Past Eminent Supreme Archon, Dave Lance (Cincinnati ’56), recently received a new aortic heart valve in August. The operation was performed by a fellow Ohio Epsilon alumnus, Dr. Dean Kereiakes (Cincinnati ’74). Sigma Alpha Epsilon plays a large part in the men’s interwoven lives: both are prolific donors to the SAE Foundation and Ohio Epsilon, and both also have multiple family members that are members of the Fraternity.
Lance served as Eminent Supreme Archon from 1989 to 1991, the bookend to a ten-year cycle serving on the Supreme Council that started in 1981. He was instrumental in developing a capital campaign that provided support for leadership training, development, educational programming, and maintenance of the Levere Memorial Temple. For his dedication to Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Lance has received the Merit Key as well as the Distinguished Service Award, the highest honor Sigma Alpha Epsilon can bestow upon a member.
Dean graduated as valedictorian and has since received numerous awards and recognitions as one of the nation’s top cardiac doctors, including the Visionary Award from the American Heart Association and the Healthcare Heroes Award for Innovation from the Cincinnati Business Courier. He founded the Jay Frank Memorial Scholarship Award at Ohio Epsilon and co-chaired (along with Lance) the renovation and expansion of the James G. Nippert Memorial Lodge. Kereiakes is a recipient of the Order of the Lion, the Highest Effort Award, and the Merit Key.
Lance and Kereiakes both have two sons and a brother who are members of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. Lance’s son, Dave Jr. (Cincinnati ’81), works in the food services, and his other son, Doug (Cincinnati ’89), works in real estate. Kereiakes’s son, Andrew (Miami OH ’10), works in finance, and his other son, Nick (Miami OH ’12), works in law. Lance’s blood brother, Thomas (Youngstown State ’64), is a retired restaurateur, and Kereiakes’s blood brother, also Thomas (Cincinnati ’76), is an ear, nose, and throat physician.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon runs deep for Lance and Kereiakes. Although 18 years apart, they are forever connected with the work they’ve done for Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Ohio Epsilon, the Cincinnati community, and now a doctor-patient. Both exemplify that Fraternity does not stop after graduation and that as brothers, we can continue to advance the highest standards of friendship, scholarship, leadership and service with each other throughout all parts of life.
Editor’s Note: This article by Casey Brosokas first appeared in the Oxford Observer and can be viewed here.
Even though face-to-face instruction has been suspended until mid-September, many Miami University students are already moving back into their Oxford homes away from home.
After months quarantined inside with family, it isn’t too unbelievable that many Miami students could not wait to see their friends again in Southwest Ohio, even if it means living in a much different way than any semesters in the past.
Along with no face-to-face instruction until at least Sept. 21, on-campus dormitory living has also been pushed back to September. Virtual classes are scheduled to start Monday, Aug.17. The university also decided to allow sophomores to live off-campus this year, which cuts down on crowding in the dorms, but prompted a rush of second year students into off-campus apartments and houses. Many of those students already began moving in this week.
While the influx of students back to Oxford will help the local economy, Miami University President Gregory Crawford recognizes the risks of students coming back to Oxford. “Cases are rising in many states, and with more than 40% of our Oxford students coming from outside Ohio, we’ve been monitoring the situation closely,” he said in a statement released this week.
One area of concern is life in Miami’s off-campus fraternity houses, which can hold more than 50 students each semester. There are 23 fraternity chapters, many of which have houses off campus.
As of now, formals, socials, philanthropy activities, alumni gatherings, mom and dad weekends, and most large-scale events that involve gathering at banquet or event centers are not permitted by the Ohio Orders, but it stated as the Ohio Orders change, so will it’s guidance to students.
The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life also stated that it expects Miami students to act responsibly and encourage behavior that will help prevent community spread of the COVID-19 virus, including wearing face coverings, socially distancing, frequent hand washing and using hand sanitizer when possible.
“Hosting an event at a private residence that brings large numbers of people together who do not live in the same residence is strongly discouraged as this type of event has been shown to be a source of rapid community spread,” the office said.
While student parties are a main concern for University officials, there’s also concern regarding houses with over 20 people living in them, which includes most of the fraternities. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine encouraged those living in fraternity or sorority houses to have spaces to “rapidly relocate individuals,” if they become sick with the virus. Miami does not have off-campus sorority houses.
Fraternity houses have been staggering move-in times, and many houses are asking residents to wear face masks in public areas of the house and use newly installed hand sanitizing stations.
Tripp Lochmoeller, member and house manager of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity at Miami, said that the house has set up rooms for quarantining any infected individuals living in the fraternity to prevent spread among the residents. The house will also be hiring a cleaning service to disinfect all surfaces three times a week.
“We have to be really careful with how we go about our semester, we still want to have a good time but health and safety is our number one priority,” he said.
Sigma Alpha Epsilon prides itself on being one of the nation’s oldest and largest fraternities – a distinction that brings with it centuries of dedicated members. Though size and age create a sense stability and experience, they alone do not dictate the quality of an organization, which is why our brotherhood has also continued to be a pioneer of change, always remaining at the forefront of innovation and advancement among the ever-changing cultural landscape of today’s Universities.
This tenured history makes it all the more impressive for an individual or a single chapter to receive any honor that distinguishes them from the greater fraternal body. We would like to congratulate all of the following award recipients on their well-deserved recognition and their continued commitment to rising above:
Outstanding Alumni Relations
Winner:
University of Evansville
(Indiana Epsilon)
Runners Up:
North Dakota State University
(North Dakota Beta)
University of Cincinnati
(Ohio Epsilon)
Outstanding Chapter Scholarship
Winner:
Simpson College
(Iowa Sigma)
Runners Up:
Nicholls State University
(Louisiana Chi)
Kansas State University
(Kansas Beta)
Outstanding Eminent Archon
Winners:
Andrew Steelman
The Ohio State University
(Ohio Theta)
Angel Reyes Valtierra
New Mexico State University
(New Mexico Phi)
Anthony Pantano
University of Dayton
(Ohio Chi-Sigma)
Cameron Gunter
Baylor University
(Texas Theta)
Chad Thomas Blank
North Dakota State University
(North Dakota Beta)
Jake Harris
University of Central Oklahoma
(Oklahoma Sigma)
Jonathan Ross
Franklin College
(Indiana Alpha)
Zachary Watson
Texas State University
(Texas Sigma)
Outstanding Eminent Treasurer
Winners:
Evan Hosinski
University of Dayton
(Ohio Chi-Sigma)
Dakota Chappell
Texas State University
(Texas Sigma)
Ross Fabrizi
Youngstown State University
(Ohio Alpha)
William Cocking
Kansas State University
(Kansas Beta)
Outstanding Health-and-Safety
Winner:
University of Evansville
(Indiana Epsilon)
Runner Up:
South Dakota State University
(South Dakota Theta)
Outstanding Housing
Winner:
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
(New York Epsilon)
Runner Up:
University of Evansville
(Indiana Epsilon)
Outstanding University Relations
Winner:
University of Evansville
(Indiana Epsilon)
Runner Up:
University of Puget Sound
(Washington Gamma)
Brandon Weghorst Outstanding Chapter Communication
Winner:
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Prescott
(Arizona Delta)
Runner Up:
North Dakota State University
(North Dakota Beta)
Smith-Huffman Outstanding Chapter Management
Winner:
Centre College
(Kentucky Kappa)
Runner Up:
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
(Massachusetts Delta)
Simpson College
(Iowa Sigma)
Kimball-Phelps Award for Outstanding Chapter Singing
Winner:
North Dakota State University
(North Dakota Beta)
Besser-Lindsey Outstanding Scholar Athlete
Winner:
Barrett T. Weiss
Stanford University
(California Alpha)
M. Todd Buchanan Oustanding Recruitment Chairman
Winner:
Brandon Elyakim
Lynn University
(Florida Lambda)
Outstanding Chapter Member Education
Winner:
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
(Pennsylvania Kappa)
Runner Up:
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
(Massachuetts Delta)
Outstanding Financial Management
Winner:
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
(New York Epsilon)
Runners Up:
University of Cincinnati
(Ohio Epsilon)
University of Toledo
(Ohio Nu)
Joseph A. Mancini Outstanding Chapter Service and Philanthropy
Winner:
University of Rhode Island
(Rhode Island Alpha)
Runner Up:
Nicholls State University
(Louisiana Chi)
Robert C. Cousins Outstanding Chapter Recruitment
Winner:
Kansas State University
(Kansas Beta)
Runner Up:
Morehead State University
(Kansas Gamma)
Harry S. Bunting Outstanding Colony of the Year
Winner:
Arizona State University
(Arizona Beta)
Runner Up:
Baylor University
(Texas Theta)
Outstanding Chapter Advisors
Winners:
Beau Bateman
North Dakota State University
(North Dakota Beta)
David Pfalzgraf
Miami University
(Ohio Tau)
Jason Andrick
Frostburg State University
(Maryland Delta)
Jesse McHugh
Morehead State University
(Kentucky Gamma)
John Brkic
Youngstown State University
(Ohio Alpha)
John R. Hatfield
Kansas State University
(Kansas Beta)
Rebecca Bair
University of Toledo
(Ohio Nu)
Bill Fiscus Outstanding Area Alumni Association
Winner:
SAE – Phoenix Alumni, Inc.
Runner Up:
San Diego Alumni Association
Outstanding Alumni Association & House Corporation Communication
Printed Newsletters – Winner:
South Carolina Delta Alumni Association
Website – Winner:
San Diego Alumni Association
Outstanding Chapter Alumni Association
Winner:
Missouri Gamma Chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon AA
Runner Up:
Ohio Alpha Alumni Association
Outstanding House Corporation
Winner:
Oregon Alpha House Corporation
Runner Up:
Ohio Alpha Housing Corporation
Outstanding Alumni Association Special Events or Project
Winner:
San Diego Alumni Association
Runner Up:
Ohio Alpha Alumni Association
Stuart Zoock Outstanding Advisory Board
Winner:
Oregon Alpha Alumni Association
Bradley M. Cohen Eminent Archon of the Year
Winner:
Jake Harris
University of Central Oklahoma
(Oklahoma Sigma)
Chapter Achievement
Winners:
Bucknell University
(Pennsylvania Zeta)
California State University-San Marcos
(California Alpha-Gamma)
Carnegie Mellon University
(Pennsylvania Phi)
Centre College
(Kentucky Kappa)
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott
(Arizona Delta)
Georgia Institute of Technology
(Georgia Phi)
Gustavus Adolphus College
(Minnesota Gamma)
Kansas State University
(Kansas Beta)
Mississippi State University
(Mississippi Theta)
Nicholls State University
(Louisiana Chi)
North Dakota State University
(North Dakota Beta)
Oregon State University
(Oregon Alpha)
Rollins College
(Florida Omicron)
Salisbury University
(Maryland Sigma)
Simpson College
(Iowa Sigma)
South Dakota State University
(South Dakota Theta)
Texas State University-San Marcos
(Texas Sigma)
Towson University
(Maryland Alpha)
University of Dayton
(Ohio Chi-Sigma)
University of Evansville
(Indiana Epsilon)
University of Puget Sound
(Washington Gamma)
University of Toledo
(Ohio Nu)
Youngstown State University
(Ohio Alpha)
Most Improved Chapter
Winner:
Rollins College
(Florida Omicron)
Runner Up:
Texas State University – San Marcos
(Texas Sigma)
True Gentleman of the Year
Winner:
Zachary Watson
(Texas Sigma)
John O. Moseley Award for Fraternity Zeal
Winner:
University of Evansville
(Indiana Epsilon)