Chakett Club Newsletter Spring 2016 Vol 18-2

Chakett ClubAlumni Association of the Rho Delta ChapterVolume 18, Issue 3  March 2016 Greetings from Alpha’s Alumni Message the Alumni Elias Castro, PD’17 Chair This Spring semester has been a momentous time Reid Cole, PD’17 for Rho Delta. At the beginning of January, the newly Whenever I meet Chi Phi Alumni, whetherfrom our Chapter or otherwise, I find that they are hap- elected Executive Council held their Spring retreat andpy, proud even, to share the stories of how this fraterni-ty changed their lives. I love hearing these stories, be- as a result of this training, the Executive Council wascause it helps show that no matter how much the worldchanges around us, or how Chi Phi grows and evolves equipped with the tools necessary to help run our Chap-as an organization, one basic truth remains: that RhoDelta is a coalition of men truly committed to the ter properly. And it certainly shows with the number ofbetterment of themselves, the organization, and theworld around us. events and activities that have been planned and execut- In my tenure as a Brother, I’ve been lucky to ed this semester!spend time with several older alumni from our Chapter.Hearing them reminisce about the good times they had With respect to our philanthropic efforts, Rhoat the Wieuca house, as well as hearing about all thestruggles that the Chapter faced, and how they came Delta has served at the Atlanta Food Bank, where wetogether to push through the hard times, the pride andnostalgia in their voices is evident. To me, this shows helped with the upkeep of their community gardens. Ad-that Chi Phi truly never leaves you. I know that theteachings of the fraternity and the skills and interper- ditionally, we have served at Medshare Atlanta, wheresonal bonds I have made within it will benefit me for alifetime, so I hope that I will be able to continue to par- we helped sort expired yet functional medical suppliesticipate in a way that benefits the fraternity throughoutmy life. that are to be shipped to developing countries such as Continued on page 8… Honduras, Sierra Leone and Ghana. On the horizon, we have planned to host a Chi Phi tailgate later this semester where all proceeds will go to our national philanthropy, the Boys and Girls Club. In regards to our membership, we had the pleas- ure of initiating 10 new brothers this past semester. To continue to develop our newly initiated Brothers into the future leaders of this Chapter, membership education is currently underway as part of our total member educa- tion program. Continued on page 10…

2 The Chakett ClubBrothers Lee Lundy, PD’16 and For the second year in a row, Rho Delta had one of theJoseph Johnson, PD’17 with Dr. largest delegations to the Regional Leadership AllianceLarry Schall, President of Program, held this Spring at UNC-Chapel Hill inOglethorpe University during his Durham, NC. Members attended sessions on chaptervisit to Corpus Christi College at management, recruitment, and ritual and exchangedOxford to give a speech on The ideas with members from other Chapters.Future of Education. BrotherJohnson is finishing a semester of Scholarship Chairstudy abroad and will be return- Outlines newing this fall. Academic ProgramElias Castro, Alpha, Jared McSwain, PD’18(L) Brad Flagg, Epsi-lon, (Center) and Chris At the beginning of the spring semester,Fernandez, Junior I assumed the Scholarship Chair for the Rho DeltaClass President, were Chapter with one goal in mind: to see to the over-guests at the recent all improvement of our Brothers’ academic perfor-President’s Leadership mance. Though this may sound like a pretty gen-Dinner. eral goal, it has proven to be the primary ethos resonating throughout all of the endeavors of my Brother Keon Sims, Alan committee members and continues to inspire us as Smith, Beta, Jared McSwain, the semester progresses. Scholarship Chair, and Brad Flagg, Epsilon, took first Luckily, this goal has afforded our commit- place in the Students Today tee the opportunity to implement some new ideas Alumni Tomorrow trivia and systems to best accommodate both our night Chapter Bylaws and our individual Brothers.District 80 (Brookhaven) First off, we have re-kindled active commu-State Representative nication with one of our most important re-Taylor Bennet (L) sources: our Faculty Advisor, Dr. Bradford Smith.invited members of the So far, Dr. Smith has been more than happy toOU Student Government open his doors for additional academic advisingto be recognized at the for those Brothers who need extra help, and hasState Capitol last week. expressed his renewed enthusiasm to work with3rd from left is Brother the Rho Delta chapter. Continued on p 11…Chris Fernandez, who serves as OU Junior ClassPresident as well as IFC Vice-President

The Chakett Club 3 Q&A with OUAlumni RelationsKeon Sims Shane Pruitt OU AlumniPD’16 Relations Brother Keon Sims, PD’16, a Communication Keon: My options are open, but I am hoping for amajor/Sociology minor, from Atlanta, Georgia, sat Community Manager position for IGN—a gamingdown with Shane Pruitt, Associate Director of the network. It applies both my major and minor as I haveOglethorpe Alumni Relations Office to talk about his to write in an engaging way. Also, their “no jerksOglethorpe experience, life plans after OU, and how the allowed” policy fits right in with my personality. IfAlumni Office is helping out. Oglethorpe University is anything, it’s a lot of work,Shane: What will be your most lasting impression of but I always seem to have someone to talk to andOglethorpe after you leave? share with, and that feeling is something I hope to findKeon: Oglethorpe Day has just taken place. This event in my future employment.helped to reinforce the community feel of this campus; Shane: How has Oglethorpe prepared you to take theit’s a small community with a strong heart. Seeing next step?faculty, staff, and students come together to celebrateour history was a great sight. Continued on Page 4...Shane: What do you plan to do after you get yourdegree?2 45 61 379 12 8 10 11Photo Credits to The Yammacraw, Courtesy of the University Archives, Philip Weltner Library, Oglethorpe Universi-

4 The Chakett Club We want to hear from you!Send your comments, questions, news & notes to [email protected] listed below are considered “lost” due to a lack of a valid email or postal address… While some of them may be on Facebook or known to other members, we need a valid email address to update our records and to ensure distribution of future newslettersAlan Aguirre '14 James Kaye '88 Alumni Interview Continued from Page 3...Michael BelleIsle '74 Kenneth Lederman ‘75Samuel Beloff '77 DJ Ledet ‘00 Keon: This community has taught me to be loyal to aBeau Berthelot '12 Murray Lichter '76 body of people. If everyone is aware of the end goal,Robert Berrent '76 Donald Macy '80 then we can move together as one. Oglethorpe hasSaye Braucht '08 Christopher Martin ‘85 taught me the value of being true to my family—George Brown '76 Michael Mills '82 whether that’s this campus or my new company.Michael Browoleit '82 Kenneth Mogell '77 Shane: How has your fraternity experience shapedJohn Burdakin ‘81 Russell Montgomery '83 your life?Jimmy Burke '88 Robert Moore '99 Keon: Chi Phi has taught me how to be a leader. AndJason Cail ’02 Scott Mordue '86 it’s also been a better example of how to serve.Cristin Calle '92 Pat Mulhearn '96 Acting as treasurer, I was privy to about 40 differentBoyd Calvert '95 Jerry Mundy '94 life stories. You get to know a lot about people andCraig Campbell ‘92 David Murdico '87 trust when talking about money. Balancing businessJacob Camp '09 Andrew Murphy '06 with the human side is key, and when a non-profitDominick Cannatella ‘80 James Nye '87 business meets college, you really have to work withDario Commuzi '86 Jeffrey Petree '86 people’s individual position and build trust to stay outChris Cooper ‘03 Dalton Pierce '14 of the red. After my stint, we had no debt.Michael Corcoran '86 Ronald Policella '82 Shane: In what ways are you already staying con-Tom Crawford’74 Jeff Pyron’93 nected to OU in light of your upcoming graduation?Patrick Daniel '90 Ryan Rees '93 Keon: I am a part of Students Today, Alumni Tomor-Jason Day '99 Michael Reeves '00 row. This official student organization hosted by thePatrick Dean '87 Gerald Renoe '92 Alumni Office has given me a taste of the profession-Wesley Desselle '92 David Rigdon ‘06 al world. Mixing with alumni of 40-plus years hasGeorge Dippel '84 Timothy Riner '00 helped me to see that even though they are successful,David DiVita '92 Douglas Roberts '74 they were in my same shoes.Carlos Duque-Estrada '88 Johl Rotman '73Dylan Evans '06 David Sanders '97 Continued on Page 8….Christopher Failing '96 Eric Sechrist '79Jeremy Greenup’99 Nick Shapiro ‘00Lee Falk ‘73 Andrew Sherry '90Jeff Farge '98 Noah Siclari '14Robert Findley '14 Matthew Smith '99Arnold Gale '77 Charles Stephens '00Michael Gates '87 Mark Stephens’80Steven Geiger '79 Glenn Streidel '77Gary Hand '89 Paul Strizhevsky '97Christopher Henry '03 Christo Taoushiani ‘13Robert Irving '91 Ian Trimble '05Brad Isaacson '97 Forrester Vosburgh '14James Ivey '83 Steven Weber '90Ronald Jones '76 Eric Weinman '93

3 The Chakett Club 5 Save the date!!!Brothers hosted a Rave theme mixer with the Sisters of The Rho Delta Chapter turns 50Alpha Sigma Tau, (above) and a bowling night with in 2019… a short three years away!the Sisters of Chi Omega (below) Mark your calendars for Spring of 2019 in Atlanta! Details to follow in future issues... Flashback Photo Picture Keys1980s 2000’s Family Tree Project1. Bud Granger ‘85 1. A. J. McCarthy ‘08 In preparation for the 50th Anniversary, the Chapter will be compiling a Family Tree chart of2. John Schaefer ‘93 2. Jason Duchac ‘06 Big and Little Brothers from the founding of Rho Delta to the present.3. Karl Hall ‘83 3. Carter Dunn ‘11 Help us out by sending an email of the name4. John“JB”Bryan ‘81 4. Matthew Platt ‘07 of your Big Brother and any Little Brothers you had so that we can get started on the tree.5. Smythe DuVal ‘91 5. Kevin Redmon ‘02 [email protected]. Craige Wrenn ‘92 6. Dr. Bradford Smith7. Craig Campbell‘92 7. Barry Langer ‘118. Drew McNally ‘86 8. Matt Pazdernik ‘019. Dr. Charlton Jones 9. Riz Barkatullah ‘0510. Paul Swanson ‘82 10. Brent Rose ‘0711. Dave Murdico ‘87 11. Travis Griffin ‘0612. Chuck Allen ‘84 12. Eric Fladland ‘08

6 The Chakett ClubInterview with Dave Pass, PD’98 C Recently the Chakett Club had an opportunity to CC: Following graduation you continued involve-have a conversation with Dave Pass, PD’98, one of theChakett Club officers from the 1990s and now a ment with the Chapter by taking part in establishingmember of the Oglethorpe University Board of Trustees.CC: Looking back to your years in college, how did The Chakett Club alumni association in order to helpyou end up at Oglethorpe, and more specifically, howdid you end up in Chi Phi? foster better relations between Alumni and the Chap-Dave: I visited OU at the suggestion of my mom'saccountant, who had a son enrolled at the time. I really ter, but more importantly to continue those ties withenjoyed the visit and liked the fact I could get a liberalarts education in a great city like Atlanta. I was invited Brothers that were developed while in school andto learn about Chi Phi by my suitemates and Rho DeltaBrothers, Rod Smith and Glen Booth, the second semes- keep them going as Alumni. Tell us a little aboutter my freshman year. I then pledged the following Fall.CC: What would be your fondest memory of the your thoughts on the importance of alumni relationsChapter?Dave: There are too many to isolate just one. Several of and how it can benefit the Chapter and Alumni:them might be best kept to myself and those involved,but there were so many good times. The Buffett shows Dave: From my perspective,with CD, Rod, Willis, Tommy, and many others throughthe years were special. the most important thing theCC: Any funny stories or reminisces?Dave: The memories I just mentioned, but also the Chapter can do is tend toGumlog Ghetto, Somersaults of Victory, Easter BeerHunts, Buffett Concerts, Quote Boards, Camping Trips business, make good grades,and the Tool Helmet all come to mind.CC: Tell us a little bit about your involvement in and generally have a positiveChapter leadership and in the Oglethorpe community:Dave: I served the Chapter as Alumni Chair, Gamma, impact on campus life, alland Beta. A highlight was leading the ritual as Beta atthe College of Excellence the year we won our second while having fun and lettingGehring Award. After I graduated, I served on the newlyreformed Chakett Club's 30th Anniversary Committee as alumni know about yourfundraising chair and eventually as Secretary andPresident. It was a good time. I enjoyed our alumni soft- success. Everyone likes aball team, the Foul Balls, a great deal, and our bowlingnights. It was a great way to keep connected for a few winner and no one likesyears but eventually we all started having families andmore responsibilities with our careers, so it kind of drama. I think some effortfaded. Those were good days. As for Oglethorpeinvolvement, I was President of the Class of '98 and needs to be made to haveserved in numerous OSA positions. I did a few otherthings, but outside Chi Phi and OSA, being President of significant 5 year anniversarythe International Club was a highlight. celebrations but that requires volunteer effort from both the Chapter AND alumni to do it right. CC: Fast-forward eighteen Dave Pass PD’98 years. You now live in Tuscaloosa, Alabama- tell us a little about what you are doing now: Dave: I spent 15 years in Nonprofit Fund Develop- ment, most recently as Chief Advancement Officer for MedShare, an international NGO that provides medi- cal supplies and equipment to hospitals in 93 develop- ing world countries and territories. When Jenny and I started our family, it was evident that the travel and demands of that job were incompatible with my goal of spending time with our kids, so it was time for a change. I am now a Partner at Sealy Real Estate, a private, multifamily real estate investment and management firm founded by Jenny’s late grandfather. I work on projects in which we have a joint interest with other partners, oversee our furniture operation, and also run our own portfolio of investment proper- ties that we have built or acquired independently.

The Chakett Club 7Chakett Club Member & OU TrusteeCC: How has your membership and/or experience in graduated I was asked to be on the Alumni Board. I went to OU on pretty much a full tuition scholarship thatChi Phi affected or helped you in your career – someone else paid for, and I had a great experience. I believe in paying my tab eventually, even if I couldn’tlessons learned and applied, etc? afford to pay it at the time, and it is one of my personal philanthropic goals to give at least as much as was pro-Dave: I was always very motivated by the business vided to me. Financial constraints are a key concern for all small universities and Oglethorpe is no exception. Ifaspect of school. My involvement in Chi Phi helped everyone who benefitted from the generosity of someone else found a way to pay it forward through combinedme develop socially and have some fun. Being able to gifts of time, talent, or resources, we could eliminate that constraint and soar to new heights. I guess the Board ofrelate to and genuinely connect with a diverse array of Trustees just made sense as the next step in my involve- ment and I am honored to serve in that capacity. It ispeople is critical to success in life. People don’t like to one of the most thoughtful boards I’ve been associated with and the OU Administration is stronger than ever.be around tools or jerks. They want to know that your Big things have been accomplished but even bigger ones are in the works. Our best days are ahead. motives are pure and that you CC: Can you explain a little about just what a Trustee member does for the University? are a real person. One great Dave: We hire and evaluate the President, approve poli- cies and procedures, provide fiduciary oversight, set the example of that was when I strategy for the University, and work to see that Univer- sity has the resources it needs to fulfill its mission. was invited to tour Viet Nam CC: What would you say you have learned as a Board Member as it relates to Oglethorpe, the students in gen- with representatives of one of eral, the Chapter, Alumni involvement, etc: The business of higher education is highly competitive. the world’s largest found- Given the information I have, I think OU is well- positioned for the future, and our growth the past few ations. For three weeks we years while our peers have declined, is evidence of that. I think our students are as strong and impressive as ever. toured the country from top to What strikes me most is that OU continues to not be a place of entitlement and instead a place where if you bottom. The night before work hard and apply yourself, good things will happen. CC: If you had some sagely wisdom for the current every meeting, we had dinner Actives in the Chapter, what would that be? Dave: I won’t say we never got in trouble but we took (and lots of beer) with off- care of business and were well liked by the administra- tion, by other Greeks, and by the campus at large. That icials we would be meeting is a good spot to be in. It’s much harder to be in a Fra- ternity these days and you really have to pay attention to with the following day to dis- risk management. cuss partnerships. We stayed Continued on Page 10... out every night very late but unfailingly the followingwith wife Jenny morning, no matter the lack of sleep or the amount of beerconsumed, we would be seated across the table fromeach other (under the watchful eye of the bust of HoChi Minh) in the most formal of meetings to discusspartnership possibilities. As we were leaving to returnto the States, my host invited my organization tosubmit a seven figure grant application. It turns out thewhole trip was pretty much a test to see how my teamrelated to our potential Vietnamese partners. If wedidn’t strike a genuine connection, we would not havebeen successful.CC: Going back to the question on alumni involve-ment – tell us a little bit about how you extended yourinvolvement with the University after graduation andhow it has resulted in your appointment to theOglethorpe University Board of Trustees?Dave: Everyone needs some separation after gradua-tion but I stayed in Atlanta and a few years after I

8 The Chakett ClubAlumni Interview, Continued from Page 3... Alumni Chair, from Page 1I can feel that alums trust me to carry on our tradition It is the responsibility of the active members ofof excellence. There are a lot of different types of the Chapter to ensure that our alumni are given ampleevents that we hold, but each one presents a unique opportunity to contribute their wisdom and experienceway to network. In fact, my Big Brother in Chi Phi was to our continued operations, so I was excited to takeable to find employment at Porsche through a on the position of Alumni Chair when our Beta askednetworking experience that included another Brother. me to do it.Let’s flip the script with Keon asking a question of With the 47th Anniversary and OU Alumnihis own: Weekend quickly approaching, I sincerely hope that all of you will take some time to come to the house,Keon: What motivates you to be so passionate about get to know some of the active Brothers, reminiscealumni relations? with those Brothers with whom you were active, and share your experience with us.Shane: My philosophy for alumni relations is thatwhen you decided to enter into the Oglethorpe Univer- We’d all love to hear it!sity community, you signed a family contract for life. Itis our campuses’ responsibility to take care of those Trevor Sheffield, PD’09 haswho chose to be a part of our legacy. That means I get been designated as the 2016to design a program that keeps our alums engaged Oglethorpe Universitywhich helps both the alumni members and the institu- Young Alumnus of the Yeartion. As soon as we forget how important the stories of in recognition for leadershipour alums are, we lose a big part of our identity. and inspiration to other young alumni through partic-About Shane: ipation in career, public ser- vice, volunteering and con-Shane joined the Alumni Relations staff at Oglethorpe tinuing education.University in the spring of 2015 where he now servesas the Associate Director. He has a background in both Tommy Ison, PD’96alumni relations and admissions as he served in both is running for Statethose capacities at the University of Oklahoma. Shane Court Judge inhas presented at several regional and national confer- Spalding County, GAences for CASE, NACAC, and the Innovative LearningInstitute and is a member of several professional organ- You can find out moreizations. He has a Microbiology B.S. and a Higher about his campaign atEducation M.Ed. from Oklahoma and is finishing a Facebook.com/doctorate degree in higher education at the University tommyisonforjudgeof Memphis researching alumni engagement through Good luck this fallcampus traditions, rituals, and rites of passage. In his Brother Ison!!!spare time, he enjoys stage acting and playing basket-ball.

The Chakett Club 9Rho Delta advances forward another year to the 47th Anniversary April 15th through 17th 2016 Friday April 15th Saturday April 16th6 PM OU Alumni Awards and Athletic Hall of 10 AM Alumni Forum with President Schall Fame Reception & Dinner (Off Campus)7 PM Rho Delta Open House Noon John P. Salamone Soccer Tournament For Alumni & Guests Refreshments & Light Food till midnight Noon Quadfest Family Picnic Scrap Books, History, Trivia & Fun 3 PM Hidden Stories of Oglethorpe ArchivesFor complete schedule and details on University 4 PM Faculty Reception in honor of 40 yearsplanned events visit www.alumni.oglethorpe.edu of Service of Dr. Linda Taylor Sunday April 17th 5 PM Petrel Pints & Vines SocialThere are no official events scheduled for the 6 PM Rho Delta Open HouseUniversity Alumni Weekend on Sunday for Alumni & Guests Cookout & Refreshments till 1 AM11 AM Rho Delta Chapter Brunch 7 PM Class Reunion Dinner Waffles, French Toast & more….6 PM Alumni in town are welcome to attend 9 PM Stomp the Lawn Band Party a Formal Chapter meeting and be Academic Quad installed in The Scarlet Guard Alumni Honorary SocietyFor more information about the Oglethorpe Alumni Weekend or to register visit www.alumni.oglethorpe.edu Use your Petrel Pass Let your voice be during Alumni Weekend for discounts at the OU heard! Bookstore. For more info or to Complete the Alumni register, visit Engagement Survey at aumni.oglethorpe.edu alumni.oglethorpe.edu/ engagementsurvey

10 The Chakett ClubAlpha’s Message, from page 1... Interview with Dave Pass, from Page 7…Here, we are teaching, to name a few, basic chapter op- That being said, be sure to have some fun and makeerations, the importance of ritual and how to effectively friends. College is a once in a lifetime experience andlive our values of Truth, Honor and Personal Integrity on you’ll regret it if you graduate and all you did wasa daily basis. Our efforts in educating our Brotherhood study.have been fruitful, and this was apparent during our re- CC: Same for the alumni… what would you say tocent trip to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill them in reflection as an alumnus for fifteen years?for the 2016 Chi Phi Regional Leadership Alliance. Dave: Most of those guys are more interesting andRho Delta was present with the largest delegation out of accomplished than I am. I just wish I had a chance toall the Chapters present and was recognized for its level see them more!of engagement during the program. CC: Thank you for visiting with us and we hope to see you in Atlanta soon!!! It is safe to say that Rho Delta is not only mov-ing forward, but leading the Chi Phi Nation. And we The Futurewould like for you to be a part of the movement! We Babes performwill be hosting events specifically for our Alumni during at Smith’s Oldethe OU Alumni Weekend (April 15-16). This is not on- Bar in Atlantaly an opportunity for you to reconnect with the Brothersfrom your time at the Chapter, but also an opportunityfor the current Chapter membership to connect with you.Chi Phi, especially Rho Delta, has always been morethan just four years during undergrad. It is forever. Wewould like to extend this invitation to you to use this up-coming Alumni Weekend to reconnect with ourbeloved Rho Delta and celebrate our 47th anniversary!Andy Houghton, PD’17 Carson Fleischman,prepares to put some PD’17 ’s band Thepoints on the board for Future Babes,the Stormy Petrels released their self-titledLacrosse team album last month.Rho Delta Brothers enjoy a little fun time with golfing, indoor hockey, snowboarding, and working at the Atlanta food bank

The Chakett Club 11Scholarship Chair, from Page 2 … Furthermore, the participation of Brothers on Academic Deficiency with my committee is at an Additionally, we have added a Scholar of all-time high. So far, all of our aforementionedthe Week award for those Brothers who submit Brothers have met with a committee member andtheir grades to my committee. Whoever submits a have devised a system of study hours and academicgrade of an 89 or higher enters into a randomized advisement to ensure their success this semestercontest to win prizes ranging from school supplies with the hopes of returning to good standing nextto gift cards. This allows my committee to garner semester.scholarship participation while keeping track ofwhere our Brothers are on the positive end of aca- All in all, I look forward to continuing todemics. However, in order to make the best use ofour budget and raise the stakes of the competition, work with my committee and my fellow Brothersthis is transitioning into a Scholar of the Monthaward with bigger prizes and, ideally, better overall to instill a sense of integrity in all Rho Deltagrades. scholarly endeavors. Any and all questions about Also, I have worked with Brother BradFlagg (current Epsilon) to ensure that our house is Rho Delta scholarship, or general comments orclosed on Wednesdays to allow for study hours. Sofar, this has been a well-used resource providing a concerns can be emailed to me atsafe-haven for all-nighters and group studysessions. [email protected] 345 67 8 9 10 11 12Photo Credits to The Yammacraw, Courtesy of the University Archives, Philip Weltner Library, Oglethorpe University, Atlanta Georgia

ALUMNI ASSOCIATION E-MAIL: [email protected] (Coming Soon): www.chakettclub.orgFACEBOOK GROUP: Chi Phi—Rho Delta Alumni THE CHAKETT CLUB The Rho Delta Alumni Association P.O. Box 52997 Atlanta, GA 30355