Alumni Association of the Michigan Alpha Chapter of Phi Delta Theta

Active Chapter President's Report
for Spring 2009

By John Sturgis, VII '11

[Posted July 1, 2009]  Legendary Michigan Football Coach Schembechler was famous for saying, "You can never stay the same. You either get better or you get worse.”  The Coach was obviously talking about a team, but the same thing could be said about a fraternity. 

Even though Bo was a SAE while an undergraduate at Miami of Ohio,  Michigan Alpha has embraced his philosophy.  We are not going rest on our past laurels.  I am proud to report that during the 2008-2009 year, Michigan Alpha got better. 

Here are some highlight of our recent achievements:

*  A total of 23 men pledged and were inititiated between the fall and winter semesters.  Our total active membership was more than 65 for the first time since 1998. 

*  Top five in Intramural Sports overall points for the Fraternity League.

*  Active social calendar including events with Kappa Alpha Theta, Delta Gamma, Alpha Delta Pi and other sororities.

*  1st Annual Boxcar Derby Race took our successful philanthropy programs to fight Lou Gehrig's Disease to new heights.  To learn more about our newest philanthropy tradition, please read the article about the race and view photos on this Web site (http://pdtumich.typepad.com/michalpha/2009/07/boxcar-derby.html).

*  Members hold leadership positions in Greek System including the Greek Activities Review Panel, Hazing Task Force, Interfraternity Council Executive Board and Junior Interfraternity Council Executive Board. 

In summary, Michigan Alpha is a leader in the Michigan Greek System, and we believe we offer the best overall fraternity experience on campus.  If you know  a well-rounded young man attending U of M, please encourage him to rush and see first-hand what we have to offer.

On behalf of the active chapter, I wish to thank all alums for their generous financial support for maintaining the chapter house and backing our programs.  Please know that you are always welcome to visit 1437 Washtenaw and this is still your fraternity for life. 

I am, and will always remain, proud to be a Phi! 

1st Annual Boxcar Derby a Winner

Money and Awareness Raised to Fight ALS

[Posted July 1, 2009]  On the last Saturday in March, Michigan Alpha and Ann Arbor Active Against ALS (A2A3), a local non-profit organization, co-hosted the first annual Boxcar Derby on South University.  The event, which was open to the community and witnessed by a crowd of more than 100 people, raised money and awareness for promising research to combat Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS). 

The race course began near where South University meets Oxford and ended about one block from the chapter house.  Racers were given a push start and then gravity propelled them down the hill on South University, which was closed to traffic during the event, to the finish line.

A total of 16 teams participated including many children of parents involved in A2A3.  The race was run with a tournament-style single elimination format.  Prizes were awarded for the overall race winner as well as for other categories such as creative design.

A2A3 President Suzanne Ross said, "It was a pleasure to partner with Phi Delta Theta in hosting the Derby.  The event was entertaining for children and raised much needed resources for research to cure this terrible disease.  We were impressed by the ingenuity and commitment of the Phi Delt men to envision the Derby and make it a big success."

After the race, a picnic BBQ was held on the side lawn of the fraternity during which Kevin Szawala '07 gave a motivational speech and presentation about ALS in conjunction with U of M Public Policy Professor Bob Schoeni.

The Derby raised a total of more than $1,500, but fundraising was not the only goal of the event.  The Derby generated publicity in the community and on campus about the need to cure ALS.  The Ann Arbor Chronicle online newspaper published a very positive report about the Derby that is well worth reading (http://annarborchronicle.com/2009/03/28/box-cars-zoom-down-south-university/).

Patrick Moore '09 said, "The active chapter wanted to establish a new annual tradition for our philanthropy program to fight ALS.  We came up with the concept of the Derby as being both fun for the brothers and Ann Arbor community. 

"A2A3 is an outstanding group dedicated to bringing together the community to battle ALS, so we were extremely pleased that they partnered with us in this endeavor.  A2A3's help was key in making the Derby a reality.  We also thank the Alumni Association for their financial support and encouragement.

"We're hoping the Derby will grow in coming years.   Additional alumni support and participation is certainly welcome."

The Derby marked the fourth year that Michigan Alpha raised funds to benefit efforts to defeat ALS.  ALS claimed the life of brother Lou Gehrig (Columbia '25) and is a major philanthropic focus of Phi Delta Theta's national headquarters as well as local chapters across the nation.
 
All combined, Michigan Alpha's ALS philanthropy events have raised more than $35,000. For more information, view the Alumni Association's web site at www.pdtumich.com.

DERBY PICTURES (View Derby pictures by clicking on "Continue reading "Boxcar Derby")

Michigan Alpha's Alumni Ranks Grow
by Nine Men

Phis' Expression of Pride in the Fraternity at 2009 Commencement Ceremony Reported by the Ann Arbor News

[Posted May 14, 2009]  Michigan Alpha members established the tradition of wearing sashes with the fraternity's letters and Bond Numbers during the 2006 commencement ceremony.  An Ann Arbor News reporter covering the 2009 commencement ceremony in Michigan Stadium took the above picture which appeared in the print and online version of the article about the events of the day.  To read the article, please CLICK HERE.

Active Chapter President's Report for Fall 2008
Michigan Alpha is Strong and Getting Stronger                                 
Thanks to Alumni Support
   

By Ethan D. David '10

[Posted November 29, 2008]  As outgoing President of the Michigan Alpha Chapter of Phi Delta Theta, it is my distinct pleasure to report to the alumni that the state of our fraternity on the U of M campus is strong and getting stronger thanks to the hard work of active chapter members and generous support of alums.

On behalf of the active chapter members, I express my deepest gratitude to the Board of Directors of the Alumni Association/Housing Corporation and Chapter Advisory Board.  I also thank all the alums who contributed to the 2007-2008 Annual Fund.  A total of 160 alums contributed an all-time record amount of $28,035 to the yearly giving initiative administered by the Alumni Association.

I especially want to convey the active chapter's appreciation to Alumni Association President JT (Tom) Buck '77 for his continued commitment and passion about the fraternity.

Active Chapter Senior Profiles

Michigan Alpha's new generation of active members are well-rounded young men who balance classwork with fraternity life and participation in other activities on campus. 

The Alumni Association encourages alums to meet the active chapter members at functions such as the annual Homecoming Open House and Founders Day Dinner.  We think you'll be inpressed by the quality and character of the young men who are carrying on Michigan Alpha's long tradition of excellence on campus.

The following three active chapter members are among the seven seniors expected to graduate in 2009:

Pledge Class for Fall 2008

19 Young Men Seek Active Chapter Membership

Taylor Andrews, Rochester, MI
Jordan Banks, Farmington Hills, MI
Karl Cran, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Peter DiLeo, Greenville, SC
Tom Hardenbergh, Grand Rapids, MI
Andrew Malmquist, Tecumseh, MI
James Milne, Flint, MI
Ben Murray, Bloomfield, Hills MI
Marc Neidlinger, Marshall, MI
Wes Smith, Rochester, MI
Matt Socha, Naperville, IL
Carl Stanhope, Plymouth, MI
Sam Steinberg, New York City, NY
Kyle Taylor, Flint, MI
Jason Varbedian, Rochester Hills, MI
Stuart Whalley, Rochester, MI
Mackenzie Young, Ada, MI
Boris Yu, Portage, MI
Donovan Zerki, West Bloomfield, MI

Actives Raise $10,000+ to Fight Lou Gehrig's Disease
Special Thanks for Alumni Support

 

Former Detroit Tiger Tom Timmerman joins Phis and Thetas at the event

Michigan Alpha active members held their annual "Walk & Roll" philanthropy fundraiser for ALS (commonly known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease") on March 15, 2008.  Including alumni support, the actives raised more than $10,000.  We thank the twenty-two alums who individually contributed a total of $1,580 to ALS in conjunction with this event.

We also extend a special thanks to Derek Stevens '89 for his company foundation's $5,000 donation to ALS.  Our appreciation is also expressed to Drew Dondero '89 for his role in facilitating this outstanding contribution.

In addition to the Michigan Alpha actives, members of the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, U of M students and residents of Ann Arbor participated in the "Walk and Roll" which was held at the Sports Coliseum on campus.

ALS is a major national philanthropic focus of Phi Delta Theta.  The disease claimed the life of Brother Lou Gehrig (Columbia University '25) and currently afflicts as many as 30,000 Americans.  In Michigan, it is estimated that there are more than 1,000 people with ALS, and about 200 who are newly diagnosed on an annual basis.

ALS of Michigan Director Susan Burstein-Kahn said, "We greatly appreciate the hard work of the Michigan Phi Delts to raise much needed money to fight this disease.  All the funds will be used to support the mission of ALS of Michigan."

This event marked the third year that Michigan Alpha has raised funds to benefit ALS.  All combined, the three "Walk & Roll" events have raised a total of more $35,000.