Delta Tau Delta - Cornell University

THE CORDELT BETA OMICRON CHAPTER OF DELTA TAU DELTA AT CORNELL UNIVER SI T Y FALL 2018 cornelldelts.org I hope this edition of the Cordelt finds you and yours well and enjoying all fall has to offer. I am pleased to be writing with exciting news on many fronts and hope that as another year ticks by, you will consider how you can reconnect with your brothers and support Beta Omicron. The following are updates from the annual House Corporation meeting this fall. Undergraduates Make Strides The undergraduates continue to make strides in recruitment with 17 new members since the fall of 2017. They showed their commitment to fiscal responsibility and the maintenance and upkeep of the Shelter by contributing nearly $100,000 to the facility reserve, one of the largest single fiscal year contributions in recent memory. This contribution will allow the House Corporation to undergo required upgrades to the Shelter over the next year to meet life safety requirements for a dormitory-style facility and should inspire the alumni base to support the chapter with donations. Alumni Volunteers Needed as Mentors During the discussion of old business, it was noted that the new mentorship programs that were initiated last year need a reboot, and both alumni and undergraduates are eager to make this happen as both groups understand the benefit of these programs. If you are interested in helping further develop the program or to be a mentor, please contact Jeff Catalano '09 at jpcatalano@gmail.com. Campaign Committee Updates The Master Planning Committee, led by Jeff Alfano '13, presented a brief overview of their efforts to refine the scope of work needed for a large-scale renovation. The next step will be to hire an architectural firm to perform schematic design of the proposed renovations for use during the campaign and to help guide our work with Cornell Facilities. This will help the House Corporation understand the cost, timing, and necessity of the work of the funding needs. The Finance Committee, led by Sonny Sonnenstein '90, also presented a brief overview of the work the committee has performed over the past year, including what will be required to have a successful capital campaign. A few of these items include a new feasibility report (in early 2019) to understand the viability of a campaign with our alumni base, the realization that the campaign should be five years long (in lieu of the three years previously discussed), and the need to work with Cornell to maximize the benefits to both the alumni (i.e., tax-free donations) and to the House Corporation (i.e., funds being donated to accounts specifically for the capital campaign). Sonny also graciously pledged to double his initial commitment to the campaign from $50,000 to $100,000 over the next five years, leading by example and showing how important Beta Omicron has been in his life. New Guidelines for Greek Life Cornell University President Martha Pollack issued new guidelines for Greek life at the end of the 2017-18 academic year. This is a phased introduction of guidelines over the next three years—many of which have already been in place by either the university, Delta Tau Delta National, or the North-American Interfraternity Conference. We as a House Corporation are working with the undergraduates to be proactive with the administration to ensure that these guidelines do not hinder the ability of Beta Omicron to remain a vital piece of the Cornell landscape, as we have been for the past 128 years. We have tabled discussion of how to approach these guidelines until all sides of the issue can prepare their arguments in a constructive manner, which allows the alumni and undergraduate bodies to make a well-informed decision on how to move forward. I am honored to serve such a great group of men. Through the spirited debates and common bond to ensure that many more generations of Cornellians can understand the joy and camaraderie of Delt, I know we will ensure that Delt is on The Hill for another 128 years and beyond! Fraternally, Graham Seward '07 House Corporation President graham.seward@gmail.com Beta Omicron Sustains Success While Navigating Cultural Changes at Cornell A DETERMINED DELT Brotherhood Remains Important to Success of Michael Bonacum '10 F rom playing with Legos as a child to developing advanced technologies at the GE Aviation headquarters in Cincinnati, Michael Bonacum '10 has always enjoyed figuring out how things best fit together. While Mike's career has taken off at GE Aviation, working on advanced technologies for the U.S. Army, NASA, and many other high-profile organizations, he has not forgotten the key components of his life that made him the person he is today. When Mike arrived at Cornell University, Greek life was not something that he figured would be a part of his upbringing. That changed, though, during the fall semester of his sophomore year, when he pledged the Beta Omicron Chapter of Delta Tau Delta. (Continued on page 2) Michael Bonacum '10, Young Hur '11, and Drew Reilly '12 in Ireland.

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