University of California, Berkeley Fall 2008

Productive Summer: New Fire Escape Installed

By Robbie LaBare, House Manager
As the new semester progresses, we
have many new and exciting improvements
scheduled for our house, and others have al-
ready been completed. The lengthy installa-
tion of our new state-of-the-art fire escape is
has drawn to a close, and prompted us to be-
gin further plans to totally re-do the rest of the
backyard area. We've decided to replace the
old fence between Cal Alpha and Beta Theta
Pi, and construction is already underway. The
options for replacing for our rear deck has
roused an ongoing discussion within the
house, but we currently plan to put in a hot-
tub-level patio with a central fire pit. Many
thanks to Terry Maiken, our Housing Corp
Secretary, who donated $500 to jumpstart
fundraising for the next stage of improve-
ments.
Periodically over the semester, the
men of Cal Alpha will meet for work-days de-
signed to maintain the neat and tidy condition
of our house, as well as to work on any minor
projects as they come. We appreciate the help
of the Cal Alpha Board of Directors as well as Up to code: new fire escape installed over summer
every alumnus for helping us maintain and vastly improves safety for brothers living in the house
improve the house we live in. Thank you to
everyone, and please consider making a donation to the Cal Alpha Building Fund to help us
in our efforts to leave the house even better than when we joined it.

Tying the Knot

By Konrad Knusel
This past summer,
twenty California Alpha
brothers attended the wed-
ding of Chris and Erika
Ithurburn on a sunny Sat-
urday in July. The cere-
mony occurred in Berkeley's
Newman Hall, and the re-
ception took place at Ban-
croft Hotel, four blocks
away. After having wit-
nessed Chris and Erika's
Continued inside!

2726 Channing Way • Berkeley • California • 510-540-9036 • www.calphidelts.org

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 2
Phi Delta Theta Wedding, continued
Fraternity
Current Officers relationship progress over the course of sev-
510-540-9036 eral years, the brothers were proud and
elated to share in the couple's special mo-
President ment. After attending the wedding cere-
David Ginsberg mony, the brothers enjoyed the reception
#1310 (and the reception's open wine and beer bar)
to their hearts' content. Arthur Agag, Chris'
Vice President little brother in the house, says of the recep-
Adam Woo #1313 tion, "It was really fun and we danced the
night away…the moon couldn't stop us."
Alumni Secretary The California Alpha brothers know Chris
Brian Wantz #1336 and Erika will live a life of happiness and
prosperity together, due to Chris' adventur-
Treasurer ous nature and Erika's relaxed sense of hu-
Charlie Litchfield mor. We wish them the best of luck.
#1320
Yours in the Bond,
Secretary Konrad Knusel, #1309
Fernando
Altamirano #1333
President’s Report
House Manager
Another semester passes and the Cali-
Robbie LaBare
#1317 fornia Alpha Chapter of Phi Delta Theta just
keeps improving. With five more outstanding
men choosing Phi Delt as their fraternity of
choice, the house’s future has never looked
California Alpha brighter. Chadd Hollowed led the recruitment
Association process and successfully extended the Bond to
Board of Directors an amazing 1337. During their pledge semes- Newlyweds: Chris and Erika take a stroll down
ter they bettered the house by repainting and College Ave.
President adding non-slip grip to the house’s basement
Dennis Sidbury stairs. Since crossing Phi Delta Theta’s letters, on work of brothers, our House manager Rob-
#1150 these new members have shown themselves to bie LaBare (#1317), and our Chapter Advisor
415-902-5834 be major assets to the house by taking up offi- Adam Garfinkle, as well as the financial back-
cer positions, putting together Cal football ing of our Housing Corporation, the Phi Delt
Vice President gamedays, and managing the house’s event Chapter house is becoming a much safer and
Adam Garfinkle information. I have the utmost faith that these cleaner place to live.
#1203 gentlemen will transmit the fraternity better Our house also made large steps in its
than when they entered in Spring of 2008. philanthropy work by taking the Spring Music
Secretary Some significant changes occurred in Festival for ALS to a larger San Francisco
Terry Maiken #1060 the house over the past semester and summer, venue. With the coordination of busses, the
most notably the addition of a more secure and Verdi Club, and brothers of Phi Delta Theta,
Treasurer
up-to-date fire escape to the back end of the the event garnered much more participants
King Tuck #860
house. Large thanks go out from California and donations than before in the past. Overall
Chapter Advisor Alpha to the housing corporation and the the night was a huge success we hope to dupli-
Evan Basakis #1301 Alumni who contributed to project. The com- cate from and build upon in the future.
plex and expensive project was no easy under- Overall, Phi Delta Theta is once again
taking, but the house is now a much safer growing to be one of Cal’s best, brightest, and
Directors place for Phi Delta Theta brothers to live. We largest fraternities on campus. We hope to con-
Rodney Pimentel must also thank our neighbors to the East, tinue this trend in the future and make Phi
#1050 Beta Theta Pi, for their amazing compliance Delt the premiere fraternity for people of all
#1191 Derek with contractors, construction crews, and the interest.
Molnar City of Berkeley.
Greg Byard #1178 California Alpha has also seen a re- Yours in the Bond,
Decker Flynn #1139 newed pledge to maintain the physical cleanli- David Ginsberg, #1310
David Ginsberg ness of the chapter house. Through the hands-
#1310

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 3
Founders’ Day: Links, Good Food and Brotherhood
On Saturday,
April 26, 2008, active
brothers and alumni
alike came together
to celebrate Foun-
der’s Day at Tilden
Golf Course in
Berkeley. Sunny
skies, pleasant con-
versations, delicious
food, and, of course,
18 scenic holes of golf
ensured that this
annual commemora-
tion of the founding
of Phi Delta Theta
Fraternity was
clearly one to re-
member.
The quality
of the golf in the
morning was only
matched by the fes-
tivities back at the
clubhouse in the af-
ternoon. Virtually all
of the actives and
numerous alumni
were present, includ-
ing most of the Hous-
in g Cor por ation
Board. Additionally,
pins and certificates
were distributed to
the 2007 Legion-
naires who attended:
#579 Joseph A.
Woods, Jr. (65-Year
Legionnaire), #779
Herbert M. Kennedy
(55-Year Legion-
naire), #860 William
“King” Tuck (50-Year
Golden Legionnaire),
#1030 Andrew M.
Roberts (25-Year Sil-
ver Legionnaire), and
#1050 Rodney S. Pi-
mentel (25-Year Sil-
Festivities: Brothers and alumni celebrate Founders’ Day at Tilden Park
ver Legionnaire). But
of course, in return the Legionnaires had to entertain the audience with a true Phi Delt story. And disappoint they
didn’t.
Our Founder’s Day Celebration always takes place on the last Saturday in April, so mark your calendars
for a surefire good time on April 25, 2009. We hope to see you there!

Yours in the Bond,

Kevin Amirehsani, #1318

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 4
Alumni Events This year’s Duck Dinner will be held in the Great4
2008 Home Football Schedule Hall at the Faculty Club on Thursday, November
20th at 7:00PM. As usual, many members plan to
Date Time Opponent meet at Henry’s at 5:00 before heading over. Mark
8/30 5:00 PM MSU, W 38-31 your calendars! Please call or email your RSVP and
9/27 3:00 PM CSU, W 42-7 meal preference AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Phone
9/04 12:30 PM ASU, W 24-14 number is 805-216-5272, and the email is
10/25 12:30 PM UCLA, W 41-20 wantz@berkeley.edu. Meal choices are steak, fish and
11/01 12:30 PM Oregon of course duck.
11/22 12:30 PM Stanford
12/06 TBA Washington We will hopefully also have our “Active vs. Alumni”
softball game the next day, Friday, November 21st.
Make sure to stop by and test your softball skills after
The 2008 Cal football season has begun and, as usual, we will be having Duck Dinner and the day before The Big Game at
gameday BBQs at the Chapter House at 2726 Channing Way before and noon.
after every home football game. If you and your families will be in
Berkeley to attend any of the six Cal home games, I invite you to stop by Yours in the Bond,
the House for some food and soft drinks before heading up to the sta- Brian Wantz
dium. This is also a great chance to see your fellow alumni and to meet Alumni Secretary
our current members.

A Few Hot Days in Oxford at the Emerging Leaders Institute

This summer in Oxford, Ohio, members from Phi Delta Theta chapters across the continent came together
at the Phi Delta Theta Emerging Leaders Institute. This meeting is held every summer to promote unity across
chapters and to reinforce the principles of the fraternity. This year, our chapter sent me. After arriving in Oxford
we all rushed to the first event, a dinner at which Cal Alpha received the Gold Star, GHQ Award and Community
Service Citation. We listened actively at the lectures and participated in the smaller group discussions.
Each of the three full days had a focus. The first day's pillar was ritual and was headlined by a model ini-
tiation. The second day taught the us about successful recruitment tactics. Throughout each day the young lead-
ers met with their groups and discussed the triumphs and shortcomings of their respective chapters with respect to
the day's topic. The third
day reinforced the moral
and legal dangers of haz-
ing. The three R's: Ritual,
Recruitment, and Risk
Management. The confer-
ence culminated with a
moving story of a young
man whose Greek experi-
ence ended tragically; eve-
ryone was visibly affected
by Sparky's story.
I definitely re-
turned this semester with
an even better attitude
and more zeal than before.
The experience gives a
clear new perspective on
the fraternity, and I will
be encouraging brothers in
the future to attend the
Emerging Leaders Insti-
tute.

Yours in the Bond,

Brian Wantz
#1336

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 5

Thursday,
2008 DUCK DINNER November 20
The annual Duck Dinner will once again be held at the Faculty Club. Last year we
had a great turnout and this year we are again trying to break 100 guests, so please
make an effort to come on out and see your brothers! The evening begins at Henry’s
at 5:00 followed by Beverage Service at 6:30 at the Faculty Club. The evening fin-
ishes off with Duck Dinner at 7:00 in the Great Hall.

The Brothers of Phi Delta Theta would be pleased to have you as our guests. Please return the
form below by November 10th or contact Brian Wantz at 805-216-5272 or at
wantz@berkeley.edu. The BEST way to RSVP is by phone or email.

YES, I would like to attend Duck Dinner.

Name:

Please Select an entrée:

Roast Duck N. Y. Steak Fish

Yes!
I would like to make a lasting commitment to the
Brothers of Phi Delta Theta, Cal Alpha!

Please accept my contribution of:

$500 $200 $100 Other $_______

Please make your check payable to the California Alpha Association, with a memo entry of “Building Fund” and mail to
California Alpha at P.O. Box 4338, Berkeley, CA 94704.
Thank you for your generous support.

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 6
House Furnishings — Got Junk?
The Chapter House is constantly in need of new supplies and we graciously accept donations of furniture and other equipment in
working condition. We are continually trying to improve the appearance of the house and would gladly accept any donations. If you
would like to make a contribution, please contact Brian Wantz at 805-216-5272 or at wantz@berkeley.edu. We could use the follow-
ing items:
Tools/Hardware Kitchenware Cleaning Supplies

Lost Phi Delts

PLEASE HELP US LOCATE THE FOLLOWING PHIS. IF YOU KNOW THEIR STATUS OR CURRENT AD-
DRESS, PLEASE EMAIL IT TO SIDBURY@CAL.BERKELEY.EDU.

213 Mr. William J. Wood 749 Mr. Richard N. Peterson 970 Mr. Dennis J. Fitzgerald
299 Mr. Michael E. Rakestraw 754 Mr. Warren B. Richards 976 Mr. Richard L. Armstrong
408 Mr. Walter L. Mathews 757 Mr. Robert A. Smith 977 Mr. Carl A. Northcraft
409 Mr. Richard O. Devine 779 Mr. David A. Rose 1001 Mr. William P. Leary
501 Mr. Douglas M. Leale 792 Mr. David K. Brown 1002 Mr. Mark R. Thorp
512 Mr. Laurin F. Tolman 800 Mr. Curtis K. Townsend 1042 Mr. Matt E. Clark
520 Mr. George W. Shipley 801 Mr. Robert M. Watkins 1068 Mr. Timothy E. Salter
536 Mr. Charles H. Coyle Jr. 818 Mr. Donald B. Shea 1070 Mr. Stephen D. Machado
540 Mr. Edmund R. Sewell 829 Mr. Donald M. Howard 1075 Mr. Mark D. Fowler
541 Mr. James E. Hug 832 Mr. James D. Rhoades 1079 Mr. Bradley W. Coburn
553 Mr. Richard W. Steere 839 Mr. Laurence D. Oliveri 1085 Mr. James W. Fannin
566 Mr. Richard E. Baum 868 Mr. John B. Nance 1086 Mr. James M. Hirst
627 Mr. Jack D. Griffith 890 Mr. Richard B. Griffin 1092 Mr. Dennis G. Lee
632 Mr. Richard C. Apman 892 Mr. James J. Kennington 1115 Mr. Eric C. Hoffmann
645 Mr. Henry A. Kinnison Jr. 896 Mr. Mark C. Covington 1125 Mr. Jeffrey T Han
648 Mr. Marion E. Willson 897 Mr. William E. Dempsey 1128 Mr. Lasse B. Kjelsaas
649 Mr. Gordon W. Nelson 902 Mr. Thomas J. Seed 1132 Mr. Frank R R. Avenilla
651 Mr. Warren E. Davis 918 Mr. Jeffrey M. Brennan 1134 Mr. Felix A. Torres
652 Mr. Roger H. Ransom 946 Mr. James E. Richards 1142 Mr. Christopher S. Brown
661 Mr. Richard W. Henley 954 Mr. Joseph A. Wharton 1144 Mr. Lee S. Roberts
667 Mr. George A. Leatherman Jr. 957 Mr. Richard A. Potts 1149 Mr. Vladimir Douhovnikoff
669 Mr. George W. Smith 958 Mr. John Wisnom IV 1161 Mr. Jason M. Redd
673 Mr. Jack R. Howell 959 Mr. Alan C. Doscher 1164 Mr. Philip S Mah
691 Mr. Ben E. Foster 960 Mr. Steven C. Morrell 1189 Mr. Manuel R. Lozano
698 Mr. Burks L. Hamner III 964 Mr. Clayton T. Rowley 1200 Mr. Jason Shuster
706 Mr. Robert N. Whitehead 965 Mr. Craig S. Nelson 1201 Mr. Alex B. Szeto
710 Mr. Ruben L. Navarro 966 Mr. Michael P. Schelp 1219 Mr. Clayton A. Everline
721 Mr. James R. Payne 968 Mr. H. D. Roebuck 1233 Mr. Nicholas Cravalho
736 Mr. Nathaniel M. Ball 969 Mr. Robert L. Johnson Jr. 1234 Mr. Neil H. Ogimachi
1254 Mr. Ryan Carney
We very much appreciate the feedback we receive regarding lost Phi Delts. If you sent in
updates, please be sure that we received them. If you have provided information on a
Please look closely at all the
brother who continues to appear on this list, it means the information that was provided
is either the same information we already have as their most recent address which is no names. The list gets smaller
longer valid or that we confirmed that the new information provided is out of date. Thank every year. Let’s make sure
you. every Phi is found.

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 Let’s Go
Camping! A
Brotherhood
Chair Update
Brotherhood is de-
fined as an association of
men united for common
purposes. As Brotherhood
Chair of California Alpha, I
believe, we as Brothers,
embrace this ideal whole-
heartedly. One new way
that we are promoting
Brotherhood is through our
first annual Brotherhood
Camping Retreat. We will
be making the trip over to
Mount Diablo State Park
where we will engage in
numerous activities that
will strengthen our bonds
with each other. Other ac- Poverty: Facing it Down in the Philippines
tivities that I will be plan- This past summer I had the rare opportunity to spend six of my weeks in
ning include: trips to Manila, Philippines. Instead of pursuing internships or traveling elsewhere for va-
Golden Gate Fields for race cation, I spent my time as a missionary in a small slum community with a host fam-
days with the thor- ily. I have never seen poverty laid out in front of my eyes like that before. The
oughbreds, Big Bro Little shanty house I lived in was small, barely having enough room for the six members
Bro sports days, trips to the of my host family to sleep in. The exterior was made up of sheet metal and planks of
city, and other exciting ac- wood. Some nights I would wake up to a crawling cockroach on my neck, but the
tivities that get the Broth- thing that took the most getting used to was the lack of toilet paper and a flushing
ers energized about the toilet.
Fraternity. With this revi- Instead of building churches and houses, I mainly devoted my time on build-
talization of planning and ing relationships with the people of the community and living daily life with them.
execution, we can expect to Learning Tagalog, singing karaoke, trying new foods, and playing sports were some
usher in a new era of of the few things I did with my host family. From this trip, my eyes have been
Brotherhood within the opened to the harsh reality some people face. I learned how poverty is a problem of
house. love disguised as a problem of resources.
Yours in the Bond, Yours in the Bond
Todd Andrich, Brotherhood Adam Woo, Vice President
Chair #1303 #1313

Another Semester, Another Fine Batch of Recruits

The brothers of California’s Alpha chapter welcome nine new pledges this fall. Although recruitment was
a lot of work, our newest members are a welcome addition to the house, and the end result was definitely worth
all the stress. During rush week, we threw a hog roast, a game night, and several barbecues. The brothers also
participated in ice blocking, a biannual pledge event that consists of sliding down Berkeley campus’ 4.0 hill on
blocks of ice. The new pledges have already gotten involved with the chapter’s intramural softball, basketball,
and soccer teams, bringing a fresh burst of youth and enthusiasm to practices and games. We are proud and ex-
cited to have such an accomplished batch of guys for our Fall 2008 pledge class.
Yours in the Bond,
Matt LaCoste, Recruitment Chair
#1323

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 New Website 8
California Alpha's website, www.calphidelts.org, has
been redesigned! If you have any suggestions for mak-
ing the website better, please send an e-mail to
dally@berkeley.edu.

What are you doing?

Has something interesting happened to you in the
past year? If so, please contact us and let your
brothers know what’s new. We are always curious
to learn about the various experiences or accom-
plishments of our fellow brothers. Please contact
Brian Wantz at 805-216-5272 or
wantz@berkeley.edu

The SF Alumni Club holds a luncheon on the

Speedster Jahvid Best hurdles over a fallen Arizona de-
fender, racking up yet more yards on the ground for Cal
PHI DELTA THETA
first Friday of every month . Lunch is served at the
famous Schroeder’s Restaurant, which is located on
240 Front St. in downtown San Francisco. The lunch
is informal and begins at noon. Alumni are
encouraged to attend.

PO Box 4338
Berkeley, CA 94704

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