Theta Chi - Iowa State University

THE TOMAHAWK Alpha Mu Chapter 2 STEPPING UP IN A TIME OF NEED House Director Brennan Goodman '18 Shares His Theta Chi Experience CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF ALPHA MU A s we approach our 100th anniversary on the Iowa State University campus, we developed a committee to meet and plan a celebration for this historic occasion. The final details of the celebration are still in the planning stage, but we can confirm that the most notable event will be an evening of celebration at the Memorial Union on Friday, September 16, 2022. You will not want to miss this remarkable dinner and banquet! We anticipate the final agenda of events will be established in early 2022, and an online registration will be made available shortly thereafter. Please provide your gratitude, as well as any input, to your 100th anniversary planning committee: Larry Buss '68 l-bbuss@windstream.net John Stalter '68 johnstalter@msn.com Jon Fleming '75 mrjfcy393@gmail.com Ed Gschneidner '83 ed.gschneidner@outlook.com Dave Matulac '93 matulac@msn.com Brian Deets '01 brian.deets@gmail.com Andy Nelson '07 isuanelson@gmail.com Moses Bomett '13 bomettmoses@gmail.com Ryan Hunwardson '19 rshunwardsen@outlook.com W hen Brennan Goodman '18 joined Theta Chi, he had a specific image of "alumni" in mind: old men at the height of their careers getting ready to retire. "During my first Homecoming, I realized that most alumni I got to meet were just my friends' older friends." Brennan has been happy to call many alumni his friends in the years since, as well as brothers of all ages. Serving the Brotherhood The opportunity to keep serving Alpha Mu among friends is what inspired Brennan to sign on as house director. "I thought it would be fun to serve the chapter in an advisory role along with Josh Hibben '02, Dr. Jon Fleming '75, and the rest of the chapter advisory board—many of whom I was an undergraduate member with." Brennan is now in his third year of the role, and as a veterinary student at ISU, he follows in the footsteps of several Alpha Mu house directors who told him this position was their favorite part of graduate school. "Having been around Theta Chi since 2013, I love hearing the novel ideas our undergraduates come up with to make the fraternity experience better." To Brennan, leadership opportunities at Alpha Mu are more than just having a title: "It was the application of those positions I held that helped me develop communication and organizational skills." He served as treasurer and vice president as an undergraduate, which helped him learn and develop improved processes as well as interpersonal skills to help brothers in their time of need. One of his favorite events was Work Week, with all the fun and chaos of preparing the chapter house by day and playing softball and other sports in the evening. Keeping the House Safe Brennan experienced challenges that no other house director could have imagined as the pandemic spread last year. The house corporation and advisory board members stayed away from the chapter house for safety, making him the primary "adult in the room" to enforce public health rules among members. Adjusting to masks and other restrictions was a challenge, but Brennan was heartened when he first saw the president and vice president wearing their masks as they returned to the chapter house together. "That was truly a powerful and touching picture of responsibility to me," Brennan said. "I think that sense of responsibility extended to the whole brotherhood, as our case rate was much lower than many other fraternities." The few COVID-19 cases that Alpha Mu sustained had little-to-no spread. Brennan himself came down with COVID last spring, but he appreciates the brothers who brought packaged meals to the house director apartment during his 10-day isolation. Looking to Brighter Days As house director of a fraternity, Brennan isn't allowed to have a dog or cat like most of his vet student peers—but he likes to joke that he has 40 monkeys to take care of at home. "I am grateful to have this opportunity to continue to advise our brothers as they go through some of the most transformative and developmental years of their life." After he graduates, Brennan hopes to practice locally in the Ames or Des Moines area before potentially moving to a larger city for a residency. He was excited to visit brothers during Alumni Weekend and catch up at Pizza Pit in Welch Ave. Station as they did as active brothers. You can reach Brennan at bgoodman@iastate.edu. Brennan Goodman '18 and his family's German Shepard, Charlie.

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