Spring 2011 - Theta Chi

The Delta Dial
Delta Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity at Rensselaer • Spring 2011
“Delta Chapter has had two
strong rush years, supported
by our determination for
expansion, improved rush
strategies, and visible proof
of house improvements ... I
speak for all of the active
members in saying that we
recognize and appreciate the
efforts of our alumni to help
improve the house.”
From the undergraduate
president’s report; read
more at right.
Catch up on all the
latest Theta Chi news
on our website at
www.deltachapterthetachi.org.
We are on Facebook,
too! Search for “Delta
Chapter of Theta Chi.”
Inside
Alumni News
page two
Lehrer ’73 Receives UAlbany
Alumni Award
page three
Changes and Improvements
Continue at Delta Chapter
page three
Phase I Renovations Enhance
Chapter House Exterior
page four
Alumni Profile: Scott Sasenbury ’97
Scott Sasenbury ’97 elected to attend RPI because
of its excellent academic reputation, as well as the
opportunity to play football for a rising football program
while staying relatively close to home.
Scott, who’s originally from
Boonville, New York, recalls that
as a freshman, Theta Chi brothers
invited him and other freshmen
from the football team up to the
house for dinner, Monday Night
Football, study sessions, and to
hang out. Scott remembers Jim
Kennedy ’94 saying, “Hey Sas,
why don’t you come up to the
house for some wings and football?”
Scott always felt welcome
at Delta Chapter.
That welcome feeling has now
brought Scott back to RPI and
Delta Chapter. In February 2010,
Scott returned to Troy as RPI’s
athletic facilities manager. Scott’s
Brothers,
With my first report as
president, I am pleased to
announce that the undergraduate
brothers have
made Theta Chi proud
this semester. We were
able to get an additional
pledge for the spring
semester, which brings the
year’s tally to 17 new
brothers. Room picks
were held recently, and I
am delighted to report that
we will have 33 brothers
living in the house next
fall. The house has also
participated more actively
in RPI Greek Life activities
such as Greek Weekend,
selling candy for Japan with Pi Beta Phi, and fundraising
for cancer research with Relay for Life. The house is
taking active steps to increase the level of community
service and fundraising participation among the undergraduate
members.
Our Delta Chapter has had two strong rush years,
supported by our determination for expansion,
improved rush strategies, and visible proof of house
Sandi and Scott Sasenbury.
responsibilities include management of the newly constructed
$92 million East Campus Athletic Village
(ECAV)—the most extensive athletic construction
project in Rensselaer history. The complex features a
multipurpose lighted stadium
with field turf and seating for
5,200, along with a 1,200-seat
basketball arena. The arena features
a fully equipped, 4,800-
square-foot strength and conditioning
center connected to a professional-caliber
sports medicine
suite, as well as an administration
and coaches office suite, and the
RPI Athletics Hall of Fame.
As athletic facilities manager,
Scott oversees the day-to-day
operations, maintenance, and
event schedules for all athletic
facilities, including working with
(continued on page two)
A Report From the Undergraduate President
Delta Chapter’s new house officers, from left to right: Secretary Cody Hinrichs
’13, Marshal Dustin Schuld ’13, President Joe Grabler ’13, Asst. Treasurer Nick
Biagioni ’13, Vice President Steve Dunn ’12, and Treasurer Jon Kolb ’13.
improvements. The house is filled with excitement over
the new parking lot and the recent delivery of new
kitchen equipment. I speak for all of the active members
in saying that we recognize and appreciate the efforts of
our alumni to help improve the house. Thank you.
The renovations could not have come at a better time
(continued on page three)

CORPORATION BOARD
Alumni Send Their News
Delta Theta Chi Corporation
Board of Directors
ALUMNI MEMBERS
Nathan Doyle ’02, president
natedoyle@gmail.com
Brandon Bradley ’07, vice president
brandon.z.bradley@gmail.com
Todd Snelson ’86, secretary
ttbsnelson@gmail.com
Rich Boroway ’73, treasurer
rboroway@aol.com
Craig Woolhiser ’86
cwoolhiser@stny.rr.com
Dan Moellman ’74
danmoellman@gmail.com
Brian Blackmar ’03
brianblackmar@gmail.com
Gordon Reynolds ’09
greynolds80@gmail.com
UNDERGRADUATE
MEMBERS
Joe Grabler ’13, president
grablj@rpi.edu
Steve Dunn ’12, vice president
dunns5@rpi.edu
Jon Kolb ’13, treasurer
kolbj3@rpi.edu
ADVISORS
James Porambo ’09, chapter advisor
poramj@rpi.edu
Scott Sasenbury ’97, faculty advisor
sasens2@rpi.edu
Rich Bollam ’66,
Capital Campaign manager
rbollam@bstco.com
F. Terry Jones ’66,
Capital Campaign manager
ftjones@prodigy.net
Kevin Solli ’02,
Building Committee chairman
sollik@gmail.com
“This past fall, I attended the RPI Homecoming,
and joined up with Don Robinson ’50, Bob
Edelman ’49, and several others for a tour of our
old fraternity house at 57 Second Street,” writes
Allan P. Walch ’50. “The guide was a lady from
the Rensselaer County Historical Society, and
the present owners of the house. She was most
knowledgeable about the history behind the
building, and how it was arranged in our time
(around 1950) before the recent major alterations.
The place is in excellent condition, with
the first floor nicely set up for meetings and displays.
The other floors, and the basement, have
a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment
to preserve all sorts of historical documents,
and equipment, such as ancient stoves,
lights, and other devices ... a very interesting
place to visit. In the evening, we had a happy
hour in Don’s room in the big, new hotel where
most of the events were held. After that, we
trotted off to a delicious dinner in our own private
function room, with lots of laughs, storytelling,
and family updates. All had a very
enjoyable and fun time!” Reconnect with Allan
at 67 Lower Lakedale Rd., Porter, ME 04068;
awalch@psouth.net.
“Eight Theta Chis from the RPI class of 1955
attended their 55th reunion this past October:
Tom Bolam, Phil Carroll, Don Finkleston, Jay
Hamilton, Howie Morgan, Kirk O’Keefe, John
Schmidt, and Rick Setlowe. We weren’t able to
attend the chapter dinner because our class dinner
was the same night. But we celebrate Delta
Scott Sasenbury
(continued from page one)
campus planning on all future athletic construction
projects. Future plans may include
an indoor track and field, natatorium, and
baseball/softball complex.
In addition, Scott is also serving as Delta
Chapter’s faculty advisor. In this role, Scott is
there to assist the house with institute and faculty
relations, and to serve as a role model and
mentor to the undergraduate brothers.
At RPI, Scott served as senior class president.
Upon graduating from RPI in 1997 with
a BS in management, Scott accepted a position
in AT&T’s Financial Leadership Program.
Over the next eight years, Scott worked in corporate
finance, corporate strategy, and consumer
marketing for the telecommunications
giant. In 2006, he earned a master’s degree in
sport management from UMass Amherst, and
began working for Global Spectrum, a private
facility management company, as the director
of marketing of the Mullins Center, a 10,000-
seat multipurpose arena located on the UMass
Chapter’s success over the years, and wish the
current active members continued success.”
When Robert “Rip” Collins ’85 wrote to us in
December, he reported, “I had the pleasure to
visit with John ‘Nebs’ Nebens ’85 and his family
recently while I was in San Antonio on business.
It was a great visit. His three girls are beautiful
and charming, and Meg has done an
incredible job designing and decorating their
home. My son, Robert, has committed to Duke,
and will be playing football for the Blue Devils
as quarterback. If anyone would like to go to a
game next season, please call. I am looking for
tailgate enthusiasts!” Get in touch with Rip at
539 Hilaire Rd., Saint Davids, PA 19087;
rcollins@thematworks.com.
Angelo James Vissas ’97 can be reached at his
new address: 907 Saint Giles Ct., Evansville, IN
47725; angelovissas@gmail.com.
When Keith Bedell ’01 wrote to us in December,
he reported, “My wife and I welcomed a
daughter, Aubrey, in July.” Send your congratulations
to Keith at 1015 Columbus Ave.,
Westfield, NJ 07090.
deceased
E. Robert Eaton ’40
Russell Monroe Beaumont ’48
Amherst campus. Then, in early 2010, Scott
jumped at the opportunity to return to RPI as
the athletic facilities manager.
Scott has many fond memories of his undergraduate
time at RPI and Delta Chapter. One
memory that especially stands out is one night,
after returning from working at the Student
Union Pub, meeting a Russell Sage student
named Sandi, who was with a group of her
friends that had been invited to the house by
Dan McGovern ’98. As the saying goes, the rest
is history. Scott and Sandi are still together after
eight years as husband and wife.
Scott has kept in touch with several brothers
from the classes of ’96–’98 and beyond. He
truly enjoys being back at RPI, giving tours of
the new athletic facility to Theta Chi alumni, as
well as meeting and working with the young
brothers who are living in the house.
Scott is a big Buffalo Bills fan, and he also
enjoys brewing beer, hiking, and traveling.
Scott and Sandi currently reside in Clifton
Park, New York. If you’d like to contact Scott,
he can be reached at sasens2@rpi.edu.
2 DELTA DIAL

Mark Your
Calendars!
SECOND ANNUAL THETA CHI GOLF TOURNAMENT: Saturday, July 23; 7:30 a.m. at Airway Meadows
Golf Club in Gansevoort, New York; contact Drew Slocum ’03 at slocud@gmail.com.
ALUMNI WEEKEND: October 21–23, 2011. Details will be posted on our website and Facebook page.
Delta Chapter’s Alumni Board Sees Progress
Fellow brothers, I would like to start by
thanking Brother Jim Dall ’76 for his service
on the Delta Theta Chi Corporation Board,
and wish him the best as he steps down due
to personal reasons. I’d also like to welcome
Brother Brian Blackmar ’03 as a board member
to replace Jim, as well as Brother Scott
Sasenbury ’97 as faculty advisor. Scott joined
RPI in 2010 as the facilities operations manager
(as mentioned in his article on page one),
and both he and Brian are great additions to
the board.
Earlier this year, Delta Chapter held its
annual two-day winter retreat at RPI, which
unites the new undergraduate officers with
alumni board members and advisors. We
began the meeting with a visit from the new
Greek dean, Matthew Hunt. This position
has been vacant over the past few years, and
the addition of Dean Hunt has put the Greek
system back into the forefront at RPI. We’ve
quickly established a good relationship with
Dean Hunt, and I appreciate how he has
become a vocal proponent for RPI’s Greek
system. I look forward to working with him
in the future.
Dean Hunt expressed his views on the
new Greek Commons, and he reviewed the
first Greek Commons meeting held in
November, during which all of RPI’s fraternities
and sororities developed the following
goals for the Greek Commons: community
development, leadership, scholarship, service,
and networking. If you have any questions
about the Greek Commons, please do not
hesitate to contact me.
The remainder of the retreat focused on
how to communicate more efficiently and
with greater frequency with our alumni. To
begin, we will make it easier to find information
on what is happening with Delta Chapter.
We plan on updating our website to make it
more user-friendly and interactive. As reported
in the fall 2010 Dial, we have established a
Facebook fan page (Delta Chapter of Theta
Chi), and now have a Twitter account
(@thetachirpi) to connect with you on a regular
basis. And of course, we will continue to
proudly bring you the cherished Delta Dial
newsletter. As we reach out and make it easier
to communicate, we look forward to more
alumni input and involvement. Please do not
hesitate to connect with us. We would love to
hear from you, our brothers.
My term as board president expires this
summer, and I look back proudly on our
accomplishments. Improved rush tactics have
increased the size of our active membership.
The Capital Campaign was a huge success,
and house upgrades are underway. And with
our communications improvements, I am
confident that Delta Chapter of Theta Chi
will continue to flourish.
Fraternally,
Nate Doyle ’02
Alumni Board President
Dr. Richard Lehrer ’73 Honored by UAlbany
Rich “Lightning” Lehrer
was in Albany recently to
receive the Distinguished
Alumni Award from SUNY
Albany, its second highest
award. Rich earned a BS
degree in biology/chemistry
from RPI in 1973, and then
his PhD in educational psychology
and statistics from
Albany in 1983. He spent
many years at the University
of Wisconsin-Madison and
has been at Vanderbilt University
since 2002.
SUNY Albany described
the award as follows:
“Distinguished Alumni
Award—Richard Lehrer, Ph.D. ’83, is an
internationally known scholar and pioneering
researcher whose work focuses on the
design of learning environments in mathematics
and science education, and restoring
American prominence in the sciences. As the
Frank W. Mayborn Professor at Peabody
College of Education at Vanderbilt
University, his ground-breaking research has
changed the way educators view the nature
Bob Wright ’72, Rich Lehrer ’73, and Don Allocco ’74.
and complexity of the mathematics and science
that young students can master. His
research has been supported by the National
Science Foundation, the Office of Education,
and the Institute of Education Sciences.”
Theta Chi brothers from the early ’70s
got together with Rich for dinner while he was
in town. You can read more about Rich’s impressive
career at http://peabody.vanderbilt.
edu/lehrer_rich.xml.
Chapter President
(continued from page one)
for the chapter house, because as a member of
the Greek Life Commons, Delta Chapter is considered
on-campus living for sophomores. I
have met several times with the newly
appointed Greek dean, Matt Hunt, and we
seem to get along very well. From my experiences
with him, he has shown great care and
understanding at times of need for the house.
The Greek Life Commons Agreement also
makes the brothers more proactive in fire
safety—its required inspections each semester
keep us on top of all requirements.
The undergraduate members joined alumni
in hosting a work party in April, which allowed
brothers young and old to bond by landscaping
the yard and cleaning the house together. The
day went well, everyone worked together to
lend a helping hand, and the house looks much
better. Time and time again, the alumni prove
to be one of strengths of this chapter. If you are
ever in the area, please feel free to stop by, tell
us a story, and take a tour of the house. It is an
honor and a privilege to be part of such a wonderful
organization.
Fraternally,
Joe Grabler ’13
Undergraduate President
SPRING 2011
3

Progress Continues on House Renovations
House renovations, funded by the generous
Capital Campaign contributions of
Delta alumni, continue to make progress.
Though the first phase of renovations was
delayed by poor weather last fall, the parking
lot upgrades are nearly complete. Final
drainage installation and paving will be
completed by the time you read this. Further
phase I work, including a new storage shed
and landscaping, will be completed before
the fall semester begins. Brothers Don
Allocco ’74 and Bob Baron ’72 at Baron
Construction have done a great job managing
the construction.
Phase II work involves a full kitchen renovation.
All drawings have been completed
by Woodward Connor Gillies & Seleman
Architects (which includes Brothers Greg
Seleman ’72, Kurt Woodward ’75, and Pete
Gillies ’89). Kurt has done an admirable job
as project architect in preparing the plans
and facilitating the issuance of the building
permit.
New kitchen equipment has already been
delivered to the house, and we were able to
get a great deal on the equipment, thanks to
Brother Jim Clapper ’68, who is president of
Aladdin Temp-Rite. Kitchen renovation
work has begun, and when the undergraduates
return to school in the fall, they will be
greeted with a new kitchen.
On Saturday, April 16, nearly a dozen
alumni joined the active brothers for a work
party. The actives and alumni brothers spent
five hours working in and around the house
to improve its appearance. Most of the work
focused on cleaning up the branches and logs
that were trimmed from trees in the front of
Delta Chapter brothers from multiple eras gathered in May for a work party.
the house, allowing the house to be more visible
while opening up the space for the
actives to use. Many of the existing bushes
were removed from the front entrance area
in preparation for new landscaping. A team
of alumni and actives combined for a thorough
cleaning inside the house as well. The
event was considered a big success by all
involved. The active brothers enjoyed working
with the alumni and truly appreciated
their support. We hope to have another
work party next year with even more
alumni, to further enhance the appearance of
our cherished chapter house.
The schedule and scope for next phases of
the Second Century renovations are all
dependent on alumni like you, and your ability
to give back the fraternity. The undergraduates
continue to do a great job with recruitment
and are filling the house with quality
brothers who will make a significant impact
in all that they do. Please give to the Second
Century Capital Campaign, so we can continue
to make improvements and enhance the
quality of life for the brothers of Theta Chi
Fraternity at RPI.
Kevin Solli ’02
Building Committee Chairman
The main entrance, with extended parking lot and front area prepared for new landscaping.
James Porambo ’09 splitting wood at the
recent alumni/undergraduate work party.
4 DELTA DIAL