C&C October 2006- Issue 10

Cross & Crescent a Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity publication

INSIDE: Not Your Average Joe

Lance Krall Has Many Talents

Emmy-Nominated Actor

Ben Bratt is a Successful TV and Movie Star

Chester Gould

The Dick Tracy Comic Strip Celebrates It’s 75th Anniversary October 2006 . XCIII . Issue 10

Cross & Crescent a Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity publication Features Chapter News 4 Chapter and Alumni News Fraternity News 8 Headquarters Renovation History 10 Theta Kappa Nu Ritual

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“Dick Tracy” Turns 75 75 years ago this month, the world was treated to Chester Gould’s creation of the “Dick Tracy” comic strip. A creative genius, Gould entertained millions with his tremendous storytelling.

Chris Barrick (Butler 2004)

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Lance Krall Is Not Your Average Joe With acting roles on NBC’s “The Office” and “The Joe Schmo Show”, Lance Krall is just getting started. He is also a successful writer, director, producer, and recently finished a new pilot for ABC TV.

By Tad Lichtenauer

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Emmy-Nominated Actor Benjamin Bratt Made famous on NBC’s “Law & Order”, Emmy-nominated Benjamin Bratt is now a major Hollywood talent. He is currently finishing his latest film, “Love in the Time of Cholera”.

By Joshua Bennett (Florida Tech 2003)

Credits

Contributions

Publisher: Bill Farkas Editor: Jason Pearce Assistant Editor: Chris Barrick Assistant Editor: Tad Lichtenauer Illustrator: Jeff Reisdorfer Podcast Voice: Fuzz Martin Photographer: Walt Moser Assignment Editor: Jon Williamson Historian: Mike Raymond Contributing Editors:

Jono Hren

Aaron Jones

George Spasyk

Content for consideration should be submitted by the fiftenth of the month.

Lambda Chi Alpha 8741 Founders Rd Indianapolis, IN 46268-1338 (317) 872-8000 editor@lambdachi.org www.lambdachi.org www.crossandcrescent.com

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Cross & Crescent OCTOBER 2006

FEATURE

“Dick Tracy” Turns 75 75 years ago this month, the world was treated to Chester Gould’s creation of the “Dick Tracy” comic strip.

October 2006 marks the 75th anniversary of when Chester Gould (Oklahoma State 1921) first introduced the world to “Dick Tracy.”

By Chris Barrick (Butler 2004)

He added: “Tracy is always two steps ahead of Mr. Criminal in all his adventures, and that is how the average person would like to see the police function in dealing with hardened crooks of all types. I try, however, to avoid casting aspersions in any way on police officers. While I may reveal the crooked side of politics, I show the honest side as well.”

Born and raised in Pawnee, Oklahoma, Gould attended Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State University) and later transferred to Northwestern University to finish his degree.

Gould pledged the Alpha-Eta Zeta chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha at Oklahoma State shortly after starting school.

Creative Genius Besides being a good storyteller and incorporating sound investigation techniques in his comic strip, Gould introduced numerous inventions which he used in the story for good or for evil.

After graduation, he was hired as a cartoonist with the Chicago Tribune. Gould then spent the next 10 years working on three other comic strips before “Dick Tracy” was introduced.

These devices provided a foundation for developments in the future and most importantly, established working models for anti-criminal aids for policemen.

The Official Launch On October 4, 1931, “Dick Tracy” first appeared in the Detroit Mirror, one of the Tribune owned papers, then in the New York Daily News, then the Chicago Tribune, and many, many more.

Some of the inventions he included in his comic strips were the two-way wrist radio, atomic light, portable surveillance camera, closed circuit TV Police showup, electronic telephone number pickup, magnetic air car, and many others.

Gould personally did all the artwork and writing. He would first sketch the drawings in pencil, and then trace them with pen and ink. He never prepared dialogue in advance but rather wrote it as he sketched.

The comic strip was so popular that it appeared on the front page of the New York Daily News for 45 consecutive years, and it was seen in 27 foreign papers.

On December 25, 1977, Gould retired at age 77, and he died eight years later on May 11, 1985.

The origin of Tracy was explained by Gould in an interview he did in early 1936 for the Editor and Publisher and this was reprinted in the November 1936 issue of the Cross & Crescent.

Gould’s work won him the Reuben Award for 1959 and 1977.

He was also given a Special Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America in 1980.

Much of the history and memorabilia of “Dick Tracy” can be found at the Chester Gould-Dick Tracy Museum located in Woodstock, Illinois. This non-profit organization was established to display, promote and honor Gould’s work and achievements.

“I have always been disgusted when I read or learn of gangsters and criminals escaping their just dues under the law, and for that reason I invested in Dick Tracy a detective who could either shoot down these public enemies, or put them in jail, where they belong,” Gould said.

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Cross & Crescent

OCTOBER 2006

CHAPTER NEWS

Chapter News Chapter news, alumni news, and reports of death Alabama (Alpha-Phi)

California-Berkeley (Mu)

The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees approved $3.5 million for renovations and additions to the chapter house that will be funded from a bond that the fraternity must pay back to the university.

Dr. Alfred Wheeler Childs (1945) died July 5, 2006. Childs spent many years on the alumni board and edited Mu Sings.

California-Los Angeles (Epsilon-Sigma)

Dallas TV reporter Dan Godwin (1982) helped writer and director Mark Gordon (1982) promote the DVD release of Her Majesty.

Glenn F. Till (1945) died September 1, 2006.

Alberta (Epsilon-Rho))

Gabriel Gonzalez (2000) joined Citibank’s Mexico brokerage unit, Acciones y Valores Banamex SA de CV, as an associate analyst.

Case Western Reserve (Alpha-Nu Colony)

Christian Miller (2006) graduated with a 3.96 GPA. Last year, Stephen Lionetti (2008) and James Adolf (2008) earned a 4.0 GPA.

Arkansas (Gamma-Chi)

Lewis Kinard (1984) was appointed CEO and general counsel for Practice Manager Group, LLC, a leader in providing case and matter management software to federal, state, and local government agencies.

Norman Birenbaum (2009) is a member of the varsity wrestling team.

Last year the chapter exceeded its community service hours by 360 percent while working with the Western Reserve Historical Society.

Auburn (Omega)

Lance Wells (1969) died August 23, 2006. Wells was a former chapter president.

Colby (Alpha-Rho)

Myron G. “Doc” Berry (1940) died on August 29, 2006.

A retired chemistry professor, Berry helped establish the Michigan Tech chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha in 1979.

Ball State (Iota-Alpha)

Nick Zuniga (2004) was named coordinator of marketing and outreach for the Office of Greek Life at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

Colorado State-Pueblo (Delta-Omega)

The chapter celebrated its 10th anniversary. Led by Micha Wheeler’s (2007) 4.0 GPA, the chapter had the highest GPA of any student organization while Jonathan Shuff (2010) is serving as president of the Young Republicans Club. The active members and alumni are currently looking for a chapter house to purchase.

Bloomsburg (Beta-Xi)

Bill Oblas (1973) is the principal of Loudoun County High School in Loudoun County, Virginia. He also works as a Virginia High School League certified basketball and softball official.

Robert Peiffer (1978) is the manager of the National Agents Alliance office in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania.

Al Curtius (1990) is the contract representative for The Boeing Company.

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Cross & Crescent

OCTOBER 2006

CHAPTER NEWS

Florida (Epsilon-Mu)

Georgia (Nu)

The chapter celebrated 18 new associates with a dinner and speech by chapter adviser Dr. Greg Smith.

Max Courson (1955) was named an honorary member of the Image of Journalists in Popular Culture, Norman Lear Center, University of Southern California-Annenberg. He also is an adjunct professor in the School of Mass Communications at the University of South Florida’s Tampa campus.

Thirteen sororities participated in the chapter’s annual Watermelon Bust, which included contests, competitions, and a canned food drive.

Georgia State (Delta-Epsilon)

Tal Isbell (1970) is a commercial real estate broker for a large real estate firm specializing in office tenant representation in Atlanta, Georgia.

Under the leadership of Tommy Pinkston (2008), the chapter worked with alumni to purchase new signage.

Kansas State (Gamma-Xi) The chapter held its 51st annual Watermelon Bust & Chariot relays. All 11 sororities on campus participated in the philanthropy and the event raised a record $4,000 for the Flint Hills Breadbasket.

Florida International (Colony 330)

The chapter invested 300 hours in helping the campus raise $60,000 for the Relay For Life and another 70 hours in the Best Buddies program.

Brian Howell (1999) has launched PowercatDaily, a website dedicated to Kansas State fans.

Chapter President Kenneth Guerrero (2007) serves on the IFC Judicial Board while Henric Boiardt (2007) and Hunter Whaley (2007) serve on the SGA Judicial Board.

Maine (Beta)

Florida Southern (Epsilon-Xi)

As a part of their ongoing community service efforts, chapter members picked up trash along a two-mile stretch of Kelly Road in Orono, Maine.

Shane McLaughlin (2007) is featured in the school’s web marketing campaign.

Franklin & Marshall (Alpha-Theta)

Mercer (Zeta-Omega)

Ken Laska (1966) was re-elected to the board of governors of the Connecticut Trial Lawyers Association and was appointed as chairman of the committee on insurance proposals for the Connecticut Bar Association.

Alumni donations provided for chapter room renovations.

Kevin Heidenreich (2004) completed a tour of duty in Iraq as a member of the 182nd Airborne Division in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Florida International (Colony 330)

Miami (OH) (Zeta-Upsilon)

The chapter invested 300 hours in helping the campus raise $60,000 for the Relay For Life and another 70 hours in the Best Buddies program.

Todd Edwards (1992) was appointed assistant professor of math education at Miami University.

Richard A. Winters (1955) died August 23, 2006.

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Cross & Crescent

OCTOBER 2006

CHAPTER NEWS

Missouri-Columbia (Gamma-Kappa)

Pittsburgh (Gamma-Epsilon)

Jon Dinter (2006) accepted a position as a teacher at Lange Middle School in Columbia, Missouri.

The chapter was awarded the Cathedral Award of Excellence for Fraternity of the Year during the 2005–2006 school year. The chapter also was honored with the best campus GPA award.

Montana State-Bozeman (Epsilon-Delta)

Eugene A. Lowman (1950) died May 8, 2005.

Bob Bradford (1942) died October 31, 2003.

Polytechnic (Theta-Upsilon)

New Hampshire (Alpha-Xi)

Peter Barker-Homek (1983) was named CEO of TAQA, an infrastructure investment company specializing in energy projects based in Abu Dhabi.

Jake Colby (2007) has started an Extreme Grilling Club consisting of other brothers and students who have a passion for grilling.

Edwin M. Erickson (1938) died June 13, 2006.

North Alabama (Sigma-Delta)

After teaching for the past 30 years in LaFayette, Georgia, Dennis L. Rorex (1975) plans to retire at the end of this school year and then open a travel business.

Purdue (Psi)

Fifty alumni and undergraduates attended the chapter’s most recent alumni golf event.

North Carolina-Greensboro (Phi-Theta) Chapter President Will Price (2008) was named IFC’s Greek Man of the Month for his contributions to the school’s Greek system.

Rensselaer (Epsilon-Eta)

Donald Pendagast (2007) was named a representative to the Union Executive Board that oversees the financial and programming processes of all student clubs and organizations and varsity, club, and intramural athletics and student physical facilities.

North Florida (Delta-Alpha)

The chapter was closed due to repeated Fraternity violations and numerous attempts by headquarters to work with school officials and alumni to improve the chapter and build a positive environment.

Southern Methodist (Gamma-Sigma)

Oklahoma (Gamma-Rho)

Rev. Henry C. Mayer (1948) died August 3, 2006..

Trevor Tullius (2003) has spent the past year in The Gambia helping locals with sanitation and poultry production.

Southeast Missouri State (Delta-Phi)

George Gasser (2008), Matt Hickey (2008), and Joe Gholson (2009) were selected as presidential ambassadors for the university.

Oregon State (Alpha-Lambda)

Justin Brady (2001) died September 5, 2006. Serving in the Peace Corps, Brady died in a boating accident on the Niger River in Bamako, Mali.

Matt Knickman (2008) was named 2007 Greek Week director.

Pittsburg State (Lambda-Chi)

Keith Ritchey (1989) was re-elected president for the Board of Education USD 247 in Cherokee, Kansas.

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Cross & Crescent

OCTOBER 2006

CHAPTER NEWS

Southeastern Oklahoma (Colony 226)

Wabash (Alpha-Kappa)

Dustin Payne was elected IFC president.

Led by Ted Grossnickle (1973), Wabash College hosted a two-day colloquium that brought together college administrators and fraternity executives to discuss mutual challenges and opportunities. Lambda Chi Alpha Executive Vice President Bill Farkas (Butler 1988) also attended and participated in this groundbreaking event.

The chapter added 14 new associates and was voted the most spirited organization on campus for the second year in a row at the Big Blue Bash.

Texas A&M-International (Colony 284)

West Chester (Lambda-Kappa Colony)

Chapter President Joseph Holland (2007) is vice president for the Greek Council.

In intramurals, the chapter finished second in flag football and basketball.

Truman State (Phi-Psi)

Wisconsin (Alpha-Beta)

Chapter President Dan Hartmann (2008) was selected as the co-chairman for Up-Til-Dawn, a philanthropic event which benefits St. Jude’s Hospital.

After working in marketing and advertising for 42 years, George Bauder (1955) is retired and spends his time traveling and serving on the boards of his condominium association and the Hinsdale, Illinois Historical Society.

Keith Trivitt (2007) is the public relations chairman for the university

Sherwood K. Zink (1962) is an attorney-at-law in Madison, Wisconsin. .

Lynn Rothermich (2008) is active in ROTC, having just completed U.S. Army airborne training this summer.

Wisconsin-Whitewater (Lambda-Iota)

Vince Colletti (2008) is president of the university chapter of the American Marketing Association.

Todd Wilkins’ (1992) son was part of the inspiration for a new children’s book The Boy of Steel by Ray Negron. The book is about a devoted Yankee baseball fan who was stricken with brain cancer at a young age.

In intramurals, the chapter finished 3rd overall with 1st place in softball, sand volleyball, and outdoor soccer.

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Cross & Crescent

OCTOBER 2006

FRATERNITY NEWS

Headquarters Renovation Improvements address deferred issues, preserve key asset.

By Joe Klimek (Polytechnic 1994)

the february 2006 Cross & Crescent included an article that explained the financial health of the Fraternity and how it has endured a period of declining membership and tough financial constraints.

The headquarters has been renovated many times to meet the current needs of the organization, but the current renovation is the first time we focused on the core systems including the grounds, roof, parking areas, and heating infrastructure.

The view of the building from the outside has been dramatically improved, making the headquarters building once again a premier feature among the other fraternity and sorority headquarters along Founders Road.

Under direction of Executive Vice President Bill Farkas (Butler 1988) and the Grand High Zeta, the Fraternity has worked hard to improve its financial backing and position itself for the future.

The most visible upgrade to the building are the many landscaping improvements.

Trees were removed, overgrown plantings were replaced, and new lighting dramatically improves the nighttime view of the building. Related projects included resurfacing the parking lot and repairing damaged sidewalks.

One aspect of that positioning is to preserve the Fraternity’s existing assets. This past spring, the Grand High Zeta approved a plan to renovate our largest physical asset, the headquarters building, and to address a number of deferred maintenance issues.

Working with a new banking partner, we arranged a mortgage against the headquarters to repair, replace, or enhance a number of components. The Fraternity borrowed $400,000, which will be repaid over the next five years, to fund both the renovation and the new membership system that we purchased last summer.

Core systems of the roof and heating system were also replaced or upgraded.

The roof, original to the building, was leaking and threatened the contents and the safety of the staff. The new roof uses modern materials and improved insulation to increase energy efficiency.

Founders Road Real Estate Our headquarters building was constructed in 1973. It includes 8,000 square feet of office space, meeting rooms, and a home for many of our historical items. The headquarters serves as the base of operation for 18 full-time employees and 10 traveling consultants.

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Most of the existing heating and air conditioning system were also original to the building. The frequency of breakdowns increased over the years, in many cases resulting in sending staff home until the problems could be repaired. The new computerized control system and new air conditioning compressors improve the ability to manage the system and will dramatically decrease utility costs.

Cross & Crescent

OCTOBER 2006

FRATRENITY NEWS

A Unique Front Door One of the most dramatic tasks of the project was the cleaning and refinishing of our unique front door.

The door, donated by David Ford Hunt (North Texas 1953), when the building was originally built weighs several hundred pounds and features cast copper more than one half inch thick on both the inside and outside faces.

The changing needs of the organization enabled converting our old mail processing and duplication work room to a modern conference room. The new conference room has an increased capacity allowing us to host more meetings at the headquarters instead of using outside facilities.

Contractors replaced failing hinges and stripped years of accumulated dirt and oxidation from the door. Once restored, the door was sealed with several coats of finish to protect it for years to come.

Restoring Mason’s Library

Word of the door has been spreading, and antique dealers have taken an interest in it. Sorry collectors, we intend to keep the door exactly where it is.

The finished project has improved the work environment for the staff. More importantly though, it has positioned the building to meet the challenges that Mother Nature has to offer.

Many will be pleased to learn that our old conference room space was converted to recreate the Mason Library, a feature of headquarters that was eliminated in prior years when space was at a premium.

The improvements add to the value of the building and preserve our largest physical asset for future generations of Lambda Chi Alpha members.

The Mason Library houses publications that were authored

by Lambda Chi members, as well as many of the reference materials Mason used to develop our ritual.

A number of smaller tasks rounded out the renovation, including new carpets and flooring through much of the first floor, painting, new desk chairs for the staff, and a new access control system that improves building security.

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Cross & Crescent

OCTOBER 2006

HISTORY

Theta Kappa Nu Ritual Lambda Chi Alpha adopted many TKN teachings and traditions

By Mike Raymond (Miami-OH 1967)

founder J.H. “Dad Krenmyre Theta Kappa Nu founder and Grand Oracle J. H. “Dad” Krenmyre was a remarkable man who was born of humble origins in a log cabin.

Ritual can be a powerful force for good in a world much in need of ethical and moral men.

The Ritual Book Krenmyre wrote in the introduction of the Ritual of Theta Kappa Nu Fraternity that the fraternity’s ritual was “planted upon the fundamental acceptance of Diety, and supported by the four cardinal pillars: brothernood, learning, patriotism, and morality.”

Krenmyre eventually rose above his meager beginnings and successfully operated a construction firm, became a preacher, spoke on the Chautauqua circuit, and, as the faculty adviser to Sigma Tau Delta at Iowa Wesleyan, helped to form a union of small college locals that became Theta Kappa Nu Fraternity.

The 1928 ritual book illustrates the typical layout and floor plan of a Theta Kappa Nu Chapter Room. The chapter room was used for business meetings, as well as for all pledge and initiation activities.

In 1937, Krenmyre wrote an article in the Theta News magazine that expressed his belief that a fraternity’s strength was in its ritual.

The orientation of the room to the north was so important that it was always situated at the Archon station no matter what the actual compass direction might be.

Krenmyre believed there were three components to a genuine fraternal experience that combined to make for a life changing event for the initiated members of any fraternity.

His article outlined the characteristics of such a fraternal experience as follows:

Those knowledgeable about Freemasonry will note some similarities with the Theta Kappa Nu chapter room plan and the layout of a Blue Lodge. This might be the result of the fact that Krenmyre was an active Iowa Mason.

1. the ideals of the fraternity should be at the heart of pledgeship; 2. the ritual should be presented with care and an earnestness of spirit that conveys to the candidate that he is receiving a special gift from every member of the ritual team; and,

The ritual book contains a wealth of information that includes the opening and closing ceremony for meetings, the installation ceremonies, the Initiatory or Pledge Degree, First Degree or Degree of Learning, Second Degree or Degree of Patriotism, the Third Degree or Degree of Morality or Virtue, a Cornerstone Laying Ceremony, and a simple Funeral Service.

3. the ritual is more than words, it is the spirit of the ritual that is the rallying cry that calls members together to do great things in creating better lives for all.

He called for each member “to teach the ritual, talk the ritual, live the ritual.”

Preserving the Ritual The greatest union in the history of the North American college fraternity movement took place in 1939 when Theta Kappa Nu merged with Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity.

All of what Krenmyre wrote in 1937 applies to Lambda Chi Alpha’s ritualistic experience today. A well crafted ritual has a timeless quality that continues to teach us about the great truths that we can live by long after the ritual’s creator has died.

One of the most significant decisions was to preserve the essence of the ritual heritage of Theta Kappa Nu in the newly combined brotherhood.

A ritual that stresses high standards of ethical and moral behavior can transform the typical college man into a responsible adult in just a few short years.

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Krenmyre, Winslow S. Anderson (Rollins), Otho R. McAtee (Drury), and Donald F. Lybarger (Gettysburg) were the founders of the Theta Kappa Nu Fraternity and were responsible for its

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Cross & Crescent

OCTOBER 2006

HISTORY creation 82 years ago on October 11, 1924.

With little doubt, Krenmyre’s greatest accomplishment was the creation of the Ritual of Theta Kappa Nu Fraternity.

Simply stated in a 1929 issue of the Theta News, he was credited with the authorship of the ritual in these words, The ritual is the work of his mind.

Original League and Covenant Bill Deeks (Oregon State 1970) possesses the original League and Covenant of Theta Kappa Nu that established Oregon Alpha on March 17, 1930.

According to Deeks, this historic document was written in a small, blackleather bound book. The book was signed by 120 members of the Oregon Alpha chapter of Theta Kappa Nu.

The method to implement this decision was to condense the pledge degree and the three initiation degrees of Theta Kappa Nu into what we now call our Associate Member Ceremony, a ceremony every member of Lambda Chi Alpha has experienced since the union of 1939.

The signatures include the names of men associated with two local groups, Ares and Psi Chi, as well as all initiated members up to the 1939 union of Theta Kappa Nu and Lambda Chi Alpha.

Here are the original words of The League and Covenant of Theta Kappa Nu:

Integrated into Lambda Chi Previous historians and ritual students, such as Charles S. Peyser (Sewanee 1964) and S. George Dirghalli (Florida 1949), have noted contributions to Lambda Chi Alpha’s ritual that were derived from the Ritual of Theta Kappa Nu.

In the name of God: Amen. We, whose names are signed hereto, together with all others who may become associated with us by signing these articles, being impelled by the spirit of brotherhood, do establish the OREGON ALPHA Chapter of Theta Kappa Nu Fraternity and agree to maintain it, hereby declaring that our basis of union and fundamental principles of the Theta Kappa Nu Fraternity are embodied in this, our solemn League and Covenant.

• The most significant of these contributions were:

First - We, each of us, agree with every other to accept and regard every one who shall be admitted into Theta Kappa Nu Fraternity as a brother, to extend to each the obligations and privileges of friendship, to protect the characters of our brothers from slander, and to live within our fraternity and through our lives in the bonds of friendship and brotherhood.

• The Associate Member Ceremony that details the four cardinal pillars • The entrance knocks for each degree

Second - We, each with the other, bind ourselves to the pursuit of knowledge, agreeing to pursue our courses with diligence and to make the most of our opportunities, being aware that the studies of our college are preparations for our afterlives and we mutually covenant and league ourselves together to take fast hold of instruction letting it not go - holding it, for it is our life.

• The use of the open motto Vir Quisque Vir on the Coat of Arms • The use of the Theta Kappa Nu badge as the background for the associate member pin

Third - We mutually league and covenant ourselves together to protect the Constitution of the United States of America and the laws thereon based - to live for our common country and to unswervingly follow our country’s flag in any time of peril and to this we pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.

• The white Tudor rose • The description of the “lion rampant holding a white rose”

Fourth - We severally league and covenant ourselves together to build our fraternity on the teachings of the Holy Bible, seeking truth as revealed in the Scriptures and practicing morality for its own sake, always remembering that “Righteousness exalteth a nation but sin is a reproach to any people.”

• The optional practice of adding alter cloths in each degree’s color Some of the contributions, such as the Associate Member Ceremony, represented fundamental changes to the nature of our Fraternity. Other contributions, such as the entrance knocks to the ritual chamber, made little difference to the substance of the Mason Ritual as we know it today.

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To all of this and these we solemnly league and covenant ourselves together without equivocation, mental reservation, or secret evasion, declaring we are individually bound by the provisions of this solemn League and Covenant as long as we shall live and that none of the articles herein or the language in which it is expressed may be changed without the unanimous consent of all who have accepted it.

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Cross & Crescent

OCTOBER 2006

FEATURE

Lance Krall Is Not Your Average Joe With roles on NBC’s “The Office” and “The Joe Schmo Show”, Lance Krall is just getting started.

One of Lance Kralls earliest acting and directing opportunities came when he became the chapter’s ritual chairman.

All of these experiences helped Krall gain the part as the karate instructor in “The Fight” episode of NBC’s “The Office” starring Steve Carell.

The important role and responsibility was one of his favorite fraternal memories.

To this day, he still gets a laugh when he recalls how hard it was to get his fellow brothers to remember their lines and parts.

“They were the nicest group of people you’ll ever, ever meet,” Krall says. “People on other shows are so jaded. Everybody, from Steve Carell down, is just so happy to be there.

Steve Carell is the nicest guy on the planet, very genuine.”

“When I went in there as High Phi, I really put them through the gauntlet,” Krall (Georgia State 1993) says. “I even put them through an acting workshop.”

Needless to say, the initiation ceremony went very smoothly that year and Krall found his new passion.

Krall did not have to do much research for his role as a karate instructor for he also holds a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do and was ranked 6th in the nation in 1992. As a trainer, Krall coached several Junior Olympic gold medalists and also was an Olympic candidate, but untimely injuries ended his chances.

Road to Hollywood After getting his undergraduate degree in film and theater at Georgia State University, Krall helped found The Whole World Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia.

Chapter “Hall” Memories When Krall attended Georgia State, it was mostly a commuter college that did not have any dorms for on-campus living.

From 1993 to 2000, he performed in improv shows and scripted plays at Whole World.

In 1999, Krall was spotted by a Hollywood talent agent, and he moved out west.

The fraternities and sororities were located on various floors of a campus hall with signs posted on each door signifying their affiliation. Even though it was different than your traditional chapter house, the members still made the most of it.

In late 2000, he was cast on Steve Martin’s variety show, “The Downer Channel.” After a disappointing four-episode run, Krall tried his luck at shooting his own sketch comedy show.

With the help of his old troupe in Atlanta, Krall shot a 30minute pilot named “The Lance Krall Show” for Spike TV.

“We prided ourselves on being a very selective, small, but very tight group of friends,” Krall says.

Being a very involved and hands-on person, Krall took advantage of the many leadership opportunities Lambda Chi offered him, holding the positions of rush, social, and ritual chairman.

In the interim, Krall also was cast in the feature “Made Up,” directed by Tony Shalhoub, and later directed and starred in “Party Animals,” which premiered at the Los Angeles International Film Festival and was an official selection in the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City, Utah.

“I took it upon myself to up the ante a little bit as far as recruitment for our chapter,” he says. “When I was rush chairman, I think we had a record. Usually we bring in 10 or 12. But when I was chair, we had 40 associate members.”

In 2003, Krall was cast in the parody reality show called “The Joe Schmo Show.” His popularity on Joe Schmo convinced Spike TV to greenlight eight episodes of “The Lance Krall Show.”

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By Tad Lichtenauer (Butler 1987)

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Cross & Crescent

OCTOBER 2006

FEATURE The chapter had between 50 to 75 members while Krall was an active member. Unfortunately, after he graduated, the active numbers dropped off and the chapter was eventually closed.

Walk of Fame

Listening to Friends Though Krall was originally a marketing major, he really had no idea what he wanted to do in life, and was often unhappy and depressed until he had a chance meeting one day.

Lambda Chi Alpha has three members who are part of Hollywood’s Walk of Fame.

Jean Hersholt Rollins 194 6501 Hollywood Blvd.

Dean Jagger Wabash 1922 61625 Vine St.

“I ran into this guy who was in one of my classes. He said I should come down to this improv workshop,” Krall says. “I found improv to be fun and I started taking film and theater classes.”

Robert Urich Florida State 1968 7083 Hollywood Blvd.

A month later, Krall changed his major. Although he had to stay in school a year longer, the change in major was well worth it.

“College is the last time you have in life to sort of figure things out without a lot of pressure around you,” he says.

“When you’re in college, it’s your last shot to figure out who you are, what you’re all about, and what you want to do.”

of the end goal will screw you up in this town.”

Krall says the support and encouragement he received from his brothers during his struggle with his career direction had a big impact on him.

Krall just finished working on “The Other Mall” for ABC Family, a pilot that he co-created with “Joe Schmo” alums David Hornsby and Danny Salles.

“I listen to what my friends have to say. I think of myself as someone who picks his friends carefully,” he says. “Once they’re my friends, someone I trust, I definitely listen to their advice. They definitely helped with my decision.”

Besides co-creating, Krall also wrote, co-directed, executive produced, and acted in the pilot. The show is about a run-down mall in middle America that is competing against the new, high-end mall.

Since Krall has so many responsibilities in this pilot and they are working with one of the big networks, he decided to only cast himself in a small role. He plays Truc Tran, owner of Vietnam Food Kingdom, the only restaurant left in the mall’s nearly abandoned food court.

With his success in Hollywood, all his brothers now email him and say they told him he would make it. Of course, they also want to know if they can have an acting role in one of his projects.

Making It in Hollywood Many people ask Krall for advice about moving to Hollywood.

Krall’s ultimate goal is to be involved with films. He and a friend are currently working on an idea for a comedy and they plan to carve out three or four months to focus on it.

“My biggest advice for that is to stay where you’re at, wherever that place is, and just learn your craft in an environment that’s not a high pressure environment like it is in New York or Los Angeles,” he says.

“I want to jump into that world,” he says. “That’s ultimately where I want to go — is to do films.”

Krall says Hollywood is very product oriented and everything is focused on the end product, not the process.

He says that writing for TV really holds him back creatively in terms of content.

“It’s really hard to take a class or learn something new without thinking of the end goal,” he says. “Thinking

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“Our sensibilities are just much more in the film world than TV.”

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Photo Credits in Order of Apperance © Copyright Courtesy Lance Krall, All rights reserved. © Copyright Courtesy jmstylr, Some rights reserved. © Copyright Courtesy Lance Krall, All rights reserved. © Copyright Courtesy Lance Krall, All rights reserved.

OCTOBER 2006

FEATURE

Emmy-Nominated Actor Benjamin Bratt Made famous on NBC’s “Law & Order”, Emmy-nominated Benjamin Bratt is now a major Hollywood talent.

By Joshua Bennett (Florida Tech 2003)

iN THE PAST 26 YEARS, Benjamin Bratt (California-Santa Barbara 1984) was already an experienced film and TV actor by the time his four-year stint as detective Reynaldo “Rey” Curtis on NBC’s long-running hit “Law & Order” made him famous.

Bratt also had supporting roles in “One Good Cop” (1991), “Bound by Honor” (1993), and “Demolition Man” (1993).

Born in San Francisco, California, on December 16, 1963, Bratt is the third of five children. He is the grandson of Broadway actor George Bratt and the son of a Peruvian Quechua Indian mother from Lima, Peru, who moved to the United States at age 14. His father, a sheet-metal worker, and his mother divorced in 1968.

Soon after those movies, he was cast as the lead in the James A. Michener’s ABC miniseries “Texas” in 1995. That year was also Bratt’s first role as the detective Rey Curtis on “Law & Order.”

After a few tough film starts, Bratt gained Hollywood’s attention in 1994 with “In The River Wild,” in which he played a Native American ranger, and in “Clear and Present Danger” where he was the field officer for American soldiers sent by the CIA to infiltrate the Colombian countryside.

Law & Order Fame Bratt is best known for his role on “Law & Order.” The character’s Mestizo ancestry, a mix of Native Peruvian and German-English backgrounds, was the same as Bratt’s.

Bratt also inherited three half-brothers from his father’s previous marriage. Since his grandfather was also an actor on Broadway, Bratt’s passion for acting has been passed down through the genes.

Early Breaks Bratt showed no interest in acting until college. In 1986, he graduated with honors from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

In 1999, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series for his work on the series.

He then attended the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco but did not complete the master’s program. Instead, he began his professional acting career at the Utah Shakespearean Festival.

During a hiatus from “Law & Order,” Bratt produced and starred in the indie film “Follow Me Home” in 1997. This was a low-budget film directed by his brother, Peter Bratt, that featured Alfre Woodard and Salma Hayek.

His first two TV pilots, “Juarez and Lovers,” and “Partners & Spies,” did not succeed. Two years later he got another break and was offered to star in “Knightwatch,” another short-lived project that had him playing the role of an ex-gang leader who became the leader of an anti-crime patrol.

In 1999, Bratt decided to leave “Law & Order,” saying, “I’ve felt like it was time to get back home to my family. How do you walk away from the best job in the world and a group of people that you’ve grown to love? It’s not easy, and it was an extremely difficult decision that I had to make.”

In 1990, Bratt joined another drama with a short life, NBC’s “Nasty Boys,” which was produced by Dick Wolf, who also created and produced “Law & Order.”

On May 26, 1999, Bratt’s final episode aired. Two weeks prior to that he was named one of “People’s” “50 Most Beautiful” in the May 10, 1999, issue.

Giving television a break, Bratt’s debut film roles came in 1990. First he was cast in “Bright Angel” and then in “Chains of Gold,” starring Joey Lawrence and John Travolta, in which he played a vicious drug dealer.

Family and Hit Movies After leaving “Law & Order,” Bratt moved back to San Francisco to be closer to his family and focus on making movies.

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FEATURE

“My family is like a sanctuary to me,” says Bratt. “I always turn to them for support and strength. I take comfort in knowing no matter which path I choose, my family stands behind me.”

In 2000, Bratt starred opposite Sandra Bullock in the hit romantic comedy “Miss Congeniality”. Bratt played the smooth law enforcement officer image as Bullock’s FBI ally.

During the same time, Bratt had a small role as part of a starstudded, ensemble cast in the Oscar-winning, narcotics drama “Traffic.” The cast included Benicio del Toro, Michael Douglas, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. The film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and Bratt played a nearly unrecognizable sleazy drug dealer.

Emmy Nominated Benjamin Bratt was nominated for an Emmy in 1999 for his work on “Law & Order.” Three other Lambda Chi Alpha brothers have received this honor.

Powers Boothe • Texas State-San Marcos 1970 • Guyana Tragedy: The Story of Jim Jones • Won in 1980

Bratt then played the lead performance in the independent biopic “Piñero” in 2001. His uncanny evocation of troubled Nuyorican writer and drug casualty Miguel Piñero attracted early dark horse Oscar buzz.

Will Geer • Chicago 1923 • The Waltons • Won in 1975; nominated in 1973–1978

While filming “Piñero”, Bratt met actress-model Talisa Soto whom he married in April 2002. Today they have two children, Sophia Rosalinda Bratt and Mateo Bravery Bratt.

Dean Jagger • Wabash 1922 • Mr. Novak • Nominated in 1964 and 1965

In 2003, he costarred in “Catwoman” with Halle Berry and Sharon Stone. Then he had a lead role as a TV star in the off-beat “Thumbsucker” in 2005, a movie about a teenage boy who has an oral obsession with his thumb.

Upcoming Projects Bratt is currently finishing the filming of “Love in the Time of Cholera” based on a 1985 Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel.

That was followed by his role as Lt. Colonel Mucci in “The Great Raid” in 2005, which told the true story of the 6th Ranger Battalion that undertook a daring rescue mission to liberate over 500 American prisoners of war from the Cabanatuan Japanese POW camp.

Scheduled for release in 2007, the movie is about a love triangle set in turn-of-the-century South America. The movie is being directed

by Mike Newell who directed “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” and “Donnie Brasco.”

Also in 2005, Bratt was recruited back to TV to play Maj. Jim Tisnewski in NBC’s “E-Ring,” a political drama set within the Pentagon. Jerry Bruckheimer was the executive producer. The show lasted only one season.

After that movie wraps, Bratt is set to star in “Guerrilla,” an epic about Argentine revolutionary Che Guevara that is being directed by Steven Soderbergh.

Photo Credits in Order of Apperance © Copyright Courtesy AP/Wide World Photos, All rights © Copyright Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, All rights rese © Copyright Courtesy AP/Wide World Photos, All rights © Copyright Courtesy AP/Wide World Photos, All rights

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