This is the first part of a blog feature that details my fraternity experience. Not sure how many parts there will be, but my best guess is two or three.

I was spurred to write about my experience because of the recent news regarding fraternities within the past 12 months, most of it negative. I’m specifically speaking of the racist chant video taken of Oklahoma fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

After being in Tau Kappa Epsilon for nearly two years, I have to say I enjoyed my experience. It was time well spent. I sold tickets for our parties, joined other guys with some other projects (pie contest, raffles, dodge-ball contest), and helped it grow from around 20 of us the first year, to over 50 members now.

I didn’t necessarily join to make friends, but I did appreciate the ones I made. In addition to good relationships, I wanted to do something that would look good on my resume, and I knew it would help with networking with other members.

At first I was just a background guy. I pitched in here and there, but I never had a defined role, nor did I want one. However, later on I was nominated to be the Philanthropy Chair of our fraternity. A mid level position with a sizable amount of responsibility.

I was worried at first, and not that enthusiastic. Still, I remained optimistic about the new opportunity. In the year that I was appointed the position, I brought my brothers to a polar bear plunge (which involves driving to the beach in February and jump into the freezing cold water. For charity!), a beach clean up, and set up monthly soup kitchen visits with a neighboring church.

One of the coolest moments I’ve had was when I visited the apartment of a friend’s brother over the summer. His brother was a teacher in one of the towns near Middletown, my hometown.

While I was talking to my friend about my time at school, I noticed his brother wearing a well-worn shirt said “TKE 1999”. He turned out to be a “teke” as well! In a blink of an eye, we stopped being acquaintances and started becoming brothers.

For me, Tau Kappa Epsilon wasn’t just a “frat”, it was a network of devoted men who help and look out for each other. Most people think what they see about fraternities and in movies is the real thing, but they don’t see the entire story. My chapter had to do a good amount of hard work to get where we are now, and as a founding father, I’m looking forward to seeing it grow even more.

I am a proud individual, but now and forever, I will always be proud to be a teke.