Theta Chi - Bradley University

CHAPTER OFFICERS Catching Up With Brother Neil Stremmel '90 MANIFESTO MANIFESTO Fall 2023 C H A P T E R : t h e t a c h i b u . c o m | A L U M N I : g a m m a u p s i l o n . o r g Hometown: Stillman Valley, Ill. Major: Mechanical Engineering Pledge Father: Jim Kalata '89 Pledge Sons: Gordon Lau '95, Mike Rach '92, and Kampanart Sritri '91 (aka Ed) Where do you live now? We just moved back to Wisconsin at the start of last year to the Milwaukee suburb of Waukesha. Prior to that, we had lived in several places: Winter Haven, Fla.; Long Island, N.Y.; Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas; Franklin, Wis.; and right outside of Rockford, Ill. in Byron. Tell us about why you joined eta Chi: Well, I've always been kind of an overthinker, so I waited until the spring of 1986. I guess I just needed a bit more time. What was it like being a spring pledge? at's funny because I didn't have any pledge brothers. I was all by myself, so it was all up to me; I felt like I did a pretty good job. Hey, I was pledge class president! But it was a lonely situation not being able to share the situation with someone. at's my only regret. Did you hold any offices as an active member? Yes, pledge marshal and president. In what room(s) did you live? 1 and 4. Who were your roommates? Matt Goethe '89 and Tom Buhr '92. How did you meet your wife? At one of our parties. e family still jokes that I opened up with, "Neil Stremmel, damn glad to meet ya!" You have kids together if I recall? What are their names and ages? Yes, we have two, Tris is 23 and Jared is 19. What is your career now? I worked at the Byron Nuclear plant for over 10 years. But then I finally was able to live out my dream and went into bowling! How did bowling come into your life? Some of you may remember my parents owned a small bowling center when I was a kid. It was always a passion of mine, and then one day in 2000, I put my mind to it and found a way to mesh my passion with my technical strengths. Would you consider bowling a sort of lifestyle? Not exactly. What it so great about it is that it is a sport anyone can do at any age. It can bring family and friends together, but it can also get extremely competitive. What is your role in bowling now, and how did you get there? I am the Director of Rules and Equipment for the Professional Bowlers Association. Back in 2000, I started as Director of Research for the American Bowling Congress (now USBC). I was with ABC/USBC for 16 years. Last year, the PBA was looking for someone to fix a technical bowling issue and sought me out. I have been testing bowling balls for the past several months and have enough data to propose a couple of solutions (you heard it here first)! Have you won any awards or other designations as a bowler? I have three patents in bowling technology. I have bowled multiple 300 games, five to be exact, in four different states. I have won multiple association/city championships, including Milwaukee, Wisconsin State Champion, and one local association among various others. But I am most proud of leading eta Chi to two titles in a row at the Landmark Lanes in Peoria. What advice would you give to someone who has never picked up a bowling ball and wants to join in the fun? It's simple. Just rent a pair of shoes, grab a ball off the rack (and maybe a beer) and aim for the headpin! What is the funniest memory that comes to mind from your college days? Meeting Mike Peterson '85 during orientation weekend, Applejack and hayride, the eta Chi Sleeping Team, Donkey Kong down the back staircase, e Kill-A-Keg Contest. But then there was the Queen of Hearts Party when I was President and the cops showed up and asked who was in charge here. I had just crawled out the window because the house was so packed and said, "I guess that'd be me," forgetting I decided to dress like Billy Idol, complete with spiked hair and a clip-on earring. e officer looked at me and said, "Fantastic!" What was the most valuable skill our chapter passed on to you? is is a great question! I first want to say leadership and teamwork, but looking back on my career, I truly think for me it was the skill of compromise. At most levels, you cannot succeed with it. Rarely is anything a win-win situation! Were there one or two brothers that had a major impact on your life? If so, would you mind sharing how? I came from a small town of less than 1000 people—and as you know, I was (and still am) a geek. So it started with you, Marty Deering '89, and Phil Luciani '89 and continued throughout the house. Joining eta Chi was one of the greatest decisions I ever made in my life. President Benjamin Benson Vice President Josh Kelly Vice President of Health and Safety Aidan Morales Secretary Elijah Carle Treasurer Rogelio Vasquez Marshal Eric Oswald Chaplain Ryan Diddia Scholarship Steve Sellers Recruitment Stefano Wills House Manager Ivan Nieto

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