Delta Tau Delta - Ball State University

3 DELTA TAU DELTA W hile it was a fall recruitment unlike any we've ever experienced, we are thrilled to welcome 17 new members to our brotherhood. Recruitment was conducted via Zoom. The first day featured a virtual house tour. We also created a PowerPoint of multiple photos to show what Epsilon Mu is all about. It was challenging to convey the true meaning of the Delt experience to potential new members since we couldn't show them in person all of the little things that makes our brotherhood special. There has been a cleaning crew coming to the Shelter every Monday and Thursday to ensure that we're all remaining healthy. We wear masks whenever we leave the Shelter and there are no exceptions. We were required to quarantine in the Shelter for two to three weeks, so we emailed our professors that we couldn't attend anything on campus and stayed up to date with our studies virtually. We have been deep cleaning and disinfecting our personal rooms every week for precautionary measures. We put up hand sanitizer dispensers and electronic disinfectant over the door that sprays every 10 minutes. Due to COVID-19, it has been hard to host many brotherhood events. We have many future events planned to give brothers something to look forward to. We have a paintball outing planned in Fort Wayne, but the date is pending. We are working on some ideas for a spring formal and are brainstorming other possibilities for fun and safe events. Fraternally, Jackson Starnes '20 Chapter President jacksonstarnes07@gmail.com Christian Alderling Indianapolis, Ind. Kyle Bilby Noblesville, Ind. Keenan Bowen Noblesville, Ind. Brayden Browning McCordsville, Ind. Joseph Carl Schererville, Ind. Nate Chapman Fishers, Ind. Bryce Decaudin Fishers, Ind. Colson Dunham Pendleton, Ind. Michael Hart Fishers, Ind. Jacob Lawrence Fishers, Ind. Ben Lyday McCordsville, Ind. Zane Norman New Palestine, Ind. Alec Rees Noblesville, Ind. Carson Sanders Noblesville, Ind. Andrew Synko Munster, Ind. MASKS UP FOR EPSILON MU Undergraduate Brothers Navigate Challenges of Virtual Recruitment Welcome, New Members! Assessing the State of Campaign 50 T o say that we live in a time where clichés rule the headlines would be an understate- ment. Indeed, the last several years have been fraught with challenges. And, the Campaign 50 project to dedicate the newly expanded and renovated Shelter for Epsilon Mu's 50th anniversary certainly has not happened as we all envisioned. We had shovels ready for the ceremony, but couldn't pull the trigger. A $250,000 gift from John Fisher '90 was an exciting kickoff to the campaign. He was also the lead donor of the 1991 addition and the driv- ing force of the acquisition of the original Shel- ter in 1967. His gift also conveyed an obligation to make the most of his generosity and vision. Sadly, we haven't lived up to his expectations. There are probably many reasons for not meet- ing those goals. The feasibility study painted an unrealistic picture of the support by alumni. There was also a disagreement about the size and scope of the project, including whether to retain or demolish the original house as part of the project. Most significantly, we realized an increase in projected construction costs budgeted of over $900,000 from the original estimates in 2011. The construction market was depressed in 2011, but was on fire by 2016. Building safety and accessibility codes had also changed, adding approximately $326,688 to the construction costs. The feasibility study, which was very thorough, indicated very strong support by the alumni for the proposed project, but the reality became that several of the highest capacity prospective donors chose not to participate after previ- ously indicating they would. There are no guarantees. The original goal was $1,175,000. Of the $818,347.09 received in pledges, only $695,133.39 has been collected. Repeated attempts to collect the remaining pledged amounts haven't proven very fruitful. Many of the engineering and design costs have been paid and the bulk of the funds remain. Our mortgage has been paid off. We have under- taken several projects without using any of the Campaign 50 funds. Those projects include the new roof ($45,000), new water heaters ($20,000), a new boiler (about $18,000), and first and second floor bathroom updates (about $40,000 each). Several other amenities such as weight room equipment, electronics for the brotherhood room, additional washers and dryers, and commercial-grade wireless internet have also been provided. Some of these would have been included in the new addition costs, but none were charged to the campaign. Now that we are back in uncertain times, at least for a while, this might be when construc- tion work and costs come down again. Is this worth a look? Any project like this requires a considerable amount of expenditures in both time and treasure. Volunteers did some of this work, but not all. We're always looking for more volunteers to make positive contributions to the effort. No one is more disappointed than those who worked so diligently only to have the project incomplete. Sadly, Dan Guio '68 and Terry Hunsucker '71, who were both strong propo- nents of the project, are no longer here to realize the fruits of their labors. We remain confident that it will eventually happen. The House Corporation is also fully committed to make it happen as well. Like many of us, Epsilon Mu has been a part of our lives, in some instances, for nearly 60 years. Each of you can help by contacting as many of your contemporary brothers as possible and encouraging them to keep this project in the forefront of their minds. Fraternally, Epsilon Mu House Corporation

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