October 2009 Omegaphone
Alumni Report - What Theta Chi is Really About
I logged onto on my computer, opened my email, and looked at my inbox. There, among the usual spam advertising cheap pharmaceuticals to cure ailments I don’t even have – well at least not yet – was a message from Rich Maltz ’90. From the subject line I could tell it wasn’t the usual email I would expect from Rich. It wasn’t about the upcoming football game, the plans for the tailgate or a request for extra tickets. It wasn’t an update to his blog or an offer of some tsatske from my daughters’ favorite movie of the day. It simply said, “A little help please.”
I have been involved with Theta Chi fraternity since 1985. From the first time I visited as a freshman, there was no other fraternity I wanted to pledge. However, by the time I made my way out to the house that fall semester, rush was over. All the bids had been extended, and the pledge class had already been sworn in. The timing was fortunate, because it gave me a chance to pledge the following spring and be in the same class with some outstanding people.
I opened the email not knowing what to expect. What could Rich need help with?
I knew he was completely remodeling his apartment. New floors were not a problem.
On one of Theta Chi’s alumni work weekends, Richard Bartnik ’08, Chris Bartnik ’91 and I put in a laminate floor in a room on the second floor. If he needed help with painting, I was his guy. After all, our pledge class had repainted the fire tower.
Jim Stuhltrager ’89 at Homecoming 1987
As a pledge, the fire tower seemed like a secret passage between the floors. When the main staircase was blocked on a Saturday night with throngs of partygoers, the fire tower offered an easy passage. If the usual passage to the bar through the dining room was too crowded with couples dancing or listening to the band, there was always a brothers’ keg on tap in the fire tower. But as a pledge, I knew that it had seen better days. The paint was peeling, the floor was slick, and the smell was a cross between a locker room and the floor of an American Legion. So there we were, the eight of us. Dave Latham ’89 was likely dressed in a pair of plaid shorts and striped shirt. Mark Lynch ’88 probably bounced around like a leprechaun on acid. Greg Hottsenpiller ’87 joked about how bad we were at painting. Steve Martin ’88 made sure we actually got the work done. I don’t remember exactly how the weekend went, but I’m sure that is not far off the mark. We recoated the bricks of the walls; we mixed in sand for traction and painted the stairs. By the time of the brothers’ meeting on Sunday evening, the fire tower glistened. Best of all, it smelled like new paint.
But that is not what Rich’s email asked. What he wanted was for me to write an article for the next Omegaphone. As a lawyer, I had done my share of writing. I have given a draft brief to my boss, work that I have poured my heart and soul into, only to have the draft come back covered in red ink; or as my wife Kristin once said, it looked like a mob hit. I had stared at a blank computer in the early morning hours, the deadline approaching like the hangman’s noose, while the mindless banter of sports talk radio droned behind me. Please God, anything but more writing. But that is the help that Rich needed.
I had been through a lot with Rich. I had “pledge bolted” with him down to the University of Maryland. I met the wonderful woman who would become my wife in September 1988 in his room on the corner of the second floor. He offered his apartment to me to stay anytime I was in New York. He gave my daughter an iPod for her sixteenth birthday.
So in the end, there was no question that I would write an article. The bonds that unite us made that inevitable. The only unknown was what to write about. I considered a number of topics. I considered reminiscing about the 75th anniversary celebration at the Nittany Lion Inn that brothers such as Leo Sugg ’88 worked so hard to host. I thought about sharing the dark days of the fraternity, the days when the house was completely empty and my daughters’ babysitter deflected weekly telephone calls from the mortgage company. I almost wrote about the pride I feel when I read about the accomplishments of the brothers who now live in the house. But in the end I decided to describe how ties of brotherhood last long after the diplomas are earned and State College is but a weekend destination. After all, that is what Theta Chi is really all about.
Jim Stuhltrager ’89
Theta Chi Finishes #1 Overall in Academics
Omega Chapter finished first in academics out of 48 Fraternity chapters on the Penn State campus for the 2009 spring semester. With 42 brothers they had a cumulative academic average of 3.36. The spring semester pledge class finished as the #1 pledge class in academics for the spring semester as well, with a 3.34 GPA for the nine new members.
Chapter News
A new year brings new goals, new challenges and new faces. It also allows a brief time for reflection on how far we have come. Record highs in recruitment, IM sports standings, participation in philanthropies and service, and money raised for THON have our brothers excited to start this semester. A third consecutive volleyball championship, a repeat Homecoming victory and our Chapter of Excellence award have us poised to bring in a recruitment class the likes of which we haven’t seen in quite some time.
However, our challenges are seen with an aging brotherhood that is leaving us on the verge of having to replace some of our most knowledgeable and experienced brothers. Younger members must begin to rise to the challenge and lead Omega to ever increasing standards.
A continuation of our newly created spring philanthropy FLICKS, a return to the pinnacle of academic standing, and the Chapter of the Year award are amongst those lofty, but achievable, goals. Along with what we have achieved, the challenges we face and the goals we have for ourselves this semester seems to be a turning point for Omega Chapter. We can either rise to the very top or continue along being a good chapter with decent membership.
We have every bit of faith that our brotherhood can raise the bar and our chapter even higher than our latest level of success.
FLICKS
Chapter Sets 2009-10 Philanthropic Goals
THON - Last year’s total of over $16,000 was a great step in the right direction for Omega Chapter, but we want to increase that total. A goal of at least $25,000 is what we are striving for. This can be accomplished by an increased letter writing campaign, more alumni support and substantially increasing participation by the brotherhood on canning trips. Show your support for our chapter’s THON efforts! Go to www.thon.org to make a donation and defer your contribution to Theta Chi.
K.I.C.K.S.- On September 20th, twelve teams met to battle for the Theta Chi and Alpha Xi Delta K.I.C.K.S. 2009 Championship. This year the annual philanthropy, which benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Pennsylvania, raised over $1,000 to help make a child’s dream come true. The event took several weeks of planning, but the day could not have been more perfect.
Brothers were referees, line judges, and event staffers. We had 100% brother turnout, and the sisters of Alpha Xi Delta also extended the helping hand. Overall, the day was a huge success and we all realized we were doing something to help others. We are looking forward to next year!
FLICKS - The newest addition to our philanthropic effort, FLICKS, was a great success in its first year. Primarily run by our new member class, this year’s event will be a joint effort from the entire fraternity- ensuring a higher attended event. Chairmen will be chosen at the end of the fall allowing for planning to be run during our winter break.
“My Father is My Brother” - The Tale of Two Active Theta Chi Legacies
Any Theta alumnus knows of the bonds you create within the brotherhood. Many times, these bonds are shared within families, and the passion for the group is extended to the next generation of brothers. That is exactly the case with two current undergraduate members of Omega Chapter. Despite chapter affiliation, two fathers showed the overall dedication to the fraternity that attracted their sons to follow suit.
Bobby Ettorre ’11 with his father, Bob, a Theta Chi alum from Drexel.
Bryan Powell ’12 (son of Dan Powell, Omega ’81) and Bobby Ettorre ’11 (son of Bob Ettorre, Beta Theta ’65) are two legacies currently active in the Omega Chapter. Each credits his father’s membership in Theta Chi as what initially sparked his interest in the fraternity.
“I had heard a little about my Dad’s college days as a brother at Theta Chi Omega, so naturally, when I began to attend school here at PSU I couldn’t help but go down and check it out,” Bryan said. “Although it was my father’s time here at Omega that got me through the door, it was the strong and motivated brotherhood that kept me.”
Bobby echoed the same sentiment about how he originally became drawn to Theta Chi, and said that it means a lot to him to be a member of the same fraternity as his father.
“Being in the same national fraternity gives us a sort of bond few other people have,” Bobby said. “Not many other people’s fathers are also their brothers.”
Bryan Powell ’12 with his family, includ- ing his father Dan (Omega ’81), now deceased.
Bryan coins the experience of taking after his dad in fraternity life as “inspiring.”
“I’ve found it to be quite heartening to follow in the footsteps of someone who has had such a significant impact on my life and how I live it,” Bryan said.
Bobby said the most valuable lesson that being a brother in Theta Chi has taught him is to disregard stereotypes surrounding fraternities.
“Hollywood’s portrayal of fraternities couldn’t be further from the truth,” he said. “Too many people are turned off to Greek life because of what they see in the movies, and they are passing up on a great opportunity.”
Bryan attributed Theta Chi with opening his eyes to get more involved and lend a “helping hand.”
“Being a member of OX Omega has provided me with countless opportunities to lend the helping hand on a deeper and more fulfilling level. From canning trips for THON to our philanthropies to any of a great host of charity events we’re involved in; I don’t believe I have ever had such an ability to make a difference in my community,” he said.
Theta Chi is continuing to recruit the best men that Penn State has to offer, and we commend Bryan and Bobby for their commitment to the brotherhood.
Thank you to all those brothers that shared their news.
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