Octagonian Winter 2025

November 2025- Happy Founders’ Day! As we pause to honor the eight men whose vision established our Fraternity so many years ago, I’m reminded of how deeply their values continue to shape my own life and the lives of so many of us. The strength of our brotherhood has always come from the character and commitment of its members, and I’m grateful every day for the opportunity to serve as your Supreme Prior.

Thank you to our undergraduates across North America who carry our values and traditions forward with energy and purpose, and to our alumni whose continued support, mentorship, and example keep our fraternity strong. It’s a privilege to stand alongside each of you in this work.

Wishing you a meaningful Founders’ Day and Happy Thanksgiving. May we continue to honor our past by living out our values as we look ahead. There is much to celebrate and be grateful for at this moment.

Fraternally,

Supreme Prior Benji Bearman

The Octagonian- Winter 2025
The Winter 2025 edition of The Octagonian is now available online. This issue is packed with engaging content that highlights the achievements, stories, and insights of our fraternity members. The Octagonian serves as a platform to celebrate the diverse talents and contributions of our Sigma Alpha Mu fratres. We hope you find inspiration and pride in the stories shared within these pages.

Publication Schedule Update
As we continue to enhance how we keep our members and alumni connected, we’ve made some updates to The Octagonian’s publication schedule to help ensure you never miss an issue.

Beginning this year, The Octagonian will follow a quarterly format. The November edition will remain our only printed and mailed issue, while the February, May, and August editions will be digital-only, delivered directly to your inbox and available online.

To ensure you receive each edition without interruption, please take a moment to sign in at portal.sam.org and confirm your contact information is up to date. Updating your information only takes a moment—and ensures you stay connected to the latest stories from across Sigma Alpha Mu Fraternity.

This issue features:

A Message From Our Supreme Prior

Evolution Of The Badge

Our Commitment To Sharing Your Stories

Dennis Paese Named Recipient of William P. Schwartz Distinguished Service Award

Finding Brotherhood Beneath The Waves

Have You Heard

Mutual Moral Aid In Action

Transforming Brotherhood

Honoring Excellence

Around The Chapters

Honoring Howard Miller

Thank You Hanno Mott

Scholarship Spotlight

In Honor Of / In Memory Of

Chapter Eternal

Sires and Sons / Dividends and Mergers

Our digital production is also bolstered by more content on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. If you would like to share news about professional accomplishments, marriage/newborn announcements, or alumni gatherings online, go to sam.org/heard and sam.org/family.

Thank you for your continued support of Sigma Alpha Mu. We look forward to hearing your feedback on the latest edition of The Octagonian!

Click here to update your Octagonian delivery preferences. 

Joining Today: Tradition, Safety, and the True MDH Initiative

What Does Joining Look Like Today?

TRUE MDH Initiative – National Hazing Prevention Week

During National Hazing Prevention Week, Sigma Alpha Mu proudly demonstrates how tradition and safety can thrive together through our groundbreaking True MDH Initiative.

Leading the Way Forward

For generations, more than 70,000 men have committed The Creed, Fast and Firm, and The Founders to memory when joining Sigma Alpha Mu. As evolving anti-hazing policies and state laws created new challenges for fraternal education, Sigma Alpha Mu chose to lead rather than simply comply.

Our Solution: The True MDH Initiative

In 2018, Sigma Alpha Mu pioneered the True MDH Initiative, ensuring every new member receives consistent, comprehensive candidate education while maintaining the brotherhood experience that has united our members for decades. This groundbreaking program delivers standardized educational programming across all Sigma Alpha Mu chapters.

What Makes It Effective

Comprehensive Training & Support:

• Required train-the-trainer certification for all Candidate Educators
• Adaptable curriculum spanning 4-8 weeks to meet local regulations
• Complete educational resources including PowerPoint meeting slides

Rich Educational Experience:

• Deep exploration of our eight core values: simplicity, holiness, purity, justice, sincerity, fraternalism, idealism, and truth
• Focus on developing true manhood, democracy, and humanity
• Integration of fraternity & chapter history through the Purple Book 

Built-in Safety & Compliance:

• Curriculum designed to eliminate potential hazing and risk management issues
• Full compliance assurance for chapters following the program
• Safe, engaging candidacy process that protects both active members and candidates

The Result

Chapters gain confidence knowing their new member program is fully compliant, educationally robust, and builds the strong brotherhood bonds Sigma Alpha Mu is known for. Today’s Sigma Alpha Mu brothers carry forward the same cherished traditions—The Creed, Fast and Firm, The Founders—while building even stronger, safer bonds of brotherhood.

Executive Director Andy Huston added, “Our consistent effort to provide anti-hazing education and development of the True MDH Initiative are factors that strengthen the health and wellbeing of our members and chapters. As a result, Sigma Alpha Mu has not had a chapter closed for hazing-related policy violations in the past four academic years.”

The bonds of brotherhood are stronger than ever, and our commitment to developing principled men remains unwavering.

About Sigma Alpha Mu

Our vision is to transform Sigma Alpha Mu into the first choice of collegians seeking a forward-thinking, inclusive fraternity which enhances the university experience and prepares the fraternity member for a fulfilling life. Sigma Alpha Mu’s Mission is to foster the development of collegiate men and our alumni by instilling strong fraternal values, offering social and service opportunities, encouraging academic excellence and teaching leadership skills. We will continue to attract members of all beliefs who appreciate our great heritage as a fraternity of Jewish men.

Learn more at https://sam.org

Announcing the 2017 Award Winners

 

Scholastic Recognition Award

Beta – Cornell University

Theta – University of Pennsylvania

Kappa – University of Minnesota

Rho – University of Illinois

Tau – University of Alabama

Psi – University of Pittsburgh

Sigma Theta – University of Texas

Sigma Sigma – University of California – Berkeley

Mu Theta – University of Southern California

Mu Psi – Miami University (Ohio)

Sigma Delta – Rutgers University

Delta Beta – American University

Delta Upsilon – University of Nevada – Las Vegas

 

 

 

 

Dr. Alexander Lowy Scholarship Award

Theta at the University of Pennsylvania

 

 

 

 

Chapter Publications Award

Sigma Theta at the University of Texas

 

Recruitment Excellence Awards

Largest Number of Initiates is Beta Gamma – University of Arizona
Largest Percentage of Change in Number of Initiates is Gamma Iota – Towson University

Largest Percentage of Change in Chapter Size is Epsilon Epsilon – SUNY Geneseo

 

The Religious Endeavor Award

 Sigma Theta at the University of Texas

 

 

 

 

The Community Service Honorable Mention

Mu Zeta – Washington State University

 

 

 

 

The Community Service Award Beta Omega

Beta Omega – Kentucky Wesleyan

 

Risk Management Innovation Award

Gamma Lambda – Northern Illinois

Sigma Zeta – Indiana

 

Harry B. Cohen Fraternity Service Award

Sigma Beta Advisory Board

Marc Heller (Mu Chi ‘89)

David Alloy (Sigma Omicron ‘70)

 

Chapter Advisor of the Year Award

Chris Small of Gamma Iota at Towson University

Kelly Dieters of Epsilon Alpha at Stephen F. Austin

 

Alumni Recorder Award

Jacob Birenbaum of Gamma Kappa at Texas A&M

 

Rabbi Liebeman Award

David Levey of Psi at the University of Pittsburgh

 

Outstanding Athlete Award

Vincent Declercq of Beta at Cornell University

 

Recorder of the Year

Brian Ackerman of Psi at the University of Pittsburgh

 

 

 

 

Exchequer of the Year

Alex Khan of Beta Omega at Kentucky Wesleyan

 

Vice Prior of the Year

Ricky Meyers from Beta at Cornell University

 

 

 

 

Prior of the Year

Aaron Shubert from Delta Alpha at Hofstra University

 

Undergraduate Achievement Award (Sophomore)

Gavin Pielow of Mu Zeta at Washington State University

 

Undergraduate Achievement Award (Senior)

Ryan Zuckerman of Sigma Zeta at Indiana University

 

Hammerstein Best in Province Awards

Mu Psi (Miami University – OH)- Great Lakes Region

Beta (Cornell University) – Empire

Psi (University of Pittsburgh)- Keystone

Beta Psi (University of Virginia)- Mid-Atlantic

Gamma Chi (Brandeis University) – New England

Gamma Kappa (Texas A&M)- Gulf Coast

Gamma Tau (University of Florida) – Southeast

Delta Upsilon (UNLV) – Southwest

Mu Zeta (Washington State) – Pacific Northwest

 

Founder’s Level

Beta – Cornell University

Kappa – University of Minnesota

Psi – University of Pittsburgh

Mu Theta – University of Southern California

Mu Psi – Miami University of Ohio

Gamma Chi – Brandeis University

Epsilon Nu – University of Connecticut

 

 

 

 

 

Founder’s Cup Winner

Mu Theta (University of Southern California)