Cal Delta Spotlight USC House Corporation of Phi Delta Theta | Spring 2014 | University of Southern California Alumni Office | P.O. Box 80828, Atlanta, Georgia 30366 | www.phideltatheta-caldelta.com Alumni From the Editor: For this edition of the newsletter, USC House Spotlight: we’re shining the Cal Delta Spotlight on our brother Michael McDonald ’87. From the hometown of Fullerton in Orange Corporation County, CA, Mike has made a career in acting, and as a comedian with specialties in sketch and stand-up comedy. He A Word From Our President: is also an accomplished writer, director, and producer. Mike’s A Message of Thanks resume includes projects such as MADtv, Scrubs, Cougar Town, and 2013’s second-highest-grossing hy do we comedy, The Heat. A one-time loan officer, W feel such a Mike found his calling after visiting L.A.’s connection to Phi Groundling Theater with a friend. Starting Delta Theta? Is off with the Groundling Improv Program it the memories from 1992 to 1997, Mike has gone on to of the best years work with some of the biggest names in of our youth? the business. Read on to find out more! The life-long friendships? The top-grade young men in the House today? Michael J. McDonald ’87 These days I’m focused on another evidence of your work. A script may just be reason: the generosity of so many What was being a part of Cal Delta like for you back in school? gathering dust on a shelf, but you can dust it off who care about the house. Since the anytime and send it to people anytime. I had an Securing Our Legacy fundraising Hazy - due to the fact that it was a million years ago and I drank a lot of beer. instance where something I wrote ten years earlier campaign began a year ago, it has got made. It was a drama pilot that didn’t get been humbling to see so many alumni picked up, but now I have a DVD as evidence... step up to pay down the mortgage What experience in improv convinced you that you had made the right career move? so there. With acting, you could have the most debt on the house. To these brothers, amazing moment on stage and it evaporates into we sincerely say that everyone who Probably the time I got to improvise with Phil Hartman. I joined the Groundlings (an improv the ether the minute the lights go out. Another cares about the house owes you our good thing about writing is you can do it on your gratitude and admiration. troupe in Los Angeles) where Phil had been a member several years before. I was asked to do own, anytime, anywhere, whereas acting requires It was a wise man who said, “One other actors, a venue and an audience willing man gives freely, yet gains even a fundraiser with Phil and some other amazing Groundlings - Tim Stack, Jon Lovitz, Mindy to pay to see you. more.” Abundance has a way of flowing to the generous giver, and Sterling. Dennis Miller (not a Groundling) we certainly wish a full measure of performed too. I got to do scenes with all of Is it difficult this sublime result for our generous these comedy idols of mine and, after the show, to work in a alumni. Phil Hartman said I was funny. To be validated creative group by a hero... it was just the best. environment? The campaign is scheduled to I prefer end soon, and we promise a strong How do you prepare for a role? i m p r o v i s i n g closing push to bring every alum an with a group to opportunity to pay down our debt I n t h e beginning, I’d go all out to study people in real life, even if I didn’t have a role to any other form and put the house on a sustainable of creativity. financial path over the long term. prepare for. It was just in case I’d have to prepare for a role. It was a real slow start for me, so I had It’s the most There is good news as well about collaborative other aspects of our chapter. Spring lots of spare time to walk around Venice Beach and observe people. I had a fascination with thing there is. rush concluded in January with When you are an outstanding pledge class of 15 freaks and weirdos. Nowadays, I still prepare... but I wait for the job offer to come first. working with a Phikeia. Going into this school year, group you can we knew that the house would have trust, there is no a large graduating class of seniors. Are your parts often meant to be scene stealers, or is that all you? better feeling. But thanks to the success of fall and But improvising spring rush, the chapter will start next I’ve never set out to “steal a scene.” I (like most actors) look for the part that strikes me as most on stage pays year with more members than the 112 zero dollars. it had going into this year. And for interesting, or the one that I relate to the most. Whenever an actor does that, they tend to give So I have to a look at the quality of the actives, s u p p l e m e n t read the Chapter Spotlight article their best performance. that with TV on page two about Will Jameson, and Film work. Mike and his co-star Sandra Bullock who is running his own company What aspect of writing do you enjoy in headed into a meeting in LA for their Those are also movie The Heat. comparison to acting? USC House (Continued on Page 4) A great thing about writing is, you always have McDonald (Continued on Page 4) Chapter News President’s Message comfortably above the been incredibly successful in finding new Greek male average as ways to bring us together as a house while s Spring break is upon us, we all begin well as the all-school raising morale. This includes our brotherhood A to look forward: to finals, to summer average. retreat to Big Bear for a weekend of skiing internships, to graduation and to the jobs that We started a new at the start of the semester as well as many lie beyond. I find Spring the best time to look philanthropy this semester, casual days enjoying the volleyball and at where we have been and examine where Phi Delt Puppies. We basketball courts in the backyard. we are headed next. were lucky enough to As graduation becomes clearer and clearer I have been lucky enough in my first months have the humane society on the horizon, we find ourselves facing many as president of California Delta to witness the donate ten puppies for an afternoon in which bittersweet moments. With every award our momentum those before worked so hard to members of every sorority came over for seniors win, such as Brenton Caldwell being create, continue. We could not be prouder of brunch and great photo ops with the dogs. Not named Mr. USC, and every amazing job the 19 members of the Pi pledge class who only was it a great opportunity to continue our opportunity those graduating earn, such as joined us as active brothers last November. longstanding commitment to raising money in John Rising being hired to work on Virgin’s Four members of the pledge class immediately the fight against ALS, it also allowed us to show domestic space shuttle, we know they are one stepped into roles as officers in the house. off our house, which continues to be the nicest step closer to leaving us. As excited as we are Jack Ellis, Alex Budde, Will Jameson and fraternity house on the row. for all the success our seniors are finding in Kyle McAllister took over as chairmen of Our social calendar has never been fuller. the post-grad world, we are never quite ready Risk Management, Philanthropy, House Ranging from casual dinners at the house for them to leave our ranks as active brothers Management and Athletics, respectively. with nearly every sorority to Hermosa Beach and join yours as alumni. With a current Phikeia class of fifteen, we are days to a large-scale country themed party Thankfully, we know they have left a excited to maintain our status as one of the larger off campus coming at the end of March, we legacy and foundation that will allow us to fraternities on the row. However, with larger have had quite the start of the semester. All continue to grow as a chapter both in number numbers come greater chances for members of this is possible thanks to the outstanding and brotherhood. to slip through the cracks academically. As a work and commitment put in by our social Yours in the Bond, result, I couldn’t be prouder to announceΦΔΘ that chairmen, Tay Vaughn and Zak Kolkey. our chapter GPA is the highest it has been since On top of social events with sororities, our I joined the house at 3.28. Our GPA places us brotherhood chairman, Ryan Bernstein, has Calum Hayes Chapter Spotlight: William Jameson, Jr. Editor’s Note: Representing our chapter as Spotlight is Will Jameson Jr. A little about Will…he is our current House Manager, he is working towards his degree in Business Administration, and he is bilingual in Spanish.