Beta Theta Pi - The Ohio State University

THETA DELTA DRAGON Page 2 The Importance of Alumni Engagement Q&A with Alumni Association President Scott Saffell '78 Q: Why did you decide to join Beta Theta Pi? A: Ohio State is a big place with lots of students; I was looking for something to make the campus smaller, and find a place where I would belong. A high school friend was a Beta and asked me to come to a Chapter dinner and meet the rest of the guys. I loved the people, the friendships, and the environment. From the very first time I walked into the house I knew that I was home. Q: What is your favorite Ohio State tradition? Beta tradition? A: My favorite tradition at Ohio State is singing Carmen Ohio at the end of home football games— especially because the song was written by Fred Cornell '06. As for Beta Traditions, all of the rituals around initiation are very special, as well as the tradition that was around when I was an undergraduate when we had a song circle at the end of all of our parties. Q: How did the Fraternity prepare you for life after college? A: Beta prepared me by helping me to grow as a person by living up to the principles of Beta Theta Pi and having the privilege to work with many different types of people within an organization for a common good. Working with 105 other men who were part of the same organization with the same goals and aspirations helped prepare me for a career where those same traits and values are needed to be successful. Q: What are some of your goals while serving as president for the alumni association? A: One of my major goals as president is to improve engagement with all of our alumni with the alumni association and with the active Chapter. We would like for alumni to have more opportunities to interact with the undergraduates to impact some of the vast wealth of wisdom and life experiences that they have in order to help to mentor our collegians. I would also like for alumni to have meaningful opportunities to meet and to rekindle past friendships that were so cherished by all of us, and to make new friendships as lifelong alumni of this Fraternity. Q: Do you keep in touch with any of your Fraternity brothers? A: By living in the Columbus area I have the opportunity to see many brothers at football and basketball games, as well as, at the alumni association events around Columbus. There are also brothers who live around the country that I keep in touch with from time to time. I have always said that for the last 35 years, there are 30 guys that I could call at a moment's notice if ever I needed them…some of which I have not seen in 35 years. Scott lives in Columbus, Ohio, with his wife of 36 years, Barbara Jane Saffell (Alpha Xi Delta, OSU). They have two children, Sean '07 and Brian (Phi Kappa Tau, Ohio University). Sean is married to Brittany Loar Saffell (Alpha Chi Omega, Vanderbilt) and they have a two-year-old son, Bennett Walsh. You may contact Scott by e-mailing him at scott.w.saffell@gmail.com. Alumni AssociAtion President Christian Hertl '03 House Manager Dan Ketcham '77 Secretary Jared Friesner '02 Treasurer Chris Ingram '02 Property Manager Steven Vilardo '78 President Scott Saffell '78 Vice President Alan Veatch '79 Treasurer Todd Stefanini '05 Alumni Affairs Matt Brown '05 Social Chairman Chris McCabe '80 Secretary Larry Plum '68 Scholarship Chairman Rod Gregory '79 Members-at-Large David Wright '67 Dan Pickett '80 Building AssociAtion ALUMNI We want to hear from you! Please send news next issue to our alumni relations coordinator MYSTIC SHRINE Richard Schluederberg '49 passed on to memory and our Mystic Shrine on September 10, 2014. A WWII veteran, he served in the U.S. Army's 66th (Black Panther) Infantry Division in the Northern France campaign, fighting and holding pockets of Nazi forces near the fortified port of St. Nazaire until the surrender of Germany. Richard began his life-long career in security analysis and portfolio management in 1949 at Mercantile-Safe Deposit and Trust Co. and Naess and Thomas, and retired in 1991 as senior vice president of Bank of America. An avid sailor, he was a member of sailing teams at Cornell University and Ohio State University and a lifetime member of the International Star Class Yacht Racing Association. He competed on the varsity track teams at Cornell and The Ohio State University and participated in the 1945 athletic games organized by General Patton in Nuremberg, Germany. ALUMNI NEWS Robert E. Newell '48 is 88 years old. He plays lots of bridge and a little golf. Bob lives in West Chester, Pa. Samuel S. Conaway '49 is writing a children's book. He lives in Lakeville, Minn., with his wife. Frederic G. Hunt '51 retired after 25 years as principal of his own consulting engineering firm, Frederic Co Hunt, P.E., Marina Design Consult- ing. He also served in the U.S. Air Corps from 1951 to 1953, and retired as a captain. Fred and his wife, Freda, are about to move into a retire- ment community. John D. Poffenberger '57 spends winters in Florida and summers in Cincinnati and Michi- gan. He looks forward to hearing from any of the old brothers and is arranging a golf date for dinner in Naples, Fla., Cincinnati, Ohio, or Glen Arbor, Mich. E-mail: jpoffe@aol.com Ronald J. McCormick '58 fished in the Rouge River in Oregon for salmon and steelhead using his 16-foot driftboat. E-mail: roncarolmc@msn.com Hall B. Liles Jr. '60 serves on the house corpo- ration at the College of Charleston, a new chapter of Beta Theta Pi. He lives in Mount Pleasant, S.C. E-mail: hallliles2@aol.com Thomas F. Wall Jr. '60 would love to see a 60th pledge class reunion in 2017. He misses all of the guys. Thomas lives in Pine Meadow, Conn., with his wife, Kay. E-mail: tomwalljr@hotmail.com W. R. Steakley '67 has three grandchildren and has time to travel while still working, but will retire soon. "Best wishes to all the brothers."

• Cover