CROSS & CRESCENT Fall 2018 • Issue 3
The Dancer Connection PG. 18
57TH
General Assembly Legislation Recap
Jeff Stuerman
PG. 12
New Grand High Alpha
PG. 18
PG. 4
SELF-M ADE M AN
October 2018 - lambdachi.org - Quarterly Issue #3
TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter From the Editor....................................................3 57th General Assembly Photo Collage......................4 Brothers You Just Haven’t Met Yet: A Story of Networking Between Two Unlikely Members.....................5- 6 Lambda
Chi
Store
Ad
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Self-Made Man......................................................8-11 57th General Assembly Legislation Recap...........12-13 Gentleman’s Corner.....................................................14 Geico Ad .....................................................................15 Oklahoma City University Brother Gains Leadership Skills Through Distinguished Internship Opportunity.....16 General Assembly Award Recap................................17 The Dancer Connection: Indiana University Brother Shares How Passion for Dance Marathon Strengthened Core Value of Duty...........................18-19 High Alpha Summit, Neville Advisor’s College, & Day of Giving Ads.........................................................20 Lambda Chi Alpha Elects New Grand High Alpha, Jeff Stuerman...........................................................21 2018 Fall Expansion Quick Facts..............................22 The Anonymous Gift ...............................................23-24
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staff list
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Managing Editor: Tad Lichtenauer
The fall semester is officially underway! Our members have already accomplished so much in the short time they have been back on their respective campuses, and we cannot wait to see what else they have in store.
Editor: Taylor Grayson Assistant Editor: Jaren Wilt Layout & Design: Amanda Pittman
We love to highlight our members in all that they do, from serving in their community to becoming leaders at their colleges. Throughout this issue, we talked to brothers from across North America about their many achievements, dedication to the fraternity, and most importantly, how they are upholding the teachings of Lambda Chi Alpha. A special highlight comes in the form of our cover story subject, Ryan Crain. A nontraditional student, Crain embodies the values of duty and respect as a founding father of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse colony. Please remember to keep checking cc.lambdachi.org for the latest updates on what is going on throughout all Lambda Chi Alpha chapters, as well as our social media channels. To receive articles as they are published, sign up for our email mailing list by visiting cc.lambdachi.org/signup. If you have a story which you would like to submit, please email tgrayson@lambdachi.org. As a reminder, Chapter News is due by the 15th of each month. We look forward to seeing what our chapters are accomplishing, so we ask chapters to continue to email communications@lambdachi.org or log on to LCAOne/Officer Portal and access the “Submit Chapter News� form to share their news with us. We would like to extend our thanks to members and friends of Lambda Chi Alpha alike for creating the best experience of any fraternity. All of us here at International Headquarters wish our members a safe first semester, and we look forward to the wonderful stories we will be able to tell in the coming issues. Thank you for reading! Best Regards, Taylor Grayson Editor, Cross & Crescent
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57th GENERAL ASSEMBLY SAWGRASS MARRIOTT
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BROTHERS YOU JUST HAVEN’T MET YET: A STORY OF NETWORKING BETWEEN TWO UNLIKELY MEMBERS By: Taylor Grayson, Associate Director of Communications
Vural with Shook.
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s many of us know, a single meeting can change the course of someone’s life. The saying goes, “It’s not about what you know, but who you know”,and this couldn’t be more true for senior Turan Vural of the Alpha-Mu chapter at the University of Texas-Austin. Last fall, Wabash alumnus Rob Shook was invited to speak at one of the chapter’s meetings. Following his talk, Vural took it upon himself to introduce himself to Shook, and the two brothers kept in touch. Below, is the story of where that meeting took Vural and how networking changed his life. The following is from Vural’s point of view: “I started at IBM as an intern on May 21st, 2018, and am happy to
say that my summer internship has turned into a part-time position during the year. I am an incoming senior at the University of Texas-Austin, majoring in Electrical Engineering and German, minoring in business. Rob has the story right – and the message too. In addition to my duties as a DevOps Engineer on our cloud platform, I started the intern talk show on the internal radio which turned into a great celebration of company values. The community created around it led to both interns and full timers being involved in their work and with each other. Rob helped me through his mentorship. His coming to speak at our chapter sparked my interest in being a part of IBM. Hearing about
his experiences and character gave me a role model to look up to. College can be a confusing time for many students, and although we often have the tools we need to succeed, students still lack the guidance that they’ve had up until the day they set foot on campus. It’s through alumni like Rob in our fraternity that brothers can benefit from both the training from their coursework and learn how to best apply it towards a productive career. Having a personal mentor at IBM has been great as well. The advice and resources that Rob has connected me with have played a big part in making my internship more than just a job as a DevOps engineer – it has led to increased confidence in who I
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NET WORKING IS NOT HAVING ANY KIND OF SUCCESS OR FINISHED WORK GIVEN TO YOU. IT IS SURROUNDING YOURSELF WITH THE BEST PEOPLE FOR YOU, SO YOU CAN BE THE BEST FOR YOURSELF AND FOR OTHERS. am at IBM, helped me form a clear image of a possible career here at IBM, and has given me the means to benefit from my fellow interns and coworkers as well. Probably most relatable to anyone in their early 20s: knowing Rob has helped me set goals and better bridge the gap between who I am and who I want to be as I move into increasingly more and more unfamiliar chapters in my life. Finally, ‘networking’ is a rather ambiguous term often thrown around in Greek Life. I tried to word my statements carefully: networking is not having any kind of success
or finished work given to you. It is surrounding yourself with the best people for you, so you can be the best for yourself and for others. I have been very fortunate to have Rob make me aware of resources and career opportunities, and I am happy that I have made good on it.” From a chance encounter to an opportunity of a lifetime, both Shook and Vural urge brothers to reevaluate what it means to network. The key to your future could be a brother whom you have not given a second thought. “Coming from a small college… and being president of the 14,000-strong alumni association, I am very familiar
with networking and helping to connect people,” said Shook. “Here at a much larger school [University of Texas-Austin], a meeting between brothers (as a direct result of Turan’s making the effort to introduce himself to a stranger) has led to a friendship, a mentorship, an internship, and a radio program. “All this from, ‘Hi, I’m Turan’. The lesson here? Network. Get to know people. It’s richly rewarding, and there is a fraternity full of brothers you just haven’t met yet.”
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October 2018 - lambdachi.org - Quarterly Issue #3
SELF-MADE MAN By: Taylor Grayson, Associate Director of Communications
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y name is Ryan John Crain, and I’m 29 years old. I want to further my education.” Among the countless application letters Scott Johns received, the countless individuals who wished to be accepted into the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UWL), the opening of this particular application caught his attention. It was April of 2014, and Johns had just started his 23rd year as an admissions professional, now serving as the assistant director of admissions at La Crosse. Johns was taken aback by the raw honesty that Crain delivered and the attention that the letter demanded, so he read on. He read on because Crain’s story was one meant to be told. One of the earliest memories Crain has is his father going to prison. Crain was only five. His mother tried her best in those times to take care of Crain and his two older biological brothers, but it was a struggle. So, at the young age of five, Crain was sent to his first group home with his brothers. The home hosted children of all ages, but Crain
Crain is a proud member of the Ho-Chunk Nation.
remembers that many of the kids were much older than him, so it became challenging for him to fit in. Crain and his brothers would sometimes get the opportunity to move back in with their mother when she was able to get her act together, but those instances soon became few and far between. The system was not meant for Crain, but from his
struggles in foster care came points of light, rays of hope. One such person that gave Crain a taste of the good that can come from foster care was Joe Buck. Crain remembers, with a smile, how Buck discovered that his favorite movie at the time was Demolition Man. When Crain came back to Buck’s house for the first time, there was a poster of
October 2018 - lambdachi.org - Quarterly Issue #3 the movie already hung in his room, along with various basketball posters, a sport which Crain had always loved. Buck also played an important role in Crain’s understanding and appreciation of his Native American heritage. “He kind of helped shape my culture and where I come from, because I really wasn’t getting that at other places,” said Crain. “[Foster care] helped me see people for what they are and take people for their word.” But the anxiety of not knowing where he might be next started to weigh on Crain. At the age of 11, he made the decision that enough was enough. He was going to run away. Crain’s brother, Chris, was the type of role model whom he desperately needed. While Chris was only 17 at the time that Crain moved in with him at his home in the Wisconsin Dells, there was a certain expectation from one brother to the other that nothing short of excellence would pass. The term “lollygagging” is one that sticks with Crain, even today. He laughs as he remembers how Chris would always ask him if he was lollygagging, or to tell him to stop lollygagging. Chris set the precedent for his brother that responsibility and hard work meant the difference between success and failure, a lesson that Crain has held close to his heart ever since.
“To get respect, you have to earn it, and the way to earn it is to work hard,” said Crain. Crain was slowly becoming the person he always hoped he might be, but that was all in danger of slipping away just before Crain turned 21. The morning of Feb. 2, 2006 is hazy for Crain. The details he does remember include a sharp knock on the door, an intense pain in his head, and waking up in a pool of his own blood. The man who had attacked him by a swift blow to the head was nowhere to be found when Crain’s friends came to his rescue. As he was taken back into his house, the pain became too intense for him. When he finally came to again, he was being prepped for surgery. As he looked around the room, he saw many X-rays of the same smashed face, staring down at him as if mocking him. He knew that the X-rays
9 belonged to him but could not quite process how bad his injuries were. “Right away when I saw myself, I honestly thought I looked like a monster,” said Crain. “My face was the size of a pumpkin, I was missing teeth, my whole face was black and blue. “I didn’t feel confident at all; it took months and months before I felt that confidence again.” The road to recovery was a long one for Crain, but he received help from many sources along the way. It killed Crain that he was not yet comfortable with face-to-face interactions following his facial reconstruction surgeries, so he took a maintenance job in the meantime. Work was no foreign concept to Crain, and so he would continue to push forward until he was ready to take the next step. Soon, Crain’s life returned to normal. He was working and living in the Dells, which had fast become a comfort zone for him. Life was fairly easy. Crain was not expecting for his life to be rocked to its core, then, when
Scott Johns. Crain is a proud graduate of UWL.
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he first laid eyes on his future wife, Cassidee. He remembers the scene well: he was working at a local burger joint when he saw her and remembers being blown away by how put together she seemed. He had to get to know her. He later found that she was attending school in La Crosse, and after months of dating, he remembers coming to campus to surprise her for her birthday and thinking this was a special place. Shortly into their relationship, Cassidee graduated from UWL which lit a fire in Crain that he could do this too. He had always just assumed that college was not in the cards for himself, but this newfound desire to further his education pushed him on. He could do this, if only he put his mind to it. But, his journey would not be that easy. When he first sat in Johns’ office, it was not news he wanted to hear. “It broke my heart, because at the time, he was not admissible to UWL, so I brought him in and we talked about that, and I laid out his transcript in front of him, and I think he knew,” said Johns. Instead of acting as another barrier, another closed door, Johns presented an alternative for Crain: a semester at Western Technical College to build his GPA to start, followed by another meeting.
The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
For anyone who knows Crain, though, doing the bare minimum was not an option. So, Crain completed not one, but three semesters at Western Technical, achieved straight A’s, and started on the basketball team. The next time Johns saw Crain, he was being admitted to UWL at the age of 31. During his first semester at UWL, Crain knew he wanted to become involved at some level, he just was not sure how. It was almost fate, then, when he had to pick up his books at the same building where Lambda Chi Alpha was tabling. It was fall of 2016, and Lambda Chi was fresh on UWL’s campus, searching for leaders. Crain’s attention was immediately grabbed when the members of the expansion team challenged him to a game of rock, paper, scissors. An extremely competitive individual,
Crain was sold. Though it began in a light-hearted manner, Crain soon found that the values of Lambda Chi aligned with his. “They told me all about leadership and how they were giving back, and that’s exactly what I want to be: a leader, someone who gives back to the community, so I wanted to get involved,” said Crain. Crain became a key founding father in the expansion efforts at UWL, but also became a mentor for the younger members. The infectious smile and driven attitude that had won over so many people in his life was now at the forefront of the new colony, assisting in recruiting men of the highest caliber. “Ryan brought a lot of life experience to the colony,” said Chris Pockette, Associate Director of Chapter Services. “We recruited a lot of first and second-year students who were still figuring out college and life, so Ryan was really able to speak about his background.
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October 2018 - lambdachi.org - Quarterly Issue #3 “He understood just so much more about life, and I think that understanding is just so important within Lambda Chi Alpha.” Crain wanted to be involved from day one, and so he was. The nontraditional student helped write the bylaws of the colony and worked with many campus officials to become recognized. One of these people was the fraternity and sorority life coordinator, Zack Pfeifer. Lambda Chi Alpha was the first organization Pfeifer helped bring to the campus, and he recalls an instant connection with Crain. “I think that he is really innovative and fearless, as a student from the Ho-Chunk Nation and being willing to step outside of his boundaries,” said Pfeifer. Because Greek Life only occupies three percent of student life on campus, it was that much more important to recruit the best men, which is exactly what Crain helped Lambda Chi do.
uniquely positioned to provide an experience where we are asking you to be better than you are, giving you a system to do that by and providing peer accountability in a way that we don’t see anywhere else on campus,” said Pfeifer. At the time he accepted his bid to Lambda Chi Alpha, Crain was living 35 minutes away from campus, engaged to Cassidee, and working almost full-time at a restaurant. But there was one thing he knew for sure: he was part of something special through this colony, and he would do everything in his power to make sure it succeeded. Now, as a recent alumnus, Crain looks to the values that Lambda Chi teaches its men and applies them to his everyday life. He has not ventured too far from UWL, working as a financial representative for Northwestern Mutual.
Values that we teach as a fraternityloyalty, duty, respect, service & stewardship, honor, integrity, and personal courage- Crain’s journey and everything he stands for match up perfectly. Crain still finds himself in awe of how far he has come from that young boy of five bouncing from foster home to foster home. But through all of the trials and challenges, Crain has risen above and continues to keep moving forward. “I never saw this kind of life for myself,” said Crain. “I’m married, wanting to start a family, I have a career, which is a practice I started on my own. “It’s everything I’ve wanted. At that time, when I was at my lowest point in my life, I never saw or thought there was an opportunity. I’m just proud of everything I’ve done.”
When thinking about the Core
“Fraternities and sororities provide a system of values and growth that is unique outside of religious experiences for students…we are
Crain looks forward to the next chapter of his life.
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October 2018 - lambdachi.org - Quarterly Issue #3
57TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY LEGISLATION RECAP By Lynn Chipperfield, General Counsel
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t three busy and productive Legislative Sessions of the 2018 (57th) General Assembly, our Fraternity adopted several important amendments to our laws. The Assembly adopted a bill with respect to alcohol-free housing. It provides that effective September 1, 2019, all chapter houses must be free of hard alcohol (40 proof or higher), except in the quarters of Brothers of legal drinking age for personal consumption or when hard alcohol is served by third-party vendors. The Office of Administration is charged to develop an alcohol education program to be administered during associate membership, a program that Collegiate Brothers must also complete. The new law will expire at the conclusion of the 2020 General Assembly, subject to extension by that Assembly. The Assembly considered four bills dealing with Alumni Advisory Boards and Alumni Control Boards. Our new laws provide that non-Members of the Fraternity may be called upon to serve on an Alumni Advisory Board, that an Alumni Control Board may retain jurisdiction over members of a Zeta after undergraduate operations have been discontinued, and that an Alumni Control Board can reverse its decisions on member discipline at any time until the Grand High Pi has ruled on an appeal. The Assembly declined to adopt a bill that would have allowed service of non-Members on Alumni Control Boards. With respect to dues and fees, the Assembly changed our laws to provide that the Student Advisory
Committee must “approve” any increases in dues and fees. The former language required only that SAC “review” those changes. The Assembly also provided that the spring payment will be due on March 15 rather than February 15 for all chapters, in deference to the academic schedule of schools on the quarter system. A technical change was made to provide that a vote on association can be taken at “any” meeting of the chapter, rather than at any “scheduled” meeting. The Assembly also defined Associate Membership as beginning on the date an offer of associate membership is accepted by a prospective new member in writing, and established that the payment of the Associate Member Fee is still non-refundable, but will not be due until 15 days after association or on the date of the Associate Member Ceremony, whichever is the later. Members are reminded that the Resolution on Rituals mandates that the Associate Member Ceremony must be conducted as soon after recruitment as possible. With respect to individual member discipline, the Assembly modified the provisions on discipline by the chapter Executive Committee to clarify that discipline can be imposed at an informal conference of the Executive Committee if a full hearing is not required or requested. The Assembly rejected a bill that would have reduced from five years to one year the period of time a former Member has to wait to be reinstated after expulsion.
Lynn Chipperfield
With respect to chapter discipline, the Assembly expanded the rights of a chapter to include appeal to the Grand High Zeta from orders of probation in addition to appeal from orders of suspension. The Assembly also added language to require that the Grand High Zeta must review the probation protocols not less than annually and advise the chapters each time a protocol is approved or amended. The Assembly rejected a bill that would have called for disclosure of internal records regarding matters of chapter discipline. In the interest of greater visibility to our Members, the Assembly included in our laws for the first time provisions on formatting and content of proposed legislation that had previously been found only in the Standing Rules of the General Assembly. The Assembly also included provisions for the making of non-substantive changes to our laws, which had previously been included only in a General Assembly resolution. The Assembly made significant changes to the selection criteria for members of the Student Advisory
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Committee, abandoning the requirement that SAC will consist of one member from each conclave in favor of a selection of members at large, but with a goal of achieving as much diversity as possible with respect to geography, size of chapter membership, etc. In addition, Associate Members can now serve on SAC, and SAC members must maintain a 2.75 cumulative grade point average. The Assembly took two actions with respect to the Chapter Operating Standards in Article 3, Section 3 of our Constitution: (1) the standard requiring attendance at regional events was replaced with a standard requiring attendance at any High Alpha Summit, and (2) the standard requiring the appointment of a High Pi and the standard requiring the appointment of an Alumni Advisory Board were combined into one standard. The Assembly changed the amount and the method by which chapters are assessed a penalty for nonattendance at General Fraternity events. The law now provides that the fine will be in the amount of $50 times the total number of Collegiate Brothers and Associate Members as
of February 15 preceding the event. The fine may be waived upon appeal to the Office of Administration within 90 days after the event. The Assembly declined to adopt a bill that would have set a $600 maximum fee for attendance at any General Fraternity conference. The Assembly added a provision that allows a member to gain inactive standing on the basis of medical hardship documented by a licensed health care professional. So our Members and non-Members will more fully appreciate our commitment to non-discrimination, the Assembly added to our Constitution the existing provisions in a Mandatory Resolution regarding non-discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. The Assembly also adopted broader language in the existing Mandatory Resolution regarding sexual harassment so it will include other forms of sexual misconduct and sexual violence. The Assembly addressed two bills dealing with our Initiation Ritual. In one, the Assembly adopted a change in the process by which a chapter
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performs the Initiation Ritual upon installation or colonization. In the second, the Assembly declined to adopt a bill that would have effected certain changes in the staging instructions of the Initiation Ritual The Assembly also declined to adopt some of the other bills proposed at the 2018 General Assembly: • The Assembly rejected a bill that was referred by the 2016 General Assembly and that would have precluded the chapter Executive Committee from acting in the absence of the High Pi. • The Assembly declined to adopt a bill that would have provided that a chapter is on probation if it is 30 days in arrears on its financial obligations to the General Fraternity. • The Assembly referred to the 2020 General Assembly a bill that would have amended the existing policy on sponsorship of concerts. The Constitution and Statutory Code will be updated to include all of these changes in our laws, and it will be posted online soon. Hard copies of the new C&SC will be distributed after printing.
GENTLEMAN’S CORNER: October 2018 - lambdachi.org - Quarterly Issue #3
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT As a college student, your number one priority is to learn. What you need to realize early on in your college career is that your learning is not, and should not only be, located in the classroom. LEARN FROM EVERY EXPERIENCE! Better yet, learn from the successes and failures of others. To do that, you have to be intentional with your experience‌ and actually have learning experiences.
UNDERSTAND AND ADMIT YOUR WEAKNESSES
The best way to develop during your collegiate years is to first recognize the parts of your personal and professional life that need developed. Self-reflection is crucial in our lives but especially during college. College is the time to improve and grow and that will only happen if you have goals set on what skills you want to enhance. A transferable skills survey is a great place to start!
RESEARCH, READ, BE AWARE One way you can take ownership of your own development is to emulate the people that you look up to. By being aware of your surroundings and understanding what exactly has drawn you to certain people, you can understand what skills you need to be able to showcase to someday be in that position of leadership. This only happens through reading, researching, and being intentional with your learning.
GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE Many of us are afraid to stray from what is comfortable to us, but you only get better with practice and experience. By getting out of your comfort zone, you can learn a lot about yourself and develop interests that you never thought were possible.
NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK Take advantage of your network as a college student and attend those alumni/company mixers. You may never know the person who will be your next boss or direct you towards a bright relevant opportunity. Building positive relationships and keeping those relationships alive should be your initial focus. Once a trust built relationship is established, opportunities will follow.
BE RESILIENT
Do not let one "No" dictate your entire future. You may be turned down from a research position, do poorly in a class, or even be let go from a job/internship. It is in the failures and lows, where we find our fight and will to get back up. It is a chance to become stronger professionally, smarter intellectually, and closer in unity with our dream careers.
DIVERSIFY YOUR EXPERIENCES
There is no better way to take advantage of your own development than by diversifying your experiences while in school. The more involved you are and the more experiences you have, the better your chances of finding out what your true passion is. Tips provided by LinkedIn.com & workitdaily.com
October 2018 - lambdachi.org - Quarterly Issue #3
geico.com 1-800-368-2734
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Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states, in all GEICO companies, or in all situations. GEICO contracts with various membership entities and other organizations, but these entities do not underwrite the offered insurance products. Discount amount varies in some states. One group discount applicable per policy. Coverage is individual. In New York a premium reduction may be available. GEICO may not be involved in a formal relationship with each organization; however, you still may qualify for a special discount based on your membership, employment or affiliation with those organizations. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. GEICO Gecko image © 1999-2018. © 2018 GEICO
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October 2018 - lambdachi.org - Quarterly Issue #3
OKLAHOMA CITY UNIVERSITY BROTHER GAINS LEADERSHIP SKILLS THROUGH DISTINGUISHED INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY By: Taylor Grayson, Associate Director of Communications
Trousdale joined only nine other college students from across the United States in Shawnee, Oklahoma for the start of what would be an eye-opening summer. The goal of the program is to help young tribal members explore and understand on a deeper level how the Tribe operates and prepare them for leadership roles.
Bobby “Trae” Trousdale.
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obby “Trae” Trousdale takes deep pride in his Native American heritage and as a change agent at Oklahoma City University as a leader for the Native American community. But for the summer, when the sophomore was researching internship opportunities, it was his hope that he could experience something outside of the Potawatomi Nation and expand his horizons. So, when he received a letter from the Potawatomi Leadership Program imploring him to apply for a summer internship opportunity, he took a second look at the great experience three miles from his front door. “After receiving that letter, thinking more about it, and reading up on the program, I sort of discovered my lack of knowledge in some of the areas that our Tribe serves,” said Trousdale. “I decided that I actually needed to do it, so I applied and was accepted.”
For Trousdale, the most surprising part of the experience was just how many departments and offices are woven together to make the Tribe successful. Trousdale says that one thing that many individuals may not realize is the fact that even though Native American Tribes reside in the United States, they operate outside of the U.S. government, working as independent sovereign nations with their own form of government and legislative processes. Because of this, Trousdale had a very basic understanding of what the Tribe offered, but the Potawatomi Leadership Program offered a fresh look on all of the services and hard work that makes the Tribe. So, each morning, the group would travel to different departments
(anything from healthcare to the water department that provides fresh water to over 1000 residents) to learn operations. The afternoon consisted of traveling across the county, followed each evening by cultural training. Though the six-week program has concluded, Trousdale is eager to bring back his leadership training to both his campus and Lambda Chi. More so than anything, however, Trousdale looks forward to continuing the chapter’s mission of teaching acceptance and respect for the perspectives of others. “One of the things on our campus that I pride ourselves on is being a very diverse chapter,” said Trousdale. “This [Potawatomi Leadership Program] has truly given me the opportunity to add to that diversity and given me a platform to talk about things in an educational way… “When I come back to Lambda Chi, I think I have not only learned more about myself and leadership skills, but my background and why I think through things how I do. It has also given me the skills to work with different types of leaders to see things differently.”
Trousdale calls his experience invaluable.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY AWARD RECAP LEWIS A. PLOURD October 2018 - lambdachi.org - Quarterly Issue #3
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FRATERNITY EDUCATION
REV. S. GEORGE “DOC” DIRGHALLI SCHOLASTIC Kappa-Gamma (Franklin) Theta-Pi (Gettysburg College) Iota-Zeta (North Texas Colony) Epsilon-Eta (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) Delta-Phi (Southeast Missouri State) Alpha-Mu (Texas - Austin) Lambda-Zeta (Union) Pi (Worcester Polytechnic Institute)
TOZIER BROWN PUBLIC AFFAIRS Iota-Theta (Arkansas State) Kappa-Phi (Baldwin Wallace) Beta-Kappa (Georgia Tech) Pi-Eta (John Carroll) Zeta-Omega (Mercer) Alpha-Delta (Missouri Science and Technology) Sigma-Epsilon (Montevallo) Alpha-Lambda (Oregon State) Delta-Phi (Southeast Missouri State) Lambda-Zeta (Union) Pi (Worcester Polytechnic Institute)
BRUCE MCINTOSH STANDARDS FOR CHAPTER EXCELLENCE Alpha-Lambda (Oregon State) Epsilon-Eta (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) Delta-Phi (Southeast Missouri State) Lambda-Zeta (Union) Pi-Eta (John Carroll)
Epsilon-Gamma (Idaho) Alpha-Tau (Iowa State) Pi-Eta (John Carroll) Zeta-Omega (Mercer) Theta-Upsilon (New York University) Alpha-Lambda (Oregon State) Epsilon (Pennsylvania) Epsilon-Eta (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) Delta-Phi (Southeast Missouri State) Phi-Upsilon (Texas - San Antonio) Pi-Tau (Virginia Commonwealth) Alpha-Kappa (Wabash)
WARREN A. COLE RECRUITMENT PROGRAM Gamma-Alpha (Akron) Zeta-Psi (Arizona State) Iota-Theta (Arkansas State) Beta-Kappa (Georgia Tech) Theta-Pi (Gettysburg College) Epsilon-Pi (Maryland - College Park) Zeta-Omicron (Oregon) Alpha-Lambda (Oregon State) Epsilon-Eta (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) Theta-Alpha (Samford) Delta-Phi (Southeast Missouri State) Epsilon-Upsilon (Tulsa) Lambda-Zeta (Union) Pi-Tau (Virginia Commonwealth) Tau (Washington State)
PHEONIX AWARD Delta-Delta (Spring Hill)
GRAND HIGH ALPHA
FEEDING AMERICA
Epsilon-Xi (Florida Southern) Epsilon-Zeta (North Dakota) Alpha-Lambda (Oregon State)
Gamma-Upsilon (NC State) Pi (Worcester Polytechnic Institute) Alpha-Lambda (Oregon State)
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October 2018 - lambdachi.org - Quarterly Issue #3
THE DANCER CONNECTION:
Indiana University Brother Shares How Passion for Dance Marathon Strengthened Core Value of Duty
By: Taylor Grayson, Associate Director of Communications
“It [Lambda Chi Alpha] offered me the opportunity to be the kind of person I wanted to be while at school,” said Spector. After joining Lambda Chi, Spector was soon introduced to the hectic but rewarding world of IUDM. Spector first participated in the electric event his freshman year and knew that he was hooked. But, there was a voice in the back of his head, asking how can we be better, what can I do to create more positive outcomes? So, after serving as the committee chair for the dancer relations committee his sophomore year, Spector has since taken over the duties as the director, a position that has, funnily enough, been held previously by three other Lambda Chi members.
Matt Spector with Owen. “If you want to change somebody else’s life, do dance marathon. If you want to change your own life, do dance marathon.”
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or Indiana University senior Matt Spector, these simple words have meant the world to him during his college career. While there are many dance marathons across college campuses, Spector would not trade his Indiana University Dance Marathon (IUDM) experience or the connections he has made for anything.
Though he now serves as the director of the dancer relations committee, a coveted spot in the dance marathon world, Spector says it was very much a process of personal growth to get there. Hailing from New Jersey, Spector came into college hardly knowing anyone but with a desire to broaden his scope while maintaining his values. When he found the men of the Alpha-Omicron chapter, he had found his home.
As director, Spector oversees every aspect of team building and fundraising imaginable of every Greek and non-Greek organization on campus that participates in IUDM. Spector has a hand in teaching dancers how to fundraise, while also creating engaging events that create a buzz around campus surrounding the event. “It’s a very rewarding experience and it really does speak volumes to the type of person a Lambda Chi
October 2018 - lambdachi.org - Quarterly Issue #3
[member] is and how we are really able to connect with people from all sorts of different backgrounds and organizations,” said Spector. While this position has vastly improved Spector’s leadership skills, the main reason he keeps coming back to IUDM is for the people. As our Core Values teach, the essence of the Lambda Chi Alpha member begins and ends with how much he can make a positive impact in someone else’s life. “You have the ability to take that extra free time that you have to make a difference, and that’s a decision I made and a decision that I am proud of,” assured Spector. Spector has a crucial role leading up to IUDM, but once the event begins,
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Spector says one of his favorite things is to watch everything unfold in a beautiful whirlwind of colors, music, and most importantly, the smiles of the children and families benefiting from the event.
his life is reward enough, according to Spector. Through the IUDM family, Spector has gotten the chance to make lasting connections with not only Owen and his family, but countless others along the way.
“When you see these kids, you meet them and you meet their families and they are thanking you, you feel like you are finally doing something worthwhile,” said Spector. “I think that at the end of the day, it’s about doing good work, doing it well, and making sure it is worthwhile.”
As a senior, it is bittersweet for Spector to look ahead to his last IUDM. But through the efforts of the many dancers whom Spector has connected with, the event has raised over 30 million dollars for Riley Hospital for Children.
A very special part of the IUDM experience for Spector, and the rest of the brothers of the Alpha-Omicron chapter, is supporting their Riley Buddy, Owen. Watching Owen grow and overcome so many obstacles in
Spector likes to think that he has made a small difference in the lives of these children and vows to continue to serve others as passionately as he has through IUDM.
October 2018 - lambdachi.org - Quarterly Issue #3
SAVE THE DATE DAY OF GIVING NOV. 2ND
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October 2018 - lambdachi.org - Quarterly Issue #3
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LAMBDA CHI ALPHA ELECTS NEW GRAND HIGH ALPHA, JEFF STUERMAN By: Taylor Grayson, Associate Director of Communications
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uring the 57th General Assembly in Jacksonville, Florida, Jeff Stuerman was elected to the position of Grand High Alpha (GHA). He takes over from former GHA Fletcher McElreath.
When he is not bettering Lambda Chi, Stuerman can be found fly fishing or tending to his first two colonies of honeybees. Stuerman says he is honored and humbled to be elected as the next GHA and is looking forward to the opportunity to grow the fraternity even more.
Stuerman comes into his appointment with a wealth of knowledge and experience, both in the fraternal world and outside. Earning his bachelor’s from Culver-Stockton College, Stuerman went on to earn his MBA from Washington University in St. Louis. He continues his ties to his alma mater by serving on the CulverStockton College Board of Trustees. Stuerman was initiated into Lambda Chi Alpha at Culver-Stockton. At the end of 2014, Stuerman retired as chairman, president and CEO of Edward Jones Trust Company. He also served as a transition budget director for the state of Missouri. Stuerman has 30-plus years of experience within the financial services industry, and most recently, served as the president of his own consulting firm. In addition, Stuerman also served as the president and CEO of the TIAA-CREF Trust Company. Within the fraternity, Stuerman has been heavily involved for many years. He most recently held the position of Grand High Pi. He also serves on
“Jeff Stuerman has been in tune with our brotherhood since his early days…he has tremendous leadership skills, honed through significant board leadership in higher education, church and community organizations, and Lambda Chi Alpha,” said Mark Bauer, CEO of the Educational Foundation. “I have worked with no one better than Jeff in knowing how to maximize his board leadership role.” Jeff Stuerman.
the Lambda Chi Alpha Educational Foundation Board and is a past Housing Corporation member. Of Stuerman, Lambda Chi Alpha CEO Bill Farkas said this: “I’m looking forward to working with Jeff Stuerman. He is a incredible brother and Lambda Chi Alpha will reap huge benefits from his leadership. It will be exciting to see what the future holds under Jeff’s guidance.”
Stuerman will begin his duties as GHA immediately. “Like all of our brothers, I am committed to Lambda Chi Alpha becoming the premier organization for the personal and professional development of men,” said Stuerman. “I can’t thank all of our alumni brothers enough for all they do to model the way; our values uniquely prepare our brothers to make a significant contribution to society as servant leaders.”
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October 2018 - lambdachi.org - Quarterly Issue #3
2018 FALL EXPANSION QUICK FACTS This fall semester, we are proud to announce three expansions to the Lambda Chi Alpha family. Our staff members work diligently throughout the semester to provide new members of each expansion with quality support and guidance. Let’s meet our expansion teams and host campuses:
ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSITY
THE COLLEGE OF WILLAM & MARY
APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Led by: Brett Turner, Recruitment Specialist
Led by: Jonathan Gottwald, Senior Educational Leadership Consultant
Led by: Nathan Schultz, Senior Educational Leadership Consultant
Assisted by: Walker Rose, Educational Leadership Consultant and Jimmy Phillips, Educational Leadership Consultant
Assisted by: Avery Baker, Educational Leadership Consultant and Cody Sallee, Educational Leadership Consultant
Assisted by: Trevor Nicholas, Educational Leadership Consultant
Location: Normal, Illinois
Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
Size of campus (undergraduates): 18,330 (as of Fall 2016)
Size of campus (undergraduates): 6,285
Mascot: Reggie Redbird
Mascot: The Griffin
Fun Fact: “Illinois State’s Gamma Phi Circus dates to 1926, and is the oldest collegiate circus in the United States and one of only two still in existence.”
Fun Fact: The College of William & Mary was the first institution to become a university in America (chartered in 1693).
What our staff has to say: “I’m looking forward to bringing Lambda Chi back to Illinois State. This is my first expansion in which we have existed on the campus before, so it will be unique to work with an already established Zeta. Illinois State has a thriving Fraternity and Sorority Life community. We will have an exciting opportunity to cater to students that have not yet found their home in a fraternity on campus.”-Brett Turner
What our staff has to say: “I am most looking forward to working with the caliber of student that the College of William & Mary has to offer. Cody, Avery, and I will be identifying the students who want to be a part of a new fraternity on campus, students who want to be leaders and have the chance to shape their unique fraternal experience. On expansion, we plant the seed for the future of Lambda Chi Alpha. I cannot think of a more rewarding project to be a part of during my time on the road!”-Jonathan Gottwald
Location: Boone, North Carolina Size of campus (undergraduates): 17,017 (as of Fall 2017) Mascot: Yosef, the Mountaineer Fun Fact: There is a ski mountain located 15 minutes from campus. What our staff has to say: “I am excited to start something new, something fresh, something that will contribute to the community and provides home to motivated young men who wish to join a true brotherhood, and become leaders all across the world. I want to start something that is exclusively inclusive, a legacy. I am excited to start a Lambda Chi Alpha colony.”-Nathan Schultz
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October 2018 - lambdachi.org - Quarterly Issue #3
THE ANONYMOUS GIFT By: Taylor Grayson, Associate Director of Communications
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rior to the 57th General Assembly this past summer, the brothers of the Nu-Zeta chapter at Wittenberg University held an election. An election not to nominate officers, but to select who would represent the chapter at the summer conference. Because of the chapter’s size, it was only feasible to send two members, even though there were countless others who wished to attend. Until they received word that somebody wanted to change the lives of more Lambda Chi Alpha brothers forever. After a phone call from the International Headquarters, High Alpha Spencer Laughman was stunned. He had just been told that an anonymous donor would be paying for two extra members of the chapter to attend General Assembly. The chapter could not believe that someone could be so altruistic in their giving, wishing for no recognition in return. “Why and how you would want to do something that huge and then to remain anonymous, we were just blown away that you wouldn’t want to have that official recognition from our chapter,” said Laughman. It then became a mad scramble to find the two lucky members who would benefit from the programming this summer. In addition to Laughman, Teddy Jones, Skylar Vozary, and Joshua Butler attended the General Assembly in Jacksonville, Florida. Two of these members received a full leadership grant to cover their registration fees and part of their travel expenses. With a renewed sense of energy, the members were now looking forward to learning more from the programming and being able to bring
Wittenberg members who attended General Assembly.
more ideas home with them. Because there were now more opportunities for the brothers to divide and conquer, the chapter members were able to attend more sessions than they thought possible, something they say made their experiences invaluable. “It was really nice to see where everyone comes from and identify how our chapter specifically can benefit from the ideas of other chapters,” said Vozary. Though Vozary had previously been to a Stead Leadership Seminar, he was blown away by the size and scale of the General Assembly. For the other three men, it was their first time at an international Lambda Chi
Alpha event. When they were able to take a step back and realize just how important this experience was, it was a chance to reaffirm their commitment to the fraternity. “I got a strong feeling of brotherhood out of this event,” said Vozary. “With 700 other brothers of Lambda Chi Alpha being there, I got a lot of good knowledge and information out of it, from pulling off of the other guys who were in sessions with me, giving ideas and various examples from their chapters and from those running the seminars.” While all four members each gained something unique from attending, one common idea was shared
October 2018 - lambdachi.org - Quarterly Issue #3
I WANT THEM TO COME BACK TO ENRICH THE CHAPTER, SO IT RADIATES IN THE WHOLE CHAPTER AND NOT JUST THE FOUR INDIVIDUALS THAT WENT
among them: had they not had this experience, due to the selfless giving of their anonymous donor, their chapter would not have benefitted as much as it has since their return. This was exactly what the anonymous donor hoped for. He recalls his time in Lambda Chi Alpha as a time of both personal and professional growth, calling it one of the most life-changing experiences he has had thus far. So, when he decided to provide this opportunity for the members of Wittenberg, he hoped that they too might receive the same sense of brotherhood he holds dear to this day. Although the anonymous donor has never attended a General Assembly, he knew that it was of utmost importance for these young men to share in the ideas and lessons provided to them. “I want them to come back to enrich the chapter, so it radiates in the whole chapter and not just the four individuals that went,” said the anonymous donor. The Wittenberg members can confidently say it has. It can be hard sometimes, they said, to realize that
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there are many other chapters of Lambda Chi besides their own bubble in the middle of Ohio. But since their time in Jacksonville, they have returned with a new sense of belonging and the idea that all brothers are striving for the same excellence. Because of generosity of the anonymous donor, the Wittenberg members all plan to give back to their fraternity to create these kinds of opportunities for brothers of all generations to come. “The brotherhood isn’t just a college thing,” said Laughman. “You are in it for life; you have a duty to the rest of the chapter and the rest of the international chapter to do something to try and help anybody in whatever way you can.” And to the anonymous donor, who did not want any sort of recognition and solely wanted to give because of his belief in the good that Lambda Chi teaches, the Wittenberg members wish to say this: “I don’t think we can thank them enough,” said Laughman. “I personally can’t express how much that we were able to send two extra people. Given the size of our chapter, we would not have financially been able to otherwise. “I feel like it’s just not enough to say thank you.”