SPRING 2017
THE COLORADO GAMMA
RAMS CONNECTION Official Newsletter of the Colorado Gamma Chapter of Phi Delta Theta at Colorado State University
LIFE-LONG FRIENDSHIPS
DIVERSITY AND FUN STRENGTHENED THE BOND
S
teve Long 561 arrived in Fort Collins from a small town in Ohio in 1968 to pursue a degree in Wildlife Biology. That winter, he pledged Phi Delta Theta and signed The Bond on April 14, 1969. Steve lived at 614 Matthews Street, then the home of Colorado Gamma. “My Phi Delt brothers studied hard, had defined goals, and knew how to enjoy college in the late 60s and early 70s,” says Steve. “We were about as diverse as you could be at that time, but that helped me discover who I was and helped me become the best version of myself.” Steve credits Phi Delta Theta and the bonds he developed with his brothers with helping him cultivate his interest in the environmental sciences. Following graduation in 1972, Steve returned to Ohio where he spent two years in the Appalachian coalfields working for the Ohio Division of Reclamation where he inspected mining operations. Steve credits his days in the Fraternity with providing him the interpersonal skills to adapt to new environments and to work with
those around him quickly. He then returned to CSU to obtain a masters degree in Forestry. Steve joined a large environmental “WE WERE ABOUT consulting firm in Fort Collins, eventually AS DIVERSE AS teaming with two YOU COULD BE AT partners to form Cedar Creek Associates, Inc. THAT TIME, BUT The process of moving THAT HELPED ME back to Fort Collins DISCOVER WHO I and reconnecting with fraternity brothers WAS AND HELPED reminded Steve of his ME BECOME THE strong feelings for Phi Delta Theta. BEST VERSION OF
MYSELF.” These rekindled feelings of brotherhood led to Phi Delt reunions in 1984 and 2009. “There was always an adventure around the corner given the dichotomy in style of our brotherhood that led to Continued on page 4