FarmHouse - University of Nebraska

neBrasKa CHaPter 3 FarmHouse Gave alan scarrow '86 Confidence to succeed D r. Alan Scarrow '86 describes FarmHouse as a launching pad for the rest of his life. The confidence, leadership, and friendships Alan gained during his years in the chapter changed him for good. Coming from a small town, Alan lacked the self-confidence to thrive at UNL. When he went through recruitment he met other guys from small towns who loved the university and FarmHouse. The fraternity provided a means to make the large school much smaller and more manageable. "I found a group of people that I identified with, that I respected and [who] respected me," Alan said, "That is so important in that junction of life, coming out of high school. It made the university seem more friendly and fun." "Some of the best friends that I have ever had and ever will have are from those years in FarmHouse," Alan said. He remains close with Tre Brashear '86, Mark Fahleson '86, Eric Snyder '89, and Chris Anderson '86, as well as Dan Bentzinger '84, who was his big brother in the chapter. Alan also attends an annual minor league baseball game with several alumni and cherishes that time catching up and reminiscing. Alan received a B.S. in electrical engineering, after which he pursued medical and law degrees from Case Western Reserve in Cleveland. He completed his neurosurgery residency in Pittsburgh and came to Mercy Clinic in Springfield, Missouri, in 2003. Alan was named president of Mercy Clinic in 2011. He has held various leadership positions, including chairman of Neurology Section, chairman of Neuroscience Operating Group, medical director of Mercy Radiosurgery Center, and medical director of Mercy Spine Center. During his time in the Nebraska Chapter, alumni had a positive impact on Alan by taking an interest in him and taking the time to have meaningful conversations. "I think those relationships were so important in building confidence. It changed my personality in some sense, as to what I wanted and what I was capable of." One alumnus that stood out to Alan was Tom Thurber '60, who is a research veterinarian in Lincoln. "I thought the world of him and he seemed to like me. He would talk to us about school and our families, I really respected him." Alan has applied the communication and leadership skills he learned in FarmHouse to his life. "Building relationships with people is so important. I duplicated the process I learned in FarmHouse by forming relationships through communication in my work environment." Alan also gained experience working in a team and being a part of an organization with values and a clear mission statement. "In addition to all the fun we had, I remember feeling a part of something really special." Alan encourages other alumni to reconnect with brothers. "Remember what it meant to you at one time to be a part of that chapter and with those guys. Think about the impact it had on your life." Alan and his wife, Meera, have three children, Evelyn (age 12), William (age 10), and Harrison (age 6). They have an organic farm and spend most of their free time with their cattle. You can reach Alan at alan.scarrow@mercy.net. Chapter Featured in university newspaper FarmHouse Nebraska Chapter was recently featured in an article in the Daily Nebraskan, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's independent student newspaper. Below are some excerpts from that piece; to read the full article visit www.dailynebraskan.com. y ou won't see FarmHouse among the many hous- es residing on Greek row, but that hasn't stopped the East Campus fraternity from making its mark across the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. From stu- dent body presidents to Innocents Society and Mortar Board members, academic dominance to intramural dominance, the men of FarmHouse continually strive to be involved on campus and in the community. Mechanical engineering major and FarmHouse pres- ident Ryan Drvol '13 is the ninth of a long line of FarmHouse members in his family, spanning from the 1970s to today. But that isn't the only reason Drvol quickly found a community in the East Campus house. "The FarmHouse guys were so sincere, and I knew that they truly cared about me and wanted me to be a part of the house," Drvol said. "I knew that I could trust them and that they would push me to become a better man, not only academically, but physically, socially and spiritually. There was not really a specific moment when I realized that FarmHouse is where I wanted to be, but it was a gradual affirmation that this chapter was the right fit because of what it stood for and because of the high quality guys within it." FarmHouse fraternity first came to UNL in 1911 and created a brotherhood based on the motto, "Builder of Men." Throughout the last century, those values have not changed, Drvol said. "I believe that the standards we hold at FarmHouse separate us from other fraternities on campus," he said. "We hold ourselves and our brothers to high standards in order to develop ourselves into stronger men." FarmHouse bases their standards on four pillars: building men physically, spiritually, academically and socially. "Not only this, but our fraternity was founded upon Christian values, which we still hold today, and this is (Continued on page 4)

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