Acacia - Indiana University

The Wreckage PAGE 4 V enerable Dean Maro Troiano '19 was elected in December 2020. A sophomore Kelley School of Business major from Chicago, Marco is wrapping up pre-requisites for I-Core courses next fall. Q: How did it feel to be elected Venerable Dean of the Indiana Chapter? MT: Being elected the VD of the Indiana Chapter was a surreal feeling. Seeing that all my brothers believe in me to have the responsibility to lead the Chapter definitely gave me a boost of confidence going into the position. I soon realized the importance of the position and felt that if they all believe in me to handle it then I could do it. Q: What are your goals for your time as VD? MT: One of my major goals has been to keep the brotherhood tightly knit and active. With COVID-19 restrictions, some of the brothers were less involved in Chapter activities in the fall 2020 semester. This semester we have found ways to keep all active brothers interacting with each other while staying safe. I hope to continue this. Another goal was to delegate work to my executive board members to get tasks done more effectively. So far, the board members have been very willing to share the workload and we have been on top of all of our work. Q: What is your favorite space in the house? MT: My favorite area of the house is definitely the new patio in the back parking lot. It is a beautiful space for brothers to relax and enjoy the nice weather—something we have been doing a lot in the past few days. Q: What's the most memorable moment since you first accepted your Acacia bid? MT: As sad as it is, the most memorable moment I have is the passing of my pledge brother, Schuyler Bradley. The shock, pain, and sadness of the situation is something that still shakes me every day; however, the response from the brotherhood is something I will never forget. Everyone provided a shoulder for someone to cry on even though we were all very emotional. For weeks, everyone supported everyone, including Schuyler's mother, and raised over $60,000 for Schuyler. That moment of brotherhood will stay with me forever. Q: What do you think are the key strengths of the brotherhood? And how are brothers holding up in the face of the pandemic-related restrictions on Greek houses at IU? MT: I think the key strength of our brotherhood is how close we are, as cliché as that sounds. We all enjoy hanging out with each other, and age is not an issue in the house. Brothers of all ages will enjoy hanging out or going out with each other. With respect to COVID-19 restrictions, it has been a struggle, but the situation has improved this semester. We have found safe ways for brothers that live in the house to stay active and keep good relationships. with the venerAble deAn Acacia's bike team prepping for a race in Nashville, Tenn., on February 27. From left: Josh Topor '20; Clay Keiser '20, son of Todd Keiser '84; Casey Daleiden '19; and Josh Church '21. ACACIA BY THE NUMBERS Active members: 165 Spring 2021 pledges: 25 Chapter GPA fall 2020: 3.19 Fall pledge class GPA: 3.30 Next roll number: #2798 Alumni with contact info: 1,515 Capital campaign donors: 123 Campaign amount pledged: $1.3 million Acacia room and board: $11,400 Standard IU room and board: $11,206 In-state IUB tuition: $11,220 Out-of-state tuition: $37,600

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