WINTER 2019
THE COLORADO GAMMA
RAMS CONNECTION Official Newsletter of the Colorado Gamma Chapter of Phi Delta Theta at Colorado State University
HARVARD AWARD WINNERS
COLORADO GAMMA WINS TOP AWARD AT GENERAL CONVENTION
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olorado Gamma’s efforts paid off for 2017–2018 in a big way with the winning of the Harvard Trophy: the highest honor a chapter at a large institution can receive. The Harvard Trophy’s origin dates back to 1924. The idea for the Harvard Trophy was conceived when some 50 Phis, attending graduate school at Harvard University, were discussing the progress of the Fraternity. The Harvard Trophy is given to the most outstanding Phi Delta Theta chapter at a large institution. Colorado Gamma has grown significantly in the past few years, both in size and reputation. The chapter was less than 30 members only four years ago and now is the proud home to more than 88 men. This hard work helped pave the way for other award achievements. For the ninth time each, they won the Biggers Ritual Trophy and the GHQ Trophy; for the eighth time the Gold Star Award; and the seventh the Recruitment Improvement Citation, bringing their total awards received to 70 over the course of Colorado Gamma’s history.
The chapter has won the St. Louis Fraternity Education Award two out of last three years and was recently awarded Colorado State University’s Membership Development Award, which recognizes the chapter that best develops the qualities of inclusivity and social justice in its members. This chapter is also heavily involved on campus with more than twenty Welcome Week leaders, multiple brothers in student government, and a brother serving as the vice president for judicial affairs on the Interfraternity Council. Those members who don’t hold official positions are still well-involved in the community, averaging more than seventeen hours of community service per brother over the academic year, most recently participating in Fall Cleanup and Walk to Deafeat ALS. Colorado Gamma continues to excel academically as the chapter consistently ranks in the top two fraternity GPAs on campus. Congratulations Colorado Gamma!
HOUSE CORPORATION UPDATE
COLORADO GAMMA’S HOME AT 200 E. PLUM STREET
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s the alumni volunteers who have been charged with maintaining our chapter’s home at 200 East Plum, it has been a busy five years.
I must credit the excellent leadership at the chapter level and within the chapter advisory board that have ensured the increased rental rates have been not only paid, but paid on time which has enabled the house corporation to tackle many deferred maintenance issues and a few major improvement projects. The house corporation will invest an additional $10,000 in new kitchen equipment in 2019. This coupled with the recently completed renovations to the kitchen, pantry, and dish room areas will allow the chapter to offer chef-prepared meal plans to members of a similar quality to those available to on campus students and at many CSU sororities. The house corporation and chapter are currently finalizing details to provide in-house breakfast, lunch, and dinner meal service six days a week beginning next fall. While a significant amount of work remains, the chapter is strong, the house corporation is positioned well, and the facility at 200 E. Plum Street is in better condition now than at any other time in recent history. Newly renovated kitchen.
In addition to maintaining the chapter house, the house corporation also sponsors brother’s attendance at Phi Delta Theta conferences including the Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute and the biennial General Convention. Our belief in helping the chapter leadership grow and thrive has resulted in a stable membership who appreciates Phi Delta Theta beyond Colorado State. I would like to thank past and current house corporation members that gave their time, energy, and talents to ensure the undergraduate members had a place to lay their head at night
ABOUT US The Colorado Gamma Rams Connection is published two times per year by the Colorado Gamma Chapter of Phi Delta Theta at Colorado State University for alumni and parents. ©Copyright 2019 Colorado Gamma. All rights reserved. Send news, address updates and photos to: Colorado Gamma Chapter of Phi Delta Theta 2 South Campus Avenue Oxford, Ohio 45056 STAY UP-TO-DATE /PhiDeltCO1920 @phideltathetacogamma colostate.phideltatheta.org COLORADO AREA ALUMNI CLUB Nate Rehm, Vice President Glenn Jacobsen, Marketing
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Rams Connection » Winter 2019
CHAPTER OFFICERS Isaac Scott, President Matthew Coghill, Vice President Cody Christofferson, Treasurer Sampson Briggs, Recruitment Jared Sheehan, Philanthropy Alex Smith, Phikeia Education Conrad Berry, Risk Management Drew Silpasornprasit, Secretary Jacob Calvert, Warden CHAPTER ADVISERS Keith Lopez, Chapter Adviser/ Chapter Advisory Board Chairman Leanna Biddle, Scholarship and Academic Adviser Jonathan Rust, Recruitment Adviser HOUSE CORPORATION Nathan Flynn, President Patrick Edler, Vice President and Treasurer Austin Hayes, Secretary
MAINTENANCE PROJECT
COST
Windows (2013) Renovations to 2nd & 3rd Floor Bathrooms (2015) New Room Doors (2015) Entry (2015) Electrical Upgrades (2016) Basement & Dedicated Study Room (2017) Laundry Room Upgrades (2018) Exterior Maintenance (2018) Structural Repairs (2018) Kitchen Renovations (2018) TOTAL:
$80,000 $19,000 $8,500 $5,000 $14,000 $13,750 $2,500 $10,000 $45,000 $65,000 $262,750
on the CSU campus. Dale Preston, Kansas State ’69, Trevor Udden, ’05, Mike Kitch, ’04, Brett Rutz, ’05, Lon Edler, Iowa, Wylie Nelson, ’04, Brandon Baines, ’06, Pat Edler, ’16, and Nathan Flynn, ’03. Nathan Flynn has agreed to take the reins and lead the house corporation as president as the board determines the viability of staying at 200 E. Plum or pursuing other potential chapter facilities that would be a better fit for Colorado Gamma’s future. He has served on the house corporation since 2009, most recently in the role of vice president. It has been rewarding and my pleasure to serve as a volunteer. Yours in the Bond, Marc S. Mores, Iowa State ’91
Colorado Gamma
PRESIDENT’S CORNER
WE ARE GROWING, BECOMING BETTER LEADERS, AND MAKING A POSITIVE INFLUENCE AT CSU
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his past year was another successful year for the men of Colorado Gamma. The chapter has continued to have strong academic success as well as success in numerous other areas. At this past CSU Fraternity and Sorority Life Awards, our chapter took home the award for Membership Development, recognizing our continual development of the members beyond just the Phikeia semester. A major accomplishment for our chapter this year was winning multiple awards from Phi Delta Theta including winning the Harvard Trophy. This was the first time our chapter has ever received this award and we are now focused on continuing to grow and improve as a chapter in every way we can. Last summer, the chapter sent seven delegates to the Fraternity’s Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute in Oxford, Ohio. On top of this, we also had a member attend the Shaffer Honors College of Leadership. This past fall we initiated twenty-five Phikeias bringing our current chapter size to eighty-eight members. This new class is full of outstanding leaders and men that are determined to make our chapter even better. We are currently one of the largest Fraternities at CSU and our members have been very
engaged with the CSU community. The chapter has multiple members that hold leadership positions in various other organizations at CSU. We also had twenty members participate as Ram Welcome Leaders here at CSU this fall welcoming incoming students and making them feel at home. Finally, our chapter facility has had multiple projects completed in the past six months including a brand new kitchen and pantry area. If you are ever in Fort Collins, we would love to see you here at 200 East Plum Street. Yours in the Bond, Isaac Scott 1189, Chapter President Isaacscott28@gmail.com
ALUMNUS SPOTLIGHT
YOU WILL FIND SUCCESS BY FOLLOWING THE CARDINAL PRINCIPLES, ESPECIALLY RECTITUDE Vince DiTirro 1117 graduated from Colorado State University in May 2016. He now serves as a Catholic campus missionary at Ole Miss through an organization called FOCUS. Vince works alongside the campus ministry and the church to serve the college students at the University of Mississippi by helping them grow in the Catholic faith. Vince shares some wisdom learned through some failures he has endured since graduation. How did Phi Delta Theta prepare you for life after college? My chapter brothers prepared me for life after college by teaching me to pursue excellence and virtue. Through the example and friendships of my fellow Phis and our chapter advisor, and through opportunities to serve the chapter in various officer positions, I developed habits of hard work, discipline, and service to others. These virtues and habits are crucial to living a good life after college, and Phi Delt prepared me by helping me build those during my time in school.
WE WANT YOUR NEWS!
In preparation of the next edition, we are looking for any news and updates in your life. Please email any content to CO Gamma Chapter Advisory Board Chairman Keith Lopez at lopez.keith@gmail.com.
colostate.phideltatheta.org
Why is it important to support Phi Delta Theta as an alumnus? In a time where our culture has a shortage of real men, I’ve been able to witness, first-hand, the high caliber of men that are being formed at Colorado Gamma. As an alumnus, I think it’s important to support the chapter so that this critical work of forming leaders that can impact their future workplaces and families can continue. Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give to today’s newest Phikeia class? To the newest Phikeia class, my advice is to live out our Cardinal Principle of Rectitude: love your brothers as yourself; keep the house clean; honor those in your life; go to church; go to Bible study; if there isn’t a Bible study, start one with your brothers. Learn how to apply morals to your life and then live them out without compromise.
UPDATE YOUR CONTACT INFO! Please visit phideltatheta.org/members/update-your-info/ to update your contact information.
Rams Connection » Winter 2019
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PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #1315 DAYTON, OH
SAVE THE DATE 2019
COLORADO AREA ALUMNI CLUB
Colorado Gamma Chapter of Phi Delta Theta 2 South Campus Avenue Oxford, Ohio 45056 Address Service Requested
PHI DELTA THETA FOUNDERS DAY CELEBRATION Where: Boulder Country Club (Boulder, CO) When: Saturday, April 13, 2019 5:00 p.m.–11:00 p.m. Personal invitations to Phis in the Greater Colorado area and more details will arrive in February.
MEET OUR NEWEST MEMBERS 2018 Fall Phikeia Class Peyton Dorsett, Highlands Ranch, CO Tyler Pederson, Houston, TX Justin Malone, CO Springs, CO Adam Hodgson, Park City, UT Christian Rodrigue, Falmouth, ME Cole Bechtel, San Diego, CA Collin Ignelzi, Glenview, Illinois Harry Licata, Boulder, CO Garrett Baerenstecher, San Jose, CA Jared Sheehan, Highlands Ranch, CO JP Friend, Pewaukee, WI Mason Weig, Montrose, CO Joshua Ridgeway, Los Alamitos, CA Liam Brumley, Seattle, WA Matt Payne, Denver, CO Nicholas Beith, San Diego, CA Noah Davila, Malibu, CA Shane Kroner, Parker, CO Ted Chasson, Lafayette, CO Nathaniel Nielson, Sioux Falls, SD Taj Goldsmith, San Diego, CA Ulises Cordova Jr., Porterville, CA Edge Nicholson, Cape Town, South Africa Troy Gallatin, Long Beach, CA William Setterquist, Austin, TX Will Evans, Evergreen, CO
UNDERGRADUATE SPOTLIGHT Matt Struckhoff 1154 was born raised in Ft. Collins, Colorado. His college experience didn’t take him far from home when he started at Colorado State University in the fall of 2015. That fall Matt looked into fraternity recruitment as a way to make new connections and branch out. In Phi Delta Theta, Matt knew immediately he had found a new home. Meeting brothers such as Mark Flood and Dylan McDaniel, Matt got to see the chapter’s strong brotherhood and excellent academic record firsthand. After joining and being initiated that fall, Matt pursued leadership in Phi Delt as the chapter’s Interfraternity Council delegate. Matt enjoyed the opportunity as a delegate to learn about issues faced by CSU’s entire fraternity community as well as being able to make connections with members of other chapters. After his term as delegate, Matt ran for a position on IFC’s executive board and was chosen to join the board as vice president of membership development. Matt was fortunate to be given the chance to attend Phi Delta Theta’s Kleberg Emerging Leaders Institute the summer after his sophomore year. Kleberg gave Matt the chance to meet Phis from around the country and allowed him to look at the challenges facing Colorado Gamma with improved context. Matt joined Colorado Gamma’s executive board in the fall of his junior year as warden. Reflecting on his time at CSU, Matt is confident that he would not be the same man or leader without Phi Delta Theta. Matt is on track to graduate with degrees in accounting and corporate finance in May of 2019.
