In the last 4 years, Gamma Xi alumni have given over $50,000 back to the chapter. These funds have greatly helped the chapter and the chapter house. We have replaced the sun deck, repainted the house, re-did the kitchen and downstairs bathroom, and repaired the roof, floors, fence, heating system and plumbing. Much of this work was performed with plenty of elbow grease from the undergrad members. The repairs have made the chapter more attractive for recruitment, more comfortable to live in, and allowed the chapter to increase its membership. We encourage you to stop by and take a look.

The chapter house is 51 years young this year and it still needs a lot of work. The property has not had a major remodel since it was built. We all have fond memories of the times we shared at 123 South 11th Street. With that said, the plumbing needs to be upgraded, the bathrooms remodeled, the roof, windows, inside doors and door frames replaced, and many other items repaired or upgraded. These improvements are budgeted to cost over $250,000. The list is long. Our immediate goal for this year is to replace the ageing bathrooms. The cost to do this is $90,000.

Please support our efforts — every little bit will help. Every penny you contribute goes directly to the physical well being the chapter house.

If you would like to discuss getting more involved in the chapter and the Alumni Board, please contact us. We are looking for volunteers for the Alumni Board and sponsors for the chapter house improvements.

Over two dozen Gamma Xi alumni converged on the chapter house this past Saturday to celebrate the founding of Theta Chi Fraternity on April 10, 1856. They enjoyed noshing on authentically delicious tacos complements of the alumni board, meeting current actives and reconnecting with fellow alumni, and checking out the recent progress on the house.

On that last note, I’m proud to report that thanks to the support we’ve been getting in the form of contributions to the capital campaign and a renewed sense of pride in the house on the part of the actives, the house is looking better than it has in years. The deck is seriously stylin’, and the living room and upstairs halls are looking great thanks to a fresh coat of paint and some moulding.

You can see pictures of the event and chapter house here.

Capital Campaign Contributions
Special thanks also go out to all the alumni who contributed to the 2009 capital campaign while at the event, in particular Justin Border, Mike Leong for their contributions of $100 each and Adan Reynoso who turned his pockets inside out to kick down all $56 he had on him. Also contributing to the cause were Alex Chavarria, Todd Bartz, Ned Laugharn, Jason Wilksinson, Quinn Honore, Tom Zizzo, Sunil Gundihara, Marcus Kong, Calvin Wang, Steve Pyle and Prat Amin.

Behind the Scenes
I want to thank alumni board president Micah Harrel who coordinated the food and drink even though he wasn’t able to attend himself. He’s got us hooked on the catering stylings of “Anytime is Taco Time” in a big way!