Theta Chi - University of Florida

TAU CHAPTER OF THETA CHI FRATERNITY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA TAU TOPICS Fall 2015 Tau ChapTer To CelebraTe CenTennial in 2016 Board Pre-Pays $300,000 on Housing Loan I t is hard to believe that another school year has passed and that we have entered the Fall 2015 semester. The undergraduate leadership made great strides toward becoming a top Chapter, both locally and nationally. They successfully completed the terms of their probation, grew the membership, and rank among the top five fraternities academically at the University of Florida. It is even harder to believe that we are only a year away from celebrating Tau Chapter's 100th anniversary at the University of Florida. This is an amazing milestone for our Chapter, and next fall we will host a celebration befitting the significance of this milestone. We will begin organizing events in the coming months, so please be on the lookout for a save the date soon. Also, if anyone is interested in organizing the celebration, please reach out. Additionally, thanks to the generous support of our alumni and the continued success of the Chapter, the Realty Board was in a position to pre-pay $300,000 toward our loan with the Norwich Housing Foundation. This was an important step in ensuring that the Chapter remains in a strong fiscal position. The board wants to continue to be aggressive in paying down our debts, while also maintaining sufficient reserves. This is why it is vital that all alumni continue to follow through on their pledges to the capital campaign. If you were unable to make a pledge during the initial campaign, or wish to increase your commitment, I would encourage you to do so. Every dollar helps to ensure the future strength of our fraternity. Again, I thank everyone for their continued support and commitment to the Tau Chapter of Theta Chi. It is a privilege to work with all of you to continue to help our Chapter grow and prosper. If I can ever be of service, do not hesitate to contact me at (727) 741- 3233 or kevin.f.reilly@gmail.com. We look forward to welcoming everyone back this fall for home football games and hope you can join us for game day barbecues to help cheer on the Gators. Fraternally, Kevin Reilly '04 President, Theta Chi Realty Board of Gainesville kevin.f.reilly@gmail.com Want to Help Plan the Centennial? Contact Kevin Reilly '04 at kevin.f.reilly@ gmail.com Q C MEN OF CHARACTER AND INTEGRITY Zach Mazin '96 Reflects on his Tau Chapter Experience "I love that there was no such thing as a typical Theta Chi. We must have been the most diverse Chapter on campus. The unifying element, the thing that people on campus knew about us, was that if you were a Theta Chi, then you were a man of character and integrity. We weren't the southern house or the Jewish house or the jock house. We were just a collection of good men." Zach Mazin '96 knew before he stepped foot on campus that he wanted to join a fraternity. On the first night of recruitment, he was invited to Theta Chi. "Every brother I met under the recruitment tent was somebody I wanted to become friends with." He left that night knowing he wanted to pledge and accepted his bid the next day. He is proud that he has been a Gator for only one day more than he's been a Theta Chi. Everything Zach thought about the brotherhood under that recruitment tent was borne through his experience with the Chapter. He found exactly what he was looking for from a fraternity: deep and lasting friendships; men with a sense of purpose; and opportunities to better himself, his campus, and his community. It is because of these experiences that Zach agreed to volunteer on the campaign board. He was excited by the prospect of accomplishing such a big project and giving back to the Chapter. Zach also notes that George Kramer '96 made it impossible to say no. Zach has many memories from his undergraduate years, but his favorite memories are the small moments that he shared with his brothers: watching NFL games in Lower Chapter, competing in sororities' philanthropies, Friday afternoons at the Swamp, and road tripping to Atlanta (by way of Athens). "There were some amazing big moments too—getting George elected student body president stands out—but I miss those shared experiences the most." (Continued on page 3)

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