Phi Kappa Psi - The Ohio State University

n 3 Visit http://ohiodelta.com to stay current with the Chapter. Phi Kappa Psi From Here and There Alumni News Collected by Craig Stewart '61 S (Continued on page 4) ometimes, all you need is an old friend from a familiar place. That was how Brian Swanson '99 gravitated toward the Ohio Delta Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi. He had come to The Ohio State University as a new Columbus resident and one of his childhood friends had convinced him to check out the brotherhood. What first caught Brian's attention was that the brothers in the Chapter House were close. "They did a lot together and the bond was apparent," he remembered. After initiation and becoming an official member, Brian, too, became a part of the collective that was Ohio Delta and served in executive office as social chairman. "I really liked going to the Chapter on Mondays, dressing up for dinner, and discussing our Chapter and brothers during active member meetings," said Brian. The network that members can develop through their affiliation with the Chapter should not be taken lightly, and Brian encourages today's undergraduates to "link with as many people as possible because those connections become essential later in life." As a FKY alumnus and former marketing major, Brian solidified his career in the hospitality industry. He is the proud owner of several restaurants, bars, and real estate, and has stayed involved with Ohio Delta by allowing the Chapter to use his facilities for functions and fundraisers over the years. "My career keeps me busy, but I did visit the Chapter House a couple of years ago to check out the (then) new renovations," Brian stated. Brian maintains many of the connections he built as an active member, including friendships with Gordon Gough '97, Derek Haggertdy '97, Brian Peirsol '97, and Ronald Dimmerling '97, whom he speaks to regularly. When time permits, Brian loves to travel, especially "anywhere in Europe. Europe is always a good time," he noted. As a professional in the hospitality industry, he prefers to "blend in with the locals, visit restaurants and hotels, and learn of regional food trends" rather than partake in tourist activity. You can connect with Brian at brian@614holdings.com. he Virginia Alpha Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi at the University of Virginia received $1.65 million after a settlement with Rolling Stone following the magazine's false story regarding rape and pillaging by members of the chapter. An administrator affiliated with the chapter also settled with the publication for an undisclosed amount back in April. The slanderous article made national news for months and was featured in The Columbus Dispatch, which featured a three- paragraph settlement announcement on page A12. Author Bob Hunter chronicled the relationship of James Thurber '18 and his hometown of Columbus in his book, Thurberville. Rob Oller '81, sports writer for The Columbus Dispatch, started penning general interest sports stories. Rob's daughter, Julia, also writes for the Dispatch. Now to the News from The Enterprise (Their Word): OSU raised $532 million from 267,000 donors in fiscal 2017, a new record and up from last year's $457 million. The Big Ten signed a six-year $2.64 billion deal with FOX, ESPN and CBS, which does not include money from The Big Ten network itself. While the report wasn't clear, I think that's $31,500,000 per school per year, plus the Big Ten money. That's why the Big Ten has 14 schools. Now, how are we going to spend all this largesse? This is how: The university spent $1.6 million fighting the firing of Jonathon Waters, the popular band director. Rumor has it that the Federal Title IX pressure was intense and that there was faculty resentment because he wasn't a faculty member. He didn't get a dime—only the lawyers. The trustees voted to renovate the football practice and office facilities for $7.8 million. This isn't to build a new one. Work includes updates to the players' lounge (maybe have two walls of running water?) OSU will buy a building at Polaris, which it is leasing. It is for Wexner Medical Center office research and lab space. The price was not announced but the auditor's valuation is $6 million. The benefits for faculty and staff who buy property in the University District will rise from $6K to $15K. It is in the form of a zero percent forgivable loan. The ex-director of the Center for Higher Education Enterprise (CHEE) (again "Enterprise") has been found by an internal investigation to have misused resources and improperly accepted $200K in speaking fees. CHEE was created for President Gordon Gee to run when he retired as University President. The position currently paid the ex-director $172K (and let's not forget that lifetime pension). OSU found rooms on campus and spent $1.2 million to rent off-campus apartments for 7,000 sophomores, and another 13,850 students are expected to live on-campus. A nine percent increase in room and board was enacted, though it did not include some middle and lower income students. (We got 'em now, what can we do to 'em?!) OSU will receive $1.3 million from the NCAA, which the school must spend for student-athlete initiatives, not coaching salaries. (Three walls of falling water?!) MAKING THE MOST OF THE BROTHERHOOD Brian SwanSon '99 on Staying ConneCted T

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