November 2015 Omegaphone
Meet the 2015 – 2017 Alumni Corporation Board of Directors
Thanks to everyone who showed interest in becoming a Board member this time around! We want to take this opportunity to introduce you to the new Board members that will serve until 2017. For now, specific positions have not been determined but here is a little bit about each new Board member:
Chris Burke ’93 – Alumni Board Treasurer – Chris graduated in 1993 with a degree in accounting. He worked for Bear Stearns, Morgan Stanley, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. He is a licensed CPA. He is currently the CEO of the Maxus Group, and has been a Theta Chi Board Member and Treasurer since 2008.
Ian Maxwell ’10 – Alumni Board Events Coordinator – Pledged Theta Chi in fall of 2010, and graduated in Spring 2014 with a BS in Accounting. While an undergrad, he spent two years on the executive board, serving as president in 2013. Ian currently resides in the Philadelphia area and is at work at SEI Investments as a hedge fund portfolio analyst.
Aaron Speagle ’12 – Alumni Board Secretary – Joined Theta Chi in fall of 2009,
and held a number of positions during his undergraduate studies, including Recruitment, Historian, House Manager, THON chair, and Marshal. He graduated in December of 2012 with a BS in Nuclear Engineering. Aaron is currently employed as a Nuclear Engineer at Newport News Shipbuilding, where he supports maintenance on US NAVY submarine prototypes. He resides with his new wife (7/18/15) in Norfolk, VA.
Dave Stoltzfus ’13 – Alumni Board Assistant Treasurer – Graduated in 2013 with a degree in Supply Chain Management. During his time as an undergrad brother, he served as Treasurer, Scholarship Chair, Recruitment Chair, Greek Week Chair, and danced for Theta Chi at THON 2013. After graduating, he worked for Lockheed Martin in its Operations Leadership Development Program living in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia. He currently works for Boeing in Seattle, WA as a Procurement Agent/ Cost Reduction Project Manager.
Kevin Trippel ’14 – Alumni Board President – Joined Theta Chi in the Fall of 2010 as a freshman. During his four years as a brother, he served as Alumni Relations chair, Marshal, and President, all while pursuing his degree in Mechanical Engineering. Since graduating in the spring of 2014, Kevin has been working as a Technology and Infrastructure Consultant for Accenture in Philadelphia.
House Projects Update - Next Time You Come Back to The House, You’ll Notice Some Aesthetic Improvements!
As the actives have moved back into the house, I would like to update all of you on the work that was completed over the summer.
We took advantage of the house closure and solid giving to our Capital Campaign to have the new bar floor installed. We contracted a company called Standard out of Harrisburg which was both the product manufacturer and installer. The concrete floor was diamond ground, a binder applied, a cementitious epoxy layer troweled on and then an epoxy, anti-skid wearing coating rolled on the surface. The company created integral baseboards around the perimeter to help with cleaning of the floor. Our hope is that this floor will last many years and will be a good test to determine if this type of floor will be an option for the kitchen when it needs to be replaced.
We also cleaned and waxed the dining room floor, repaired the radiator covers, flushed and serviced the heating system, performed code inspection repairs, bathroom steam cleaning on the second and third floors, began upgrading wireless internet service and the renovation of the laundry bathroom.
After its condition has declined over the years, the laundry room bathroom finally has a new look. The old non-functioning tub was removed during a work weekend and the entire room was given a much-needed facelift. The space left by the tub removal was used to build cabinets with shelving for storage. One section of the cabinet has a locked door for the cook to store her belongings and tools.
The old paneling was removed and new bead board was installed to give the room a cleaner look. A new drop ceiling and LED light were also installed. All that is needed to finish the work is a coat of paint and reinstallation of the radiator.
Ron with family at his retirement ceremony.
Alumni Spotlight - Checking in with Retired Army Major Ron Beadenkopf ’93
I retired from the Army in 2011 to the vacation paradise of Clearwater Florida after 27 years, four tours to Iraq and Afghanistan and 22 different moves around the world since my university days at PSU. I now have a second career in industrial equipment sales and environmental engineering for the manufacturing sector in Florida. In my spare time I am President of the local Toastmasters Club and get paid as a speech coach to business entrepreneurs. My hobbies are public speaking and photography and I am writing a book on my experience in two wars.
OX: When and why did you join Theta Chi at Penn State?
RB: I joined Theta Chi in Spring 1991. I was living in the Veterans House and using the Army College Fund to pay for school. The veterans decided to hold a 24-hour vigil until the Gulf War ended. Shane Balcik ’91 happened by on his way home from playing pool and invited me to rush.
Ron enjoys a co ee during a sandstorm in Iraq, August 2005
OX: How and why did you continue on into the Army?
RB: I stayed with OX for a year and then made a decision to re-join the active Army from the Reserves so that I could make some more money to go back to school. I ended up getting another scholarship and got a commission from Western Michigan University as an Army Officer, finishing my military career as a Major.
OX: Did your experiences at Penn State or in Theta Chi help you in your military career? In what ways?
RB: Penn State and the fraternity system broadened my horizons enormously and gave me a huge boost in my ability with written and spoken communication. I served in Greek leadership and improved my social skills as well. My photography major helped me as I traveled around the world and photographed my travels.
Ron enjoying some kayaking
OX: Do you still keep in touch with other Theta Chi brothers?
RB: I keep up with and follow what the other brothers are doing via Facebook, though I haven’t been back to a Homecoming or anything like that. I still keep a warm place in my heart for the memories and camaraderie hat we had. We weren’t the most popular or largest fraternity on campus but our parties and connections with key sororities were always a blast.
OX: I would imagine the sense of brotherhood is very strong in the military – is it comparable to Greek life in any way?
RB: The thing I miss most about the brotherhood and the military is the same – camaraderie, a shared experience and memories to last a lifetime. The Brotherhood of Theta Chi and the Brotherhood of Arms.
Veterans Report - Respecting and Thanking Our Veterans – the Best of Us
November is a month to celebrate veterans and Theta Chi is proud to count a handful of brave service members among its ranks! We thank the following brothers for their service!
Ron Beadenkopf ’93
Phillip Bender ’83
Richard Herman ’80
Charles Leech ’55
Keith Vansant ’58
Walter White ’48
Richard Bolopue ’48(deceased)
Sherwood Booth ’32 (deceased)
Edmund Geiger ’40 (deceased)
Francis Richwine ’41 (deceased)
We are sorry if we missed any veterans. Please let us know if you have served by emailing our alumni relations partner at alumninews@affinityconnection.com. Be sure to put Theta Chi Penn State in the subject line!
Annual Fund Report - Our Giving Year is Nearing Its End, Only You Can Push Us over the Top!
With a little less than two months left in our giving year, Theta Chi has raised just over $7,600 with the help of 64 generous donors and still has a chance to surpass last year’s total of $9,463! With that said, this space is about you – the proud alum who has given back. It is also about you – the curious alum who hasn’t made a gift yet this year but would like to.
Theta Chi has seen a decrease in its annual fund giving over the past few years and we hope you’ll help us reverse that trend! We raised over $11,000 in 2012 and 2013 and would like to exceed that mark this year. Annual funds are critical for fraternal organizations like ours. They help us ensure the same experience you got while an active Brother is available to all, maintain and organize alumni events and communications and help us with general upkeep and projects – like the summer remodelings we recently wrapped up – at the house.
The good news is, there’s still time to make a gift and there are multiple ways you can do so. Donate to Theta Chi today by calling our donation hotline at 1-800-975- 6699.
Or you can send a check to:
Theta Chi-Penn State
Alumni Relations Processing Center P.O. Box 7007
Albert Lea, MN 56007-8007
Thank you to all those brothers that shared their news with us. Please send us your photos and updates whenever you can.
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