Phi Delta Theta - University of Missouri

MO ALPHA PHI M I S S O U R I A L P H A C H A P T E R O F P H I D E L T A T H E T A THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI SUMMER 2014 The A fter graduation, we all left the University to start our careers, our families, and our lives under the impression that our fraternal bonds would remain strongly intact. However, we quickly found that as life got in the way, many of us rarely returned to Columbia or to our chapter house. Fortunately, the Missouri Alpha House Corporation has willingly given its time to keep Phi Delta Theta strong during some pretty hard times. There have been many exciting changes within the chapter over the past couple of years and we are excited to share them with you. Hope- fully this will help us to reconnect the brotherhood and restore our commu- nication effort. With this in mind, we are relaunching The MO Alpha Phi newsletter with a new look and a new focus on alumni. This focus will help our members stay in touch and will cultivate awareness and involvement with Missouri Alpha Chapter. Our hope is for all brothers to stay informed about the collegiate chapter and what our younger brothers are accomplish- ing on campus and in the community. As the second oldest fraternity of campus, Phi Delta Theta and the Univer- sity of Missouri have been closely linked for more than 142 years. We have proven ourselves through high academic standings and strong leadership across campus. However, the environment in Columbia today is vastly dif- ferent from when most of us went to college. Hazing and underage drink- ing are not tolerated by the national fraternity or the university, competing housing is substantially improved, and the fraternity system has become an extremely competitive market. Preserving the tradition, legacy, and broth- erhood of Missouri Alpha and Phi Delta Theta remains our top priority as we launch this effort to reconnect. The House Corporation continues to evaluate our housing situation and is strategically planning for the future of the chapter. With the unprecedented growth in Greek life at the University of Missouri, it is important for Phi Delta Theta to remain competitive with other fraternities and university housing options on campus. We are still in the planning stages, but are excited to share some exciting ideas with you soon. Until then, I encourage you to reach out to brothers you haven't seen or talked to and reconnect with them. This is a great time to be a member of Missouri Alpha Chapter and it's important that those fraternal bonds remain strong. Over the next few issues of The MO Alpha Phi, we will include articles on the history and management of Missouri Alpha Chapter. It is our hope that through this new focus your fraternal bonds are regularly renewed and strengthened. Yours in the Bond, Matt Beckett '96 Missouri Alpha Chapter House Corporation Vice President mbeckett1@centurytel.net Missouri AlphA ChApter lAunChes AluMni relAtions initiAtive Now Is the Time to Reconnect with Phi Delta Theta Kyle Riddings '17, Ryan Cederholm '17, Austin Glass '16, Trevor Rick '17, Cole Butler '17, Donovan Debrown '17, Matthew Carlino '17, Austin Porta '16, Brendan Foster '17, Garret Goodsell '17, Matt Hoffman '15, and Jared Mann '16 play games and have fun with the Boys and Girls Club. "Although we are separated by distance, we are united in the Bond," Robert Morrison 1848. The Bond that connects all Phi Delta Theta brothers has continued to grow in meaning since it was written in 1848. Even though every brother's journey with Phi Delt varies, the Bond remains timeless and connects every initiated member of the fraternity. The Bond has been relevant to Jason Stout '93 since he joined Phi Delt, and he values his membership as much today as he did as an undergraduate. Throughout high school, Jason worked at a Mexican restaurant, Los Banditos, which was practically run by Missouri Alpha Phi Delts. "I was ready to sign before I even went to the chapter house. They invited me to the annual Miami Triad party, and that was all I needed to know. I did go to a Sigma Chi rush party once, but that was just for the free beer—there was never a doubt where I would sign," Jason laughed. MISSOURI ALPHA PROVIDES LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS Jason Stout '93 Reflects on His Phi Delt Membership (Continued on page 3)

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