November 2010 Omegaphone
My Pledge Project? Re-Founding the Chapter
By Dan Gregory ’05
What was your pledge project? Pledge projects are one of those Theta Chi experiences that classes across the decades share. Whether it is the sand volleyball court, barbeque pit, or a painting in the stairwell, we all remember something we accomplished with our pledge class. So when I stopped by the house this fall to check in on the chapter and meet some of the guys, it was only a matter of time before someone asked, “What was your pledge project?” Since many classes focus on making improvements to the house, the brothers were a little surprised when I answered, “My pledge class project was re-founding the chapter.”
As many of you know, Omega Chapter struggled during the 2001-02 school year and was reorganized in the Fall of 2002. The chapter was brought back to life under the guidance of Theta Chi Expansion Coordinator Sean Bailey (Alpha Psi, Maryland), Theta Chi Leadership Consultant Ben Hill (Eta Kappa, James Madison), and Penn State Student Leadership Coordinator Jared Brown (Eta Zeta, Edinboro). Brother Brown continued to work with the chapter throughout his tenure at Penn State and was a trusted advisor during the early years of Omega’s resurgence. The exact number of people in the “re-founding” class (Fall 2002) is a little fuzzy. We received our new member pins with nearly 20 men, but within 24 hours we lost about 8 of them. By the time we finished our first semester, the entire chapter was hanging on to roughly 10 brothers
In some ways, we were lucky to have 10 of us. The early days of the re-founding were, at times, brutal. We struggled with the concept of the new Omega chapter identity. We were one of the few, if not only, committee roles that it takes to run Omega chapter. Now imagine filling them all with less than a dozen guys who have only known each other for a few weeks.
Recruiting was our biggest challenge, particularly because Omega chapter was a tough sell back then. We could not persuade people with legendary parties, significant philanthropic events, or even the lure of a big fraternity house since ours was locked for renovations. Worst of all, we did not have an existing undergraduate brotherhood that could prove to recruits the type of tight friendships and shared memories you could gain as a brother of Theta Chi.
The one thing that we could sell the recruits on though, and the one thing that no other fraternity on campus could sell, was the opportunity to create something from the ground up. We attracted new guys and motivated ourselves with the vision of what Omega chapter could one day become. We walked through the empty, run-down house and pictured it freshly renovated, filled with brothers. We talked to the alumni about their parties and events and imagined recreating them with new undergraduates. We thrashed out what we always wanted in a fraternity, what no other fraternity on campus was doing, and we aimed to make it a reality.
Among all the challenges and frustrations, the re-founding pledge class thoroughly enjoyed their years building the chapter back up. Cameron Lefevre ’06 boldly led our class as the first chapter president after the re-founding. Jacob Wolf ’06 discovered the previously unknown ability to stay up all night building soccer goals out of plastic piping, resulting in a surprisingly successful attempt at K.I.C.K.S. Bill Hertrick ’04 and Steve Brummel ’03 introduced our fraternity to the weekly tradition of trivia night at Champs. Brother Hertrick also opened his hunting cabin for a legendary and infamous fraternity retreat. Andrew Willment ’03 taught the brotherhood the game of “run around,” which is still the best and most fun way to utilize a broken pool table in an empty fraternity house. Avi Sadiky ’06 became the point man for fix-it-yourself upgrades to the fraternity house before one day also serving as president. Nathan Peifer ’04 simultaneously provided the brotherhood its moral grounding while also leading the effort to find alternative social locations to our dry fraternity house. Matthew Schwartz ’06 and I lived in apartments that often served as those alternative locations.
The re-founding experience was definitely different than most brothers’ Omega experience, but in the end, we walked away with the same memories and same life-long friendships as every pledge class. We still share stories of THON canning trips, parties, K.I.C.K.S., socials with sororities and countless hours around the house. Like all alumni, my pledge class could go on for hours about our time as students.
When I visited the house a few weeks ago, I do not think I could adequately explain to the undergraduates just how amazed and proud I was of what our chapter, undergraduates and alumni, had accomplished in the last eight years. The guys that lived in the house my senior year only filled four bedrooms. We were able to fit the entire fraternity around one circular dining table for chapter meetings and meals. It was standard for the chapter president to also be THON chair and K.I.C.K.S chair and scholarship chair.
So, I get excited about the awards we win now at Theta Chi conventions and IFC events. I am astounded that we are not only participating in Homecoming, but winning. I love when I go back to the house and see it filled with brothers. I appreciate that the undergraduates have stuck by the principals we used during the re-founding but still make the chapter their own and grow it stronger.
We have come a long way in a short time, and I am excited to see what is yet to come.
L to R: Merry, Anthony Panichelli, Louis Martini Jr., Michael Garrity and Scott Kotcamp
Poe Valley
Anatomy of a Nickname
Michael “Dirt” Garrity ’84 reports on the origin of his nickname...
“When I was in second grade the ‘older kids’ were playing football at the Narberth park, and one had to leave. They told me and a few of my classmates that whoever got the dirtiest in the next five minutes could play. We all swam in a mud puddle and looked the same. For whatever reason, they chose me. They christened me Dirt and it stuck.”
Omega Chapter Sets Goal to Raise $40,000 for 2011 Dance Marathon in Memory of Our THON Child
L to R: David Stoltzfus, Ed Benish, Liam Benjamin Fennecken, Jeremy Railing, Ahmad Rdd, Brody Dalton Karn, Nathaniel Wysocki, Mitch Hulderman, Geoff Rolstone - 2010 Dance Marathon
Theta Chi has a rich tradition of fundraising for the Penn State Dance Marathon in the past, and this upcoming year should be no different. Last year, our fraternity raised $30,000, and our goal for the 2011 THON is $40,000. This year, we are motivated to fundraise like never before because of the fact that our THON child, Carly Mitchell, lost her fight to cancer at the young age of 5. Since being assigned Carly last fall, we slowly began to see the horrible effects that childhood cancer has on both a young child and the family as a whole. We have provided her family with immense support, and this THON season is completely dedicated in her honor.
However, we cannot raise $40,000 alone as undergraduates through our canning trips and THONvelopes. We need the support from our alumni, their friends, and their relatives to fight this horrible, horrible disease. We understand the times are tough, but any donation truly helps our cause. All donations above $25 are tax deductable under the code 24-6000-376, and they can be sent directly to our chapter house, 523 S. Allen St, State College, PA, 16801. You can also donate online by going to www.thetachiomega.com/thon.html, and please make sure you designate Theta Chi as your Greek organization.
We thank you in advance for your support in the THON fundraising season!
Alumni Report - Active Chapter is a Group of Young Men that Makes all Omegas Proud
Whenever I visit the chapter house, it reminds me of the simple pleasures of being a brother. Whether it is watching the two worst basketball players in the house play one-on-one in the parking lot (sorry, Steve Sennett ’90 and the late Rob Scavello ’88!), playing IM team sports, or just sitting down as a group for dinner (you didn’t tap twice for the brothers that died in WWII, I’ll take your dessert). It was and is the simple times of just hanging out that I remember most fondly. Those memories keep me coming back to Penn State and Theta Chi. And those memories inspire me to continue to support the chapter as alumni president.
In 2011, there will be more alumni events than ever before. On January 4, 2011, the 4th annual ski trip in the State College area will be held. The weekend of February 25, the undergraduates will host the 4th annual alumni work weekend. On May 6, the annual Philadelphia area golf tournament will be held. Not to leave our Pittsburgh members out of the mix...in late May, there will be an event, as last year’s rafting trip had such a positive response. Those events -- along with the traditional Founders’ Day in April and Homecoming in the fall -- will allow our alumni members more opportunities than ever before to interact with each other, to catch up and to relive old times.
The current group of undergraduates makes the decision of staying involved an easy one. They continue to accomplish great things both on campus and in the Greek community, all while marinating a GPA higher than the all men’s average. While the chapter might not be the same as when we were in school, this group of young men makes all of Omega’s alumni proud. I hope the alumni corporation, and alumni individually, can help the chapter and its undergraduate members grow both as a fraternity and as young men.
I look forward to the day where we can meet my goal of a 100% participation and support from all of our alumni brothers -- not just in donations but also in having our brothers visit the chapter during Homecoming, Founders’ Day or whenever they find themselves in State College. For more information on upcoming events, please read the rest of the Omegaphone and check out the alumni web site at www.thetachiomega.com for additional information, news and updates.
Thank you to all those brothers that shared their news.
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