How our chapter at Trine found new ways to operate amid the COVID-19 crisis

Written by: Indiana Alpha Gamma Chapter at Trine University

Former United States President, Brother John F. Kennedy once said that "only in winter can you tell which trees are truly green and only when the winds of adversity blow can you tell whether an individual or a country has steadfastness." When faced with the many challenges presented with COVID-19, we, the Brothers at the Indiana Alpha Gamma Chapter of Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity, held the sentiment behind this quote near and dear to our hearts. Persevering in unprecedented times, as Brother Kennedy noted, was integral in determining how true we are to our Fraternal values and how successful we will be moving forward.

Chapter performance coach Seth Ware speaks to Indiana Alpha Gamma collegiate members

As COVID-19 cases continued to grow, college campuses had to decide if they should remain open or close operations for the rest of the semester.  While we awaited Trine's campus status, our Chapter leadership proactively convened to determine how to prepare for the last half of the spring semester. The two main issues addressed were how each leadership position would conduct their duties like normal and how the Chapter could conduct meetings with all members. With nearly all of our Brothers residing in the house, most of them decided to stay and continue to fulfill their fraternal, intellectual, social, spiritual, and leadership duties. Our Chapter decided to conduct meetings in the basement where social distancing practices could take place. We also utilized Zoom's free conference platform to ensure other Brothers could partake virtually. The continued meetings and virtual calls afforded our Chapter leaders to complete tasks and report results. While the University had transitioned from in-person lectures to online classes, our Brothers' spirit and liveliness remained the same. All of our Brothers were there to support each other in our own personal, fraternal, and even scholastic development as we all shared a common goal–to maintain our Brotherhood. Our efforts transpired well into the end of the semester when elections came around.  We held elections virtually while protecting the privacy of each candidate's speeches, the confidentiality of voting, and the secrecy of our Fraternity rituals.

As we moved into the 2020-2021 academic year with a plan to keep our Brothers and our community safe and healthy, we continued to fulfill our chapter duties "as usual" as we were determined to continue to succeed in all of our endeavors. As leaders and as Brothers, it is our duty to stay true to this goal. Our Brotherhood asked, "Where are we going?". It was imperative and ironic to contribute to and have a successful Quo Vadis (QV) given the unexpected pandemic. In years past, the chapter Vice President has set up QV to be a weekend retreat somewhere away from the house, although this year, we decided it would be smart to hold QV at the house while also following our COVID-19 protocols. With the help of our advisor Dr. Sean Carrol, our performance coach, Seth Ware, and our Vice President JJ Whicker, as well as the rest of our Brotherhood, we selected three "SMART" goals of Recruitment, Alumni Relations, and Developing Leaders. Each of these goals had their respective metrics to determine success. When discussing potential plans, we considered them in the best-case and worst-case scenario to ensure we remained flexible to achieve our goals. We knew that communicating our tasks was necessary to reach our goals, so we remained open to the idea of meeting virtually.

Chapters members on a virtual call with various alumni

Operating a chapter, let alone a successful one, is no easy feat, especially in these unprecedented times. We upheld leadership decisions and precedents set in the spring and even considered some new operating norms. Once we were back on campus, our leaders continued to meet through Zoom instead of in the house. For large group gatherings, such as our Chapter meetings, we now utilize a large lecture hall on campus for a safer environment. Additionally, if a Brother or new member cannot attend or wishes not to participate in person, we have followed the precedent set by our University by offering a Zoom conference as an alternative method of attendance. Utilizing the Zoom platform has made it more convenient to meet with our alumni, such as Thomas Pompeii, to help mentor our chapter members. We also look forward to utilizing Zoom to meet with our National Fraternity President, Doug Dilling.

Expressing the importance of our ideals is nearly impossible without conducting our pinning and initiation ceremonies. We did not want to take these experiences away from our spring new member class. We held a formal, in-person initiation ceremony for them at the beginning of the semester. Most of the class moved into the house for this year, and we already established house rules for COVID-19, so everyone was masked and socially distanced.

Recruitment event adhering to COVID-19 policies at Trine University

While we had to cancel events, we successfully coordinated new ones that followed safety guidelines. It was important for us to remain conscious of our community's health and safety. We continue to look for ways to innovate and have explored the idea of conducting a virtual silent auction at the end of the semester. 

To secure success now and always, we needed to stay focused on recruiting quality men into our Brotherhood, as indicated by one of our QV goals. With a fall semester starting two weeks earlier than usual, the combination of beautiful weather and a sand volleyball court attached to the side of our house–we figured we were all set to have a successful recruiting semester–and we were right! We had returning brothers, new members, and potential new members playing volleyball every day after classes for the first month and a half. The outdoor, spacious courts fostered an environment perfect for strengthening our Brotherhood. We introduced ourselves to potential new members and found a way to relax during these stressful times while abiding by COVID-19 guidelines. With the success of our informal and formal events for recruitment, we decided to hold a larger event that would still be safe and manageable. We planned a cookout alongside our volleyball games. All aspects of the Brotherhood were present as stories, laughs, and food had been provided around volleyball. Shortly before the midpoint in the semester, our Dean of Students notified us that off-campus events would no longer be permitted. In addition to other policies affecting in-person gatherings, we planned on-campus events and virtual events while abiding under COVID-19 guidelines.

Despite recent challenges and obstacles yet to come, we remain steadfast in our values and duties to our community, each other, and God. Our faculty advisor Dr. Sean Carroll once reminded us that we are "gentlemen and scholars" and that "gentlemen never willingly cause suffering and scholars are always willing to learn." More than ever, these times allow our Chapter to show the world that we truly are Phi Kappa Theta gentlemen and scholars.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Statement

Phi Kappa Theta Brothers, Mentors, and Volunteers – 

Doug Dilling, National President

Like you, we have been closely monitoring the evolving coronavirus situation. The most difficult part is knowing when to act – not to be an alarmist but not to act too late. We are taking our cues from the updates provided by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the State Departments of Health, local authorities, and our host institutions.

At this time, the Leadership and staff of Phi Kappa Theta believe it is our role and responsibility to focus on two priorities:

1. the health and safety of our members and staff and;

2. ensuring ongoing service to our members and chapters as we all maneuver our unique local circumstances.

Phi Kappa Theta staff already are primarily working remotely, and those who report to the office regularly have worked out remote policies. The staff will remain accessible during published office hours to serve the needs of our members and chapters.

We recommend chapters and housing corporations to closely follow the guidance of their respective host institutions and local authorities. Chapter meetings, housing board meetings, even new member education, can be held virtually. We also have an innovative and cutting-edge member development curriculum available online for those members electing to engage in these courses.

We encourage chapters to think creatively about recruitment and ongoing chapter operations. Even one term of no recruitment can result in long term damage, so explore new ways to reach out and connect virtually or in small groups with potential new members. Keep existing conversations going and utilize the online new member education program to move existing member classes forward. If you decide to postpone the formal initiation ritual due to local group gathering guidelines, let us know so we can note this in your chapter file.

We have the technology in place; it just isn't our usual way of meeting. Until further notice and as a precautionary step, we are canceling, postponing, or utilizing video conferencing for all scheduled board and national activities and events. We all expect this to be temporary, so at this point, we are not canceling the National Leadership Summit scheduled for July 17-18 in San Antonio. We will closely monitor the situation, so check back periodically for updates.

We appreciate your understanding and support, and we will continue to provide updates as this situation is ever-evolving. Phi Kappa Theta will continue to post updates to our website at www.phikaps.org.

For additional information, please review the updates from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, your local host institution, and our resource guide for chapters and volunteers.

Sincerely,

Doug Dilling

National President

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James “Jim” Victor Leaves a Lasting Legacy at Iowa Xi

(July 29, 1946 —July 27, 2018)

James “Jim” William Victor (Iowa Xi, 1965) of Davenport died in a tragic motor sports accident in July 2018. His example of planned giving is a model to inspire all Phi Kaps.

Jim Victor (Iowa State University, ‘68) was known as a top-notch investment advisor in the Quad Cities of Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa, and Moline and Rock Island, Illinois, but he was undeniably more. A motorsports racer, a newspaper carrier, an altar boy, a fraternity brother, a newspaper columnist, a television personality, a philanthropist... the list can continue.

The son of Al and Marjorie (Pirk) Victor, Jim was born in Wisconsin but made his name in Iowa. In describing Jim, his Iowa Xi fraternity brother and fellow Morgan Stanley investment advisor Jim Willer recalled Victor as a “true, true friend.”

 A MARION, IOWA, BOYHOOD

James William Victor was one of five children with sisters Barbara and Mary Anne and brothers Tom and Mick. His father Al took a job with Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids in 1956. The family lived in the nearby community of Marion where Jim attended St. Joseph School and served as an altar boy. He played piano and performed in the 1957 and 1958 recitals at St. Joseph. In a 1960 Cedar Rapids Gazette profile of Jim as one of their newspaper carriers, 14-year old Jim stated that he wished to become an architect, though he did not know which college he might attend. He attended the local Catholic high school Cedar Rapids Regis and used his newspaper profits to pay tuition, purchase his clothes and keep a bit of spending money. As a teenager, he “took care of his own financial affairs.”

 JAMES IN AMES

Jim came to Iowa State University in the fall of 1964. He pledged Phi Kappa Theta and was initiated in the spring of 1965. He served as house social chairman and worked hard to get the men of Phi Kappa Theta to learn fraternity songs and serenade sororities. He made sure the men knew the songs of Phi Kappa Theta including “The Sweetheart of Phi Kappa.” He initiated social gatherings, including an Easter Break party at his family home in Marion for college friends. He loved interacting with others.

Victor, shown in this 1966 photo, joined Phi Kappa Theta in the fall of 1964. He said that his time at Iowa State University changed his life. (Courtesy of Iowa State University Bomb).

As a senior at Iowa State, he served as president of the Newman Club, the Catholic student organization, and was on the Interfraternity Council Board. He was a member of the Science & Humanities College’s Science Council and the Homecoming Central Committee. He was invited to join Alpha Kappa Psi, the national business honorary.

 A MULTIMEDIA INVESTMENT ADVISOR

One of Jim’s first jobs out of college was with Iowa-Illinois Gas and Electric Company in the Quad Cities. In the early 1970s he started working as an investment advisor. He became prominent in the community and trusted in his knowledge. Victor wrote a regular column for the Quad City Times and later appeared on KWQC.  He created a stock index of Quad Cities’ businesses that appeared in the paper. He was on the station’s first morning show and was a genial personality with a welcoming laugh.

Jim wrote a regular column on finances for the Quad City Times. Readers knew he was writing with an informed and beneficent perspective. (Courtesy of the Quad City Times)

QUAD CITIES & BEYOND

Jim continued to enjoy socializing. He maintained friendships and developed new ones. He met people in the Quad Cities and joined a local ski club. He traveled to Europe with the club and took annual trips to Colorado. A favorite memory of Iowa Xi brother Jim Willer’s was a 1972 trip to Council Bluffs for a wedding of a Phi Kap and an Alpha Chi Omega. The group then traveled north to visit college friend Diane Pattee’s family in the northwest Iowa town of Pocahontas. Willer recalled it was like the film, The Big Chill, though it followed a wedding, not a funeral. The group sang popular songs including “Joy to the World” by Three Dog Night and reveled in each other’s company. It was hard for the group to separate.  Some, including Pattee, Willer and Victor, would remain lifelong friends.

 A CREATURE OF HABITS

Jim got his rest, but when he was awake, he was focused. He read about new stocks or researched those that might be in trouble. He took his daily run and drank plenty of water. He attended one Iowa State Cyclone football game a year. He valued relationships. He never owned a smartphone, but he would gladly talk to friends and clients on a cellphone. His business partner Sheila Volrath told the Quad City Times, “He utilized his time to help people, whether it was with our business, his clients, other folks in the office, his family, his friends, but most importantly his volunteer work.” His obituary asserted, “Being together, loving life, never losing your childhood enthusiasm, staying committed to your principles and continually searching for the magic in even the smallest moments. This is how Jim lived.”

MOTORSPORTS

Jim participated in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) with the “Arms Up Racing” team. He had a B 17 Chevron Formula 3 racing car and often finished on the podium. He participated in a 24 Hours of Daytona racing team in 2004 as part of a five-man team that finished 13th in the Super Grand Sport class in a Corvette. His racing friends were stunned when he was killed in a crash during practice at Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on July 27, 2018. A fellow racer commented on Facebook, “Jim was one of the nicest men I’ve ever met in racing. He was as fierce as any competitor once the visor shut. He will be missed.”

Among his philanthropic interests was Junior Achievement, the organization’s annual fund-raising golf tournament in the Quad Cities was named in his honor. (Courtesy of the Victor Family)

CHAPTER ETERNAL

“Give, expecting nothing thereof.”

Jim Victor lived the Phi Kappa Theta motto. He supported Junior Achievement in the Quad Cities where the annual fund-raising golf tournament is named in his honor. He created a scholarship at Iowa State. In Jim’s will, he bequeathed to Iowa Xi one of the largest posthumous gifts to a Phi Kappa Theta chapter ever.

When describing their brother, his siblings named the following traits: curiosity, engagement, children, learning, and family. Jim explained his time at Iowa State saying, “My experience at Iowa State truly changed my world – it enlightened me, it inspired me, and it empowered me.”

Jim was a model Phi Kap in life and in death. He embodied the leadership, fraternal, intellectual, social and spiritual values of Phi Kappa Theta. The men of Iowa Xi are proud to have known Jim as a fraternity brother and friend. His legacy will continue to help develop and define Phi Kaps at Iowa State for generations to come.

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A resolution was passed by the Phi Kappa Theta Foundation in January to honor Brother James Victor.

Discovering A Brother

Brothers Find Each Other in Navy Officer Candidate School

by Justin Sines
Duquesne University, ‘11

Brother Taylor Dreher (RPI, ‘17) (right) with Brother Christian Reed (SDSU, ‘17) (left).

Two men find themselves in the dental office during their time at Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island.

They begin discussing college and fraternity life and realize that they are both brothers of Phi Kappa Theta. Christian Reed (San Diego State University, ‘17), and Taylor Dreher (RPI, ‘17), were both candidates for Naval Officers at the time, and, now, they are currently roommates in Pensacola, Florida, in their first phases of flight training.

Reed reminisces, “One day I sat next to Taylor in the dental office and we started learning about each other’s lives back home. Fraternity life came up and I told him I was in Phi Kappa Theta. Without skipping a beat, Taylor extended his hand to me and gave me the grip.”

Brother Dreher recalls his time at OCS as “not being a fun place and the first couple weeks there are especially stressful,” but knows that he made the right decision to continue the tradition of his family. Both his brother, Nathan Dreher, and grandfather, Lieutenant Richard Cappelletti, were his biggest motivators to join the Navy, but says that his father and uncles also served in the military. Dreher states that OCS is “a lot to handle,” but “meeting another Phi Kap […] instantly eliminated that feeling of being alone in a strange place.”

Brother Reed said, “Having a fellow brother in the same program […] has made my adjustment from civilian to military life much easier,” although he has wanted to serve in the military since his eighth grade field trip to Washington D.C. He remembers his intense appreciation for our men and women in military uniform as he toured the Pentagon and as he paid his respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Both Dreher and Reed said that their transition into their Officer positions was made easier by remembering the motto of Phi Kappa Theta: “Give, Expecting Nothing Thereof.” Dreher articulates that, “Naval Officers are trained to be servant leaders” and that “every choice [they] make must have the best interest of [their] sailors in mind.” Reed also conveyed the importance of servant leadership in both Phi Kappa Theta and the Navy and his commitment to setting a “high standard of honor, courage and commitment,” and “leading by example.”

It was happenstance that two brothers of Phi Kappa Theta from completely different sides of the country ended up in Navy Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, during February 2018. It was coincidence they met at the dental office. But it wasn’t by chance that their ties of brotherhood stood the test of OCS and helped them both graduate as Officers and will help them grow in their Navy careers.

Main Image: Brother Taylor Dreher (RPI, ‘17) in his naval uniform on the left and Brother Christian Reed (SDSU, ‘17) in his naval uniform on the right with other brothers from SDSU.