There is a particular ache in leaving something you have played a role in building. It is not the ache of regret, but instead it is the bittersweet feeling of saying goodbye, similar to the feeling of a parent who has done the work, poured in the love, and now must trust that their child will stand on their own two feet. I, and likely everyone else at Doane University, might know the irony of that comparison. We are barely removed from being the kids ourselves. I still remember my own parents watching me leave for college, that proud and pained smile in the rearview mirror. Now, standing on the other side of it, I can partially understand exactly what they felt.
Tau Sigma Zeta, or simply TEZ for short, was silent on this campus for years before a group of young men decided its story was not finished. Apollo Pledge Class (PC) was the first refounding PC that followed the efforts of our Refounding Fathers: Landon Stocks, Terungaw Unongo, Arturo Salinas, Chandler Pullen, Gabriel Kieth, Lucas Hilliard and Michael Scarponi. If these men had not taken the initiative to rebuild the group, then we, the graduating seniors, would have missed out on so many memories and so many opportunities.
Below are some words and testaments of brothers from Tau Sigma Zeta:
Senior Benjamin Miller, member of the Apollo PC, came to TEZ looking for something beyond the sport he was already doing, desiring a deeper sense of belonging and purpose on campus. He found it. On what he learned from his time in the fraternity, Ben reflected that “accountability is a big part about being an adult and that it is very important to building a community.” It is a lesson that sounds simple until you have actually lived it alongside other people who take it seriously. He also spoke to how his brothers shaped him on a personal level: “The members of Apollo have shown me traits that I need to grow up in, as they have helped me grow to become more of a man to succeed in my life.”
His fondest memories center on TEZ Thursdays, the group’s recurring tradition that became a rhythm all its own, and the spring break trip the brothers took together to Colorado in the spring of 2026. Looking ahead, Ben’s hope for TEZ is clear and ambitious; he wants to see the fraternity “expand to more leadership roles across campus and other orgs,” growing its presence and influence well beyond its own membership. To the newly joined brothers who are about to receive this fraternity into their hands, his message is direct and sincere, quoting Shia LaBeouf: “Don’t let your dreams be dreams, just do it.” A quote that may be perceived as cliché or corny, but holds a deeper meaning than I believe we give it credit for.
Junior Tyler Caldwell joined TEZ for a reason that is as grounded as it is telling: “I chose TEZ for a family away from home and for a group of men to hold me accountable.” That sentiment captures something true about what this fraternity has always been at its core. Brotherhood here was never just about having people around; it was about having the right people around! People who push you to grow, check you when you have done wrong and refuse to let you settle because they believe in your potential.
Through his time in TEZ, Tyler has grown into a leader in his own right. “I’ve learned how my leadership style affects others and how it can be used for great things,” he said, a reflection that speaks to the kind of self-awareness this brotherhood cultivates in its members.
Among his fondest memories were: “The Sam Feng lightsaber battles were always an awesome time,” Caldwell said. “I loved that during my Greek month.”
As the last remaining member of Apollo PC, Tyler will graduate in Spring of 2027, standing as the living bridge between what we built and what TEZ will continue to become. That is not a small thing to carry, but he is more than ready for it. His vision for the fraternity going forward is both ambitious and fitting: “I’d love to see a bigger population and the best student leaders on Doane’s campus.”
Among TEZ’s newest rush class is freshman Hunter Humphrey, an eager young man who embodies exactly the kind of spirit Apollo hoped would follow in its footsteps.
Hunter’s takeaway from his time in TEZ echoes what the men of Apollo have long believed: “You can always achieve what you want to do, and if you put your mind to a task, you can do it.” His gratitude toward the founding class is equally genuine and speaks for itself: “Thank you for bringing this group to what it is today so the men of the future can enjoy it.” And his hope for where TEZ goes from here mirrors that of his brothers across every pledge class, and that it continues to “grow with like-minded young men that want to better themselves and each other.” Hearing that from a freshman who just arrived is perhaps the greatest validation Apollo could ask for.
As for me, what I will miss most is not easily captured in a single sentence. It is the family dinners that got loud and went long. It is the group trips where, somewhere between the miles and the mountains, you stop being acquaintances and start being brothers from other mothers. It is banter, the kind that only exists between people who genuinely know each other and are genuinely comfortable. Those things do not happen by accident, and they do not happen quickly. They are the reward for showing up, again and again, even when it was inconvenient or uncertain. I hope every brother who comes after us gets to experience that same reward, because it is worth every bit of the work that earns it.
To the new members of TEZ: you are inheriting something that people bled time and energy into, long before you arrived on campus. The Refounding Fathers laid the ground. Apollo built on it. Now you will continue that work. Now the pen is in your hands, write something worthy of the chapters that came before you, and then write something even better. That is all any of us can ask, and based on what I have seen from the young men in this fraternity, I do not doubt that you will deliver.
We are proud of you already.
Joseph Schut is a graduating senior at Doane University and a member of Tau Sigma Zeta’s Apollo Pledge Class.
