Theta Chi - Drake University

PAGE 3 Endeavors People Join People, Not Organizations Michael Rohl '13 Sees Parallels Between His Theta Chi Experience and Blossoming Political Career W hen Michael Rohl '13 went through fraternity recruitment at Drake, he wasn't looking to join an organization that boasted about its history. Michael simply wanted to find a group of genuine young men who shared many of the same values and passions that he had. Meeting the men of Gamma Tau was like finding the golden ticket for Michael. "The ski trips, Slip 'n Slide, and events we hosted are great memories, but the ones I cherish most are the random Tuesday nights at West End, the brunch at Jethro's, the late nights at the library, or the unplanned day with your friends," Michael said. "The proximity to so many friends at all hours of the day is something I will always cherish about my college experience. No matter the class, the event, or the time of day, you had a group of friends by your side making memories." The mindset that Michael carried with him during recruitment his freshman year also paid huge dividends for him when he recently started his political career. Despite having no political connections or being recruited to run for office, Michael decided to run for a seat on the South Dakota State Senate because he wanted to better the system. Michael spent hours upon hours driving across the four-county district to go out of his way to meet people and get to know them on a personal level. The result? Being victorious against a long-term Democratic senator, who was previously a nominee for governor, in a district that is only 30% Republican. "I didn't talk politics with them; I was a real person with them," Michael said. "I was banking on 'people joining people, not organizations.' The very thing my fraternity taught me 10 years prior was my strategy to getting elected in a district that had elected only two Republicans in the past 102 years." While Michael was optimistic going into election night, he'd heard for eight months that he had no chance of winning. The first glimmer of significant hope for Michael came when the first county to report was his opponent's home county, and he won by 74 votes. Next up came Michael's home county, which gave him another huge boost of confidence. He won it with 65% of the vote, which meant the world to him that he had the trust of his neighbors to be their voice. Michael then was three for three after winning the next county by 445 votes, but the largest and most democratic district was yet to come and could change everything. Michael waited until 2 a.m. for the results of the fourth county to come in, but that wait was worthwhile, as he won it outright to become the youngest senator in South Dakota. "It was certainly a humbling experience," Michael said. "It's hard to explain the feeling of people telling you that what you are trying to do isn't possible, only to do it and to do it by over a 10-point margin." As of the beginning of March, Michael had already presented three bills in his first six weeks in office. All three bills made it out of committee. One of the bills has already been approved by the Senate and sent to the House, while the other two are awaiting their votes on the Senate floor. While Michael hasn't had much time to reflect on his recent accomplishments, he quickly realized how Theta Chi provided him the opportunity to succeed in a similar setting. Michael is once again thriving by bringing people of different beliefs and backgrounds together in effort to find common ground. "Theta Chi is the main reason I have this ability," Michael said. "I'm thankful for the real-life relationships and lessons I learned at Gamma Tau. It certainly was the first setting to effectively teach me that diversity makes you stronger." You can connect with Michael at michael.rohl@sdlegislature.gov. Destination after graduation: Des Moines area www.linkedin.com/in/isaac-franks-172236174/ Alex Klosterman '21 Major: Clinical and applied health sciences Intended career path: Physical therapy Destination after graduation: Des Moines or surrounding areas www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-klosterman- 4b1976162 Quinton Lake '21 Major: Accounting Intended career path: Auditing Destination after graduation: Denver www.linkedin.com/in/quinton-lake-412557171 Ruben Lotz '21 Major: Finance, insurance concentration Intended career path: Financial services or insurance operations Destination after graduation: Minneapolis www.linkedin.com/in/ruben-lotz-b41759173 Carter Lundgren '21 Major: Accounting, minors in French and data analytics Intended career path: Forensic accounting (governmental accounting) Destination after graduation: East Coast, Texas, California, or Hawaii www.linkedin.com/in/carter-lundgren-04ba59173 Carson Reichardt '21 Major: News and sociology Intended career path: Marketing agency Destination after graduation: Des Moines or greater Midwest www.linkedin.com/in/carson-j-s-reichardt- 3062a3179/ Tom Wrigley '21 Major: Information systems, minor in management Intended career path: Financial analysis or database management Destination after graduation: Chicago, Des Moines, Boston www.linkedin.com/in/tomwrigley64

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