The Bridge Builder, Winter 2012

Vol. III, Issue 3

JACKSON BEGINS SECOND TERM

Executive Board excited and ready to lead in 2012

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n one swift vote, the John Carroll brothers of Beta Theta Pi made chapter history.

On November 30, brothers unanimously re-elected John Jackson as the first multi-term president of the Eta Epsilon chapter.

Jackson was one of six executive board members reelected for another term, highlighting the youth of the 2011 team.

Joining the six re-elected members are three newcomers: freshman secretary Chris Casey, freshman member educator Tim Ficke, and sophomore ritual chairman Jon McCandless.

The two freshmen were eager to get started and make their impact on the chapter

Dale Armbruster ‘14

from day one on the job. “[As member educator], I want to help the new members...make a bond with their class that is unbreakable,” said Ficke. “I want to ensure that they successfully learn the Beta way.”

Casey had his own idea on what he could bring to the table - efficiency.

“I want to make sure events and meetings are scheduled efficiently,” he said.

Just under three months into their terms, the new executive board has begun to implement chapter plans created at the Keystone Regional Leadership Conference in Itasca, IL. The re-elected president understands there is still room for growth.

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“I look forward to working collaboratively with my fellow board members as we lead a growing chapter,” said Jackson.

Inside this Issue President’s Letter

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Mothers’ Tea

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Fundraising

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Exec Board Profiles 4 Keystone

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Through The Eyes

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Carroll’s Got Talent 7

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Vol. III, Issue 3

A Letter from the President John Jackson ‘13

Dear JCU Beta Community, In the Chinese New Year tradition, 2012 falls out to be the Year of the Dragon, meaning that— in a way—the stars and moons are aligned for Betas this year.

You can bet that the Eta Epsilon chapter has been working hard to make sure we are living up to that.

It gives me great pleasure to be writing to you, as I am well into my second term as president of this great chapter of Beta Theta Pi. I am truly honored to be serving as president again.

I intend to focus my leadership efforts to help the chapter achieve its highest level of operation we have seen yet.

Some goals from my presidential plan that I outlined at the Chapter Presidents Leadership Academy (CPLA) in January include bringing an emphasis and understanding of our five core values to the chapter, encouraging more participation from the entire chapter in leadership development opportunities, and applying for the Sisson and Knox awards for excellent chapter operations.

I feel that all of these goals are attainable, especially with the help of my outstanding new executive board. Eta Epsilon is in a unique and fortunate situation to have six returning officers.

The experienced leadership that the members will bring to the table will be invaluable.

Inside this edition is more information about the individual officers and a reflection on the Keystone Leadership Conference that the board and other brothers attended in mid-February.

It was great to see the young leaders of the

chapter come in and really think critically about where we want to see the fraternity headed in the future. Member engagement, ritual education, and recruitment are the three main benchmarks we hope to work on.

I am pleased to say our informal recruitment was successful as all seven bids handed out were accepted.

Recruitment Chairman Ken Clar ’14 and the entire chapter did a great job, and I can’t wait to see how the new members grow in Beta knowledge within these next weeks.

It is amazing how fast the spring semester is going. Already the chapter has had a Valentine’s Day themed date party, honored our mothers at our annual Mothers’ Tea, and had a very successful fundraiser within the first four weeks of school.

Inside this newsletter is more information about all of these exciting events. With the initial success and fun of this semester I am anxious to see what the rest of the year brings.

Once again, Beta was the top fraternity for Fall GPA above the all-Greek, all-male, and allcampus averages. Our brothers are living out the values of intellectual growth and integrity in the classroom.

I wish you all a happy and healthy spring and Blessed Lenten season.

Visit JCU Betas on: 2

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John Jackson ‘13

President Eta Epsilon Chapter

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Parents’ Club Update

Tea Time with Beta Mothers

Mrs. Nancy Sloat

Ben Rossi ‘13

This year’s Mothers’ Tea seemed to be a great success. With the help of several loving, dedicated Beta moms, advisors, and Fr. Bernie McAniff, we were able to provide a relaxing afternoon of mother-son bonding.

The brothers and their mothers in attendance enjoyed a Mass in St. Francis Chapel followed by a light lunch in the Jardine Room.

We love having the opportunity to show our moms how much we appreciate their support, and this annual event serves as an excellent chance for them to see what a great investment this organization is for their sons.

They gained a greater understanding of our brotherhood through a presentation highlighting the fall semester.

We also had the chance to put our lackluster musical talent on display as we sang “Build Me Up Buttercup” and “Beta Rose,” and topped off the production with the gift of a rose for every lovely female in attendance.

A big thanks goes out to Mrs. Sloat for her willingness to speak on behalf of her and her son Greg’s positive experiences with the chapter.

If I could use one word to describe our recent Mothers’ Tea, it would be: wonderful! Even though this is my last Tea, this one was special!

As with the past parent barbeque, it was so nice to see so many new faces while also reconnecting with old friends. To new Beta families, I hope that you were able to see how wonderful a privilege it is for our sons to be Betas.

As you know, April is Greek Week with the highlight being Lip Sync. I would encourage all parents to attend this funfilled evening and cheer on our sons. As years pass, the parent cheering section continues to grow.

Finally, before the year is over, the parents have expressed an interest in planning a barbeque for our sons, so watch for more information on that to follow soon.

For more information on Parents’ Club, contact me at jns555@roadrunner.com.

Flower Sale a Success Dominic Interlicchia ‘15

Valentine’s Day was a special time on John Carroll’s campus, and Beta helped make it possible for people to surprise their sweethearts with flowers and a song.

After two weeks of selling flower grams in the student center atrium and in residence halls, we raised $471 for the chapter and sold 172 roses and 14 serenades. The roses were delivered to rooms on Valentine's Day, bringing special surprises for many students.

The Valentine's Day flower gram sale was successful in promoting the Beta name around JCU and bringing joy to students on campus, as well as in helping us reach our fundraising goals.

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2012 Executive Board Profiles President: Junior, North Canton, OH Previous: Member Educator '10, President '11 Goals: To communicate effectively with all constituents and work with my fellow executive board members as we lead a growing chapter; to apply for general fraternity awards.

Vice President: Junior, Cranberry Township, PA Previous: Treasurer ‘10, Scholarship Chair ‘11 Goals: To foster a sense of pride in brotherhood through the Cabinet and emphasize our values through the Kai Committee, as well as to organize a day that allows us to spend time with our fathers.

Treasurer: Junior, Lakewood, NY Previous: Recruitment Chair ’10, Vice President ‘11 Goals: To manage the chapter funds in a fiscally responsible way and work with the fundraising chair to help grow our fundraising efforts to enable our chapter greater opportunities in the future.

Recruitment Chair: Sophomore, Rochester, NY Previous: Recruitment Chair ’11 Goals: To create a successful recruitment team and implement year-round strategies through a thoughtout program in order to get the highest quality membership through the fall semester.

Ritual Chair: Sophomore, Cleveland, OH Previous: Leadership Chair ‘11 Goals: To increase understanding and knowledge of the Ritual amongst the chapter members, and ensure that every member is living the Ritual of our fraternity on a daily basis; to work with other exec members to relate the Ritual to their positions.

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Vol. III, Issue 3

2012 Executive Board Profiles Risk Manager: Sophomore, Rocky River, OH Previous: Risk Manager ‘11 Goals: To help re-educate the chapter on the risk management policy, as well as to help further plans created by previous risk managers.

Scholarship Chair: Sophomore, Toledo, OH Previous: Secretary ‘11 Goals: To improve the overall GPA by 0.1 and not have anyone miss the grade requirement. Create a better academic plan with study sessions and better opportunities to succeed.

Member Educator: Freshman, Cincinnati, OH Previous: Initiated November ‘11 Goals: To help get the new members connected to Beta as soon as possible, and to have them make a bond with their class that is unbreakable. I want to ensure that they successfully learn the Beta way.

Secretary: Freshman, Painesville, OH Previous: Initiated November ‘11 Goals: To provide the chapter with as much information as we need and make sure events and meetings are scheduled efficiently.

Cabinet Committee Alumni Relations: Andrew J. Kostiuk '15 Leadership: Michael A. Moccia '14 Brotherhood: Paul E. Mullin '15 Philanthropy: Markus J. Creachbaum '15 Chorister: Edward S. Barnes '15 Public Relations: Dale J. Armbruster '14 Fundraising: Dominic S. Interlicchia '15 Service: Matthew T. Duff III '14 Housing: Troy S. Murphy '14 Social: Richard J. Mazzola '13

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Vol. III, Issue 3

Executive Board goes to Keystone, brings back new goals Bence Toth ‘14

On February 17, members of the executive board, cabinet, and advisory team made their annual trip to the Keystone Regional Leadership Conference. Early Friday morning, the team began its journey to Itasca, IL, to attend the conference hosted by the General Fraternity.

After six hours, a traffic stop, and intense drivers in downtown Chicago, the group made it to the hotel in one piece. Four people shared a room, with two pairs of brothers from different chapters staying together.

Senior Brian Pestotnik was one of two interns for the conference, which brought together more than 400 people from about 30 chapters in the north central region. Advisors Joel Mullner, Kathleen Dean, and Joe Chinnici were also tapped to serve as “chapter mentors,” as was JCU professor Scott Allen.

The first seminar began and addressed the entire conference group. Following this, the chapter officers split off into their respective

tracks for individual training, and began the next session. This last seminar drained every last bit of energy we had. That did not stop most from discussing what it meant to be a Beta on different campuses until the early hours of the morning.

Saturday morning got off to a fairly slow start, as it was apparent that we weren’t the only ones who had stayed up late. Each general session that day had a theme that was centered on team building and leadership and the officer seminars covered just about everything there was to know about our respective positions.

Sunday brought a strong finish, as it was time to take all that we had learned through the sessions and apply it to the goal setting session ahead. Each officer developed goals for his own positions. Finally, we used these goals to develop guiding goals for the entire executive board.

After a successful finish, we had another long journey back to Cleveland, with chapter goals and a little more Beta knowledge in tow.

(L-R): Jon McCandless ‘14, Dr. Scott Allen, Joe Chinnici, Ken Clar ‘14, Bence Toth ‘14, Drew Kostiuk ‘15 (crouching), Paul Mullin ‘15, Chris Casey ‘15, John Jackson ‘13, Dr. Kathleen Lis Dean, Joel Mullner ‘07, Brian Pestotnik ’12, and Tim Ficke ‘15

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The Bridge Builder

Vol. III, Issue 3

Through the Eyes brings Christmas to local children Spencer German ‘13

On December 3, 2011, John Carroll played home to its annual holiday event, Through the Eyes of a Child. The program, co-sponsored by Beta Theta Pi and Circle K International, looks to bring less fortunate children from the Cleveland area to campus for a day of fun, food, creativity, and a visit with Santa.

The day started with the kids’ arrival on campus at about 10:30 a.m., when they were paired with a JCU student to serve as their “big buddy” for the day. After playing different sports in the intramural gym, each group went to lunch and then rotated through a number of activities, including Christmas card making, cookie decorating, story time, and face painting.

Each child also had an opportunity to sit on Santa’s lap and tell him what they wanted for Christmas.

At the end of the day, everyone found their way back to the gym where Santa delivered gifts for each girl and boy. Service/Philanthropy Chairman Nick Skiviat ’12 had a big part in planning, organizing, and executing the entire event. After the event finished, Nick was ecstatic with the results.

“Despite a minor change of schedule at the last minute, Through the Eyes of a Child was a great success,” Skiviat said. “From face painting to visiting Santa to the dance party in the gym, the little kids had a ton of fun, and I think the Carroll students did, too. The principals of the children were so appreciative of our hospitality.”

Everyone left the event feeling like they truly helped each child to have an enjoyable day and a special Christmas.

Record-setting Carroll’s Got Talent benefits Milestones Markus Creachbaum ‘15

The fourth annual Carroll’s Got Talent took place on January 27, 2012 in Kulas Auditorium. Attendees were entertained by nine acts, including a salsa dancer, comedian, and a guitarist.

The hosts, Ned Barnes ‘15 and Cory Gotowka, kept the crowd going with their interactive games and banter with the judges. Janet Paradise, Dr. Andy Welki, and Rev. Jim Collins, S.J., made the audience laugh, too, with their humorous critiques of the acts. All in all, every act demonstrated the individuals’ unique talent.

Elizabeth-Burton Jones and company took third place, while Chelsea Gilbert took second place. The overall winners were Lindsey Daniels and Alyssa DiGeronimo with their performance of One Republic’s “Come Home.” It was an enjoyable night for a good cause. This year, we were able to raise over $1,200 for the Milestones Autism Organization, our philanthropic partner.

(L-R): Markus Creachbaum ‘15, Nick Skiviat ‘12, Alyssa DiGeronimo, Lindsey Daniels, Cory Gotowka and Ned Barnes ‘15

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Mutual Assistance

Vol. III, Issue 3

Intellectual Growth

Trust

Responsible Conduct

Integrity

Eta Epsilon Chapter John Carroll University 20700 North Park Boulevard University Heights, OH 44118 John Jackson ‘13 President Ben Rossi ‘13 Vice President Chris Casey ‘14 Secretary Dale Armbruster ‘14 Editor, The Bridge Builder Public Relations Chair

Want to go Beta? Know someone who does? Visit www.jcubetas.org/recruitment for information on joining our ranks!