Gamma Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Tau Omega at Iowa State University
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page 2 tau talk Class & Decade Challenge Launched (Continued from page 1) It is a great start and, obviously, many of our Gamma Upsilon brothers have the belief that our alumni involvement is critical to securing and improving the future of Gamma Upsilon. Today, we're launching a challenge to all pledge classes to see which class can have the highest participation by percentage and dollar amount. Currently, the class of 1974 is in the lead with $300,000 pledged. We also are launching a challenge by decade as well. The 1970-79 decade is in the lead at $367,000 pledged to date. So whether you have donated previously or not, we now ask you to rally your classmates to support our worthy project. We are working to identify several Fundraising Leaders by decade to reach out to classmates and garner additional support for the project. If you are fired up to help lead this worthy effort by contacting your pledge brothers and other ATW brothers, please let Doug Kirk '75 (doug1kirk@aol.com) or Bill Burke '74 (bill. burke@harvest-innovations.com) know as soon as possible. On page 3 of this issue of the Tau Talk newsletter, you will find an updated list of donors who have already committed to this important project. Others before us made loyal commitments of their time and resources to the future of ATW and our Gamma Upsilon Chapter, now it is up to us. We hope we can count on your support! Fraternally, Doug Kirk '75 / Campaign Chairman William J. Burke Jr. '74 / Corporation Board and Campaign Treasurer Gamma Upsilon Shows Leadership across Campus Members Improve Scholarship, Philanthropy, and Recruitment have been quite busy for the Gamma Upsilon of Theseatrecent monthsWeChapter offAlpha Tau Omega Iowa State. started the spring semester with a new scholarship plan and a fantastic Dance Marathon effort. We've not only been active on campus, but we have also spent a great deal of time improving our recruitment, which came to fruition over the summer. Chapter GPA Improves Our scholarship plan has improved from years past. We have included ideas from old chapter records and from Tau chapters across the country. It includes fines for missing study hours, as well as a weekly raffle for a $20 gift card. The raffle is held at chapter for our men who received an A or B on a quiz or test. This program led us to improve from 24th out of the IFC Fraternities to 16th with a 2.89 GPA. This is the best chapter GPA that we've had since the spring semester of 2008. ATW CEO Visits for Philanthropy We partnered with Alpha Chi Omega to make Stickfest great and donate even more money to ACCESS, the local women's shelter. Our leadership consultant, Jaden Brown, Indiana State University '07, and Alpha Tau Omega CEO Wynn Smiley, Purdue University '99 visited Stickfest to see Gamma Upsilon raise over $4,200. Dance Marathon was yet another success. Campus Involvement Strong We have multiple members in profession-based clubs, such as education and finance, while others have a larger hand in campus activities. Michael Mulvihill '10 is on the Tournaments Committee for VEISHEA and will be in charge of the volleyball tournament; this led more of our members to volunteer for the VEISHEA Corps to help with security and events. Blake Lanser '12 is vying for a position on the Government of the Student Body, while being a photographer for the Iowa State Daily. This is something that Gamma Upsilon is proud of, and on-campus involvement is something we always encourage. 23 New Members We had Alpha Tau Omega National Recruitment Specialist Jordan Fischette, University of Nevada, Las Vegas '08 spend a week at the chapter house. He conducted recruitment workshops designed to build our conversation skills with potential new members. We utilized our newfound skills throughout the summer and recruited 23 new members into the fall pledge class, which is the largest fall pledge class that T Families visited Gamma Upsilon for Parents Weekend. we have had in over four years. Our recruitment, scholarship, and philanthropy have all improved greatly over the past year and we look forward to the continuous improvement that we have ahead of us. We appreciate the continued support from our alumni in order to make Alpha Tau Omega home for our great men. Thanks for all you do. Love and Respect, Steven McWilliams Jr. '11 Chapter President (443) 786-6248 / stevenm@iastate.edu Brothers Attend Altitude Leadership Retreat his summer, Cody Cochran '12 and Brent Dahlstrom '10 participated in Altitude, a servant leadership retreat provided by the Alpha Tau Omega National Fraternity staff that leads a group of recent alumni and current undergraduates to Colorado for a week in the great outdoors. The two drove with ATW leadership consultants from Indianapolis to Denver, where they met up with the rest of the group. They spent the week repelling, rafting the Arkansas River, camping, and hiking. Cody Cochran '12 and Brent Dahlstrom '10 with the ATW flag atop the Continental Divide. Brent shared, "The experience was one that everyone should go do at least once in their life. Throw yourself into the wilderness with no connection to the outside world and just be with brothers and friends as you take in the beauty that God put there that so many don't take the time to see anymore."