Tau Kappa Epsilon Changed My Life

This story originally appeared on The Odyssey. 

Written by: Joey Michaels, Zeta-Theta (Western Illinois)

The letters on your chest define who you were, who you are, and who you will become.

I arrived on campus during the fall of 2014 as a transfer student at Western Illinois University. Initially, I was very nervous and apprehensive about being hundreds of miles away from home with about zero friends. As the semester started, I began to meet people and worked on figuring out what I would like to be involved in for the year. I joined the hockey club team, and it was safe to say that's all I would be involved in for the semester. It was very time consuming, but I loved every minute of being on the ice. I met some really great teammates, and had some crazy experiences with them. It was an absolute blast, but, unfortunately, the season came to an end in February. I was left with a lot of time on my hands, and I felt lonely without the constant interactions with my teammates. I wanted to get involved in something else, but didn't know what. At the time, I was very anti-Greek life, so joining a fraternity was basically out of the question. However, one of my friends, I had made the previous semester, convinced me to stop at a Tau Kappa Epsilon rush event. I attended the event with zero intentions of joining, but was going to give it a fair shot. After interacting with all the guys, and spending a couple of nights at the house, I was offered a bid by the rush chairs to join. I was on the fence about accepting my bid, but after a lot of thinking, I signed it, and began my new member education process.

I was a very reserved, nervous, shy, and soft-spoken individual when the process started. I was very intimidated by everything and struggled with my social anxiety. However, all of my issues I had were never frowned upon by the active members of the fraternity. They reached out to me, and did everything they could to make sure I stuck out the process. I learned so much about not only the fraternity's history, but also about myself. As the weeks passed, I learned how fast I could spit back information, and saw improvement in my social skills. The process began to mold me into a better person and leader. Everything that I learned in the new member process was for a purpose that I didn't realize until it was all over. I made it through and was initiated with only one pledge brother. We made it through together, because I wasn't finishing what we started alone.

As an active member, I began to learn about how the fraternity ran and functioned. It was a business in essence run by my soon to be close friends. Every day that passed, I got closer to my fraternity brothers and truly felt a part of the brotherhood they raved about during Rush week.

Upon initiation, I immediately got involved in leadership positions and took on Rush as a co-chair and Social chair. These chair positions tested my personality and outgoingness pretty extensively. I learned how to be responsible for coordinating events and getting paperwork completed in a timely basis. I began to see myself mature from my involvement of the chair positions. However, the fraternity was not all about serious stuff all the time. I experienced socials with sororities, nights out with the guys, studying together, and just getting to know each other. I learned about my fellow fraternity brothers and they learned about me. I began to shed my shy and reserved layers revealing a more outgoing, calm, and respected person. My social skills were improving on many levels and I was forming many connections on this campus. 

It is now my second semester as an active member of Tau Kappa Epsilon, and I am nowhere near the person I was as a new transfer student. I have learned so many new things about myself and life in general. I hold a position on the executive board of the Zeta-Theta chapter and try to be as involved as I possibly can be. My bonds with my fellow fraters have grown tremendously and it is such a great feeling knowing twenty-plus guys have your back through thick and thin. They have given me a home away from home.

I have become a leader amongst my various endeavors and strive for excellence in my classes. I present myself in the best possible light in public, and am always willing to lend a helping hand. Tau Kappa Epsilon and my fellow brothers helped to pull me out of my shell and transformed me into a better and more mature adult. I have had so much fun as a member and have grown so much. I do not know what I would do without TKE here at school and I'm positive my fellow brothers could say the exact same.

My experiences may differ from other Tekes around the nation, but the core principles and beliefs instilled by Tau Kappa Epsilon stand true throughout. Across campuses nationwide, young adults are realizing their true potentials and are becoming better men of society. TKE is such an unique and diverse fraternity that has provided me with more than I could have ever imagined.

I do not know where I will be in my years after college, but I do know that I will forever bleed cherry and grey. I will never lose the bonds I have formed with my fraternity brothers. Lastly, I will only further my progress as a leader and role-model within society. I'm forever thankful for the guys who have been by my side throughout everything. I hope that many guys like my past-self take that leap of faith and consider joining Greek life at their respective colleges. I may be a little biased, but it's okay if you pledge another fraternity. Just make sure you find the one that fits you right.

After all, the bonds you make will last long past your college career!

For more information, please contact:

Daniel Klopfenstein
Communications Specialist
317.872.6533
DKlopfenstein@tke.org