Delta Tau Delta - Ball State University

Ball State University Epsilon Mu Chapter Winter 2023 THE IRIS The cream of the crop! Welcome, 2022 new members. T he undergraduates were excited to get back to campus this fall, as it was the first time in three years that we returned without COVID restrictions. The seniors who graduated last spring were the last to have experienced a non-pandemic school year, so it was new territory for the current membership. Luckily, operations were mostly back to normal, though some activities, like intramurals, are still at reduced levels— mostly due to a lack of referees. RECRUITMENT The Greek community is still struggling with lower membership overall, but we continue to stay strong and work toward successfully rebuilding our numbers. I think it's important for us to return above the 80-member threshold that indicates a healthy chapter, meaning enough brothers to share the workload, encourage relative diversity, stay engaged and, ultimately, enjoy success. This fall, we reached out to parents at the beginning of pledgeship via a Zoom session to outline values, goals, and obligations. Getting buy-in and support from families helped us retain more new members, and we'll be keeping that line of communication flowing. We invited 22 new members, ultimately initiating 21 of them. Grades remain a focus, and our pledge-class GPA of 3.1 should help us remain above the all-men's average. EVENTS Social events have fully resumed, allowing actives to celebrate their hard work and the social nature of our brotherhood. Watermelon Bust was a success with increased campus participation. Homecoming with the Alpha Phis was another welcomed event for the actives, and the chapter expanded its participation, culminating in taking home the trophy for Air Jam. In another return to normalcy, the brothers resumed their formal event and enjoyed the nightlife in Nashville, Tennessee. LEADERSHIP We continue to expand our outreach for alumni to join us tailgating on family and Homecoming game days, and we're always glad to reconnect with brothers. If you have any recommendations, we're also open to ideas to make the 60th anniversary next year a special celebration. Elections are upon us for the next executive board, and many brothers have stepped up to contribute. We're still seeing a heavy reliance on sophomores and are trying to rebuild the leadership pipeline that keeps members engaged throughout their four years and helps build mentorship. As always, if you're in Muncie, please stop by the Shelter at 1001 W. Riverside to say hello to your younger brothers. Fraternally, Andy Yakubik '90 Chapter Advisor Epsilon Mu Prepares for 2023 Building Community T he journey to Greek life comes in many forms. For Matt Momper '83, it began with his family. His mother, brother, and sisters all had Greek backgrounds, though what really captured him was the 1978 film Animal House. When Matt visited Ball State, he recognized something familiar about the Delt Shelter. Delt Development "I visited Ball State, and the person took me down fraternity row," Matt said. "I remember it like it was yesterday; she pointed out the Delt Shelter and I asked, 'Is that the Animal House?' She responded, 'More than you'll ever know.'" Epsilon Mu surpassed Matt's pop culture reference and became a place where he made connections for life. The chapter emphasized engagement in and out of the Shelter, requiring brothers to join one house committee and one campus committee. Matt developed communication and organization skills as house manager for Epsilon Mu, and he utilized those skills when he joined the family business after college. Family First Matt Momper '83 Is a Loyal Husband, Father, and Delt for Life (Continued on page 2) "My experience in all these committees taught me programming skills and gave me a lot of responsibility at a young age. The skill set that I learned being in the fraternity was just as much as what I learned in the classroom."

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