Fraternity makes waves on campus

Students attend a fundraiser at Frostbite hosted by the members of Tau Kappa Epsilon.

Fraternity and sorority rush weeks are officially over, and each group has several new members. While the current Greek organizations at UNA were recruiting, Tau Kappa Epsilon was trying to become a recognized group on campus.

Marc Anderson, a UNA senior music major, grew up in Florence, but he attended the University of South Alabama, where he joined TKE. He transferred back to UNA and felt uninvolved with his chapter; therefore, he decided to make a change.

“It’s a long process,” he said. “Having to get 25 recruits and fill out a ton of paperwork in order to become just a colony.”

The process in which one becomes a colony begins with the group starting out as an interest group. It then becomes a colony, and later a fraternity.

Anderson said many national representatives have helped TKE. He has also had a great deal of contact with Deante Smith, assistant director for Greek Affairs, and Tammy Jacques, director of Student Engagement. TKE is still waiting on the paperwork to process for them to become a colony.

TKE was founded in 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University in Blooming, Ill. TKE supports two philanthropies: St. Jude and the Alzheimer’s Association.

Currently, TKE has 26 members. Anderson hopes to team up with other Greek organizations in order to raise awareness and money for different philanthropies.

“I have really big plans for our chapter,” Anderson said. “We want to be established and recognized by other groups. I want us to immediately become involved and get noticed.”

Anderson hopes for TKE to be established by the end of the semester. Although he will be graduating soon, he is proud of what he has started for others to finish.

Another student involved with the introduction of TKE on campus is Zach Reynolds. Reynolds is a sophomore criminal justice major. He said he was thrilled for TKE to get started and be a part of the UNA Greek system.

“I’m so glad I ran into these guys,” he said. “They are all so awesome, and they have opened up so many opportunities for me.”

The guys who have gotten together to make TKE known mentioned all of the hard work that has gone into becoming established and getting their chapter’s name out there. They hope to be accepted by the other organizations, as well as the rest of the UNA student body.

“I really want to make this work, and I believe I can do anything I set my mind to,” Anderson said.