5 Questions with 2019 Man of the Year Seth Tersteeg (Minnesota)
Interview
You've been involved in many organizations outside of Sigma Nu as a collegiate brother. Which experience stands out to you among them?
I was fortunate to have attended a large university with a wide variety of student organizations to get involved with, but the experience that stands out to me the most was my involvement in the Special Olympics Club. I had volunteered with Special Olympics for a few years before college and wanted to remain involved because I deeply value the work that Special Olympics does, which led me to the club on my campus. During my tenure as club president, the club’s team of officers helped coordinate campus-wide fundraisers for Special Olympics, broadened community and volunteer outreach at the University of Minnesota, and facilitated programming to promote inclusivity through athletic activities. We also established Intramural Unified Sports on our campus, which are intramural competitions in which students and Special Olympics athletes compete alongside one another on the same team.
Coming from a chapter like Gamma Tau, LEAD has always been a key piece of the chapter's operations. What advice do you have for chapters trying to take their use of the LEAD Program to the next level?
For starters, I would strongly recommend using the resources available to LEAD Chairman on Sigma Nu’s website. This website has a lot of great material to help chapters implement the LEAD Program and come up with ideas for LEAD sessions. We poll our members on the types of things they would like to learn and people who they think would make great facilitators. Not only does this ensure that we are providing our members with sessions they find interesting, but it also helps us develop new ideas for LEAD sessions. Possibly the most effective piece of advice is to have snacks at LEAD sessions. As simple as it is, college men love food, and sometimes all it takes to get brothers to show up to an event is to order a few pizzas!
What myth was proven wrong for you after you joined the High Council?
I don’t think that any preconceived notions I had about the High Council were proven wrong to me. However, my experience as a Collegiate Grand Councilman was certainly full of surprises. For example, having never participated in any type of board meeting, I did not expect the environment of High Council meetings to be so welcoming, encouraging, and collaborative. The alumni High Council members not only desired the input of the collegiate members but actively engaged us to ensure that we were contributing to all discussions.
Why is Sigma Nu important to today's collegiate man?
While there are a wealth of opportunities for young men to gain leadership experience and find a supportive community of peers in college, there are few organizations that I am aware of that afford college men with these things to the same caliber as fraternity life. I genuinely believe that out of all of the men’s fraternities, Sigma Nu’s commitment to the developing men into leaders guided by moral principles and integrity is both unique and important. The programming and resources that Sigma Nu provides all of its members not only ensure that they have everything they need to become great leaders within their campus communities but also to enter into their post-graduate life with the skills and confidence to find success in their endeavors.
What advice do you have for the Seniors reading who are in their final year?
The best advice I can offer to Seniors is to get everything you can out of your final year, and I believe the most effective way to do so is to stay involved in their chapter. I know that many seniors are wrapping up their involvement in positions within the chapter, and I understand that it is easy to sit back and just enjoy your final semesters without any responsibility. However, as the most experienced members in the chapter, it is important that the Seniors use what they have learned over the years to ensure that the chapter is in its best position to succeed after their graduation.