March 1988 Omegaphone
Impromptu Visit Uncovers Common Bonds: Alumni President's Last Report Has Good News, Good Words for Omega
By John Wszalek Alumni Corporation President
Recently, I stopped by the house while I was in State College on business. It wasn't Homecoming or Founders' Day or any special event, it was just a cold Friday night in February and Drew Tomlinson and I just wanted to see what was going on.
I am very glad we dropped in. The brothers and pledges were pleased to see us, and anyone who knows Drew and me, knows that doesn't happen very often. But that's not why I was glad; what made the visit worthwhile was that we got a chance to talk to some of the brothers in a casual atmosphere, as opposed to a party or during a crisis.
I have not always enjoyed my visits in the past. I don't like their music; I think they dress funny; and some of them even have strange jewelry hanging from their ears; but on this night, it didn't matter. We talked for a long time on different subjects: academics, athletics and co-eds. After we left, Drew and I realized these guys are the same as we were 10 or 12 years ago. Maybe back then some alums didn't like our music or our clothes (of course we didn't wear strange jewelry on our ears and I'm still not sure about that, but....).
Next time you are at the house, take the time to talk—I think you'll enjoy it.
Since this is my last letter as president of the alumni corporation, I would like to take a few lines to thank some people who were a great help to me:
Todd Fortier, our treasurer, who spent our money like his own—rarely. Hugh Cadzow, who made me look good at meetings just by sitting next to me. Howard Alter—I don't know why I'm thanking Howard but any one who comes back as often as he should get some recognition. To everyone who contributed to the 523 Fund, especially the brothers of the 40's and 50's, many of whom have not seen the house in over 20 years, who made the drive a huge success. A very special thanks to Mike Perkins torah the effort he put into the fund drive to make it work. He wasn't the best-looking fund raiser, but he got the job done.
Spring Rush: Enthusiasm Begets Enthusiasm, and 13 Pledges for Theta Chi
By Mike Becker and Mark Woehrel Rush Chairmen
The light of Theta Chi is burning as bright as ever this semester. With many highly respected brothers graduating in May, spring rush be-came very important.
The turnout for the IFC Rush Mixer itself didn't attract as many as we had hoped, but the magnetic Theta Chi table attracted nearly 150 energetic rushes. Our two open houses welcomed about 60 men interested in becoming brothers of Theta Chi.
The large number of rushees sparked house morale which manifested itself through the brothers enthusiastic attendance at rush events. These included Poker Night, pool and fooseball tournaments with brother/rush teams, dinners and a short slide show showing the unique benefits of belonging to the Theta Chi brotherhood.
Initially, we had hoped to attract ten pledges through rush. However, as the weeks went on, our expectations grew; we extended 14 bids and all 14 accepted. Unfortunately, one decided not to pledge for scholastic reasons. The thirteen young men who did pledge are of high quality and are showing great enthusiasm for their long, meaningful journey toward brotherhood.
Brothers Work to Retain Chapter Status, Prepare Omega for the Future
By Philip J. Katchur Chapter President
Greetings to all alumni. This issue will hopefully allow you to catch up, relive old times and become involved with the undergraduates at the chapter house.
Chapter membership presently totals 53 brothers and 14 pledges, which will again ensure a full house in the fall. This year Omega will lose 17 brothers to graduation; their loss will be felt in body, but not in spirit.
Through long hours of hard work, dedication and commitment, Omega has maintained, if not increased, its stature in academics, athletics, philanthropies and, obviously, overall popularity.
The Interfraternity Council at Penn State has increased its role in Greek affairs, Theta Chi has had a prominent role in these changes. Several of our brothers are currently heading or serving on many IFC committees. Recently, the IFC adopted a mandatory Crime Watch Program for which brothers and pledges patrol area neighborhoods during party nights and report suspicious incidents or vandalism to the police. For their own part, it is very likely that fraternities may begin to card for the legal drinking age of 21 at parties. Due to police and liquor control board action throughout the state, fraternities are looking into reducing their liability, criminal as well as civil. Hopefully, with the cooperation of all, a solution will be found in the near future.
The arrival of spring at Happy Valley brings with it many Theta Chi activities. First, the Region Three Assembly will be hosted by Zeta Omega Chapter at West Chester University on April 8, 9 and 10. II you're in the area, please plan to attend this educational gathering of brothers to participate or just say, "Hi." The second major event, "KICKS at Theta Chi" (Kids in Cooperation with Karing Students at Theta Chi), will be held the weekend of April 16th. This philanthropic event will be conducted with the Centre County Youth Service Bureau to help the less fortunate children of the Centre Area. Last, but certainly not least, Founders' Day Weekend will be April 22, 23 and 24. The weekend should be a most enjoyable one with Penn State's Blue/White game, the Sy Barash Regatta, our own corporation meeting and plenty of food and drink.
Before closing, the undergraduates would like to take this opportunity to thank the alumni corporation officers who will be stepping down from their positions on Founders' Day. We were impressed and extremely gratified by the "helping hand" they so generously extended to the chapter. Alumni support is vital to the success of every chapter. All are encouraged to return to Omega as soon as possible, With alumni experience and active ambition, we can make our fraternity the best it can possibly be. We know you're out there, so please plan to return soon. You're always welcome.
Housing Developments: Alumni Take Active Role in House Maintenance and Repair, Major Bathroom Renovation Pending
As usual, the brotherhood of Omega Chapter has been busy with numerous repairs to our aging house. House managers Jeff Damcott and Mike Feeney, along with other dedicated brothers, have been working hard to improve Omega's cosmetic appearance.
Thanks to alumni brother Ed Brown and several actives, we have replaced the ceiling tiles in the second- and third-floor hallways and the laundry room. In addition, all light covers in the hallways have been replaced.
Thanks are also extended to alumnus brother John Stagliano for providing new dining room light fixtures at a discount price. All wall 'and ceiling light fixtures have been replaced, making a nice improvement in a much needed area.
Also, due to cracking in aging plaster walls, some areas have been replaced or patched with new wallboard. We are also considering plans to replace an entire wall in the pool room that is beginning to show the wear and tear of fraternity life.
Finally, but most importantly, the second- and third-floor bathrooms have been serviced and are fully operational. The plumbing and the fixtures themselves, however, have been showing signs of age and renovation of our bathrooms may be in order. As of this writing, five estimates have been received for this major project. More details will be available at the upcoming corporation meeting. We hope to see you at the meeting to receive your valuable input.
Undergraduates Continue to Wise Up: Chapter GPA Climbs to Top Half of Fraternity Academic Rankings
By Shane Balcik Scholastics Chairman
Last fall Theta Chi continued to rise in the fraternity academic rankings to reach 26th out of the 52 Penn State fraternities. This jump of four places, although not as dramatic as our 16-place jump one semester earlier, was very significant in that it put Theta Chi in the top half of the rankings.
Fall semester also brought the plus/minus grading system to Penn State. Although this contributed to a .04 drop in the all men's average, Theta Chi's GPA rose nearly .09 points to a 2.57 (which was also the all-fraternity average). The fall 1987 pledge class finished with a 2.67 average while pledging, and the spring '88 class looks to do even better.
Along the lines of individual performances, Theta Chi had 15 brothers finish above a 3.0, compared to only six a semester earlier. Robert John Scavello Jr., had the highest average with a 3.73, and was awarded the new $100 Scholastic Excellence Scholarship. Rob was joined on the dean's list by Steve Dodge and newly initiated Scott Kost, who earned a 3.53 while pledging.
This upward trend should continue as academics are stressed more and more in brotherhood and pledging. With new incentives such as the above-mentioned scholarship giving brothers extra motivation, Theta Chi could quite possibly become the academic leader in the Greek community at Penn State.
Philanthropy Places High Among Omega's Priorities
By Bill Herron and Jim Fox Philanthropy Chairmen
Once again, the brothers of Omega Chapter are participating in and winning many local philanthropies.
We recently took first place in the Alpha Phi Ski for Heart and fourth place in the AGD Bowlers Classic.
This semester we are going all out for the IFC Dance Marathon. Five Theta Chi brothers will join sisters from Alpha Gamma Delta sorority to dance in the 48-hour event. We expect to raise over $1,500 for the Four Diamonds Club.
For Greek Week, Omega is teaming up with the Theta Kappa Pi sorority. We expect a strong showing in all events as our spirit and ability should take us to the top.
We are also expanding our own philanthropy, KICKS (Kids in Cooperation with Karing Students). Omega extends its helping hand to children in the Big Brother/Big Sister Program with a day of games, prizes and fun.
Alumni News
Frederick T. Vansant '20, an avid bridge player, is enjoying retirement.
"Proud to be associated with Theta Chi," writes LeRoy D. Seymour '26. "Jack" has been very involved with various community service projects
Our sympathy goes to Gerard A. Albert '27 in the loss of his wife in January of 1987. Jerry is retired.
Retired for 15 years, Ralph A. Eckert '34 lives in Pittsburgh, PA.
Robert E. Eberly '39 is chairman of Gallatin National Bank and chair-man of Eberly & Meade Inc.
"Good to hear about all the house improvements and progress in the fund drive," writes Harry F. Baker '40. Harry and his wife, Shirley, are enjoying their retirement.
J. Leon Platt '49 says his hobby of repairing and restoring clocks during the last 15 years has nearly turned into a business.
Regional sales manager of Easco Hand Tools Inc., Philip C. Chapman '57 lives in West Chester, PA.
John S. Keller '58 is with the Bedford Area School District.
Patent attorney Alexis Barron '60 resides in Philadelphia, PA 19118. Axel's law firm specializes in "intellectual" property.
S. Thomas Hornyak '72 resides in Allison Park, PA. He is president of Micro Management Concepts Inc.
Marketing manager of Con Fab Corp., William H. Rooney '75 now resides in Reading, PA.
Announcing the birth of his second child, Kasey, born on July 16, 1987, is Victor Howe '76. Victor is assistant director of material management for Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center.
"I'm expecting to complete a family practice residency in January 1989," writes Bob Mooney Jr. '78. Bob is currently with the U.S. Naval Hospital at Camp Pendelton in California.
R. Scot Herman '80 is with the Millcreek Township Police Department.
"Recently promoted to assistant national manager of professional liability underwriting for the financial institutions department of Chubb & Son insurance companies," writes Evan Rosenberg '80. Evan informs us that Paul Bender has been promoted to assistant branch manager of the Hong Kong office of Chubb & Son.
Hugh D. Cadzow '83 and his wife, Tracy (Omega Little Sister), have purchased their first house in Lancaster, PA. Hugh is a registered landscape architect with Huth Engineers Inc. He tells us of the great Christmas party at the home of Tim Boyd '83 with a good mix of both younger and older generation Omegas.
Logistics analyst for Syscon Corp., Timothy P. Dutcher '83 and wife Kathy, are the parents of their first child, Jennifer Nicole, born August 19, 1987.
Chris Allocco '84 plans to wed next October. Chris is a senior EDP auditor for Citibank.
"I spent a week at the chapter in January. The house looked great and the brotherhood was strong," writes Edward M. Brown '87, a student at the Dickinson School of Law.
Albert Guber '87 is a grad student at the University of Arizona. "Big Al" had a fantastic New Year fiesta in Arizona with active Brother Steve Dodge.
Chapter Eternal
We regret to inform you of the death of:
Herbert M. Hofford
Harvey W. Redington
Thomas J. Reldnouer
Samuel N. Baxter Jr.
William L. Halpen '39
’87 Open Results Disclosed - Plan Now to Attend 1988 Event in May
By John Wszalek
The question I am most asked when I’m talking to a brother is “Who won the 1987 Theta Chi Open?” So, for those of you who haven’t heard yet, here are the results
For the second time in the “Opens” history, Dave Matthews walked off with the “Red Jacket.” He didn’t win, he walked off with the jacket. Paul Stratis won, but since Paul left Omega and is now affiliated with Drexel, we don’t talk about him much. Rumor has it he switched to avoid the dues. You know, $20 is $20.
Ed Kibitz won the closest to the pin competition. Eddie’s game, which has more mulligans then the Dublin phone book, raised some questions; however, the rest of his foursomes, Bill, Joe, and LeRoy Kibitz, backed up Ed’s story.
This year’s open is tentatively scheduled for May 20th.
At last! The real story of the 1987 Theta Chi Open finally comes out.
Thank you to all those brothers that shared their news.
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