UAA Updates and Upcoming Events |
Dear Brothers, We have some pertinent updates we would like to share with the brotherhood at large, plus some previous and upcoming events to highlight.
yf, UAA Team |
Jason Gerrish, ’98 Louis Vinke, ’02 Paul Raschilla, ’94 Brian Plackis-Cheng, ’86
Rob Crampton, ’86 Zac Autio, ’06 Brett Deccy, ’11 Randy Baril ‘99
Afshin Chaharmahalian ‘01 Brett Farbstein, ’90 Jeff Andritz, ’99 |
Upsilon and Shelter Reactivation Plan |
Brothers,
In March of last year we put out an online survey, from which it was clear there was enough support and commitment to rebuilding the Chapter, effectively charging the House Corp and Advisory team to press ahead with plans for recruitment in February 2025, with the new class of actives ultimately occupying the Shelter in the Fall of 2025. Since this time last year our efforts have been focused on getting RPI Student Life, RPI Administration, and the National aligned with the timeline.
To that end, we have made significant progress with RPI and the National on getting the Shelter renovated and chapter reactivated. RPI has offered to fund $2.2M in Shelter renovations if we match with approximately $400K over 5 years. The idea is to complete the full renovation in phases, with a portion of the house completed each school year. This is awesome for the Shelter, and we are super psyched to share this recent update!
We will start a fundraising campaign in July 2024 to meet our initial commitment once all the details have been finalized and agreed upon. We will need your financial support and assistance on the reactivation program. Additional information will be made available during an online meetup scheduled for July 17th. Looking forward, the House Corporation needs new volunteers to serve and support the next Chapter of actives. Please reach out to anyone on HC to get involved.
yf Brett Farbstein (Smelt '90) |
Report on Upsilon Chapter Expansion
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The Upsilon Advisory Team regular business is currently on hold due to the lack of an active chapter, but we've been actively working with RPI and the DTD Central Office for recruitment plans in the 2024-25 academic year. The Central Office will be sending representatives from their office to key events on campus to start meeting prospective new members on the RPI campus starting this fall. Formal recruitment will commence in the spring semester. The new member education program will last 8 weeks from the end of formal recruitment with the rechartering of Upsilon Chapter in late April or early May 2025!
We failed in our most recent attempt mostly due to a lack of planning. The consultants who arrived on campus had very little knowledge of the RPI campus and never built any real momentum. Our alumni team has been meeting monthly with the DTD staff and RPI administration to open lines of communication early and full develop all recruitment strategies before stepping foot on campus. Currently we have 4-6 events on campus which could be important touch points for DTD. We are also hoping to work Alumni Weekend into our recruitment campaign, so if you plan to be in Troy for the bicentennial, please stay tuned for all the Upsilon events. Additionally we plan to offer a scholarship to student leaders on campus. Other Delt chapters use this successfully in building their prospective member names list.
There will be plenty of volunteer opportunities. I will be connecting with brothers who have already expressed interest in being part of the Advisory team and opening the door for new volunteers starting later this year. Volunteer roles will be focused on specific tasks so you can focus on the part of the chapter you are most passionate about and with as much, or as little time as you can offer. It will be much different than the seemingly endless Chapter Advisor appointments we have seen.
There will be a lot more information coming from us in the coming months, but don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
yf Jeffery Andritz (Fluke '99) |
Passing of Sean Wood (Doorlatch '84): A Tribute |
Brother Sean Wood (Doorlatch ’84) died tragically on May 6. Sean is survived by his beautiful family; his wife Sharon, and three children, Hannah, Dylan and Hayley. Please join us at an online meetup to celebrate his life this Tuesday, May 28th. Details below. Shared by Brian Plackis Cheng (Waxoff ’86):
When I was in my late 20s, I moved to Colorado Springs, CO working for MCI, the upstart phone company. At the time, I was quite a “city slicker” with little passion for the outdoors. Over the next five years, I learned to embrace the outdoor life. This Colorado experience changed me and my life forever. My inspiration and coach was Sean Wood (Doorlatch '84) who was already living the Colorado dream. He was patient (just enough) to share his mountain adventure life with me. Seemed like every weekend Sean was skiing, rafting, mountain biking, road biking, climbing a 14teener, ice climbing, you name it. He would do these crazy 24 hour mountain bike rides climbing 20K' vertical. In 2001, Sean persuaded me to join him on the legendary Triple Bypass riding across the continental divide. I still proudly wear my race jersey.
No matter how crazy these activities seemed to me, Sean was always rock solid. He had good judgement and steely calm even in the most trying situations. Some Delts can share a harrowing story about being trapped in a storm on Mt. Rainer. Sean convinced the brothers to stop the climb and hunker down. Sean was a superhuman coupled with an awesome sense of humor. He mastered these adventure skills. He trained hard. And he shared his adventure world with many of us. I will share some stories as I process the loss and remember the good times. In terms of character, Sean showed us how to be a rock by taking care of his entire community be it a family man, entrepreneur, ski patrol, volunteer fireman, non profit treasurer, or county commissioner. Sean was a legend because he inspired so many of us to live life fully, be responsible and give back.
As we find a way to climb out of our devastation hole, I find that anchoring on gratitude creates positive energy and lets me focus on the great memories. I feel so lucky to have known Sean and be part of the Delt family. You all mean so much to me. Please lean on your friends.
We have online meet up scheduled for this Tuesday, May 28th at 6p PT / 9p ET (meeting link here) to reminisce about Dlatch, drink an IPA or Fat Tire, and share our photos.
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March 14th – NYC Meetup
Recent UAA meetup where several bros met up at the Jungle Bird in NYC. |
| April 18th – "Delts about Delts"
Webinar “Thoughts on Resilience” by Chuck Stoffa (Linus '88). View Here |
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May 28th, 9pm EST - Sean Wood (Doorlatch '84) Virtual Happy Hour
A time for us all to get together and remember the good times with Sean.
Meeting Link
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| June 13th - "Delts about Delts" “Understanding the Cosmos with Nuclear Astrophysics” by Dave Tedeschi (Nymph ’83). Register Now! |
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July 17th - Alumni Update: Chapter Renovations & Return to Campus
Brett (Smelt '90) and Jeff (Fluke '99) will provide updates regarding the house renovation and new member recruitment Save the Date!!! |
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Timothy E. Albert ‘83 • Joshua Michael Jenkins ‘93 • Carl Telban ‘82
Afshin Chaharmahalian ‘01 • Thomas Hugh Kerr ‘86 • Coen Valk ‘16 Alexander Michael Cosentino ‘94 • Joseph Mara ‘86
Chris Michael Wolverton ‘03 • Jason Gerrish ‘98 • Brian Plackis Cheng ‘86
Scott M. Givre ‘84 • Paul Raschilla ‘94 • Steven Percy ‘64 |
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Our Contact Information
Upsilon Alumni Association
14 Frear Park View
Troy, NY 12180
(917) 725-1575
http://www.deltsinfinity.org
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