December 1930 Omegaphone
Omega Greets You
As the spirit of Christmas once more unfolds the civilized world, I am reminded of that story of O. Henry’s, “The Gift of the Magi”. The point of the story lies not in the pathetic humor of the fact that the girl sold her beautiful long tresses to buy a watch chain for the boy, or that the boy in turn sold his most valued possession, his father’s watch, to buy his wife a set of combs for her hair. Rather do we see in the actions of this childlike pair the real christmas spirit of giving. Each sacrificed what he most desired for the loved one. May we not take from this simple tale a new outlook on the true Christmas spirit?
Omega Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity wishes for its many friends on the Grand Chapter, in other chapters, and in the Alumni a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Ben J. Conard
Vice-Presidents’s Message
This is the first time in my four years of collegiate life that a vice president has had the privilege of acting in the capacity of “king” of the chapter.
Our president, Bev Decker, will be away until the end of the semester practice teaching in Johnstown, and I now “hold the reins”.
I have done my best to carry out the policies and plans which were outlined by Bev while he was here; and, at the same time I will endeavor to inaugurate a few of my own ideas which I believe will benefit Omega Chapter now and in the future.
Everything has been going smoothly; the men have given me their fullest cooperation, and I am sure they will continue to do so. However, there is one thing I want to instill into the minds of each and every man, and that is the necessity of cooperation and tolerance.
I can remember well as a freshman that was the one thing which was “driven home” in me, and I determined to carry the word along when the opportunity came. Tolerance is the greatest virtue any man can attain! Naturally, in an organization composed of forty men, each with different ideas and temperaments, tolerance must manifest itself in them before absolute harmony and cooperation can be expected. If I succeed in making just one man in each class realize that which I am trying to do, and he, in turn, carries the word along, I will feel that my efforts have not been in vain.
Maybe I take the opportunity to extend you you Omega’s best wished for a joyful Christmas and a very prosperous New Year.
Harry V. Girard
Notice Alumni
The Grand Chapter is at present conducting a nation-wide “Rattle” life subscription drive. Here is you opportunity to keep in touch with the fraternity and at the same time do a service to Theta Chi and Omega Chapter. The subscription is fifteen dollars and may be paid either cash or by installments.
Avail yourselves of this opportunity, men; subscribe, and help Omega reach a 100% goal. Checks may be made payable directly to the Grand Chapter and upon receipt you will receive this most interesting magazine for life.
Alumni Day
Alumni Day marked the seventy-fifty anniversary of the founding of the Pennsylvania State College. The ceremonies began on Friday when Governor Fisher reviewed the entire student body before participating in the dedication of $3,500,000 worth of new buildings.
We were honored over the week-end by the presence of our National President, Frederick W. LAdue, and Maxwell E. McDowell, member of the National Board of Trustees, and about ten other Colgate brothers. The Alumni who returned were Brothers Mechling, Chapman, Geuder, Suerken, Altman, Way, Jackson, Thompson, Mainwarring, Closures, Shaw, Stauffer, Gibson, Cassel, Seltzer, F. Griener, Bastian, Vansant, Irwin, Klinger, Doan, Nesbitt, Smith, Heil, Booden, Zimmerman.
After dinner Saturday night, a combined meeting of the alumni corporation and the active chapter was held. Brother Ladue delivered a very inspiring talk to the pledges and afterward elections were held for officers of Theta Chi of Penn State Inc. for the ensuing year. George Chapman was elected president, Richard Geuder, vice president, John Irwin, secretary, Norman Horner, treasurer.
Brother Ladue thought the week-end rather a success when his alma mater, Colgate, defeated State to the tune of 40-0. However, the remaining brothers felt somewhat better when State defeated Bucknell in soccer 3-0, Brother Anderson scoring two of the goals.
Our Christmas Party
This year we are going got hold our Christmas party on Thursday night, December 18th, and it’s going to be a real affair.
The social committee has not lost any time for we have a drawn names already and each man is determined to do his best to make a little accompany poem register a “direct hit” when Santa gives out the presents on Thursday.
I understand we have some talent in our freshman class, as usual. At least it seems that way, for Ben Conard has called frequent meetings with that “much-picked-on” group and he promises to present a show with will surpass any that have ever been given in the history of Omega Chapter. All I have to say is that it better be good!
It is really too bad that we have to buy a Christmas tree when there are so many to be had in the woods nearby. But, with a fifty-dollar fine staring us in the face if we would happen to dig one up, who wouldn’t buy a tree?
Our party is going to be good and we wish that each one of you could be here to join in the festivities. Of course that is impossible but I know you do send your best Christmas wished to us - we wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.
House Party
Everybody agreed that our Fall Houseparty was the best ever. (Ask Mrs. Irwin or Mrs. Horner, our chaperones.) The long-looked-forward-to party started off with a bang with the formal dinner Friday night. The colorful gowns of the numerous fair ones and their chaperones (hah-ha) stood out in marked antithesis to the drab exteriors of their stalwart escorts. About midnight confetti and punch flowed freely to the captivating rhythm of the St. Mary’s Footwarmers.
Everyone trekked up to the Syracuse game on Saturday afternoon which resulted in a 0-0 tie. We all managed to have a p pretty good time on Saturday evening. John Irwin and Norm Horner tore themselves away from big business in Philadelphia to join their wives Saturday night. In the line of unusual entertainment, our “Bowery Brawl” made a big hit. The dining room floor was covered with sawdust, cards were lying on rough board tables. A hand-carved bar at which cider and punch were dispensed stood at one end. Candles placed in odd-shaped bottles gave the light for this bohemian setting.
Don’t you think you can make Houseparty next year? Let us plan for you.
On Saturday evening, December 13th, the Chi oMega Fraternity joined with us in giving a formal closed pledge dance at our house. Again the St. Mary’s Footwarmers supplied the music. A splendid crowd enjoyed the evening to its fullest extent. Old days are coming back again!
Alumni News
Brother Carson, the Editor of our esteemed publication, the “Omegaphone”, in a list of assignments included one termed “alumni news”. Here I am thinking of some of the news from out alumni. There is so much of it one is puzzled as to what to write. Perhaps we could say the “Dick Geuder and Max Suerken were caught in a raid of a Night Club in Cleveland”, but we find that it takes valuable time to scan newspapers looking for news of out Alumni.
Putting everything in a nutshell we wish you would drop us a line now and then and tell us a new joke and give us a sidelight on what some of the other alumni are doing.
Charlie Hammond
A Call from the North
Until the present time Brother Decker and Brother Hammond have been the only actives that hailed from Elk County. This year, however, the Northwesterners crashed through with four pledges. To celebrate this flourish of Elk Countyities we are having a get-together of all the Theta Chis in the vicinity sometimes during the Christmas holidays.
Births, Deaths, Marriages
Brother Francis J. Doan is the only one to be added to our roll of honor in this issue. “Abe” was married to Miss Lucy Jennison at her home in Elmira, New York, on the 23rd of August. Brother Doan was graduated from this college in 1919, and is now teaching a course in Dairy Manufacturing here. Lots of luck “Abe”!
We are sorry to say that there have been no other marriages or births reported since the last issue of the Omegaphone went to press. It seems as if our alumni are either not very successful along these lines or are omitting to report their accomplishments to us. Once more we ask you, the alumni, to cooperate with us in this matter and help us to make our publication bigger, better and more complete.
It is our pleasure to announce that there have been no deaths among our active chapter or the alumni.
The Boys - In and About the House
Highness Decker is involved in the manly art of practice teaching at Johnstown, Either means of communication are poor, or one of the high school gals has seduced our prexy. Don Juan Faries takes tine out from his arduous duties as gym manager, to give freshmen co-eds a break with that long, powerful Hudson. Sammy Sinclair, still wheeling lunches from the cook. Numerous cage enthusiasts hobbling about with blisters on the pedal extremities, One-tie Anderson and his vintage Buick, with an OK that counts - up to ten.Acting-King Girard restoring the high lustre to his hep boots. Carson, former Collegian man, taking Geuder’s of stand at a neighboring village. Norma Greiner commuting every weekend with an armload of books. Bull Hann with a villienous-looking musty. High-Pocketed Gilmer transporting teachers to and from Johnstown. Pledges trying, unsuccessfully of course, to borrow ties from Anderson. Louie Keene dancing with tears in his eyes. The great Young attempting to date Chi O pledges for the coming shining. And lastly, tacker Mazie with a date at house party.
Thanksgiving Get-Together
On Friday night, November 28, during the Thanksgiving vacation, Theta Chis living in the vicinity of Philadelphia threw a small informal party at the “Mari” At 69th Street.
Reservations were made for ten couples and eleven made their appearance. In other words the unusual happened. A twelve-piece colored band, gaining an excellent reputation rapidly throughout Philadelphia and the Main Line, was the main attraction and is recommended highly by all the old brothers who were present. The final damage was so extreme so that everyone was pleased.
Plans are under way to have a similar party New Year’s Eve at the Old York Road Country Club. If any of the alumni are interested, please get in touch with John L. Carson.
Recent Accomplishments of Omega Chapter
As fall give way to winter we find Omega Chapter taking quite an active part in the new activities. Walk Keene has been initiated into Sigma Gamma Epsilon, honorary metallurgy fraternity. Incidentally, Walt was the only junior to be elected to that society this semester. Eddie Newcomer is a capable candidate for art editor of “LaVie”, the Penn State year book. Al Fry, Quent Rodgers and Bob Young are second assistants manager in basketball, boxing and wrestling respectively. Joe Bell is out for wrestling and Charlie Hammond i expected to do well in varsity basketball.Bob Faries was appointed manager of the first gym team Hugo Bezdek. Randy Skillen made the Glee Club; and the freshman R.O.T.C. band. Dale Kaufman, Ben Small, Harry OSgood, and Bob Ashland are out for lacrosse. Walt Coates and Shy Decker are candidates for the boxing team and shy is also out for the riffle team. Bob Asplund, Arp Heutchy, Duke Osgood, Ben Small and Ernie Wilby are candidates for the Freshman basketball team. Ken Page was elected to Scabbard and Blade, and Theta Alpha Phi, national honorary dramatic; Samuel Sinclair appointed to junior business of LAVie and Ben Conard and George Henry each made parts in one of the Penn State Players productions. Bud Anderson received this third varsity letter in soccer, and was the Only Penn State man to be mentioned on Couch Jeffries All-A american team.
Sports
Omega’s hopes in the inter-fraternity football tournament were short-lived when the boys came out on the short end of a 12-0 score against an experienced team from the Sigma Phi Epsilon house. This was our first game, and with the bitter cold weather prevailing, we never did get going. The game started at 7:30 P.M. and was played under the arc lights on Beaver Practice Field. Complete uniforms were provided by the A. A. Association, and the Omega “Varsity” came through without an injury with the exception of Harry Girard who sustained a sprained wrist.
Out thoughts are now on the basketball tournament. We reached the semi-finals last year, and with practically the same team back this year, we believe that we stand a good chance of displaying the trophy in our clubroom at the close of the season. With his goal in view, several practices have been held, and the squad is getting in shape for its first game, which will occur after the Christmas holidays.
Theta Chi is also entered in the inter-fraternity wrestling tournament Varsity men are in eligible, and Roy Maize, out varsity 115 pounder, is going to coach the boys during practice.
The Librarian Speaks
The chapter acknowledges with thanks the recent gift to the library of thirteen volumes of Engineering subjects by Brother Bevan ’21. The books are already in active use by the brothers taking engineering subjects. This is the first gift towards our new library and we hope that there will be many other gifts of a similar nature from both the alumni ad active members. We are going to start the new year right by setting the first month aside for a library campaign. Let us all say “Happy New Year” to the Library with at least one volume.
Thank you to all those brothers that shared their news.
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