Theta Chi - Worcester Polytechnic Institute

It's hard to pull one story about Sam, as he seemed to be a part of many stories. He touched many lives with a smile, a kind word, and something humorous to distract when you needed it most. He seemed to know when you needed a laugh. His best friend and fellow Brother, Mike Lavers '89, was never far from his side; it's a blessing to have friends like that. One story that keeps coming back to me took place in Florida, near Disney. During spring break, Sam and several Brothers adventured to Florida in a rented RV with too many stops along the way at watering holes and other eta Chi Chapter Houses. My wife (my then-girlfriend), Christine, took a more direct route but was also headed to Disney; definitely not as adventurous, economical, or sustainable as my eta Chi Brothers who carpooled in the RV but didn't shower in the RV or anywhere else along the way. With many miles behind them, these Brothers stunk. While walking outside Epcot, we saw eta Chi colors on several strapping young men (maybe not strapping; a few were sporting large Mexican sombreros). Within seconds, we recognized Sam and the rest of the crew—Scott Manchuso '89, Harald Lucas '89, and Jim Schoonmaker '89. After a good laugh at the random meetup so far from home, we visited the RV. We had to! After the stories they told, it seemed impossible that the boys would get their deposit money back from the rental company. ey opened the door, and the smell would curl your eta Chi toes. Maybe it was the girlfriend influence, but we had a hotel. When Sam heard this, he jokingly asked us why we weren't spending more time there and offered to move the Brothers back to Epcot to let us leave. He shuffled the boys along and returned to us with a Sam smile. He did ask for one favor: not to distract from our romantic trip to Florida, but could he come back to the hotel to shower? He offered to keep it a secret so we weren't overwhelmed in the small room; he would sacrifice himself and skip Epcot. You must appreciate the image: Sam smiling underneath that sombrero, stinking like a skunk. We offered the shower and extended the helping hand to all the RV goers. ey all enjoyed that long, hot shower. Sam lived on Christine's floor freshman year, and she says everyone remembers that Sam was very astute to people's feelings. It's like he knew if you needed a kind word or a distraction more than a showy storyteller. He was a sensitive soul who cared. We'll miss you, Sam. –Peter Gray-Mullen '89 and his wife, Christine alumni.oxepsilon.org Remembering Our Brother and Friend (Continued from page 1) I t's great to see familiar faces come back and share stories about their time in the house. With reservations about COVID-19 slowly dwindling, we are seeing more alumni and undergraduates willing to "get the band back together." As a Chapter, however, we would like to inspire alumni classes to reengage with each other at one of the eta Chi monthly dinners. One effective way to get more Brothers to the dinners is through class sponsorships. Your class can sponsor a dinner by taking ownership of its success, selecting the venue, and promoting the event among your classmates. e idea is to get as many of your peer Brothers as possible to attend, share some great stories (past and present), and stay in touch. All alumni are invited to attend the dinners, but it is especially important for the members of the sponsoring class. Any of the monthly dinners are fair game for sponsorship. e monthly dinner calendars are always available on oxepsilon.org. You might notice that some of the months in 2023 do not yet have a named venue, which makes them prime opportunities for sponsorships! If you are an alumnus who is interested in getting your class back together and sponsoring a dinner, please contact Ariel Velasquez '24 at aevelasquez@ wpi.edu or James Melvin '85 at jmm2562@gmail.com to help make it happen. We know where all the band members live and can help with outreach. Whether you plan to sponsor or just want to attend, we hope you find this a welcome opportunity to reconnect with your fellow Brothers—and we can't wait to see you and your class at the next dinner! LOOKING FOR A WAY TO RECONNECT WITH YOUR BROTHERS? We Welcome You to Sponsor a Monthly Dinner A memorial service was held to remember Sam shortly after his passing. Many eta Chis attended the service, extending the line well beyond the door. Also attending were two undergraduates, Nathan Kumar '22 and Ardavasd Ardhaldjian '22, who delivered fresh carnations to honor the life of our fallen Brother who was taken far too soon (in his mid-50s). I'd like to share some follow-up correspondence I had with both Nathan and Ardavasd after the memorial service, as in retrospect, I think it's instructive and serves us all. –James Melvin '85 Ardavasd/Nathan, anks very much for attending the visiting hours for Sam's untimely passing to Chapter Eternal. I can't thank you both enough for taking time out of your busy day to come and represent the fraternity and show respect for a member who had fallen well before his time. You both demonstrated that eta Chi is much more than just a passing college experience, but rather a lifetime of brotherhood love, respect, and support. I was deeply moved by your appearance and will remember it always. I'm so proud to call you my Brothers. As the line progressed, I got to talk with family members. When I mentioned I was a member of Sam's fraternity, they all mentioned your earlier visit and how impressed they were with your dedication and grace, especially as you had likely not even met Sam. ere were many alumni in attendance, most of whom you did not recognize. ey had all equally heard about your visit and wanted to pass on their deep and sincere appreciation. It's almost always a great investment to pay forward. After all, one day we will all be at the front of the room. We can only hope that others in the future are equally as inspired by what you both did today. ank you, Brothers, for sharing your memories of Sam. Be sure you reach out to other Brothers and renew those connections that mean so much. Sam and Erik at their farewell party.

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