Vol. IV, Issue 3
Spring ‘13 Commencement: Chapter graduates 9
The Graduates (L to R, bottom row): Ben Rossi ‘13, Greg Petsche ‘13, John Jackson ‘13, Dan Imfeld ‘13, Rich Mazzola ‘13, Spencer German ‘13; (top row) Marco Frabotta ‘13, Stefan Perri ‘13. Missing from photo: Jurell Sison ‘10, ‘13G.
Earlier this year on May 19, nine of our brothers made their final procession through the John Carroll Quad as students to receive their diplomas and call themselves graduates once and for all.
graduate brother Jurell Sison ‘10 completed his Master’s degree in theological studies. Not only did this class of young men achieve their desired degrees, but they did so with great academic honor. Imfeld graduated summa cum laude as the top student in the Boler School of Business while Petsche and Rossi graduated magna cum laude.
Spencer German ‘13, John Jackson ‘13, and Greg Petsche ‘13 all earned their Bachelor of Arts degrees; Stefan Perri ‘13 earned his Bachelor of Science degree; brothers Marco Frabotta ‘13, Dan Imfeld ‘13, Rich Mazzola ‘13, and Ben Rossi ‘13 each received their Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration; and
INSIDE This Issue
Letter from the President Commencement Congratulations! Spring Semester Highlights
Continued on page 3
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Kappa Pledge Class Autism Speaks Featured Alum: Greg Sloat ‘12
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The Bridge Builder
Vol. IV, Issue 3
A Letter from the President Ken Clar ‘14
may not know that Beta Theta Pi is one of the only fraternities across the country to hold an annual conference where undergraduates, alumni, General Fraternity staff, Friends of Beta, and Beta Sweethearts gather for four days of celebration and business.
JCU Beta Brothers, Alumni, Family and Friends, As we approach the fall semester of 2013, I’m excited to return to John Carroll. Such an inspiring community, I’m always anxiously awaiting great fun and personal growth at the good ol’ JCU! More specifically though, I’m excited to move in to the 3rd floor of Hamlin Hall, “The Beta Floor!” Of course, this summer has been enjoyable in many ways for me, but nothing beats moving in to a hall with 40 of my closest friends and brothers. Moving on to the floor this fall brings with it a mix of familiar experiences as well as some new features! For one, I couldn’t be happier that our rising sophomores will now be able to experience the floor with us. Bringing these men on the floor will just about fill each room of our 19-room floor, the most we’ve ever had! It is truly a great feeling to be able to walk across the entire floor, walk in to any room and catch up with a brother or give him a hand with his studies. The atmosphere that is created, and the culture of camaraderie in an area like this, is without equal. It is an incredible resource for our chapter to continue growing in areas of brotherhood and scholarship. Beyond the physical additions in men we bring to the floor, I am also happy to announce that we will need to find space on the walls for 5 new awards received at Beta Theta Pi’s 174 General Convention in Charlotte, NC!
Throughout the four days, we were awarded our second John Reily Knox Award for Chapter Excellence, given to the top performing chapters of Beta Theta Pi, as well as our third Francis H. Sisson Award, also to recognize outstanding performance. We also took home the Recruitment Award, Honorable Mention for Pledge Education, and last but not least, the North Dakota Award for Excellence in Chapter Publications (awarded #1 throughout all of Beta Theta Pi for this newsletter, so enjoy!). With an incredible Convention experience, I am looking forward to a great semester! In the Fall, we look to hold our second annual Father-Son Outing, recruit more great young men of character, travel to Oxford, OH once again for initiation of these new members, hold our annual “Through the Eyes of a Child” service project, and many other events for brothers and our supportive family and friends. I would like to say a sincere thank you to everyone who has supported us along this journey. We would not be where we are today without the unfailing support of advisors, alumni, community members, and family.
As some of you know, a group of 11 brothers made the trip down south to the Queen City in early August to take part in a yearly Beta Theta Pi tradition. You
The Bridge Builder Volume IV, Issue 3 Spring/Summer 2013
The Quarterly Newsletter of the Eta Epsilon Chapter of Beta Theta Pi
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Adam Tome ‘15
Public Relations Chair / Editor Joel W. Mullner ‘07
Public Relations Advisor
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Yours in ___kai___, # 60 Ken Clar
President, Eta Epsilon Chapter
Contributors: Ken Clar ‘14
The Bridge Builder
Vol. IV, Issue 3
Chapter graduates nine Continued from page 1
With the 2013 class gone, the chapter said goodbye to several of its former executive members and most important leaders, including a former president and two former vice presidents. This transition marks a huge shift in leadership in the chapter as the senior class and 20-man junior class take the reigns. The Class of 2013 is off to begin their bright futures. Imfeld, Rossi, and Mazzola (the 3 accountants) are set to begin working in the Cleveland area for Deloitte, KPMG, and Skoda Minotti, respectively; Petsche has moved to Louisville to work for GE; German is working as the assistant director of sports information at RIT; Jackson is earning his graduate degree from Notre Dame as part of their Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) teaching program in Oakland, California; Perri is residing in University Heights while taking additional credits to qualify to take the CPA exam; and Frabotta is continuing his JCU education to earn his MBA.
Assistant professor of management and chapter advisor Dr. Scott Allen, Minnesota ‘95, also joined in the procession!
Alumni and undergrads got together to watch the graduation of the Class of 2013!
Additionally, the chapter said goodbye to Jon McCandless ‘14 as he is now beginning his 2-year path toward a degree from Case Western to fulfill his 3-2 physics and engineering program requirements. He will be set to walk with the Class of 2014 in the spring. To all of the graduates who we now call alumni—thank you for everything you have done for JCU and Beta over your four years here. We will miss you but know you are destined to achieve great things as we continue to share in the never-ending bonds of our fraternal brotherhood!
Jurell Sison ‘10 walking to receive his Master’s degree!
4 best friends: Ben Rossi ‘13, his Beta Sweetheart Sarah Skiviat, John Jackson ‘13, and Dan Imfeld ‘13 after receiving their degrees.
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The Bridge Builder
Vol. IV, Issue 3
Congratulations! Betas at JCU accomplished a lot during the 2012-2013 academic year. This section of The Bridge Builder is devoted to highlighting some of our brothers’ greatest awards, achievements, and experiences from the year to say congratulations and wish them a job well done!
Congratulations to brother Dan Imfeld ‘13 for graduating as the top senior in his class in the Boler School of Business and therefore being given the BSOB Outstanding Graduate Award!
Congratulations to brother David Radulovich ‘15 for winning his 9th career World Shooting Championship! David began shooting at age 8 and has become known as one of the best competitive shooters in the world. He frequently travels to train and compete on weekends in balance with his studies during the week. Awesome job, Dave!
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Congratulations to brother John Jackson ‘13 for receiving the 2013 Beaudry Award! This honor is presented to the senior voted by his or her class for having best demonstrated leadership, Christian values, academic success, and service to JCU and the community. Way to represent, John!
Congratulations to Ned Barnes '15 for receiving the Campion Award! This honor is presented to students who are heavily involved in community service, demonstrate a dedication to their faith, and have a strong evidence of leadership potential. This year, Ned co-founded “The Carroll Ballers,” a basketball mentoring program for youngsters. Way to go, Ned!
Congratulations to brothers Steve Henderson '15 and Greg Petsche '13 for each being honored at the year-end Leadership Awards. Greg received the Leadership Legacy Award while Steve was given the Student Leader of the Year Award. Great job guys!
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Vol. IV, Issue 3
Jurell Sison ‘10, ‘13G with his wife, Bridget, on their wedding day.
A BIG CONGRATULATIONS goes to brothers Jurell Sison ‘10, ‘13G, and Andrew Vogel ‘11, for marrying their Beta sweethearts this summer! Jurell tied the knot with his wife, Bridget, on July 26, and Andrew said “I do” the next day on July 27! May God bless the roads ahead of them and their spouses!
Spring ‘13 Chapter Highlights This section of The Bridge Builder is devoted to giving recognition to some of our chapter’s best events we put on this past spring!
GREEK WEEK This year, the chapter showed off great spirit during Greek Week by taking 1st place in water polo, volleyball, and the wet clothes relay race. Despite an epic Lip Sync performance that brought the crowd in Kulas Auditorium to its feet, the Betas took 2nd which led to a 2nd place finish overall. We are all proud to call ourselves Betas after an exhilarating (and exhausting) week! This year’s Lip Sync performance can be viewed online at the link below. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SN2yE7uCs2U
Mothers’ Tea On April 7, Markus Creachbaum ‘15 organized a wonderful Sunday tradition with our mothers, who traveled from all over, to enjoy a luncheon with their Beta sons. This was a great opportunity for our families and parents to get to know one another better. Our mothers even enjoyed a wellorchestrated surprise serenade to cap it off!
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The Bridge Builder
Vol. IV, Issue 3
Meet the Brothers from the Kappa Class Kappa Class initiated on April 4, 2013
#105: ALEC CIFERNO ‘16 Hometown: Warren, Ohio Major: Undecided Favorite Food: Steak What made you want to become a Beta? I wanted to experience something new and different. What is your favorite Beta memory thus far? Serenading Stefan Perri’s date. What have you been up to this summer? Working at a restaurant and catching up with my family and friends back home. The Kappa class brothers on their pledge retreat in late March. (L-R) Alec Ciferno ‘16, Adam Tome ‘15, Brad Beattie ‘16, John Jackson ‘13, Pat Anzevino ‘15, Conor Long ‘15, and member educator Steve Henderson ‘15.
#107: BRAD BEATTIE ‘16
Hometown: Wylie, Texas Major: Biomedical Engineering Favorite Food: Steak, Ribeye, T-Bone (cooked medium-rare)
#106: CONOR LONG ‘15 Hometown: Chicago, Illinois Major: Finance Favorite Food: Fried Chicken What made you want to become a Beta? Because Beta is an awesome group of guys and I wanted to become a part of that amazing group. What is your favorite Beta memory thus far? The overnight brotherhood retreat in March. What have you been up to this summer? I haven’t done that much this summer. It started mostly by celebrating the Stanley Cup here in Chicago, and now I’m enjoying the weather and time I have with my family and friends.
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What made you want to become a Beta? Coming into a state with few friends and connections gave me incentive to go Greek. After attending several Beta events in the second semester, I witnessed the integrity and gentlemanly behaviors of the men in this fraternity and sought out to join them, not only for the connections, but for the lifetime friendships as well. What is your favorite Beta memory thus far? The pledge retreat has to be my favorite memory thus far. Coming closer to my pledge brothers and big brother served as a great experience that I'll never forget. What have you been up to this summer? This summer I have been lifeguarding at my local neighborhood pool and have been working with incoming freshmen at Wylie High School for their high school sports.
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Schifferle and Barthen raise awareness through ‘Autism Speaks’ When they first stepped on campus last fall, Tim Schifferle ‘16 and Chris Barthen ‘16 were determined to get involved and make a difference at John Carroll. The two did so by teaming up to lead Autism Speaks, a national organization which aims to raise awareness for autism research and performs outreach activities to families, the government, and the general public. Schifferle’s involvement stemmed as a way to get involved in the community in honor of his friend’s sister from Buffalo who has autism. By advocating autism awareness and working alongside the chapter’s philanthropy, Milestones Autism Organization, Schifferle and Barthen have been able to convey the importance of how serious autism is to the John Carroll student body. The two play a key role in organizing campus events where children with autism come to spend time with students to simply play and enjoy time getting to know one another. For example, last fall included a Halloween pumpkin scavenger hunt. Other events involve playing board games and enjoying ice cream together. Since becoming involved, Schifferle and Barthen have begun to give Autism Speaks a notable presence on campus. Their brand can be seen on signs and banners at school-wide events—anything that can get the message out to make people stop and think about the effects of autism, especially in today’s age.
Chris Barthen ‘16 (far left) and Tim Schifferle ‘16 (far right) with the other exec members of Autism Speaks at a recent fundraiser. Schifferle and Barthen have done a superb job establishing the organization on campus at JCU!
But the efforts do not stop there. Tim and Chris also raised over $1,000 throughout the school year with a 3-on-3 basketball tournament and a bake sale at “The Cubby,” JCU’s well-known late night stop for coffee, smoothies, and delicious cookies. The “blue” sale included blueberry milkshakes, blue sugar cookies, and blueberry bread. For each item sold, $1 was donated to Autism Speaks, which totaled over $500 when it was all said and done. After just one year here at John Carroll, Schifferle and Barthen have continued their leadership initiative throughout the school and within the chapter. Working with Milestones, they have set a great framework for Autism Speaks at JCU and look to continue their organizational success into the 2013-2014 school year!
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The Bridge Builder
Vol. IV, Issue 3
This Issue’s Featured Alum: Greg Sloat ‘12 This summer, The Bridge Builder had the chance to sit down with Greg Sloat ‘12 to see what he’s been up to since his graduation a year ago. Greg served as member educator in 2011 and has since been very proactive in organizing an alumni association for the chapter. Although he is busy working for U.S. Bank, Greg still finds the time to be involved in activities, especially alumni events. BB: What are you doing at U.S. Bank? GS: I am training to become a branch manager. I was hired into their leadership development program to work in all aspects of the bank. At the end of my rotations and training, I will be placed as a branch manager and given control over my own office. So far I have been a teller at the Beachwood office and a banker at the Mayfield Heights office. Currently I am in the small business rotation in which I try to bring new small business into the bank. I’ve had the opportunity to put my knowledge and leadership skills to the test. It has been a great experience so far! BB: What are your plans for the next five years? GS: I’d like to say I will win the lottery and retire with billions of dollars, but I think my chances are pretty slim. So instead I will plan on continuing to advance my career with U.S. Bank. I’ve also put a lot of thought into becoming an advisor
Mutual Assistance
Brother Chris Saniuk ‘12 with Brother Greg Sloat ‘12
for the chapter. It is something I have always wanted to do! BB: What have you been doing in your spare time? GS: I continue to remain active with John Carroll and Beta. At JCU, I continue to help with an event called Network for Success. This allows students to practice their networking skills with executives from different organizations. I have also been invited back to speak during several management classes about networking, getting a job, and life outside of JCU. I have also continued to remain active with Beta. Brother/Advisor (Ben) Lupica and I have been
Intellectual Growth
Eta Epsilon Chapter John Carroll University 1 John Carroll Boulevard University Heights, Ohio 44118
Trust
working on establishing the official John Carroll University Alumni Chapter. By doing so, I am convinced that we can reconnect with alumni of the past and support alumni of the future! I’ve also had the opportunity to continue attending several of the fraternity’s functions like wing night, ‘Carroll’s Got Talent,’ the new member retreat, and initiation. After attending these events I am very impressed at what the chapter continues to do! With the little time left I try to spend it with family and friends. Brothers Fedyk, Shaheen, Saniuk, Pestotnik, and I are planning our annual trip to Las Vegas, and plan to come back as millionaires.
Responsible Conduct
Integrity
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Want to go Beta? Know someone who does? Visit www.jcubetas.org/recruitment for information on joining our ranks!