www.lcabkalumni.org 1 Fall • 2015

THE NEWSLETTER FOR ALUMNI AND FRIENDS OF BETA KAPPA ZETA OF LAMBDA CHI ALPHA AT GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

FALL 2015

Luna and her handler, Brandon Hattrick, BK 1979

Earlier this year, the actives excitedly introduced Luna, the new Saint Bernard of Beta Kappa. The purebred offspring of two champion North Carolina show dogs, Luna, the prize puppy of a recent litter at Crooked River Saints, north of Raleigh, was born on March 15, 2015.

Luna is seventh in a long line of St. Bernard mascots at the Lambda Chi House at Georgia Tech, a tradition that began in 1968 with Chai. The chapter had some remarkable Saints over the years, including Mason, our most recent mascot, who graced the cover of the Georgia Tech Alumni magazine in 2014. According to her handler, Luna is well on her way to leaving her own mark on the hearts of Lambda Chis and members of the Georgia Tech community for years to come.

Since her adoption, Luna has been under the care of "High Dog" Brandon Hattrick, BK 1979, a second year mechanical engineering major from Johns Creek, Georgia.

"Raising Luna has been an adventure," Hattrick says. "She is a great addition to the Beta Kappa family and I look forward to introducing her to our alumni."

Luna underwent extensive training after her adoption. She is, Hattrick reports, ready for any situation. "Luna is ready for anything she may come across in the chapter house, and she's ready to entertain any family members at our tailgate." Though well behaved, Luna will likely be on a leash for the upcoming football season. "She's still a bit untested at big events, so a lead will give us both some peace of mind, but Luna is quite the model. She's ready for all the family photos and mingling with alumni and friends at the tailgates."

Please come join Beta Kappa at our alumni tailgate and meet the newest addition to the Beta Kappa tradition of Saint Bernards of 792 Techwood Drive!

Chapter Welcomes Newest Mascot, Luna!

Chai1968–1976

Cole2002–2009

Brandy1976–1984

Mason2009–2015

Sandy1984–1993

Welcome, Luna!Joined BK in 2015

Rene1993–2002

www.lcabkalumni.org Fall • 2015

Beta Kappa Zeta Scholarship Endowment Awards Three New Scholarships

Fall 2015 Rush a Success for Beta Kappa!

The Beta Kappa Zeta Scholarship Endowment awarded three new scholarships this semester. Beta Kappa proudly introduces brothers Colin Groneman, BK 1927, Kevin Arpin, BK 1906, and Lee Hagood-James, BK 1939, the recipients of the $1,250 Academic Excellence Awards for 2015.

Colin is a fourth-year mechanical engineering major from Chagrin Falls, Ohio, with a minor in computational data analysis. He currently serves as the secretary for Beta Kappa Zeta, plays on the Georgia Tech Men's Club Soccer team and loves playing intramurals for Lambda Chi Alpha. "I like to be in competitive environments," Colin stated,

"and intramurals give me the chance to do activities I love with my brothers as teammates so I sign up for as many as I can." When he has time to spare, Colin enjoys getting away from the city to go hiking and cliff jumping.

Brother Arpin is going into both his fifth year at Georgia Tech and fifth year as a member of Lambda Chi Alpha's Beta Kappa Zeta. He is an industrial and systems engineering major with a minor in economics and finance. "Lambda Chi has been such an integral part of my life. This is

really where I grew up," Kevin explained. "I came to Georgia Tech with a vague plan for the future, but my experiences with Beta Kappa helped me define my goals and find my calling." During his third year in school at Georgia Tech, Kevin felt led to change his major from civil engineering and pursue a degree in industrial engineering. His degree in IE will pave the way to a career in consulting. In his third year, Kevin picked up a project management co-op where he continues to refine his project consulting skills. Fall 2015 will be his third and last term for this co-op directly shadowing his third senior project manager.

Lee Hagood-James, a fourth-year mechanical engineering major, maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout his college career and won the inaugural Academic Excellence Award last summer. He interned for Bell Helicopter and National Instruments over the last two summers. During the school year, he worked on fluid dynamics research and worked for Applerouth as a tutor. He is a Young Life leader with fellow BK Jackson Kemper.

"Lambda Chi Alpha has been the Christian brotherhood I needed," says Lee. "My experience as a member of Beta Kappa Zeta made my college career possible, incredible

and unforgettable."

The Beta Kappa Zeta Scholarship Endowment Committee is honored to present the Academic Excellence Awards to such deserving candidates. These scholarships are only possible thanks to the generous brothers who contributed to the scholarship campaign. With their help, the scholarship campaign received pledges totaling $370,894, surpassing the original $350,000 goal!

As the Scholarship Committee begins to deliberate over the candidate pools for the Brother-of-the-Year, AM-of-the-Year and Rush scholarships this fall, they also turn their focus on bringing new members on board to carry on operations. Because the scholarship fund is perpetual, Lambda Chi needs to rotate in new alumni to take over the committee's work, primarily administration of the fund and the awarding of scholarships. This is a great way to connect with both alumni and the active fraternity and have a positive impact on Beta Kappa for brothers with limited time to contribute. If you are interested, please let Committee Chairman Glen Griffith, BK 1126, know at glen.griffith@ericsson.com.

Beta Kappa added 25 associate members on Bid Day thanks to a successful recruitment session. "Rush went smoothly this year and the whole chapter is very happy about the group of men we received," said Grant Herman, BK 1952, Rush Chairman. "We are all excited to see everything this large class is going to give back to

the fraternity and Georgia Tech."

Alumni are encouraged to come out and meet the associate members at upcoming tailgates and other alumni events. Join the chapter in welcoming these exceptional young men to Beta Kappa!

Welcome, Class of 2015!Jack Abom Mechanicsburg, PA

Bowe Andrews Chagrin Falls, OH

Jack Bonaguro Chicago, IL

Josh Cherry Exton, PA

Matt DeJonge Buckingham, PA

Brian Duffy Andover, MA

Sean Fischer Doylesville, PA

Thomas Gruber Newnan, GA

David Han Atlanta, GA

Brian Healy Holmdel, NJ

Gavin Hudnall Roswell, GA

Kirit Joshi New Orleans, LA

Steven Kochansky Atlanta, GA

Tony Maclin Jr. Dunwoody, GA

Mikey Miller Newnan, GA

Kyle Nolan Fayetteville, GA

Matt O'Brein Manhattan Beach, CA

Mark Oliver Chattanooga, TN

Jackson Shultz Sharpsburg, GA

Evan Smoot Alexandria, VA

David Stroer Dunwoody, GA

Jeffrey Twitchell Atlanta, GA

Ryan Vaskov Chevy Chase, MD

Hunter Walraven Brooks, GA

Andrew Yi Boulder, CO

2

www.lcabkalumni.org Fall • 2015Fall • 2015

Lambda Chi Athletes Dominate in Intramurals Beta Kappa teams continue to sweep the competition

Strengthening the Bonds of Brotherhood and the Community

The Choppers' legacy of athletic excellence remains strong. Throughout the 2014-2015 academic year, Lambda Chi teams participated in every intramural sport hosted by the Institute. Not only did they maintain superiority in sports they previously dominated, but Beta Kappa teams also significantly improved in other intramurals as they sought to better themselves from the preceding season.

Initially, the graduation of a significant number of experienced athletes caused some concern revolving around holes in several rosters. Those concerns were put to rest by participation from the incoming Associate Member classes who gave outstanding performances. The young Choppers, coupled with the veteran upperclassmen, proved Beta

Kappa is a force to be reckoned with for many years to come.

Lambda Chi's A Team dominated the fraternity league in corn hole during the fall 2014 season and won not only the fraternity league championship, but the school championship as well. Their competition for the school championship was the independent league champions, none other than Lambda Chi's own B Team. Lambda Chi had multiple teams play in both volleyball and soccer. Beta Kappa teams represented Lambda Chi in the late rounds of playoffs for both sports.

Spring intramurals kicked off with basketball, indoor soccer and racquetball. As usual, Lambda Chi's A and B Teams were highly successful during the basketball

season with both teams advancing far into the playoffs and building the teams' chemistry with the new recruits. Spring also included 3 on 3 hoops and sand volleyball. Lambda Chi's A Team performed admirably in the 3 on 3 tournament and ultimately won the school championship! An undefeated Lambda Chi team seized both the sand volleyball fraternity and school cups.

As recruitment of such enthusiastic athletes continues, Lambda Chi will remain a tenacious and intimidating bunch of athletes the other teams dread to face on a weekly basis. The only trouble Beta Kappa foresees in the upcoming years is finding storage space for the trophies they add to their growing collection.

The spring 2015 semester saw many brotherhood events come through the Chopper House. Front yard cookouts are a new tradition thanks to High Rho and Grill Master, Evan Phillips, BK 1937, with brothers communing over burgers and hot dogs. Though the Brotherhood Campout on Allatoona Lake was rained out, a last minute decision to hold an

indoor putt-putt golf tournament, henceforth known as the John Daly Invitational, made for a legendary afternoon. To end last term on a high note, High Beta Michael Zuppa, BK 1944 took 35 brothers to his Chattanooga

home for a post-exam campout on a nearby island followed by a feast at his house that was the highlight of the semester.

"My job is internal development of the chapter. I try to coordinate events to help brothers relax from the stresses of college, like exams or after-class jobs and internships," Zuppa explained. "But I take my position to mean more than just brotherhood development. It's my job to help guide brothers in personal development as well."

In an effort to help brothers grow, Zuppa assists and encourages members to get involved on campus, with the added benefit of allowing Beta Kappa to exert a positive influence throughout the Georgia Tech and Atlanta communities. With brothers on Freshmen Council, Freshmen Activities Board and New Student and Sophomore Programs, Beta Kappa has the opportunity to interact

Michael Zuppa, BK 1944, High Beta

Beta Kappa Achieving in the Classroom and Out High Alpha Derek Nalodka Reflects on Lambda Chi's Success

To say High Alpha Derek Nalodka, BK 1938, is proud of Beta Kappa's scholastic achievement would be an understatement. "We're continuing to grow academically, posting the fourteenth highest GPA among 32 fraternities at Georgia Tech with an average GPA of 3.23. We've surpassed both the all-fraternity average and the all-men's average of 3.16 and 3.13, respectively," he explained. "There's

an upward trend in academics due to Beta Kappa Academic Success program, Lambda Chi Mentorship Program and Georgia Tech's ABAS reports."

With more than 30% of brothers involved in prestigious leadership and service organizations at Georgia Tech, including

Georgia Tech Ambassadors, Student Government Association, Denning Technology & Management Program and the President's Scholarship Program, and other brothers winning internships at some of the top engineering firms, including Deloitte, Southern Company, Delta, Coca Cola, Porex, IBM, Eaton, Amazon, Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, Booz Allen and Lockheed Martin, the men of Beta Kappa are succeeding outside the classroom as well.

"Our current High Sigma, Jay Shah, BK 1969, and incoming High Sigma, Marcus Fisher, BK 1954, are continuing efforts to improve our academic support system within the fraternity. They are leveraging existing fraternity academic programs, facilitating the scholarship program, strengthening the academic resource repository and the corporate alumni network and incentivizing excellent academic performance," Nalodka reports. "Their work, along with continued alumni support, will help our chapter thrive both academically and professionally."

Derek Nalodka, BK 1938, High Alpha

continued next page3

BK House Corporation President's Report Submitted by Kevin Jameson, BK 1314

It is hard to believe it has been ten years since the last major house renovation project. Many of you have not seen the house in person since the renovation. I am pleased to report the house is holding up well since the renovation as our architect wisely specified durable construction materials. Despite this, the Chopper House needs maintenance to keep it in good form. After ten years, we need to replace HVAC systems, bathroom fixtures and make repairs to the elevator.

Fortunately, we secured a very nice refinance on the house note.

Keep in mind we do not have a traditional "mortgage" on the house but rather a low interest commercial loan who's rate adjusts every few years and which has a fixed term. Because we made significant progress paying down the principal over the past ten years, the new loan has a much lower value. Please see the textbox on the next page for an overview of the new loan.

With this refinance, the note will be paid off June 25, 2030. We will not have to refinance again during this period but the interest rate will adjust every five years.

We also secured a $250,000 note for major repairs. This prevents us from quickly draining our cash reserves in the event of some necessary major spending. I want to give a special shout-out to Brother Steve Teachout, BK 1275, who helped us on some significant house repairs, many of which were necessary to meet the fire marshal's requirements. His help is invaluable. Thank you, Steve!

Strengthening the Bonds

There has never been a better time to be on the Georgia Tech campus. With most of the recent building renovations complete, the campus looks better than ever and the halls are buzzing with incoming freshmen and returning upper classmen. Even a life-long Georgia Tech employee like myself is caught up in the excitement of a new academic year.

There has never been a better time to be around the Chopper

house, either. The house is in great shape following a renovation of the women's restroom, entry foyer and alumni room. The actives appreciate the upgrades and thank all the donors who made this possible. The pre-rush workdays added finishing touches to the house, both inside and out. As I write this, the anticipation of rush and the expectation of another great group of associate members is on everyone's mind.

Your generous donations to the Scholarship Fund gave the rush chairman a new recruitment tool: rush scholarships. Other GT

fraternities offered rush scholarships for several years and this is the first year Beta Kappa Zeta has been able to offer them. The rush chair has a strategic plan for their use and we are confident they will prove to be a wise investment toward the Chapter's future.

Speaking of scholarship, the Chapter's GPA continues to improve. Last spring, the actives logged a composite 3.22 GPA, moving ahead of both the overall fraternity average of 3.19 and the undergraduate average of 3.15. This is the first time in recent memory we are ahead of the average. I credit hard work and perseverance for the improvement.

In a recent workshop for chapter advisors, one of the speakers claimed college students today are less mature, less empathetic and less prepared compared to students of 20 or 30 years ago. In my experience with Georgia Tech students in general and the Georgia Tech Lambda Chi Alpha members in particular, this characterization is clearly false. I have never been more impressed by the talent, enthusiasm, leadership and maturity demonstrated by our active brothers.

I invite you all to drop by the house on game day and see Beta Kappa's growth for yourself. I am on campus nearly every day so if you are planning to be on or near campus during the week, give me heads up at andy.register@gatech.edu.

Dr. Andy Register, Faculty Advisor

www.lcabkalumni.org Fall • 2015

with incoming students and promote Lambda Chi early in their tenure at the Institute. A strong presence in Habitat for Humanity, Consult Your Community and Young Life gives brothers a chance to foster relationships with the larger community as well. "Life exists outside the walls and grounds of the Institute," Zuppa explained. "Our mission to be leaders isn't confined to the fraternity and university setting. We have brothers in leadership positions all over. Beta Kappa is a resource for leaders in our community, and it's really great to see how our brothers are impacting lives on and off campus."

The last year has seen many brothers elected or appointed to leadership positions. The Board of Trustees of the Georgia Tech Student Foundation voted Brother Phil Vetrano, BK 1936, on to

the board and he is now the Director of Development for the GTSF Investments Committee. Ben Marquis, BK 1933, is a Public Affairs Officer in Navy ROTC as well as Beta Kappa Zeta's philanthropy chair. Brothers Tuna Gregory, BK 1929, Chris O'Brown, BK 1924, and Thomas McClane, BK 1930 continue to dominate in Georgia Tech Club Lacrosse finishing 17-2 and sixth in the country this past season with an undefeated preseason for the first time in history. Brother Zuppa sees their contributions to the community as an investment not only in Beta Kappa, but in themselves as well. "We recruit the men we think have the most potential. My job is to help them unlock that potential and equip them to change our community for the better."

continued from previous page

BK House Corporation President, Kevin Jameson, BK 1314 with bank official at the refinancing of the Chopper

continued next page

4

An Update from BK's Faculty Advisor Submitted by Dr. Andy Register, BK 1124

Beta Kappa Alumni Board

Endowment Campaign

Leadership

President

Kevin Jameson, BK 1314 kjameson.ie89@gtalumni.org

Vice President

Mitch Ginn, BK 1100 mitchginn@numail.org

Treasurer Ryan Terrette, BK 1796 ryanterrette@gmail.com

Scholarship Campaign Chairman

Glen Griffith, BK 1126 glen.griffith@ericsson.com

Scholarship Campaign

Treasurer John Fischer, BK 1107 jhfisch@bellsouth.net

Scholarship Campaign Publicity

John Bastian, BK 1115 jmtb_2011@comcast.net

Scholarship Campaign

Awards Andy Register, BK 1124

andy.register@gtri.gatech.edu

Alumni Spotlight: Theodore Capaldi, BK 1847

Remarks from Beta Kappa House Corporation's Vice President Submitted by Mitch Ginn, BK 1100

On May 13, 2015, Theodore "TJ" Capaldi, BK 1847, who graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in computer science in 2014, was accepted as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Atlanta. He currently lives in New Orleans, Louisiana for orientation at Notre Dame Seminary where he will begin formation for the Catholic priesthood. "The coming years are intended to be a continual process of deliberate growth and prayerful discernment," Capaldi explains. "I am thrilled to begin this next phase in the process of determining with the Church if it is God's will for me to be ordained a priest of Jesus Christ."

Alumni interested in following Brother Capaldi can connect with Notre Dame Seminary and Atlanta Vocations on Facebook to learn more about what occurs at the seminary.

"I want to thank all of the alumni who prayed for me or aided me in my journey up to this point. Humbly, I ask for continued prayers not only for myself, but for the rest of the Atlanta seminarians and for the faculty and staff at Notre Dame Seminary." Brother Capaldi encourages those interested in learning more to contact him via Facebook.

For the last several years, I have had the pleasure to work with the Beta Kappa House Corporation in one form or another. The active members of this fine chapter continually impress me. Everyone I have met during my tenure has been a mature, intelligent and genuine young man. Their continued campus involvement

and spirit are destined for any accomplishment they desire, whether winning Homecoming, Greek Week, the IFC cup or taking the coveted national Grand High Alpha award.

The chapter's efforts to engage our alumni is also impressive. The pregame experience created by Lambda Chi Alpha actives for football games is the envy of the entire Georgia Tech Greek community. All alumni are welcome to swing by the house before any Georgia Tech football game. Come by and enjoy the well-stocked Alumni Bar, professionally run by the women from Elite Bartenders of Atlanta, and the

delicious food prepared by Chef Jon. The foyer, Alumni Room and women's restroom were recently renovated and are now maintained and serviced during pregame celebrations by BK A. J. Alix's HUX Company, keeping the Chopper House in great condition throughout the day.

Instead of the old hassles of lugging coolers or standing in a hot parking lot for hours before a game, BKs and their families can now walk to the Chopper House to meet up with old friends, make new ones and find everything they need for an excellent experience.

I will be there. Come by and say hello this fall!

www.lcabkalumni.org Fall • 2015Fall • 2015

Theodore Capaldi, BK 1847

Tyler Register, BK 1917, AJ Alix, BK 1882 and Mitch Ginn, BK 1100

continued next page

Beta Kappa Zeta selected Taylor Paige Jarrells as the newest Crescent Girl. Taylor is a fourth year history, technology and society major who is a First-Year FASET Orientation leader and a GT1000 First- Year seminar team leader. She plays flute for the Georgia Tech Symphonic and Concert bands.

Taylor is a member of Phi Mu and plans to use her experience as a contributing editor to "The Odyssey" to lead into a career as an editor for mass media publications. Beta Kappa is proud to have Taylor represent the brothers of Lambda Chi in the upcoming year!

Congratulations to Beta Kappa's Newest Crescent Girl!

Taylor Jarrells, BK's 2015 Crescent Girl

The monthly savings on the mortgage was passed on to the active chapter as a reduction in the monthly rent. We hope this will help make the active chapter more competitive to prospective members.

President's Reportcontinued from previous page

Chopper House Financial Overview• Original Loan (2005): $2,000,000• Original Monthly Payment: $15,000• Original Appraised Value: $2,900,000• New Loan (2015): $1,224,837 • New Rate: Five Year Treasury Rate plus 3.50%, reset every five years• New Monthly Payment: $9,700• Appraised Value: $3,080,000; increase of $180,000 (6.2%) in 10 years

5

www.lcabkalumni.org Fall • 2015

Help us keep our alumni records up-to-date! Edit your member profile online at www.lcabkalumni.org, or clip this form, place it in a stamped envelope and send to: Lambda Chi AlphaGeorgia Institute of Technology (2993)

PO Box 2187Columbus, GA 31902

Name

Zeta Number

Address

City/State/Zip

Phone

Email

Lambda Chi AlphaGeorgia Institute of Technology (2993)

PO Box 2187Columbus, GA 31902-2187

PRESORTEDFIRST CLASS MAILUS POSTAGE PAIDGREENVILLE SC

PERMIT #113

Plans for Beta Kappa's 75th Anniversary Celebration

Underway Join us in Atlanta during October 2017!

Beta Kappa Zeta turns 75 in 2017, and this milestone deserves a celebration! Anniversary chair, Ben Cagle, BK 1147, and his committee recently discussed preliminary plans for an event in October of 2017. While the committee is not ready to release the details, their goal is to host an unforgettable weekend celebration in Atlanta that will be the envy of all Greek organizations in the Southeast. So save the month on your calendar, and wait for details as anniversary time approaches!

Join Beta Kappa Alumni for Homecoming 2015! High Rho Evan Phillips, BK 1937, puts together elaborate Homecoming celebration

Beta Kappa invites alumni, family and friends to pregame Tech's biggest Homecoming game in years against Florida State on October 24! Join us at the house dressed for the "White Out" and enjoy a fun-filled evening courtesy of Beta Kappa. With a fully stocked alumni bar and professional bar tenders to create signature drinks, the Homecoming tailgate is certain to be a huge success.

Chef Jon will be going all out on the complimentary meal. "He is planning an elaborate meal including pork smoked for three days and fresh oysters from Apalachicola on the half shell," High Rho, Evan Phillips, BK 1937, reports. "Anyone who has tasted Chef Jon's cooking in the past will tell you the meal alone is reason enough to join us for the tailgate."

As Brother Tyler Register, BK 1917, takes the reigns and leads the actives in preparation of the Wreck, front yard pomp display and other homecoming events, Lambda Chi plans to sweep the homecoming competitions. "We're on the hunt for a classic car to represent Lambda Chi at the Homecoming parade, but otherwise, I think Beta Kappa has everything they need to successfully dominate the Homecoming competitions," Register said. Any alumni with a lead on a possible car can email Brother Register at tyler.register@gmail.com.

The chapter will provide all tailgating amenities. For any special requests, contact High Rho Phillips at rho@gtlambdachi.org.

6

Brother Phil Kelley, BK 1319, is issuing a special Homecoming invitation to alumni from the early 1990s. He is organizing a 25-year reunion and celebration of the 1990 National Championship and Final Four on October 24.

Please RSVP by email to phil@salem-one.com. Join us as we cheer the Jackets to a victory over the Florida State Seminoles!

Celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the 1990 National Championship

and Final Four