Lambda Chi Alpha - University of Illinois

Chi Zetagram 2 O ne of the most important lessons Jeffrey Wandell '62 X785 learned from Lambda Chi Alpha is respect. "When you join an organization, the men become your brothers and you care for them even though they are different from you. You learn to like them and to know them, and that is what life is about, understanding where people come from and what they are trying to do." One of Jeff 's favorite memories of his time in the chapter house is dining with the actives and pledges. "We were like a family at the end of the day," Jeff said. Pledges and actives intermixed, there weren't cliques, and they were all just brothers. He placed a high value on the brotherhood traditions like the Lambda Chi song aer dinner and learning table etiquette. ese moments were important for establishing brotherhood bonds. "We listened to each other, about that day, their lives, and future plans." Jeff served as secretary of the chapter for two years, and feels that the fraternity is a tool to help young brothers become men. He learned how to be more social and handle himself in social situations, as well as the importance of hard work. "We worked really hard keeping the house looking good. Everybody worked together as a team." Jeff earned a bachelor's degree in horticulture and a master's degree in advertising University of Illinois. He began his career in retail aer receiving his bachelor's degree, opening Prairie Gardens in Champaign. e success of Prairie Gardens led to the opening of four more stores in Bloomington, Springfield, Peoria and Terra Haute, Indiana, all named Jeffrey Alans. e success of Chi Zeta during his undergraduate years helped give Jeff the confidence that he would be successful in his career. "ere were all these people in the chapter doing great things, and I had a sense that there was a world beyond college that I was going to be a part of, and I was going to have a great life." Lambda Chi helped Jeff develop self-confidence to achieve great things. Although Jeff 's business acumen has allowed him to live in different parts of the country, he has remained invested in Champaign. He and his wife, Charlotte, have two sons; Morgan is the director of drama development at Amazon, and Michael is the vice president of corporate sponsorship for the NBA in China. Jeff enjoys skiing and art collecting and he is looking forward to the fall reunion event September 19-21 and seeing his brothers from the 1960s. "is event is important to our Chapter. It is wonderful to remember the past and bless the future." You can contact him at jawandell@aol.com. C hi Zeta continues on our mission to perform second to none. We are proud of the work that the officers are doing. e brotherhood remains strong, and we see great potential in the newest members and bond. Six members attended the Lambda Chi Alpha Stead Leadership Seminar in Memphis last summer. Four members attended both the fall 2013 and spring 2014 Midwestern Conclave meetings to represent Chi Zeta. Membership Continues to Increase e chapter had a successful recruitment with 29 newly initiated members in the fall and 12 associate members this spring. e process employed the effective use of the bid committee Chi Zeta Introduces Active Chapter Mentoring Program T he alumni association is developing an active chapter mentoring program to connect undergraduates and recent graduates of Chi Zeta with alumni. e goal of the program is to provide professional and other resources to these brothers who are going into or recently entered the workforce. Seth Ellis '02 X1700, member of the active chapter mentor committee, said, "Right now we are compiling a database of Chi Zeta alumni that will be a resource to these brothers. For example, if a graduating senior is looking to move to the Denver area, he can look up a mentor to ask about job hunting or good neighborhoods." Alumni have a wealth of knowledge and experience that this program seeks to make more accessible to those who can benefit from it most. For minimal time commitment, you can provide guidance to Chi Zeta members. If you would like to get involved with the active chapter mentoring program, please contact Seth at sethellis83@gmail.com or visit our new website, www.illinilambdachi.com, to fill out a profile for our Lifetime of True Brotherhood. BREAKING BREAD Jeffrey Wandell '62 X785 Sees Sharing Meals as a Foundation for Brotherhood Chapter Shows Strength Members Excel in Recruitment, Academics, and Philanthropy to recruit new members and identify core values. We had a large chapter involvement in all recruitment activities, including three- on-three basketball. High Delta Johnnie Nonnie '13 X2056 said, "Recruitment was an extremely strong point of Chi Zeta this year. Hosting events that appealed to brothers and potential new members produced a very welcoming environment. Using a bid committee to evaluate potential new members resulted in groups of quality young men that will be the future of Chi Zeta." GPA on the Rise Academics continued to improve this semester, with a fall GPA of 3.067. New initiatives were implemented this semester to improve chapter academics, including an in-house tutoring and mentorship program. High Sigma Scott Corbett '12 X2043 said, "Our chapter's GPA has been improving steadily for the past few semesters. We hope to continue this trend and raise our chapter GPA above the IFC average." $500 Raised for Foodbank Chi Zeta is supporting both the Eastern Illinois Foodbank and Feeding America. e chapter

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