all of you all well and excited about the holiday season. On behalf of the men of Sig Tau, the 2014 executive board, and myself, I want to say thank you all very much for being a part of another great year for Beta Chapter. Whether it was kind words, donations, visits to your son, or anything else, our brotherhood knows that we could not be where we are today without you. As 2014 wraps up, it is great to look back at the year and recognize the many strives Sig tau has made. I am very grateful that every day I am surrounded by my brothers, working together and motivating each other to always go the extra mile. The men of Beta Chapter are gentlemen in every sense of the word, and that is why we have so much to be proud of at this time. In 2014, Sig Tau was awarded several awards for our service and philanthropy efforts. These awards speak volumes of the men of Sig Tau and have led directly to our success in other areas, including being awarded the IFC Chapter of the Year. Most importantly, because of the efforts of the fraternity in the past several years, Sig Tau has made great relationships with the Truman State community. Many people have been asking about the state of the fraternity and the future of the probation that was placed on the chapter many years ago. It is my pleasure to inform you all that Sig Tau, as of September 2014, has been relieved of all sanctions. As determined by campus officials when the original probation was handed down, the probation will remain in effect until 2015. The final period of probation will hold no sanctions and minimal University oversight. This time is simply intended to help Sig Tau continue to grow and build it's relationship with the University community. For several years now Sig Tau has been a leading organization at Truman State University. If the trend continues, 2015 will be a year unlike any other for Sig Tau. I would like to thank the new executive board for taking on the responsibility of leading the fraternity and dedicating yourselves to moving the fraternity forward. I would also like to thank Cody Campbell and the Past Presidents of Sig Tau before him for setting Sig Tau on a successful path and passing on the traditions and principles needed to continue that success. I would also like to give great thanks to the current executive board, Dan Butz, Saad Amir, Connor Pratt, and Matt Brethorst for their selfless contributions to the fraternity this year. Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank all of the alumni, especially Richard Holmes, the family, and the friends of Sigma Tau Gamma for giving us your support and standing by us every year. We will continue to work as hard as ever to keep pushing the fraternity forward and providing a place where the brothers can grow into leaders and gentlemen. Have a great end of the year, hope to see you all in 2015. 8 Fraternally, Kevin McKenna President
The Brothers of Beta Chapter would like to wish you and your family a happy and safe Holiday Season 9