The Arab - Winter 2011 by Kettering University - Greek Life

The Arab

January 20, 2011 Winter Edition

Sigma Nu and Delta Chi Rho Alumni Association and Housing Corporation. Est. 1963

Alumni Association Joel Hudson – HM617 Worthy Commander Scott Snider – HM176 Worthy Lt. Commander Gary Gumushian – HM320

Worthy Commander’s Note

Worthy Treasurer Dan Bafuno – HM272 Worthy Recorder

Housing Corporation Jim Thomas – HM101 President

There is a lot going on with the Alumni Association and the Housing Corporation lately. Jim Thomas will fill you in with all that the Corporation has been up to and I’ll be covering the Alumni Association.

Robert Marias –HM-TBD Vice President Joel Hudson – HM617 Treasurer Mike Burke – HM657 Secretary

There is no reason to beat around the bush, but there is an unfortunate truth we must all confront. The

Ivan Sears – HM225 House Manager Members-at-Large Kevin Marion – HM645

membership numbers of Eta Mu - Sigma Nu chapter is facing one of its greatest struggles. Growth. Jim Thomas explains more below. With that being said, on behalf of all Alumni of Eta Mu and Delta Chi Rho, I want to remind the active members that they have our FULL support on whatever they feel they need to succeed! Lately, we have heard a lot of grumbling’s about how we seem to constantly ask for money and don’t provide much in return. This… is true; so far your donations have drastically helped support the

fraternity, the active members and the house! We have made a lot of progress while still keeping a tight budget. So… With that being said, we have begun planning some fun events. Most notable will be the Alumni rendition of the White Rose to celebrate the 55th. The event will be open to all alumni and active members. Kevin Marion has offered to head this event and he will be in contact with everyone shortly. Joel Hudson – HM617 Worthy Commander

President’s Report – Jim Thomas

Chris Kluczynski – HM619 Jim Shipton–HM622

take stock of where we have come and determine where we are headed.

Articles Worthy Comm. Note

President’s Report

House Mgr. Report

A-Section Report

Greek Report

B-Section Report

At the September 11 annual alumni meeting I was elected President of the Sigma Nu and Delta Chi Rho Association. This follows four years as Vice President. As we move forward I think it is time to

In preparation for our 50th Anniversary celebration in 2006, we put over $100,000 into the interior of the house in repairs and improvements. We are now in the position of needing to make a similar commitment to the outside of the house. We began this process in October with the replacement of the

roof, the soffit and fascia and the gutters. That project will be completed by the time you read this. The total cost will be almost $28,000. Future projects that we will need to consider are windows that need replacing, siding that is in bad shape, leaks in the basement walls and others. In short, we have a very large, very old house in need of much attention. Continued on next page…

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President’s Report (cont.)

Nick Roggenbuck and Jim Hutchinson receive the Gallaher Cup award and Robert Marias receives the Greek Advisor-of-the-Year award at the 63rd Grand Chapter. The Gallaher Cup is given to the chapter with the 1st place GPA of all Sigma Nu chapters nationwide. The Greek Advisor-of-theYear is given to a Greek Advisor who exemplifies eminence in her/her daily life as expressed by the Creed of Sigma Nu, who demonstrates a genuine commitment to the ideals of Sigma Nu and whose pattern of performance on behalf of the Chapter and the General Fraternity is a worthy example or model for others to follow

In the coming year I believe we, as an alumni association, must confront two questions. The first concerns the active membership. We currently have half a dozen men in each section living in a house that, in times past, had up to fifty. Without a significant increase in membership of both sections, the income from house bills is not enough to pay the monthly expenses of running the house. We are currently running handto-mouth each year without any extra to cover unexpected expenses that crop up. Bringing in new members is primarily the responsibility of the active membership, with help from the advisors, but we can all help out by attending student/alumni functions, helping on work Saturdays and showing prospective members that the alumni are involved and care.

The second question concerns maintaining the house. The housing corporation is responsible for all repairs and maintenance to the house, but that means all alumni have a stake in keeping it up. Most of the money spent on the interior of the house in 2006 came from one member, Brother Dane Miller. The money for the roof project came from about 70 alumni, but the total raised was matched by Dane. He has added another $25,000 Challenge for this year. We cannot expect one alumnus to carry the burden of keeping the house in livable condition while the rest of us sit back. We need to build a fund of sufficient size that we can plan future improvements and have reserves available for emergencies. Beyond raising money, we also need involvement of

alumni. We need men who are willing to donate time, talent and energy. There is a saying that in any organization ten percent of the members do ninety percent of the work. In our case right now it is more like 2-3 percent. If our membership is not willing to step up and be accountable, we may be forced to move in a different direction. I intend in the next year to answer that question. The alumni association board is putting together a plan of events over the next year leading to a 55th reunion next summer. You will be hearing more about it in coming months and I hope all alumni will think about they can contribute to building a strong fraternity that will have a great future at Kettering University. Jim Thomas – HM101 Housing Corporation President

House Manager Report – Ivan Sears

The main structure of the house at 1570 Flushing Road is over 80 years old at this time. While it has generally been maintained

fairly well during the DeltaChiRho/Sigma Nu years, there is no denying the effects of time on a dwelling.

immediate rewards and there remains ample opportunity to make contributions going forward.

Following the Housing Corp. and Alumni Association elections in September, 2010, I was informed that I had been elected to the position of House Manager for the Housing Corporation, a bit to my surprise. However, this new position has had its

As I stepped into my new responsibilities around the first of October, the initial issue was getting the new roofing project started, under control and finished before the cold winds started to blow. A group Continued on next page…

House Manager Report (cont.) of us met with Tom Smith from J.B. Supply on October 7th to review the initial contract that the Housing Corporation President, Jim Thomas, had negotiated for a new roof, new aluminum coverings on the roof fascia boards new soffit vents with vinyl vented soffit covers – all to feed air to the attic area and the new ridge vents that were to be installed throughout. The old portion of the house had simple gable end vents for the attic space. The curling of the old shingles suggested high temperatures on the roof, and that significant ice dams had been forming over the years as well. Not at all uncommon for a house the age of the Sigma Nu house in Flushing. Needless to say, I was convinced that the new roof was overdue. Upon the initial review of the contract, I asked the Housing Corporation to approve adding and additional row of ice and water shield under the new shingles, and to consider removing two of the dormers that would require flat, rubber roofing in front of them due to the dormers being set back into the roof. Facing the house from the front, the first dormer suggested to be removed was over the left side, front entrance. The second dormer I suggested removing was in what has been called the Red Room/Romper Room at the west end of the house on the back, above the outside entrance to the Solarium. Eliminating these dormers, it was felt, would minimally change the appearance of the house, and would eliminate the source of perennial roof leaks from the flat roof areas. Both the added Ice Guard and Dormer Removals were approved. Looking at the house today, you would never know they had ever been there - - until you go inside. We as alumni and the collegiate chapter that was in residence agreed that we could restore the walls and ceiling that would be affected in both areas from the removal of the dormers. This work remains to be done. These areas of the new roof have been insulated and sealed off with plastic sheeting for the winter. Actual wood repairs to the roof were limited to 5 sheets of roof sheathing plywood. Significantly less than was expected. The condition of the roof over the new addition was surprisingly good. This is direct evidence of how important proper roof/attic ventilation truly is. During the progress of the job, it became apparent that the gable end of the new addition, above the Executive Quarters was in need of significant repair. Many pieces of the aluminum siding were missing, and several more came off during a major windstorm that passed through the area in mid-November. Once again, I went to the Housing Corp and asked for funds to remove all aluminum siding from this area, remove the unnecessary gable vent, remove the old fiber wall sheathing – much of which had sustained significant water damage due to the missing siding – and then to restore the wall with plywood wall sheathing, and all new aluminum siding. The result makes this area look better than it has in several years, and with a solid base for the new aluminum siding, it should hold up very well going forward. Sadly, this was merely the gable end of the roof. However, it gave everyone a good, positive feeling that the right things were being done. By December 14th, right after the first significant snowfall, the roofing project was complete, the fire escape from the 3rd floor had been reinstalled and reinforced, and the house was closed up against the winter weather. The B-Section collegiate members re-insulated the open roof areas exposed due to the removal of the two dormers and covered these with plastic. Steve Wichmann, recent alumnus, has offered to refinish the Annex and possibly the Maid’s Quarters at the east end of the second floor of the old house this winter. He lives nearby in an apartment, but has a desire to do this kind of work. Apparently, Steve and his mother updated and repainted these rooms back when he was a resident in the house. The Housing Corporation graciously accepted his offer, and, are interested in know if any other local alumni might like to take on updating or redoing a room or hallway in the house. Feel free to contact any board member… Continued on next page…

THE ARAB – WINTER 2011 EDITION

House Manager (cont.) Upcoming updates to the house are too many to mention at this time, but a sampling of projects, in addition to the plumbing work noted above, are: 1) New windows on a select basis. Current estimates suggest that it would cost ~ $30,000 to replace them all. However there are a select few where the window/door sills have rotted significantly and need to be replaced very soon. As such, I proposed a plan to select a replacement window type that can be purchased commercially, and then replace them with volunteer labor on a one at a time basis. 2) Update the interior of the house on the second floor. Time, and the many moves into and out of the house, has taken its toll on the casement moldings from moving luggage and furniture around over the years. Some are quite chewed up at this time. Some could be stripped and sanded others may require replacement to achieve a good look. Again, this is work that can be done piecemeal with collegiate and alumni volunteer labor. 3) Most walls on the second floor need to be properly prepped and repainted. This would involve lightly sanding and then repainting to assure the finished walls are nice and flat and that the runs and drips that have built up over time are removed. 4) The existing aluminum siding on the majority of the house will need to be replaced in the next few years. There has been a lot of damage to the siding from storms, the paint is very thin on the siding itself due to the self-cleaning nature of aluminum siding. 5) The driveway will need to be resurfaced. 6)Surface drainage around the house needs to be added to help relieve water pressure on the basement walls. Then the occasional water leaks into the basement need to be repaired. Some of these leaks are due to water puddles that form around the foundation.

Ivan Sears – HM255 House Manager

Just like a residential home that needs major work from time to time, the Sigma Nu House is no different. The Alumni Association and Housing Corporation must manage future capital expenditures at a time when attendance at Kettering University limits the number of new pledges / members for all fraternity and sorority houses on campus. Generous support of our alumni has allowed us to make the improvements noted above. I especially thank Dane Miller for sponsoring the “Dane Miller Challenge” to raise funds to keep the house in top condition, and to continue to make it a nice, memorable place to live.

A-Section Report – Zach Tunison Winter brought the return of A-section, along with a new roof on the house which looks great. Our section has 7 members currently, with 5 potential new members that we are heavily pursuing, in addition to our additional recruitment efforts.

This winter we will be doing lead phases 2, 3, and 4 with Robert Marias as facilitator. The Calendar of events for this term can be accessed through your web browser at http://goo.gl/H4IeL Lastly, I would like to extend my congratulations to Tom

Plotkowski and Robert Marias for winning Alumni and Faculty Advisor of the year awards at Kettering’s Greek awards last term. Zach Tunison – HM654 A-Section Commander

Greek Report – Robert Marias

A few years back a little research project was conducted by the Office of Greek Life to provide a historical perspective on the Greek Community at Kettering. After searching through old yearbooks and other archived documents, it was concluded that the first fraternity began at GMI in the year 1921, almost 90 years ago. While the records show that the first officially sanctioned fraternity began operations in 1926, 5 years later. We just couldn’t let either of these significant milestones pass without a little celebration. So in true

Greek fashion we will honor both dates by celebrating all year long. Keep an eye out in 2011 for events and activities throughout the year which will help all Greeks celebrate our shared history at GMI/Kettering. Happy 85th/90th Anniversary to all Greeks. In anticipation for this milestone the Kettering Greek Life website has undergone renovations over the summer to better address and serve the interests and needs of our Greek Alumni. A Greek Alumni section has been created to provide you with current information and avenues for reconnecting with long lost brothers or sisters. As we move into the Fall and Winter terms it is my hope to have additional resources available to our alumni, including an area

where you will be able to update your contact information so that the undergraduate chapters can better connect with you, to keep you up-todate on the latest and greatest happening in your chapter. Anniversary announcements and special Greek Alumni gatherings will also be added to help you promote activities and events which are coming in the near future. Check out the website at www.kettering.edu/greeklif e/GreekAlumni and join the “Greek Life at Kettering University” Facebook group for more ways to stay connected to your fellow Greeks. Let us look forward to the next 85 or 90 years! Robert Marias – HM-TBD KU - Greek Advisor

B-Section Report – Kevin Lessnau

Fall '10 was a good term for philanthropy. Trick or Can was again aflawless success, and the whopping half ton of food we and Alpha SigmaAlpha

contributed put Kettering over the top for another victory inthe food drive.

academic year'sphilanthropy will continue in the spring.

The Eisenhower Christmas party was also a great success—thechildren were absolutely thrilled with the chapter's newest additionto the crafts available, the candy cane sleigh.

More good news--every member is now employed! Go sigma Nu!

In addition to this, I (Kevin Lessnau) have been named co-chairman ofthe Kettering Relay for Life committee, ensuring this

Kevin Lessnau – HM652 B-Section Commander

The check, written by Dane’s wife Mary Louise, for $29,244.15 for the Dane Miller Challenge. Dane matched dollar for dollar donations last year. This year, he again challenges everyone and will match up to $25,000!

Special Thanks the following donators this year! Brian Gerst – HM557 $500.00 Charles Olson – ΔXP $50.00

THE ARAB – WINTER 2011 EDITION

Last note… - All

On a final note, I would like to send condolences to David Arnst and his family. I had received word from Tom Plotkowski this morning that David’s daughter passed due to a brief illness earlier this year. Our hearts go out to you Dave…