Thank You from the Saxe Family
Dear DKE Brothers, We feel blessed beyond words to see this event grow each year! Thank you! You are truly remarkable people and we are deeply proud that Jeremy chose Lafayette and pledged brotherhood with DKE. Many thanks to 2015 DKE Philanthropy chair Matt Barrett, DKE brothers and alumni, sponsors and the Lafayette community at large! Last year’s tournament was the most successful tournament to date raising $8,536.70! It was a remarkable day with a record setting 32 teams playing to make a difference for the people of Nepal. The timing couldn’t have been better: within a month Nepal suffered two catastrophic earthquakes. Jer’s Foundation quickly provided essential earthquake relief in Nawalpur Village, Sindhupalchowk one of the most devastated villages in Nepal. Several DKE brothers and Lafayette alumni stepped up in the aftermath of the crisis. Matt Zamore (DKE ‘09), tournament co-founder, along with Elizabeth Matecki (LAF ‘10) and Jer’s cousin, Jackie Saxe, jumped in to help with relief efforts. They raised $1,655 during a Happy Hour for Earthquake Relief in NYC. Matt Barrett, chaired two additional successful fundraisers in 2015 and an additional $720 was raised. This funding provided much needed food support during the winter months. Overall Jer’s foundation was able to provide over $15,000 in immediate earthquake relief to the families of Nawalpur. We are especially grateful to Chris McConnell (DKE ‘09), tournament co-founder and foundation Director, whose tireless labors and dedication to Jeremy, his legacy foundation and this event is the impetus for the extraordinary annual growth of this event and the tremendous impact Jer’s foundation has had on the lives of the people he loved in Nepal. Whole-hearted thanks to Sam Bernhardt, who, like each successive chairperson, has carried this event to a new level. Thank you, Sam! With much love and deep appreciation, Heidi, Tracy, Ryan &, of course, Jer J
Thank you 2016 Sponsors! Chris McConnell Milo’s Place Campus Pizza House Don Juan Mexican Grill College Hill Tavern Mojo 516 Café Saxe Family
Thank you 2015 sponsors!
*These 2015 sponsor donations were received after printing and not acknowledged in last year’s program.
Kevin Seery Nicholas Graham & Amy LaChapelle
100% of tournament proceeds go to rebuilding in Nepal.
Thank you DKE brothers, donors, spectators & players, your support is deeply appreciated! Jiwanko Saathiharu: Jeremy Saxe Foundation for Education and Development, Inc. 501c(3) US Registered Non-profit Federal EIN # 26-3345574 Donations are deductible to the full extent of the law. C/O SDV Law 35 Nutmeg Dr. Suite 140 Trumbull, CT 06611-5451
Nepal Earthquake Relief
Nawalpur Village, Sindhupalchowk 3,471 people - 797 Households
Emergency Relief: Tents, Temporary Homes, Temporary School Buildings, Water Purifiers, Solar Lights, Food, Soap, Medicine, Portable Libraries
Jiwanko Saathiharu: Jeremy Saxe Foundation for Education and Development, Inc.
Thank you generous 2015 Earthquake relief supporters!
Matt Zamore (DKE ‘09) Dominic Cimorelli (DKE ‘08) Tom Gallo (DKE ‘09) Ezra Tischler (DKE ‘10) Jared Piette (DKE ‘12) George Vrachimis (DKE ‘08) Elizabeth Matecki (LAF ‘10) Brian Rotmil (DKE ‘09) Hannah Estifanos (LAF ‘10) Samriddhi Malla (LAF ‘10) Jessica Solloway Harden (LAF ‘09) Emma Matecki (LAF ‘16)
Congratulations to the 2015 Winners!! Competitive Bracket First Place!
Rob Howe, Michael Kelley, Billy Leonard, Charles Roberts
Third Place
Second Place
Billy Murphy, Chandler Fraser-Paul, Kevin Seery
Matt Lerner, Colton Kirkpatrick,Tanner Kirkpatrick,Keegan Lawton
Recreational Bracket Winners
Jared Sapm, Becca Bender, Evan Kennedy
DKE Philanthropy & Community Service Updated by Sean Menarguez
The Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity has a long history of civic engagement. Whether that means community service or philanthropic fundraising, DKE as well as all of Greek Life at Lafayette College continues to provide exceptional service to those that are in need.
One of the most important aspects of Greek Life, especially at Lafayette College, is our ability to serve others. In a city such as Easton, in a time such as this, one finds no shortage of suffering souls in need.
Traditionally, the obligations of DKE towards the community have been as such: 1) Providing community service as often as possible to those in need, and 2) Fundraise through philanthropic events for the purposes of donating to various charities and organizations. During the beginning of the semester, we constructed a vision for our civic engagement actions. Our vision: Through civic engagement, the brotherhood inspires diverse and genuine community relationships in an evolving Lafayette environment.
The brotherhood is truly committed to fostering a stronger more connected Lafayette community through service and philanthropic efforts. The latter describes the different service and philanthropic efforts that have been expressed over the 2016 Spring semester.
We were fortunate enough to have fostered an admirable relationship with DKE Chi Rho alum, Andrew Glovas and the Sigal Museum. The brothers have assisted the museum in the moving of paintings from different exhibits and even in the moving of office locations! This past February, the undergraduate brothers volunteered to set up and help run the operations of the Museum Expo, which is a big annual event for the area. We are fortunate and appreciative of our new relationship with Brother Andrew Glovas and the Sigal Museum. The chapter has cultivated a genuine community relationship with Safe Harbor Recovery Center, which is located between the intersection of Bushkill Dr. and Sullivan Rd. The brothers repainted the whole Safe Harbor dormitory and participated in Fall & Spring clean ups. The chapter has taken a new initiative this semester to sponsor a meal for the Safe Harbor residents once a month.
This is the first year Rho DKE participated as a team in the Relay for Life on campus. To date, we have already surpassed our fundraising goal of $1,000 to fund cancer research. We have raised the most money of the fraternities on campus, with over $750 more than the next closest. The Rho Chapter of DKE participated in Lafapalooza, an annual event in downtown Easton. Lafapalooza is a Landis Community Outreach Center service event in which Lafayette students can participate in local projects in Easton like clean-ups, painting and gardening.
The Leadership Center in Honduras is a new initiative for DKE this year, inspired by brother Dan Moore ’75. Dan is the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Leadership Center,
which aims to empower women from poor families to become the next generation of ethical leaders in Honduras. The brothers have committed to raise $1,800 to fund one full-year scholarship that is awarded on May 1. The brotherhood has taken the position to support women’s education in areas that experience poverty. It is extremely unique that 63 young men are invested in spreading awareness and raising monetary donations in order to support a young female in Honduras. DKE is attempting to break the reputation of the misogynistic male culture across college campuses. We will in close contact with that female student to foster a strong unified relationship of support.
DKE hosted their first Spring Volleyball Tournament for The Leadership Center in Honduras on April 2nd. The event consisted of a tournament alongside a bake sale, barbecue and different lawn games. We were pleased with the attendance of 250 students along with 21 registered teams in either the competitive or casual bracket. Through the philanthropic efforts with The Leadership Center, DKE was nominated for the Community-Based Learning and Research Expo. DKE presented their philanthropic efforts through a poster presentation on April 7th. On April 8th, brothers Drew Friedman ’16 and Anurag Ghose ’17 participated in an annual cultural cuisine event organized by the International Students Association. Brothers Friedman and Ghose prepared an authentic Indian dessert, while many other students served dishes from various other countries.
On April 16th, DKE co-sponsored Alpha Phifa which is a soccer tournament for all Lafayette students. All proceeds go towards the Alpha Phi Foundation that supports women’s heart health.
On April 23rd, DKE co-sponsored Marina Day which is a fundraising event consisting of volleyball games, a dunking booth, performances by a DJ and campus a capella groups, a wing eating contest, a raffle, a cookout, an egg and water balloon toss, lawn games and various other activities that various groups help run. The brothers enjoy participating in this event every year. The efforts go towards an interim abroad trip for all Lafayette students in honor of the life of Marina Peterson’s. On April 23rd, the chapter hosted a philanthropy dance with the ladies of Pi Beta Phi. The proceeds were donated to scholarship for The Leadership Center in Honduras.
Additionally, the Rho chapter participated in a Go Ruck run - a team building exercise led by former US special force ops, that is based on their military experience. Costs for Go Ruck benefit the Green Beret Foundation, as well as the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Unfortunately, in 2008, we lost brother Jeremy Saxe very suddenly. As you may know by now, Jeremy was a heavily driven individual intent on bettering the quality of life for those he loved. Jeremy was re-born in the village of Pharping, Nepal. He believed the people there needed and deserved all he could give. Unfortunately, his mission was cut short.
Jeremy’s family, friends, and brothers of Delta Kappa Epsilon refused to let his dream die. Jiwanko Saathiharu: Jeremy Saxe Foundation for Education and Development, Inc. was set up in Jeremy’s honor. DKE Rho has since committed itself to Jiwanko Saathiharu.
Jeremy’s Life and Legacy By Mike Mariani Jeremy Saxe is the inspiration for the foundation that bears his name, Jiwanko Saathiharu (Friends of Jeremy, Friends of Life). Through his example—his passion, his warmth, and his rare social conscience—all who knew him are moved to believe in positive change in the world.
Jeremy grew up in Orange, CT, where he matured into a wellrounded student athlete at Amity High School. In addition to his exceptional academic achievements, Jeremy was a co-captain for the soccer, volleyball, and ski racing teams. In his senior year, he was voted MVP by his teammates in all three sports.
In his college essay, he accurately described himself as a young man who strove to balance schoolwork and athletics with a social life. He even referenced a sine wave, or "sinusoidal graph" as he put it, to illustrate the drastic ups and downs such a busy, hyperfunctional life could bring. He expressed a desire for college to give him an opportunity to find a single, overarching thing to be passionate about. In High School his passion was distributed between so many different endeavors. He felt that if he could just find one single pursuit, whether it be in math, physics, politics, or some other discipline, he could channel his energies and carve a path for his future. During his time in college Jeremy hoped to find something specific and meaningful that he could commit the fullness of his incredible spirit to. Jeremy began his freshman year at Lafayette College in the Fall of 2005. By anyone's account—close friends, classmates, professors—he was an energetic, indefatigably positive college kid. Perhaps "buoyant" might describe him best. Jeremy went to class,
hung out with friends, and volunteered in the Easton community all with the same bouncy enthusiasm. He was like a happy kangaroo. Everything he did physically galvanized him; you would be hardpressed to ever catch him dragging his feet at anything.
During his time at Lafayette Jeremy volunteered for two initiative programs in Easton, PA—Kids in the Community (KIC) and Teens in the Community (TIC). After classes a few days a week Jeremy would travel into Easton and spend a few hours with underprivileged children and teenagers. In KIC, he helped kids with their homework, played sports with them, and guided them through different arts and crafts activities. While volunteering for TIC, Jeremy led teenagers in exercises that facilitated discussions about serious issues inner-city adolescents faced. He listened sympathetically as kids talked about single-parent households, dangerous urban influences, and the adult responsibilities that were foisted on them. To watch Jeremy participate in these two programs was to see someone at ease with other human beings. His different background never created a divide between him and the young people he spent time with. He was charismatic and playful with the kids, throwing the football or joking around, and sincere and earnest with the teenagers. What these Easton kids knew was that Jeremy wasn't faking it: he wasn't just putting his time in, feigning compassion and interest so he could put volunteer work on his resume. He was really there, with them. He didn't have the selfish motivations that keep people from disparate backgrounds alienated from one another even when they're physically side by side. His time in KIC and TIC marked the early stages of a compassionate social awareness, as he would become increasingly mindful of the economic injustice in the world. While at Lafayette, Jeremy maintained a 3.84 GPA as a Philosophy major. Although he studied a great deal of Western philosophy, by his junior year he was drawn to the possibility of
learning about Eastern ideologies and beliefs, specifically, Buddhism and its ontology. This nascent fascination led Jeremy to a transformative experience that would open up his mind and heart and show him a greater purpose: his abroad trip to Nepal.
During the Spring of 2008, Jeremy lived with a host family in the Nepalese city of Pharping. He originally set out to explore Tibetan Buddhism and how it shapes the personal identity and philosophy of its followers. In other words, he was passionate about branches of knowledge—religion, philosophy, spirituality. While Jeremy would continue to be fascinated by the Buddhist ideas of dharma, karma, and the moral complexity that comes from a spiritual reward system, his time in Nepal put him in touch with a humanity that college coursework never could. On his first full day in Pharping, he wrote in his journal about how paralyzed he felt by all the poverty around him. He wrote that it wasn't fair that he should be born into wealth and privilege while these children had to suffer and beg. This indignation at the suffering of others became a through-line in Jeremy's life. He realized with perfect clarity what so many others fail to: that human beings have no control over the circumstances they are born into, and there is a heartrending injustice in the unequal distribution of suffering through birthright. This realization, something Jeremy had felt beneath the surface for much of his life, was fully awakened in Nepal.
But of course Jeremy was not content to feel idle compassion during his time abroad. While in Nepal he worked arduously studying the effects of Buddhism on development and civic engagement. He strove to understand how Buddhism and the personal beliefs it fosters could motivate people to change their circumstances and better the world around them. He specifically objected to the ideas set forth in the acclaimed non-fiction book Fatalism and Development, which posits that Nepal's people have a resigned, fatalistic outlook on their lives, thereby making attempts at development nearly impossible. Jeremy felt strongly that the Buddhist doctrine of karma
could motivate the Nepalese to improve their station and assume agency over their lives.
Through studying non-governmental organizations and the social infrastructure of Nepal, Jeremy came to realize the extraordinary potential that education had in these people's lives. He believed education to be perhaps the most important thread that must be woven into the social fabric of the Nepalese's lives. If people received adequate educations then they would have a more complete grasp of their natural freedoms. Jeremy believed that it is not fatalism and a resignation to bleak fates that kept so many Nepalese poor and troubled; it is a lack of education and opportunity.
This conviction became the driving force of Jeremy's life. He was very passionate about Nepal and its people, and he cared for them deeply. During that semester of his junior year he found that one, overarching thing that he could give himself to completely. It was his dream to return to Nepal, to devote his professional life to ending the burden of poverty and misfortune that he knew, in his heart, was not the fault of those who carried it. We may not think about it every day, or even every year, but we all know instinctively that dreams never die. They are in many ways our one great reason for living. To make better lives for the people, especially the children, of Nepal was Jeremy's dream. And through those who carry his memory and the Jeremy Saxe Foundation, it will never die.
When we think about Jeremy, one thing that is so striking is why he became so interested in Buddhism and Nepal in the first place. People embrace religion during their lives for a variety of reasons: personal salvation, the desire for reform and discipline, selfdiscovery. In almost all cases people find religion to cure their own
ills or to reach a deeper understanding within themselves. What makes Jeremy so unique is that he embraced Buddhism so that he could better understand others. His journey towards Buddhism, Nepal, and his own sense of global justice—was astonishingly, beautifully selfless. Among many other things, he will always be remembered for that.
The passage of time will never pry Jeremy from our hearts. To this day, his Delta Kappa Epsilon brothers still talk about him in emails, at reunions, and of course, at each of his annual basketball tournaments. Although Jeremy was clearly a deep and layered person, some things are recalled over and over: how easy he was to be around, his kindness, that ear-to-ear grin. DKE friends remember playing catch with him on March Field, playing basketball at Kirby Sports Center, and dancing with goofy abandon at Brothers Bar parties. Others still cherish his courage and openness with those around him. However, we are all unanimous in our memory of Jeremy as someone with an easy way with people and a big heart for them.
Mike Mariani is a 2008 graduate of Lafayette, a former KIC counselor, and a Delta Kappa Epsilon brother of Jeremy. Mike is currently a Writing Specialist and English Professor at Mercy College and a freelance writer.
Shikharapur Community School Pharping, Nepal
Shikharapur Community School Visit - Children's Day, September 15, 2015 Temporary Bamboo School
New School Building Progress from September 15, 2015 - April 17, 2016
First Day of the New School Year: Sunday, April 17, 2016 UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova inaugurated the building in a special ceremony on April 18, 2016. Jiwanko Saathiharu: Jeremy Saxe Foundation for Education and Development, Inc.
DKE Jeremy Saxe Basketball Tournament (founded 2009)
Special thanks to: Chris McConnell (2009), Jiwanko Saathiharu Director and Tournament CoFounder, a driving force behind the incredible success of each and every tournament. Mike Mariani (2008) and Tierney Clark (2013) for so beautifully writing “Jeremy's Life and Legacy” and “DKE Philanthropy,” respectively and Jack Kleiner (2018) for the super cool event poster/program cover design.
The tournament founders include: Chris McConnell, Mike Mariani, George Vrachimis, Dom Cimorelli, Christian Garelli, Nick Graham, Sander Rose, Matt Zamore, John Crerand, Joe Nam, Tom Gallo, Pete Heart, Ross Burlingame, Steve Smagula, Jon Shimmel, Mike Bellantoni, Brian Hu, Josh Kambour, Jason Siegel, Jon Jay, and Ezra Tischler 2009 Chair: 2010 Chair: 2011 Chair: 2012 Chair: 2013 Chair: 2014 Chair: 2015 Chair: 2016 Chair:
Chairs
Stephen Smagula Greg Baldwin/Brent Sounders Jared Piette Tierney Clark Rob Howe Sam Todd Matt Barrett Sam Bernhardt
Jiwanko Saathiharu: Jeremy Saxe Foundation for Education and Development, Inc.
Our Inspiration
Jiwanko Saathiharu honors the life of Jeremy Saxe who experienced a transforming semester abroad in Nepal through the School for International Training/Nepal Culture and Development. He fell in love with the spirituality of the culture, and the warmth and generosity of the Nepali people, but as his eyes bore witness to the gross disparity in resources that exist in our world, he became “livid.” This powerful experience propelled him to commit his future to help level the playing field for the disadvantaged and work toward alleviating poverty and injustice through international development. Tragically, on September 4, 2008, Jeremy died suddenly and unexpectedly of an undiagnosed heart condition, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. A natural leader with abundant positive energy, tremendous integrity, insightful intelligence, compassion and good humor, Jeremy inspired all who knew him. Jeremy’s spirit, inspiration, and mission live on through the work of his legacy foundation: providing quality education and development initiatives in Nepal. In Nepal, Jeremy is known by his Nepali name, Jiwan (“Life”). Jiwanko Saathiharu means “Friends of Jeremy/Friends of Life.