2017 A Publication
of
S w a r t h m o r e D e l t a U ps i l o n
Our new brothers at Initiation. Brother Timothy P. Malarkey ‘89 (far right) delivered the charge.
Becoming a Brother Dimitri Kondelis ‘20
Throughout the rush period, I kept hearing about how much fun pledging was going to be, how much I was going to learn, and how many lasting bonds I would build. Considering that about half of the pledge class were baseball players while the other half were not, we did not come into pledging as a cohesive group. As the events progressed, I felt that we became closer as a group. We were able to talk and get to know both the brothers and each other. Pledging provided a good environment in which to start getting to know brothers and other prospective members. We had to come together as a class, trust each other, and work together towards our goal. Initially, we had some struggles, but as the time elapsed, we started to learn how to come together as a cohesive group. The final event has developed the greatest sense of comradery as we, as a pledge class, helped each other out and cheered each other on. The night that one of the first meetings was hosted, I told some of the brothers that I did not want to participate to the fullest extent due to an exam I had the next day. They told me that this would not be a problem. That in and of itself impressed me the most during the start of the process.
In this Issue Becoming a Brother....................... 1 Baseball Season Preview............... 2 A DU Brother Abroad..................... 3 PIG ROAST INVITATION...................3 Message from the ADOSE............. 4 An International Brother’s View.... 4 DU Investment Challenge.............5 Notes from the President...............5
Swarthmore Delta Upsilon Occasionally, pledges would not come to events if they had class or work. On the night of Halloween, my parents were in town for Garnet Weekend. I messaged some brothers that I would be late and all of them said that it was fine and not to worry. That made a big impact on me, and proved to me that DU is truly about brotherhood. Most of the brothers in DU are members of the baseball team. I am not a baseball player; in fact, I tried out for soccer and quit so that I could join Delta Upsilon. I did not spend time with all the baseball guys on a regular basis outside of events and meetings. I certainly did not at the beginning of the pledging process. That being said, I truly felt closer to all the brothers at the end. Everything we did during the pledging process helped me get there by the end. Over and over, I witnessed how close knit the guys are. I remember going to another party one night after the presidential election and witnessing one brother passionately and fervently defending his fellow brother from another student who was attacking him for his personal beliefs. Small things like that demonstrated how close the brothers are to one another, which meant a lot during the pledging process and encouraged me to continue. One of the most memorable parts of pledging was the initiation ceremony at the end. Experiencing the comradery not just with the fellow pledges and brothers, but with the house itself through knowing all of its history was extremely rewarding. Brother Timothy Malarkey ‘89 delivered the charge. Seeing the composites and recognizing faces from alumni events and the contributions they provided to the organization and the house has added to the sense of belonging that all the pledges, brothers, and brothers that had graduated had in common.
The TRIANGLE 2017 | p. 2
Baseball Preview
Season
Zach Gonzalez ‘19
The Swarthmore Delta Upsilon chapter has a special attachment to our baseball team on campus. Many of our brothers are members or former members of the team, and another large group of brothers are fans of the sport who enjoy going to games and cheering on their school. As a brother on the baseball team, it really is encouraging to see other brothers come out and show support for your team. Also, being able to play and compete with people who are not only teammates, but are also brothers is really special. It makes you want to go to battle for them that much more every time you step out onto the field. Coming off a pretty disappointing conference season after a hot start last year, the team is looking for a bounce back season this year. The most notable difference on the team this year compared to last year is the practice culture. Along
with coaching changes, including a new pitching coach, differences in the practice philosophy have been evident thus far this year. These have been resulting in more focused and energized practices, which can be a big boost heading into games. The team graduated only 3 seniors last year; however, a few members who would have been upperclassmen this year left the team after last season as well. Despite this, the talent level on the team, one of its strongest assets last season, has not fallen off due to a very strong freshman class as well as off-season improvements from a multitude of last year’s players. Max Grullon ’20 and James Rutledge ’20, both DU brothers, look like they will be able to come in and contribute right away both at the plate and in the field as freshmen, along with many others. Charles Groppe ’19, a DU brother coming off a strong freshman season in which he posted a 3.33 ERA in over 50 innings pitched and was one of the team’s
Brother Charles Groppe ‘19 on the mound for the Garnet Tide.
Swarthmore Delta Upsilon starting pitchers for conference games, is even more excited for this season than the last. “None of us were happy with how we finished in the conference last year,” he claimed. “We got off to a great start, but just fizzled out and lost our edge towards the end. I think we have the right group of guys to be able to ride a strong start all the way through to the end and make some headlines in the Centennial Conference this year. I’m really pumped.” The Swarthmore baseball team, despite losing depth at the pitching position and some power in the lineup, is poised to make a solid run in the Centennial Conference this year. With the addition of a strong freshman class as well as the return of many starters and players with game experience, there is no shortage of talent. Also, due to new leadership and culture changes, the will to win should be at an all time high this year. It should be a fun and eventful season. If you’re planning on coming to the Pig Roast, be sure to come see the men play a home doubleheader against Franklin and Marshall at 12:30 and 3:30 pm on April 15!
The TRIANGLE 2017 | p. 3
A DU Brother Abroad Jackson Ramey ‘18
As soon as I started learning the Arabic alphabet, I was hooked. As a Linguistics major, I have had a chance to study the intricacies of language. To me, the three letter root system in Arabic words is genius and amazing in its utility. Arabic’s incredibly rich vocabulary leads to fascinating semantic discussions; semantics is one of my favorite topics in my field of study. As I began to learn, I immediately looked for ways to further enrich my studies in Arabic. I discovered a great opportunity in an immersion program in Morocco. I studied in the fall of 2016 in Rabat focusing on Modern Standard Arabic, learning the Moroccan dialect, and at the same time taking content courses exclusively in French. The cultural attitude of warmth and generosity towards strangers captivated me from the moment I arrived. Living in Morocco allowed me to experience haggling in the medina in Marrakesh, negotiating fares with taxi drivers in Casablanca, and discussing my favorite American movies with university students in Beni Mellal. Language has allowed me to create personal bonds in a formal setting.
In every interaction, the ability to speak Arabic has allowed me to break through a cultural barrier. Once I break this barrier, I love exchanging elaborate and genuine greetings. I love how warm and friendly the Moroccan people are, and even more so once I start speaking their language. From simple greetings, to asking how people are doing, people are genuinely appreciative of the fact that I, as an American, am putting in effort to learn Darija (the Moroccan dialect of Arabic). When people see that you want to learn about them, they are usually patient and appreciative, and they want to help me learn more. For example, I worked out at a local gym, and the man who ran my gym told me the only way for me to improve my Arabic is to practice. Therefore he refused to speak to me in anything but Darija. I may not always understand but I always have fun! I was also able to share a bit of my culture with my new friends in Morocco. Baseball is a sport that is somewhat unique to the United States, and sharing it with my host community during my semester in Rabat, Morocco, was a source of fun, curiosity, and camaraderie. The first time my host parents saw my glove, they tried it on by putting it on the wrong hand. To everyone’s amusement, they tried (unsuccessfully) to bounce a baseball off the tile floor. Baseball has allowed me to share a cultural aspect unique to the United States, and helped to broaden their view of Americans. At home, I feel there is an expectation for foreigners to speak English, whereas in Morocco, I felt a genuine appreciation for my efforts to learn their language and culture, and they were more receptive to learning about mine. After only one month of living in Morocco I knew I wanted to come back to the Arab world and to continue studying Arabic.
Swarthmore Delta Upsilon
The TRIANGLE 2017 | p. 4
A Message from the Assistant Director of the Office of Student Engagement Andrew Barclay
To the Alumni of Delta Upsilon – my name is Andrew Barclay and I joined Swarthmore last August as the Assistant Director of Student Activities and Leadership in the Office of Student Engagement (OSE). Since 2014 the OSE has served as a hybrid Residence Life and Student Activities Office. I serve in an advisory capacity to all campus student groups, including Fraternities and Sororities. I’d like to share just a bit about my background and past involvement with Greek Organizations and Fraternity Advising. As an undergrad, I joined Phi Gamma Delta and served in several leadership roles. After graduation I spent eight years in various Fraternity/ Sorority advising positions, including three years as the Director of Greek Organizations at Gettysburg College. I remain an active participant in my undergraduate chapter as a member of the Housing Corporation and as our chapter’s Purple Legionnaire (the lead liaison between the Undergrads and National Organization). When I learned about the opportunity at Swarthmore, I was excited for an opportunity to once again work directly with Fraternities at a Liberal Arts Institution. I spent my first semester learning about the campus culture at Swarthmore and working with the Chapter Leadership to understand the Greek Climate on campus. I’ve been impressed with the Leadership’s interest in continuing to build on an already strong foundation of Brotherhood. They have a lot of exciting ideas on new campus-wide service initiatives and ways to continue their
partnerships with other student organizations at the College. Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions you might have about Delta Upsilon or Greek Life. I hope to meet many of you when you return to campus.
An International Brother’s View on Greek Life in America Daya Shrestha ‘20
Before I came to Swat, I had no idea what being part of a fraternity in college would entail, nor what the environment for such an experience was like at Swat, but had this inkling to be a part of one. Coming from Nepal, the only exposure I had to this uniquely American experience – the so called Greek life – were through the movies I watched. I imagined a group of boys always partying
(even this notion was predominantly foreign back home). One of the first encounters I had here was with sophomore Andrei Boyko from Russia who was part of DU. Through the conversation I had with him, I became more intrigued by the fraternity experience and was certain I would be joining. That said, I went to the first rush event with some skittishness; I only knew of one other international student who was thinking of pledging. I had a sore ankle at that time and I knew I wouldn’t be able to participate in the first pledge event, a game of kickball. When I got there and saw almost every one enjoying themselves and letting themselves loose, this sinking feeling of not belonging crept in. But some of the other brothers who weren’t playing made me less worried. Jaron Shrock, a junior, introduced me to some of the others and told me I need not worry about not playing that day. Since then, I never thought of looking back – I would be committing. Pledging was a mixture of things I expected and did not. Most importantly, I learned that most of the stigma surrounding fraternities were untrue. Apart from brotherhood, academic success and integrity are top priorities. In all, I thoroughly enjoyed my pledging experience. I was able to bond with the brothers and my fellow pledge class members. It gave me the chance to meet some wonderful people who I would have never met and be part of a group that I never would have joined.
Swarthmore Delta Upsilon
DU Investment Challenge: 2nd-Year Success James Beall CFA `11
Born out of Brandon Carver’s (‘04) Career Collaborative Initiative, the first annual Delta Upsilon Investment Challenge (DUIC) was held in the fall of 2015 with the goal of cultivating students interested in pursuing careers in financial services. The Challenge was held again this year, and was an even greater success than the year before. Since its inception, the DUIC has seen over a dozen current brothers undergo a rigorous self-training program in MBA-level corporate finance and valuation, and present stock pitches to panels that have included DU alumni in finance and other industry experts. Beginning in the spring semester each year, participants are required to form teams of 3-5 brothers, read Investment Banking: Valuation, Leveraged Buyouts, and Mergers & Acquisitions (Rosenbaum and Pearl), and meet regularly with their assigned alumni mentors. Upon returning to campus the following spring, teams are expected to hit the ground running with their pitches, submitting drafts by the end of September … and, after months of hard work, present to a panel of diverse industry practitioners. In addition to a toolkit of analytical skills directly applicable to a wide range of financial careers, the DUIC provides a unique opportunity for undergrads to begin to build a network of valuable industry contacts. This benefit is particularly important given that Swarthmore is seldom a recruiting target for many investment banks and portfolio management firms. Moreover, companies that do recruit on campus are often looking for a demonstrated
The TRIANGLE 2017 | p. 5
interest in finance when reviewing candidates, meaning that DUIC participants have an instant leg up on their peers. With plans to build upon the momentum of last fall’s challenge, the alumni board hopes that even more undergraduate members take advantage of this unique opportunity in 2017. Any brothers interested in participating–as well as those looking for advice on finance careers, taking the CFA exams, and/or applying to business school–should feel free to contact me directly by email, at jbeall18@ gsb.columbia.edu.
Notes From the Chapter President Steven Matos-Torres ‘17
The 2016-17 academic year has been one of tremendous growth. We initiated fourteen new brothers in Februrary, raising our membership to forty-one brothers. Not only has the chapter grown in size, but we are growing and improving as an organization to contribute to and engage the larger Swarthmore College community. This year has also brought important structural improvements to our 90 year-old Lodge (it’s hard to believe she’s that old!). During the fall and winter breaks, the College installed an electronic lift at the main entrance to make the Lodge more easily accessible to those with mobility impediments. The old storage closet adjacent to the Library has been remodeled into an ADA-compliant bathroom,
and a brand new trophy case now houses our chapter awards and other historical treasures. Our relationship with the international fraternity also continues to expand. In January, our liaison from the international, John Kappel (a 2012 graduate of the University of North Dakota), came to campus and was very pleased with the state of our chapter. Our brothers attended the international fraternity’s Regional Leadership Academy in Philadelphia last month, and we will be sending representatives to the Presidents Academy and Leadership Institute later this year. These programs have helped us mature as a chapter and are excellent opportunities to meet DU’s from all over the country. In closing, I hope to see a large alumni presence at the Pig Roast in April, when we will be announcing the recipients of our yearly chapter awards: the Dr. Christian B. Anfinsen ‘37 Scholarship Award, the William F. Lee, Sr. ‘34 Service Award, and the Herb Taylor Outstanding Pledge Award. The Pig Roast is one of my favorite days of the year - so I hope you will come out and join us in celebrating our beloved DU!
The Library has a new trophy case, unveiled in January 2017.
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The TRIANGLE. Delta Upsilon Fraternity Swarthmore College 500 College Avenue Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081