Every few semesters, fraternities decide on who the next president of their chapter is going to be. For the Spring 2017 semester, junior Nicholas Brett Colon was elected to be the next president of social fraternity, Tau Kappa Epsilon. With such a large role, comes large responsibilities, and this is no problem for Colon. Luckily, I was able to speak to Colon myself and ask him a few personal questions and others pertaining to his position. Below are the questions and answers that I recorded from the interview that was conducted:
Q: What are some adjectives you would use to describe yourself?
A: The first adjective that always comes to my mind is patient. Anytime I am faced with a high intensity or high stress situation, I am able to focus on one thing at a time and never get overwhelmed. A lot of people now want to go as fast as possible into whatever it is they are doing. Sometimes, it is beneficial to go fast, but other times it is better if you slow things down and do them right. Not everyone understands that.
Q: What do you do in your spare time (when you’re not busy running a fraternity)?
A: This may come as a surprise to some, but I am huge into video games; Gears of War, specifically. I am convinced I am the best Gears of War player in the state, actually! If I ever have down time, I am usually either playing video games, watching Netflix or watching YouTube. Recently I got hooked on Parks and Recreation on Netflix. On YouTube, I will admit without any shame that I watch PewDiePie, Markiplier, GameGrumps and Landan2006 on a regular basis. I enjoy my nerdy down time, even though it has been a rarity ever since I took my new position in TKE.
Q: What made you want to rush a fraternity?
A: I have a brother who is two years older than me. Growing up, I could always use him as a guideline to understand what I did and did not want to do when I would eventually be his age. I used his experiences as guidelines when it came to playing sports, success in school, talking to girls, etc. I could always see what he did and either followed his path, or chose a different one. It was always a huge advantage for me. I was entering my junior year in high school when he went off to college at ASU. He immediately joined Pi Kappa Alpha (Pike) there and was enjoying every second of it. During breaks in the school year, he would come home and tell me about his crazy stories while in the fraternity and what it was like to be greek. I never gave greek life much of a thought until my senior year in high school. My brother’s crazy stories slowly shifted to how the opportunities he found in greek life were giving him advantages in his career interests. He was getting job offers and internships a second year college student normally does not receive. By the time I decided to attend UCF and what my major would be, I was set on joining a fraternity as soon as I arrived. Which fraternity, however, would be up to me to decide. I went to several different rush events for different fraternities, but TKE felt like home to me. I told myself before rush that I would hold onto any and all bids I received, but as soon as I got a bid from TKE, I accepted right then and there. I have not looked back since.
Q: Did you hold any positions in TKE prior to the presidency? What were they?
A: Prior to becoming president of Tau Kappa Epsilon, I held several other positions in the fraternity. The positions were Tailgate Chairman in Fall 2015, Recruitment Chairman through Spring, Summer and Fall 2016, and Risk Management during Fall 2016. During my time as the Recruitment Chairman, I sat on the Membership Quality Board to ensure members in the fraternity were meeting the minimum requirements for membership.
Q: What made you decide to run to be president of TKE?
A: Ever since taking over as the Recruitment Chairman, I could tell that my chapter not only respected me, but they believed in my abilities to bring about positive change to the fraternity. My plan was to run for vice president at the end of the Fall 2016 semester, and serve the position the entire year in 2017; however, during a casual lunch one day with Bobby Norman, the president during Fall 2016, I joked that he should run for a second term as president. He laughed, shook his head and said, “Even if I wanted to run again, I couldn’t because I graduate in Spring. I honestly don’t know who will be running this fraternity in a few months.” We continued on with lunch that day but what he said stuck with me. The vice president at the time, Connor Murchie, had just been accepted into Nursing School and would not have the time to fulfill the duties of president the next year. No one else in the fraternity had properly been groomed to fill the position. Then, one of my favorite quotes popped into my head: “If not you, then who?” I’m not sure where I heard it from, but sometimes when I doubt myself, I say the quote to myself. I gave running for president serious consideration in the days following that conversation and finally decided that I would step up to be the one who runs Tau Kappa Epsilon. The opportunity was there, and I took it.
Q: What are some of the responsibilities you have as president?
A: As president of the chapter, it is my responsibility to make sure we are registered as a student organization on campus. It is my responsibility to set up weekly chapter meetings to conduct business of the fraternity. It is my responsibility to chair Membership Quality Board. It is my responsibility to meet with our Board of Advisors. It is my responsibility to enforce the rules of the chapter. It is my responsibility to serve as the CEO of the chapter. Finally, it is my responsibility to do all matters necessary to promote the good and welfare of the fraternity.
Q: Would you say being the president is rewarding? Why?
A: I would definitely say being the president is rewarding. Fraternities are a business, and I am gaining invaluable experience being the CEO of a business that does $140,000 worth of business each year. It is not only that though. I have gained the respect of each and every one of the brothers in the fraternity. My family is incredibly proud of what I have been able to accomplish. My friends sometimes gloat that they know the president of TKE and I blush every time. Sometimes, people will put me on a pedestal that is much higher than I think I deserve, and, while it is flattering, I remember that I am just a Puerto Rican from Plainsboro, New Jersey who is doing as much as he can to enjoy the best 4 years of his life. My time here has been a roller coaster, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
We are all very excited to see how Nick’s position will further push TKE toward excellence and enhance him personally. Congratulations; TKE is lucky to have you!