Delta Tau Delta - Cornell University

Spring 2020 Newsletter

Beta Omicron Chapter of Delta Tau Delta at Cornell University

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Beta Omicron Delts Deliver in Difficult Times THE CORDELT BETA OMICRON CHAPTER OF DELTA TAU DELTA AT CORNELL UNIVER SI T Y SUMMER 2020 cornelldelts.org I write today at a time when the simple platitude of "I hope this finds you well" has taken real meaning again. However, it feels like that isn't enough. We are in the middle of a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic and, unfortunately, racial discord that has occurred far too often and regularly in our country. Our undergraduates just completed the first virtual semester in Beta Omicron history and I was fortunate enough to recently participate in our first virtual reunion. I mean this from the bottom of my heart and utmost sincerity that I truly hope you are all staying safe, healthy, and showing the world why Delta Tau Delta is the premier fraternity at Cornell. Building Our Brotherhood It seems like a lifetime since I wrote last with all that has changed. January and February saw the undergraduates return to the Hill and induct our newest class of eight brothers. This number was a bit lower than some recent classes, but given the new guidelines enacted late in 2019 regarding recruitment, we saw a class size that was on par with the rest of the fraternity system and was in line with our goals for the semester. I would like to welcome these newest members to the ranks of Beta Omicron and look forward to meeting them all when we can to return to campus. Pushing rough a Pandemic Not long after these newest members joined the ranks, the current pandemic shuttered the entire University and a rapid and ever-changing chain of events for our undergraduates began. Students left campus for spring break, intending on coming back to, at the very least, pack up their belongings and move home. Due to the rapid spread of COVID, this window was reduced even further and everyone was told that they would not be returning after spring break in any fashion. This meant ensuring that all 40-plus brothers had means for traveling home and, if not, that they had a suitable place to live in the interim; that the Shelter was shuttered and prepared for an extended "summer" break; and working with the University to confirm that we had met all of their requirements. I am beyond happy to report that through the diligent work of the undergraduates (led by Jake Polacek '21) and our House Corporation Executive Board, we helped all brothers return home or find on-campus housing through a petition system, prepared the house for closure, and provided guidance to the undergraduates on how to transition the chapter to the virtual world we are all now accustomed to. We are pleased to announce that we are on target to provide a full 40% refund (representing the portion of time the students were not on campus) for room and a partial refund on meal plans. We paid Chef Ryan his full salary for the remainder of the semester and are on track to meet our facility reserve contribution for the fiscal year ending June 30. Having discussed the finances in detail with the facilities team at Cornell, we are one of the only fraternities on campus that has provided this level of financial stability. I appreciate the undergraduates for their fiscal responsibility, as well as House Corporation Treasurer Andy Howlett '07 for his work in guiding the undergraduates and working through the numbers with Cornell. ank You, Class of 2020 The remainder of the semester saw the undergraduates complete their classes, chapter meetings, and the like via Zoom. I would like to congratulate the members of the class of 2020. They are graduating into a world that no previous generation of Delt has faced, but their resilience and perseverance through this semester has helped to set them up for future success. I wish them all the best and want to welcome them to the ranks of Beta Omicron alumni. They will use the lessons learned during this pandemic to make our organization better and I look forward to hearing from them on ways that the virtual world can be adapted to our brotherhood. Hoping for a Fall Return As previously noted, I was fortunate to participate in our first ever Zoom reunion barbecue, which was organized by Michael Bonacum '10. More than 30 alumni from all generations virtually Brothers gather virtually on Zoom for a barbecue reunion. (Continued on page 2)

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