The Cornell Alpha Delt • FIRST PUBLISHED IN 1896 • SUMMER 2013 • INSIDE ... BROTHERS HONORED WITH PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL AWARDS THE BOND OF AN Two Alpha Delt undergraduates and mem- international relief efforts. As a founding member ETERNAL BROTHERHOOD bers of the 142nd pledge class were nationally of the Circle of Women at Cornell, Ritholtz also Past: Reunion Memories and recognized. The Harry S. Truman Foundation works to increase girls’ access to education in the recognized Samuel Ritholtz ’14 as one of its 2013 developing world. The organization currently has Photos From Days of Old scholars, while Zachary Montague ’13 received the projects in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. (pages six & seven) Fulbright U.S. Student Fellowship. Both awards Ritholtz served as the philanthropy chair for the come with substantial scholarship funds to be used Phi before studying abroad in Argentina at the Uni- Present: ADPhi’s Place in the toward their future study and research efforts. versity of Buenos Aires this past semester. New Cornell Greek System The Truman scholarship recognizes students “I hope to one day be an advocate for dis- with exceptional leadership potential who are placed people on the world stage,” Ritholtz told (page five) committed to careers in public service, and Samuel the Cornell Chronicle. He will use the scholar- has certainly portrayed those characteristics. The ship to study forced migration and refugee issues Future: Introducing the 144th foundation, comprising a handful of our nation’s and how they affect a nation’s economic and po- Pledge Class (page eight) most recognizable elected officials and judges, was litical development. formed in 1975 by the U.S. Congress. While the Truman scholarship focuses on Ritholtz, an international agriculture and rural continued education and a career in governmen- ALSO FEATURING development major, has made proactive efforts tal work, the Fulbright program seeks to ben- Reports From the Undergraduate toward promoting awareness of global issues. He efit our nation as an international educational Officers (page two) has worked with the nongovernmental organiza- exchange program. tion Voices of African Mothers and is president of Big Red Relief, a student group dedicated to (CONTINUED ON PAGE NINE) Introducing the New Alumni Adviser (page three) VICTORY CLUB ON THE RISE “As I Understand It ...” By Miles Ryan Fischer ’04 (page three) The brothers of Alpha Delta Phi hosted their chose the Ithaca Public Education Initiative (IPEI) to 96th Victory Club at 777 Stewart Avenue in Ithaca, be this year’s beneficiary. IPEI’s mission is to facilitate New York, on Saturday, April 13, 2013. Victory The Story of One Alpha Delt’s Club is a black-tie charity event engrained in Alpha (CONTINUED ON PAGE TEN) Attempt to Abolish Student Delta Phi history. Government (page four) Started in 1919, Victory Club was originally a function where war bonds were sold for United Alumni News and Updates States “victory” in World War I. As the threat of global conflict waned, the event was changed into (page ten) a fundraiser to benefit the surrounding Ithaca com- munity. It was revitalized in the 1970s and has since Remembering Those We Have evolved into one of the largest philanthropy events Lost This Year (page eleven) on Cornell’s campus. Today, this event has been modernized to in- clude casino games, fancy wine, delicious food, and it is always a memorable night of fun. Francesco The best party in the Ivy League! Jimenez ’15, the elected Victory Club chairman, WWW.ADPHICORNELL.ORG • PAGE ONE ALPHA DELT EXCELS ON CAMPUS Α∆Φ AND IN THE COMMUNITY OFFICERS AND Across the board, it was a very successful Weekend, Bid Nights for Bed Nets (a date auction DIRECTORS semester at the Phi! The brothers complied with for malaria prevention), Phi Fashion (a fashion ALPHA DELTA PHI increasingly onerous Rush Week regulations to show for the Children of Armenia Fund), and the AT CORNELL, INC. recruit 16 new brothers for our chapter. The new International Ball thrown by the Cornell Interna- pledge class is of the highest quality, brimming tional Society. This, of course, is not to mention with brothers who are diverse and dynamic—they our outstanding Victory Club event this year, CHAIRMAN hail from not only the typical tri-state area, but as which raised more than $11,000 for the Ithaca far away as Spain, Germany, Morocco, and Azer- Public Education Initiative! Kenneth E. Growney ’82 baijan. Despite the fact that the university moved Perhaps the house’s greatest success this se- [email protected] the initiation date up in the calendar year, it was mester; however, has been improved relations still a great success! The upcoming years will be with the university. In a semester during which PRESIDENT challenging, however, as Rush Week has been cut more than 10 houses came under fire for hazing Howard B. Schaffer ’90 to three days and the pledging period reduced to allegations (resulting in three suspensions thus [email protected] four weeks. Nonetheless, I fully expect Alpha Delt far), the undergraduate brothers’ ability to adapt to navigate this new territory effectively. our pledging process yielded great results. First, VICE PRESIDENT The house was certainly a happening place we had zero violations this spring, and the uni- John R. Tuttle ’81 this semester. Every weekend seemed to be packed versity has begun to view our chapter as an ex- [email protected] with either sorority mixers (of which there were emplary model for success within the new system. many, thanks to our great social chair, Justin Ca- The Phi is back and as great as ever! TREASURER labrese ’15) or benefit events. A few highlights in- Patrick G. Kavanagh ’07 cluded a Kappa Kappa Gamma Parents’ Cocktail Ben Olson ’13 Hour that we hosted for the sorority’s Parents’ Spring President [email protected] RECORDING SECRETARY HOUSE MANAGER’S REPORT Rudy Koch ’00 [email protected] The spring of 2013 began on a seemingly rich because the alarms kept going off. An hour before and mellow path for the brothers of the Phi. The a well-planned and involved philanthropy event CORRESPONDING SECRETARY house was clean despite a festive Rush Week (and (Bid Night for Bed Nets), the fire department W. Douglas Bond ’66 remained so), and our permit to hold events was had to come once again. Fortunately, we were firmly in place. That is, until the fire alarm system still able to hold the event. Despite these travails [email protected] went chronically haywire. (which ceased by the end of the semester), Alpha From early February through April, the Delt managed the situation with grace and tact by alarms would periodically sound at both comi- maintaining cordial and gracious relations with DIRECTORS EMERITI cal and inopportune times. We took memo- Ithaca officials and Pleasant Valley Electric. We rable post-initiation pictures in front of a fire would like to thank them and Ellen Reuben for George M. Kennedy ’52 truck, the Victory Club after-party was cut assisting us in managing the problem effectively. Richard W. Wambach ’53 a bit short, and very late on a frigid Febru- John S. Dyson ’65 ary night we received permission to stay at Xaipe, the Statler and miss classes the next morning Kenneth R. Ballato Jr. ’15 W. Douglas Bond ’66 FALL 2013 UNDERGRADUATE OFFICERS RETIRING OCTOBER 2014 President: Kenneth Ballato Jr. ’15 Philanthropy Chair/Alumni Relations Chair: Philip C. Ballard ’00 [email protected] Alex Gulbrandsen ’15, [email protected] Anthony Biddle ’07 Vice President: Justin Calabrese ’15 Historian: Chang Ha Kim ’15 W. Douglas Bond ’66 [email protected] [email protected] Drew Butler ’00 Treasurer: Gregory Zalevsky ’15 IFC Representative: Tate Lavitt ’14 Ryan Colbert ’05 [email protected] [email protected] Michael R. Elliott ’87 Rush Chair: Jonathan Grecco ’15 Alumni Relations Chair: Alexander Egan ’13 Kenneth E. Growney ’82 [email protected] [email protected] Douglas Jimerson ’73 Literary Chair: Alfonse Muglia ’14 Song Master: Gregory Zalevsky ’15 Patrick G. Kavanagh ’07 [email protected] [email protected] Rudy Koch ’00 Social Chair: Philippe Simard ’15 Technology Chair: Samuel Langer ’16 Jim McCormick ’69 [email protected] [email protected] Thomas M. Rothfels ’77 House Manager: James Yuschik III ’14 Games Chair: Kevin Donovan ’14 Richard Seestedt ’86 [email protected] [email protected] Howard B. Schaffer ’90 Steward: Peter Plamondon III ’15 Xathar: R. Bailey Rogg ’13 Joseph Tucceri Jr. ’00 [email protected] John R. Tuttle ’81 [email protected] PAGE TWO • SUMMER 2013 AS I UNDERSTAND IT ... BY MILES RYAN FISHER ’04 “For a man gazing out into the break of My inspiration to write this novel dawn, life is defined by desire. This is what arose from an earnest desire to under- a boy from a small southern town comes to stand myself, why I think and act as I do, learn as he sits at a train station awaiting a and how that reflects what I desire most journey toward the place he believes he needs in this life. It wasn’t until this desire fully to go. The last thing he expects is the conver- developed that it created the inspiration sation that arises; a conversation that leaves necessary to dive into writing a novel and his life forever changed. Years later, after the complete it without it ever seeming to be boy becomes a man, he decides it is time to painstaking work—or work at all. retrace this conversation that life will not let The hand Alpha Delta Phi lent to him forget. And as he explores the thoughts bringing this book into being is quite rep- surrounding that mysterious morning, he re- resentative of the book itself.