theta mu review
TRANSCRIPT
Alpha Phi Omega February 1st, 2007Vanderbilt University Issue 1
This issue of the Theta Mu Review is dedicated to Sarah Tiggelaar and Jason Blatt for all their help collecting alumni information and family tree information!
PresidentName: Supriya SarkarEmail: [email protected]: Memphis, TNResidence: Towers IVFavorite Color: blueFavorite Quote: “Be the change you want to see in the world.”Hobbies: eating, cooking, reading, traveling, photography, SERVICE!Fun Fact About Yourself: I’m lactose intolerantFavorite Project: Staff’s Night Out and Meals on Heels
Hello!! I am Supriya Sarkar, and I am serving as Theta Mu’s president for 2007. I am so excited and can’t wait for all the fun that is ahead of us. Something that has been an issue in the past within our fraternity is the excess of service without the balance of friendship forming. I believe that many students are attracted to APO, and especially our chapter, because of the various projects that we have to offer. However, I believe that the different between APO and other service groups is the fact that we bond together, meeting new people who love and care about the same things and forming friendships that last a lifetime. So, this is something that we are working on this year, and so far, it has been a great success! I joined APO two and half years ago, and I have loved
experiencing its development into what it has become today!
Alumni Secretary
As promised, here is the first issue of this year’s Theta Mu Review. I hope this issue finds you and your family in the best of times and if not, I hope that those times are soon in coming. I would like to first of all extend my appreciation to everyone who has filled out the alumni contact form on www.alphaphiomega-thethamu-blogspot.com. We now have a list of over seventy five current and up-to-date emails and mailing addresses—our most comprehensive list in many years! Way to go! I’ve enjoyed speaking to many of you and learning what you have become over the years and what if fact the future may hold for many of the current active brothers in our chapter. If you have not filled out a contact form, please consider doing so. As many of our alums can now tell you, it really takes all of a minute...thirty
Name: Gift KopsombutPosition: Alumni SecretaryHometown: Nashville, TNResidence: Mayfield 18Favorite Color: VioletFavorite Quote: “Conciousness…that annoying time between naps” – UnknownHobbies: Violin, Piano, Dancing, Painting, SewingFun Fact About Yourself: I live with two other APOers—one of which is also on board…find out before you get to the end of this edition and you’ll get a prize!Favorite Project: Adventure
seconds if you are speedy with a keyboard. Science Center; Salvation ArmyI hope everyone is really excited about all the improvements being made to our chapter this semester!
My projects alone have and will include the creation of an alumni blog, the continuation of collecting contact information and the electronization of past photo albums from the office and our family trees. Please email me if you would like to help out on any of these projects.
If you have any picture submissions please email them to [email protected]. Please tag pictures so that I don’t have to make up a spelling for your name which could get really interesting if I have free time. The rest of this Review will be your introduction to the 2007 Theta Mu Board and some stories about people’s favorite Projects. I hope you enjoy reading them and learning more about the current Brothers of Alpha Phi Omega.
Membership Vice President
I’m really excited to be MVP this year! I started by taking on two major projects over the break: first, I reformatted and updated the roster, then I started laying out a template for our new webpage. This semester, I plan to make our chapter much more interactive. I am reviving the tradition of recognizing brothers’ birthdays at chapter meetings, and I am hoping to implement several new color team events. I am working with Justin and Andy to make sure that everyone’s status is accounted for, and to ensure that brothers are given an appropriate probation plan when necessary along with adequate time to complete it. Throughout this process, I have been reading the technical details of the bylaws to ensure that everything is done appropriately, and I am always open to suggestions if a brother feels the bylaws are outdated. Land Olympics will be my other major project toward the end of the semester, and it’s going to be amazing this year!
Name: Mark MennemeyerEmail: [email protected]: Birmingham, ALResidence: Towers IVFavorite Color: BlueFavorite Quote: "Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect." ~ Mark TwainHobbies: Soccer, RunningFun Fact About Yourself: I’ve never been to a Hard Rock Café.Favorite Project: Nashville Rescue Mission
Service Vice-PresidentHey everyone! My name is Suniah and I’m going to be
Theta Mu’s Service Vice-President this year. I’m a junior at Name: Suniah AyubEmail: [email protected]
Vandy, double majoring in Molecular Bio and Neuroscience. APO has been my favorite organization on campus since I joined as a freshman, and I remember loving the huge variety of service opportunities that my amazing big, Miss Sarah Tiggelaar, provided. So, I definitely want to try and provide lots of opportunities for our current members as well. I’ve been working on organizing projects with lots of different organizations in Nashville that we haven’t worked with in a while, including the Tennessee Environmental Council, Magdalene House, Cheekwood Botanical Gardens, Project CURE, YMCA, Special Olympics, and Radnor Lake. The brothers and pledges are very enthusiastic about our service program and I hope that it’ll prove to be extensive enough and satisfying enough to help our chapter feel like we’re really making a difference in Nashville. I feel like our organization is such a great place for students to become active in the community, it lets the brothers understand what aspects of service they’re really passionate about. That’s pretty much all. I’m so sure we’ll have a great year with such a hard-working and dedicated board! Thanks for reading my blurb!
Hometown: Rockville, MarylandResidence: Mayfield PlaceFavorite Color: BlueFavorite Quote: “The less you open your heart to others, the more your heart suffers”Hobbies: dancing, volunteering, jogging very slowly, dancing while joggingFun Fact About Yourself: All my life, I was told that my family was from North India. But, just a couple of months ago, I found out that my family actually originated in Afghanistan and moved to India in the early 1900s. Which is why I don’t look Indian.Favorite Project: House of Mercy
Treasurer Extraordinaire
Name: Justin W JohnsonEmail: [email protected]: Fort Lauderdale, FLResidence: Off Campus – Wesley Place ApartmentsFavorite Color: BlueFavorite Quote: “Volunteering…It doesn’t pay” - A luxuriously soft light blue t-shirtHobbies: Photography, writing fun paragraphs about meFun Fact About Yourself: I currently a member of the Coast Guard AuxiliaryFavorite Project: Women’s Rescue Mission
I, Justin W Johnson, am currently a Junior majoring in Biomedical Engineering, hereafter referred to as BME. As a freshman at Vanderbilt University I attended many a meeting…none of which were APO. Instead I experimented dabbling in several groups including WilSkills, Circle K and of course the BME Society. None of these groups found that special place deep down at the very core of my heart. I found no group capable of making such an agile and creative BME settle down. Instead I would wander an entire year before finding it. Now it is almost like one of those stories your parents have told you over
and over about yourself…to the point where you eventually believe you actually recall all those impossibly subtle details…sorry I got distracted I was supposed to tell you about myself. I am a member of the gamma omicron pledge class.
On a more mundane note, I am currently volunteering in a research lab on campus where I am pursuing my passion for science. I am working with adult stem cells. I hope to one day have a career in tissue
engineering and organ regeneration. I also immensely enjoy hugs, both receiving and imparting their warm goodness.
For more info on my incredible adventures known as “Life and other short stories” by Justin W Johnson, please contact me personally (preferably via messenger pigeon).
Campus Service Chair
Name: Sarah FloydEmail: [email protected]: Hometown: Kingsport, TNResidence: McTyeireFavorite Color: Changes from day to day- today it’s greenFavorite Quote: “Be kind, for everyone you know is fighting a great battle.” - PlatoHobbies: fighting for global health; having deep, meaningful conversations; drinking tea (that’s hot tea, not sweet)Fun Fact About Yourself: I’m related to Henry Clay, but I don’t know how.Favorite Project: Adventure Science Center
I’m a sophomore and a MHS major and Chemistry and Spanish minor. I figure I have just about everything covered in those disciplinaries. I wanted to become Campus Service Chair because I enjoy planning things and working one on one with people to create something great- like a project that everyone loves, both APO brothers and people at the project site alike. So far, I’ve been trying to widen the range of project we do to encompass many different types of people- whether young or old, homeless or Sudanese- but mainly I’m just happy to turn in my hours sheet on time.
I’m a person who likes to take things in strides and turn a bad situation into a chance to grow, of which I’m doing all the time. My dream job is to work as a doctor in some underdeveloped country like in Africa or South America. I’m
going to Uganda this summer to work with AIDS patients and plan to go somewhere in South America next. I believe health is a human right, and that Jeffery Sachs is an economic dreamer and idealist (though a good one). My hero is Paul Farmer. I enjoy arguing philosophy and writing.
Sectionals Chair
Hi Brothers! My name is Brooke Huffsmith and I am a junior neuroscience major from Katy, TX. I plan to go to medical school after graduating and study pediatric neurology. I love playing with kids and working with children with special needs, which I have been doing since eighth grade. I pledged APO last fall and am loving it!
N ame: Brooke Huffsmith Hometown: Katy, TXResidence: Mayfield 18!!!Favorite Color: pinkFavorite Quote: “For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run his fingers
As sectionals chair my job is to plan sectionals. This semester we are going to Knoxville from February 23-25 and it is going to be fantastic!! You should all come! The chapter pays for it and everything is included. You get a t-shirt, souvenirs, food, a fun road trip, a semi-formal banquet, and best of all, a great chance to meet and bond with APO brothers from other chapters! We also have several different
workshops to choose from and the opportunity to do a service project in Knoxville. Hope to see you all there!
through it once a day. For poise, walk with the knowledge you'll never walk alone ... People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed and redeemed and redeemed. Never throw out anybody. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you'll find one at the end of your arm. As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands. One for helping yourself, the other for helping others." - Audrey Hepburn.Hobbies: piano, reading, yogaFun Fact About Yourself: I have played piano for 13 years.Favorite Project: Wheelchair Basketball, Adventure Science CenterEmail: [email protected]
Sargent-at-Arms
Name: Andy HoganEmail: [email protected]: Sergeant-at-ArmsHometown: Nashville, TNResidence: Morgan HouseFavorite Color: ClearFavorite Quote: “I Want to Believe.” – Fox MulderHobbies: Unicorn equestrian team, taxidermy, base jumping into volcanoesFun Fact About Yourself: I formerly moonlighted as a member of a gangster rap duoFavorite Project: Kid’s Café
When not adventuring in exotic locales around the globe, time, and space, Andy spends his time doing excessive amounts of engineering
homework. In addition to APO, Andy is also involved in Wilskills and ASB. In his spare time, Andy plays the guitar and polishes his recipe
for the ultimate in culinary delights—the Cheese cheesesteak.
Community Service Chair
Hi, my name is Laura Stabin, and I am APO’s community service chair for 2007. I pledged APO in spring 2005, when I was a freshman, and it was definitely one of the best decisions I have ever made. I was pledge trainer last year, and absolutely loved it, and I’m really excited to be community service chair this year and get to work on our awesome service program and make it even better!
Name: Laura StabinEmail: [email protected]: Nashville, TNResidence: MorganFavorite Color: Pink or purpleFavorite Quote: “Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and popular
This semester, I want to work on diversifying our service program, and also on reaching out to smaller organizations that are really in need of our help. One of the new projects we’re starting this semester is tutoring at Better
opinion.” – Jack Kerouac Hobbies: Knitting, writing, playing pianoFun Fact About Yourself: I lived in Brazil for two years when I was in middle school.Favorite Project: I love them all, but if I had to pick just one, it would be wheelchair basketball.
Tomorrows Adult Education Center, which provides free GED classes and career counseling for adults in East Nashville. This project gives APO brothers the opportunity to work one-on-one with adults preparing for the GED, and also helps out a great organization that doesn’t get a lot of other volunteers. We’re also going to start volunteering again at House of Mercy, a group home for homeless women or women recovering from addictions where they can live with their children as a family during the rehabilitation process. Also, we’re going to begin volunteering at the Nashville Habitat for Humanity Home Store, a retail shop that sells donated home repair supplies and appliances to raise funds for Habitat homes. In addition to these new projects, we’re going to continue volunteering regularly with the fifteen organizations we’ve helped in past semesters, including Nashville CARES, the Rescue Mission, YES, Barton House, and many more.
Corresponding and Recording Secretary
Hey guys! My name is Nicole Hames. I am a junior from Atlanta, Georgia, and I am majoring in Cell and Molecular Biology as well as Sociology. I am hoping to go to medical school and get a Masters in public health. I have been in APO since my freshman year and absolutely LOVE it. I also serve on board for Habitat for Humanity and am a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority. In addition to the hobbies I mentioned, I love spending time with my family, baking up a storm, eating Indian food, and watching House.
My position on board is the Corresponding and Recording Secretary. I take minutes at every board and chapter meetings, and I intend on creating absolutely awesome MUSE letters. I am also looking forward to some amazing service projects and wonderful brother bonding this semester!
Name: Nicole HamesEmail: [email protected]
Hometown: Atlanta, GeorgiaResidence: Morgan
Favorite Color: Blue and burgundyFavorite Quote: "Don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive because
what the world needs is people who have come alive."Hobbies: Service, basketball, tennis, running, singing
Fun Fact About Yourself: My family is from the south of France.Favorite Project: Wheelchair Basketball
WebmistressHi, my name is Amber Herber and I am a sophomore
majoring in Anthropology and Human & Organizational Development, with a minor in Spanish. Service is pretty much my favorite thing in the world, and I love being able to serve on board. I am currently the webmaster and plan to make everything on the website look bright, shiny and new. I hope to try many new projects this semester, and meet all the awesome brothers and pledges that I haven’t been fortunate enough to meet yet.
Name: Amber HerberEmail: [email protected]: Richland, WAResidence: MayfieldFavorite Color: BLUE!!!Favorite Quote: “May God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.” -Franciscan BenedictionHobbies: Playing guitar, taking pictures, learning new languages, doing creative things, community service.Fun Fact About Yourself: I took a year off in between high school and college to do AmeriCorps NCCC.Favorite Project: KDDH, Soup Sunday, wheelchair ramp builds, Habitat builds
Pledgemaster
Name: L. McLean HouseEmail: [email protected]: Knoxville, TNResidence: Barnard 4th floorFavorite Color: GreenFavorite Quote: Omnes vulnerant ultima necat, or anything from "The Big Lebowski"Hobbies: Guitar, Listening to Jazz, Prog Rock, and Classical, Checking Emails/Facebook, Linguistics, Service Projects, and SleepingFun Fact About Yourself: I'm the lead guitarist in Probable Cause and my first dog's name was Rush. I have 6 sisters (5 half sisters and a "whole" one).Favorite Project: Nashville Cares, b/c I like teamwork and physical exertion. I'm also a little strange.
As the pledge trainer, I want to make sure that the brothers' enthusiasm continues to grow. One thing I think that puts us at a disadvantage to other fraternities is that IFC fraternities tend to display more pride in their brotherhood than APO brothers do. I think an effective pledge trainer can make the new pledge feel more like a brotherhood. I intend to incorporate ice breakers and to make pledges know the names of all the other pledges (and I do mean ALL!). In this way, I think we can avoid a situation where brothers' names are forgotten.
Fundraising ChairName: Stephen Robert WilhelmEmail: [email protected]: Fundraising ChairHometown: Omaha, NEResidence: McTyeireFavorite Color: A tie between green and blueFavorite Quote: ''If you're afraid of the future, then get out of the way, stand aside. The people of this country are ready to move again.'' -Ronald ReaganHobbies: Anything related to the outdoors, windsurfing, soccer, and volunteeringFun Fact About Yourself: I have lived in about a dozen states including Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Texas, Illinois, Florida, Ohio, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and a few others.Favorite Project: Staff Nights
My name is Stephen Wilhelm although many of my friends call me the Kaiser. I was born in Columbus, Ohio, but have lived all over the continental U.S. However, I have spent most of my life in Nebraska and Texas. My dad, also Stephen, is from New York City while my mom was born in Poland. The older of my two sisters, Stephanie, is a high school senior and will be attending Columbia University in the fall. She was born in Buffalo, NY. My other sister, Astrika, is high school junior and was born in Baltimore, Maryland. While I believe that cities have a lot to offer, I have fallen in love with the outdoors. I love doing everything from camping and windsurfing to
mountain biking and soccer. Thus, it is only natural that I love animals, especially loyal, loving dogs. On a different note, my dream since at least the second grade has been to be a doctor. That dream has now evolved into my dream to become a cardiovascular surgeon. This is one of the reasons why I have chosen Vanderbilt University in addition to great professors and an amazing, friendly student population. I am majoring in German and Medicine, Health & Society. However, the most important things to be are
Out God, my family, my friends, and doing good acts of charity.As fundraising chair for Alpha Phi Omega, I plan on raising enough money to cover all expenses for
this semester in addition to ending the semester with a surplus. I would also like to establish a more solid fundraising program that could be easily repeated every year without starting basically from scratch each time. Finally, I would also like to incorporate social and service components into some of the major fundraising projects.
Scouting Chair
Name: Jim WiggingtonEmail: [email protected]: Lebanon, TNResidence: Stapleton 3310Favorite Color: GreenFavorite Quote: I like an escalator, man, 'cause an escalator can never break. It can only become stairs. There would never be a "Escalator temporarily out of order" sign, only "Escalator temporarily stairs. Sorry for the convenience."- Mitch HedbergHobbies: Food, Friends, Video Games, TVFun Fact About Yourself: I fence.Favorite Project: Vanderbilt Merit Badge University (but I am a little biased)
Hey, my name is Jim. I am the Scouting Chair right now in APO, and I am really excited about this coming year. I plan on trying to get APO more active with the scouts. We are the national fraternity of the Boy/Girl scouts after all. First up, I am organizing a Merit Badge University to teach Boy Scouts merit badges. Then, in the fall, I will plan an
interest patch day for the girl scouts. I also want to do some fun things with the scouts as well. I am hoping to have a great two semesters, and I want everyone to have an awesome time.
Fellowship Chair
Name: Ali Harrington Email: [email protected]: Buffalo, NYResidence: West Hall (Peabody)Favorite Color: Unfortunately, I am far too indecisive for this question…Favorite Quote: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” ~ Oscar Wilde…or… “Life’s greatest achievement was once and for a time a dream.” Hobbies: Reading, writing, watching movies, attempting ridiculous logic puzzles, eating absurd amounts of sugar in one sitting (i.e. containers of frosting, pints of ice cream, birthday cake, pints of birthday cake ice cream…) *Apparently I have an aversion to hobbies that actually involve physical exertion.Fun Fact About Yourself: I can eat absurd amounts of sugar in one sitting…Favorite Project: Percy Warner or Ronald McDonald House
I’m a sophomore in the College of Arts & Science majoring in Spanish and European Studies with a minor in Italian Studies. My hometown is Buffalo, New York, and I am therefore going to digress into a few matters.... A) Whatever pathetic little white dusties fall from the sky in Tennessee are not and should not be considered snow. Unless there are over 4 feet of snow I don’t want to hear about the entire city shutting down. B) Please don’t consume any food product with ‘Buffalo’ in front of it that has pretensions to authenticity (especially not Buffalo Wings). If you must, then don’t add insult to injury by using ranch dressing instead of blue cheese…I cannot explain how wrong this is. C) It’s pop, not Coke, and not soda.
Now that I’ve successfully alienated everyone with my hometown pride, on to how I’d like to bring the chapter closer together as fellowship chair, something that’s been of concern to many people recently. Having only recently joined APO, I can’t speak from experience about how APO used to be in the past, but I can say that I’m going to make every effort in the future to increase fellowship within our chapter. Be it through off campus outings, or just random food binges (I promise to overcome my apparently pathetic skills at estimating how much food a large group of hungry students can eat), I’d like there to be as much opportunity as possible for everyone to get to know their brothers and come to think of APO as much for the fellowships as for the service projects.
Publicity Chair
Name: Karlie PerezEmail: [email protected]: New Orleans, LouisianaResidence: MorganFavorite Color: GreenFavorite Quote: "Be who you are and say what you feel because those that mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind"-Dr. SeussHobbies: drawing, painting, artsy stuff…Fun Fact About Yourself: I own 4 parrotsFavorite Project: Tie between two of them: Soup Sunday and King’s Day Daughter’s Home (KDDH)
I am a Junior HOD student who was born and raised in New Orleans. If you ever have a conversation with me you’ll immediately realize how obsessed I am with my city and probably trying to convince you to come visit. This semester I intend to make the Vanderbilt campus more aware of APO. I intend to do this through heavily advertising anything we are associated with, such as the Blood Drive. My intention is not to necessarily make the pledge class size bigger, but to make the campus more aware of who we are and what we stand for. Because, let’s face it, we all hate having to explain how there is such a thing as a Co-Ed fraternity and how we are the coolest thing to ever happen to this campus since being able to use the Commodore Card off-campus.