“DKE once, DKE twice, DKE… [insert indecipherable yelling and wall pounding here].”

Those are the sounds of the brothers of Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE, pronounced “deek”, Nu Zeta chapter) in their natural element of townhouse 32. The boys make no effort to conceal their pride by vocalizing it when circumstances allow and wearing their letters, temporarily and permanently.

“Most of my brothers have their letters tattooed on them,” said junior biology major and President of DKE-NZ David Fischer. “We’re going to wear these letters until we die, because DKE is for life.”

The brothers of DKE, which was founded in 1844 at Yale University and 1983 at Pace, carry themselves in accordance with their motto: “Gentlemen, scholars and jolly-good fellows”.

“All of our boys are the same, in the regard that we all stay true to that motto,” said Fischer. “We’re respectful to everyone we come in contact with, we hold our academics as a high priority and we sure as hell know how to throw a party.”

In the fall of 2011 DKE set the bar high with their impressively well-executed event, “Get Your DKE Wet”. The boys chose brothers to transport students from the Pleasantville and Briarcliff campuses to their former off-campus house in Chappaqua.

“Outside on the lawn we had a hundred foot blow up water slide and a DJ,” said Fischer. “We filled the basement with foam and kiddie pools.”

The neighbors weren’t happy with the noise and the foam pit did some serious damage to the new dance floor (built by the brothers themselves) but everyone who was in attendance had a blast. Sophomore international business major, accounting minor and current Vice President of DKE-Nu Zeta, David Goldstein, can attest.

“At first I was attracted to the frat because of their crazy parties,” said Goldstein. “But then when I hung out with the guys I found that they were the only brothers that really cared for each other; they made other frats seem like groups of friends. These guys had a different dynamic.”

The boys currently have nine active members. Unlike some other organizations, their small number does not trouble them.

“That’s what differentiates us from other organizations,” said Fischer. “We know each brother and love each brother on more personal levels, we’re family.”

If the boys really are family, then that would make them  related to prominent figures like former President Theodore Roosevelt, former President George H.W. Bush, former President George W. Bush, former President Gerald Ford, Howard Heinz (founder of Heinz Ketchup), who are all DKE alumni.

“I meet alumni everywhere I go,” said Fischer. “There’s an immediate connection and I love that.”

The chapter’s president has run into brothers outside of a club in Manhattan, at other schools and even while volunteering at a retirement home. One of the residents saw Fischer’s letters and invited him to his room where he revealed his own DKE paraphernalia.

Along with being a gentleman, scholar and jolly-good fellow, being a DKE means being a member of the prestigious Yale Club, a private association in New York City. Members must meet one of three criterions: they must be a Yale University student or alumnus, they must be willing to pay 100,000 dollars per year or they must be a DKE brother or alumnus.

“I’ve only been there once,” recalled Fischer. “They had a really strict dress code and all of the members had a drink in hand.”

There is good reason for the automatic acceptance to the esteemed fellowship. The members and alumni of DKE are diligent and devoted men who have become CEOs and CFOs, are in prestigious graduate programs and others who are working diligently to pursue what others may well perceive as impossible. DKE learns hard work ethic from their academia and applies it to several realms. For example, psychology major, criminal justice minor and former president, Vincenzo Romano, is currently training for a shot at playing in the National Football League.

“DKE taught me how to how hold myself accountable for my decisions,” said Romano. “It taught me that academics must come first if I’m going to succeed. It showed me that with hard work and determination I can achieve anything.”

Despite the vulgar tee shirts that the boys choose to rock and the party-boy vibe they hold true to, DKE puts hard work and determination first and foremost, which is what appealed to junior criminal justice major and Vice President of Programming, Keith Collazo.

“I wanted to join because I saw the great accomplishments of the other guys, who I can now proudly call my brothers,” said Collazo. “It was the promise of a better life that appealed to me, and it is better because I am a DKE!”

This semester DKE hopes to expand their organization with men who are interested in doing exceedingly well academically and who want to party hard on the journey of achieving personal aspirations. They will be hosting their annual “Get Your DKE Wet” event next fall semester.

“My goal is to become a PA,” said Fischer. “I want to make my family proud.”

Although he didn’t specify, he meant his blood related family and his DKE brothers.