AN IOTA’S WORTH NEW Save the Date! d entennial Ce C lebration d 100 YEARS IOTA CHAPTER | 1920-2020 | Sept 23- 26, 2021 The Alumni and Parents Newsletter | IOTA Chapter | ZETA BETA TAU | University of Denver | Fall 2020 IOTA ADVISORS’ UPDATE It has been an interesting and challenging fall quarter. The men of IOTA have risen to the challenge. We have initiated 16 new brothers in a mostly virtual and man-on-man recruitment process. The chapter is hoping to initiate more brothers later this quarter and then have recruitment in both winter and spring quarters with a goal of having at least 30 new brothers join our ranks this school year. Unfortunately, we did not have brothers return to DU this quarter and had some brothers leave us for finan - cial and other reasons. We now have over 80 men in the chapter with hopes of being near 100 by the end of spring quarter. Due to COVID-19 we had to make all rooms in the chapter house singles this school year and only allow those living in the chapter house to eat meals in the house. We have instituted enhance cleaning and safety protocols. We did have some brothers living in the chapter house come down with COVID-19. They were temporarily moved into quarantine and the other non-infected brothers moved into isolation. Thankfully no one was seriously ill. The University has been providing the students with regular access to testing. We still are having some brothers infected. DU recently went to all virtual classes and the student body will be leaving campus November 20th with all finals online. Programming has been impacted. Presently we can only have groups of five men and under at any event, earlier in the quarter we could have ten. As you might imagine this has presented challenges, but the leadership has done a great job of keeping the men engaged. We are hopeful in the months to come social conditions will improve so we may resume more traditional programming, but uncertainty remains. Hopefully, between a vaccine and therapeutics school life will return to ‘normal’ sometime in 2021. The Reunion Planning Committee will be meeting virtually in early January to further discuss plans for our now 101st Chartering Anniversary Celebration for Sept. 23-26, 2021. Stay tuned and see pg. 13 for details. We want to thank Alec Hurst and his fellow officers and chairmen for their efforts during fall quarter. I want to thank my fellow advisors and house corporation directors especially Gary Berz for their assis - tance and support. Also, a shout out to DU for their support. As always we thank Don Reisfeld for his containing efforts to make IOTAs publications the fraternity’s best. To brother Jackson Spear, who is our House Director this year, huge thanks for dealing with this year’s challenges. Thankfully due to our size and the strength of our chapter, we shall survive and look forward to better days ahead. Be well and stay safe. C, F & S, Steve Ehrlich Chapter Advisor and House Corporation President On behalf of our Chapter Advisors: Scott Adams, Ben Brentin, Marc Goldenberg, Ryan Martin, Adam Segall Faculty Advisor: Greg Grauberger, Faculty Advisor and House Corporation: Gary Berz and Chris Fettig 1 www.DUZBT.com AN IOTA’S WORTH FALL 2020 THE ALUMNI AND PARENT NEWSLETTER | IOTA C HAPTER | Z ETA BETA TAU | U NIVERSITY OF DENVER INSPIRED TO SERVE: Two Ambassadors and a Businessman ZBT Foundation sponsored on October 22nd an evening with an inspirational panel of brothers via ZOOM. There are many things this program’s panelists have in common, but most notably is their dedication to public service throughout their careers. Brothers Stuart E. Eizenstat, Alpha Pi (The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) 1964, Stuart A. Bernstein, Beta Beta (American University) 1962, and Marc B. Nathanson, Iota (University of Denver) 1967 have spent decades serving their communities and their country. Among the many accomplishments, Brothers Eizenstat, Bernstein, and Nathanson: • Held several key positions under multiple presidents of the United States • Negotiated agreements with countries across the globe • Serve on boards for numerous universities • Received numerous awards and recognition for their work Jonathan Dickerman, the moderator, graduated from American University with a BA in Political Science and Law & Society and will have his Master of Public Administration in May. He worked for three years for Faron A. Lewitt, Psi (University of Alabama) 1997 Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Chief Executive Officer of Zeta Beta Tau Foundation Karyn Polito. Jonathan is an alumnus of Beta Psi Chapter. 2 www.DUZBT.com AN IOTA’S WORTH FALL 2020 THE ALUMNI AND PARENT NEWSLETTER | IOTA C HAPTER | Z ETA BETA TAU | U NIVERSITY OF DENVER Steve Ehrlich Interviewed on NBC 9 News Given past tragic hazing deaths, take a look at what our very own Steve Ehrlich had to say on 9 News about the dangers of hazing and how ZBT has paved the way for safer fraternity life. Marc B. Nathanson, Iota University of Denver 1967 Watch and listen to Steve Ehrlich as he responds to pledging, hazing and recent deaths at college campuses across the coun - try, fraternities and sororities are reexamining Greek life culture in his November 22, 2017 interview broadcasted on NBC Denver 9 News. Stuart A. Bernstein, Beta Beta American University 1962 Stuart E. Eizenstat, Alpha Pi The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 1964 3 www.DUZBT.com AN IOTA’S WORTH FALL 2020 THE ALUMNI AND PARENT NEWSLETTER | IOTA C HAPTER | Z ETA BETA TAU | U NIVERSITY OF DENVER A Conversation with Israeli Ambassador Brother Ron Dermer | An off-the-record exclusive ZBT conversation December 3, 2020 | 3 – 4 p.m. Eastern | Via Zoom Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer, Theta (University of Pennsylvania) 1993 will join mod - erator Jay D. Stein, Alpha Omicron (University of Arizona) 1986 for an off-the-record conversation about the relationship between Israel and the United States and the current affairs in Israel. Ron was born and raised in Miami Beach, Florida. He earned a degree in Finance and Management from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) from Oxford University. For three years, he was a colum - nist for the Jerusalem Post. In 2004, Ron co-authored with Natan Sharansky the best-selling book, The Case For Democracy: The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny and Terror, which has been translated into ten languages. From 2005-2008, Ron served as Israel's Minister of Economic Affairs in the United States. From 2009-2013, he served as Senior Advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In 2013, Ron became the 18th Israeli Ambassador to the US. Message from International President ZBT Fraternity Dear Brothers, I hope that you and yours remain safe and well during these difficult times. For our Fraternity, the challenges of the pandemic are equaled by its opportunities. If wisdom is alone gained through struggle, we are becoming wiser by the day, as the International Fraternity and our Chapters learn to effectively recruit, educate, program for, bond with, appreciate, and recognize Brothers in new ways. As we have been driven physically apart, we have adapted to strengthen the bonds of Brotherhood. At the outset of the pandemic, the Headquarters Staff and volunteer leadership acted quickly to reduce expenses and enact policies to protect the health and safety of our Brothers, while continuing to provide programming and services. Our Chapters and Brothers similarly adapted, many excelling at virtual recruitment and programming, permitting us to exceed our pandemic projections for returning brothers and putting us on track to exceed our pandemic projections for recruitment as well. As always, Iota is among those Chapters leading the way. We are refocusing on our unique origin story and special purpose. Zeta Beta Tau grew in response to the exclusionary policies of organizations at the time, which would not admit members of the Jewish faith. Our Brotherhood thrived as it created a space for those men and, eventually, all men of good character. As such, our Brotherhood is not an heir to injustice, but a response to it. We must remind others of this whenever and wherever possible, by our words and deeds. That message, and our programming to combat hate, provide opportunities for Brothers from margin - alized communities to discuss common experiences, and our efforts to end sexual violence on cam - pus, is rooted in decades-old organizational values. Now more than ever, those values are sought by college campuses and undergraduates. Thus, while the current environment may be unfavorable to the average fraternity, it provides a Brotherhood like ours an amazing opportunity. The commitment to our values, as they manifest in our programming, conduct, and messaging, have led to expansion successes during the pandemic. We initiated 27 new Brothers at Emory and 15 at the University of California at Berkeley. We have been approved to return to the University of Kentucky next year. Serious challenges remain, both pandemic-related and otherwise. We will meet those challenges like we have met many before, united in adherence to our watchwords of Justice and Brotherly Love. C, F & S, Jonathan D. Frieden, International President, Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity Phi Epsilon (University of Virginia) 1994 14 www.DUZBT.com AN IOTA’S WORTH FALL 2020 THE ALUMNI AND PARENT NEWSLETTER | IOTA C HAPTER | Z ETA BETA TAU | U NIVERSITY OF DENVER ZETA BETA TAU FOUNDATION UPDATE Dear Iota Chapter Brothers: I hope you and your loved ones remain healthy. It is times like this when we can appreciate all that we have, including our Fraternity, our brothers and the relationships they have provided to us.