Alpha Tau Omega - University of Nebraska-Linocln

3 Alpha Tau Omega www.atonebraska.org Pat Keenan '76 Pays It Forward Alumnus Encourages Others to Carry On the ATW Tradition W hen Pat Keenan '76 reflects on his undergraduate years, he immediately thinks of Alpha Tau Omega. He remembers the value it created in his life, the benefits it offered, and the lifelong friendships he developed. Pat doesn't know where he would be without Gamma Theta, and realizes he has an obligation to secure the experience for others. "The group of ATW brothers that I went through with, we didn't build that house. In fact, the house was built and remodeled many, many years before we came, with other people's dollars," Pat said. "Even though you may pay all of your house bills and go through initiation, you really haven't pulled your own weight because other people built that." He encourages his brothers to remember their years at Gamma Theta and, if they are able, to join him in supporting the Building on a Tradition of Excellence campaign. "We have an obligation to remodel the house and keep it going for other generations," Pat said. "As we enter those times of our lives where we have some money and our families are settled, it's our time to help out and allow other people to have the same benefits that we received at someone else's expense." With universities around the country making noteworthy renovations to student housing, Pat worries about the future of fraternity life. To compete in this "arms race," he believes Gamma Theta must improve its facility. "The fraternities have to keep up by having first-class housing, housing that invites you to stay all four years," Pat said. "If students aren't living there for their third and fourth years, then they are losing some of the value. When the upperclassmen are moving out of the house, it's harder to have that experience." Pat's son, Sean, attends a university where the Greek system is almost nonexistent. When Pat compares his collegiate experience to his son's, he knows Sean is missing out on the positive influence of upperclassmen. "When you first go to school, you're a little bit overwhelmed and maybe start to have too much fun. Then, you start looking at the older guys and they're starting to prepare for professional schools or their career," Pat said. "They start getting serious, more involved in campus, and start studying more. Those are all good lessons for the freshmen to see. When you're only surrounded with other freshmen or sophomores, you don't really see the other side occur. That's one of the advantages of being in the house." At 1433 R Street, Pat developed a work hard, play hard motto that he has carried throughout his life. He learned how to balance his free time and academics through the guidance of upperclassmen. Coming from a high school class of 57 students, he needed that influence to stay motivated and make the university's large student population manageable. "All of a sudden, I was surrounded by 80 guys who shared a lot of the same ideals and ideas. It made you think bigger, you got to see what they were doing, and it made you want to reach for more in your own life," he said. "You were just surrounded by friends immediately—people who were easy to get to know. To this day, some of my best friends are from the four years I was in college." Pat resides in North Platte, Nebraska, and is the president of Keenan & Company, which specializes in commercial real estate development and management. He enjoys golfing, sailing, and traveling with his family. His wife, Kathleen, and their children, Molly, Emily, and Sean, are notably philanthropic and give to a variety of organizations. Pat can be reached at pkeenan@keenanco.net. A lpha Tau Omega held its annual Founders' Day on April 12 at the Nebraska Club in Lincoln. Approximately 80 brothers came together for the event to make it a great success. The event was an opportunity for the alumni to meet members of the active chapter and get to know these outstanding young men. Following dinner, Kyle Bruss '97 gave a speech about the status of the chapter, detailing just how far the chapter has come in the past few years. The chapter was once again honored with True Merit. Wade Reigle '11, the current president, followed Kyle with his state of the chapter report. The tradition of honoring the 25th anniversary pledge class continued by honoring the class of 1989. Several members of the class were on hand to share stories from their time in the house. The members of the class have gone on to achieve many great things in their various fields of work. Several scholarships were awarded, including, for the second year, the Responsibility Starts Now scholarship. The class of '88 started this scholarship. Lance Carlson '88 represented his class to give out the $500 cash award to Cody Wesley '12. We thank everyone who attended and we hope to have another great event planned for the spring. VTL, Tom Luebbe '99 Alumni Co-Chairman Brothers Gather for successful founders' day Alumni and undergraduates at this year's Founders' Day event.

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