University of California, Berkeley Spring 2008

Baseball and Beer:

Cal Alpha Alum’s Atypical Preoccupations
By day, Scott Bonzell, Bond #1037, is a promised on his vision of a summer baseball
highly successful lawyer, running a law office in camp that would greatly benefit the East Bay
downtown Oakland which specializes in civil community.
litigation. After work, however, he focuses on
his two other, highly-rewarding passions: base-
ball and beer.
In 2006, Bonzell (whose brother, father,
and uncle are also Phis) founded the East Bay
BALL (Baseball After Little League) Summer
Camp after trying in vain to find an affordable,
moderately-intense baseball camp for his three
sons to participate in during the summer. A Lit-
tle League baseball coach for years, Bonzell was
at first skeptical that he would be able to plan all
the logistics of the camp and employ a sufficient
number of young camp counselors. However, his
initiative became a reality after soon discovering
that camp insurance was relatively inexpensive,
a field was available in the Caldecott area of
Oakland, and all but one of the 25 young players
he approached jumped at the chance to be coun-
selors.
“It was nice to have the vision vali-
dated,” Bonzell said. “[I thought] this could
really fill a need.”
In its first summer, the camp received
about 175 boys and girls, ranging in age from 7
to 12. Additionally, the paid counselors, who “I just love baseball, so coaching has
were junior high school or high school players been fun, and running the camp has been highly
whom Bonzell knew, were highly competent and gratifying,” he explained. “It has also been re-
did not require his constant presence at the warding to provide fun summer jobs to so many
camp, though he still visited every day. great young people.”
Bonzell attributes much of the success Bonzell was not only content with his
of the camp, whose operations are greatly helped contribution to local baseball players, however.
by his wife, Debbie, to its “perfect blend be- In 2006 he teamed up with a pair of microbiolo-
tween skill-building and fun.” During the morn- gists – Lewis “Chip” Lambert, an expert from a
ing, the young players are drilled with various previous case, and Raul Cano, a professor at Cal
baseball exercises, but in the afternoon they Poly San Luis Obispo – to make a distinctive
break off into teams and play games, allowing contribution to the global beer community. Lam-
them to test their newly-acquired skills. And bert and Cano were internationally known for
though at times balancing the camp with his law their work in isolating about 1,500 ancient mi-
career became challenging, Bonzell never com- croorganisms from amber, or fossilized tree sap.

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

 2
Bonzell, continued
In fact, Cano’s groundbreaking scientific company – Bonzell routinely reminisces
Phi Delta Theta
Fraternity
work in the early 90’s was the premise for about his countless enjoyable memories of
Current Officers the hit movie “Jurassic Park.” the fraternity. In fact, he is still very close to
510-540-9036 What is more remarkable is the fact many of his fellow brothers, including
that seven of the microbes were ancient Brother Kevin Kevorkian (Bond #1032),
yeasts – three of which were suitable to pro- whom he actually worked with for several
President duce beer. Some years, several patents, and years at a law firm in San Jose, and Brother
David Ginsberg #1310 many positive reviews later, the team created Rodney Pimentel (Bond #1050). The three
Fossil Fuels Brewing Company from a 45 are Silver Legionnaires this year.
Vice President million-year old strain of yeast, with the fit- “When I see these guys, even if it’s
Matt Dally #1305
ting slogan “We bring good things back to been several years, you pick up right where
Alumni Secretary
life.” Bottles of the “prehistoric” pale ale are you left off, there’s nothing awkward about
Kevin Amirehsani #1318 tentatively scheduled to be available in June, it,” Bonzell said of his meetings with fellow
with a larger consumer distribution slated for Cal Alpha alumni. “It’s nice to establish
Secretary late 2008. those kinds of lifelong friendships and con-
Adam Woo #1313 “It is truly the most unique beer on nections.”
the planet,” Bonzell said.
Treasurer In spite of essentially having three Yours in the Bond,
Marius Lungu #1293 jobs during the year – lawyer, baseball camp Kevin Amirehsani #1318
organizer, and partner in a promising beer Alumni Secretary
President’s Report
California Alpha
This past Fall semester marked another period of vast improvements for the California Alpha
Association chapter of Phi Delta Theta. Continuing the trend of recent semesters, we had a larger pledge class than a
Board of Directors
year ago. After a highly successful rush led by Recruitment Chair Patrick Cento (#1290), 11 bright
young men crossed Phi Delt’s letters. Each of these new members (Bond Numbers 1322-1332) exempli-
President
fies the qualities of a good Phi, as they maintained a group GPA of 3.11 and were major contributors to
Dennis Sidbury #1150
the house’s social events, philanthropy work, and housing improvements. Their diversity, involvement in
415-902-5834
other clubs, and leadership skills will be an asset to California Alpha for years to come.
One of the most notable achievement’s of the Phi Delt house for this past semester was signifi-
Vice President
cantly improving our house Grade Point Average. Our house GPA of 3.29 ranked 13th of 26 fraternities
Adam Garfinkle #1203
and bested the average of Cal’s male students. This academic progress should be applauded and continue
throughout the year.
Secretary
Another area of great improvement within California Alpha is in the house’s overall brother-
Terry Maiken #1060
hood, primarily through the efforts of our past Brotherhood Chair, Benjamin Altieri (# 1298). Ben took
the reigns of his new position and planned creative and fun events with the intent of bringing brothers
Treasurer
together outside of normal house activities. Some of the highlights from the semester included a day at
King Tuck #860
the race track, a day-long video game competition, and an intense game of kickball at Clark Kerr field.
The house is looking forward to see what our future brotherhood chairs can come up with to continue
Chapter Advisor
Ben’s vision.
Adam Garfinkle #1203
California Alpha has also seen a rededication to maintaining the physical cleanliness of the
chapter house. Through the hands-on work of brothers, our House manager Robbie LaBare (#1317), and
Directors
our Chapter Advisor Adam Garfinkle, as well as the financial backing of our Housing Corporation, the
Rodney Pimentel #1050
Phi Delt Chapter house is becoming a much safer and cleaner place to live.
Derek Molnar #1191
The great strides the house has made under our past President Evan Basakis (#1301) have
Greg Byard #1178
helped set a great standard for Phi Delta Theta. In my upcoming year as President I hope to see the house
Decker Flynn #1139
through an even greater period of growth. By working with Cal Alpha’s Housing Corporation, the Uni-
David Ginsberg #1310
versity’s Greek Advisors, Phi Delta Theta’s GHQ, and other members of the Greek community I hope to
lead our brotherhood to the pinnacle of fraternal excellence. I think with dedication to Phi Delta Theta’s
cardinal principles, combined with the continued recruitment of outstanding young men, anything is pos-
sible for the future of the California Alpha chapter of Phi Delta Theta.

Yours in the Bond,

David Ginsberg #1310
President

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 Kevin Amirehsani at (510) 552-9454 or at Kevin713@berkeley.edu. We could use
the following items:
Tools/Hardware Kitchenware Cleaning Supplies
 3

Founder’s Day
Golf Tournament and Awards Presentation

Please mark you calendars. Phi Delta Theta recognizes our 25, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, & 75 year legionnaires. The
Brothers of California Alpha that will receive these awards are listed below.

When: April 26th

Where: Tilden Golf Course

Yes, I will be attending the golf tournament. Enclosed is my check payable to California Alpha Association
for $ 70. First Tee Time will be at 8:00 AM.

Yes, I would like to attend the BBQ and Legionnaire's Award Presentation at Tilden. Will begin at 1:00 PM

Name: . Handicap: .
Phi Delta Theta recognizes our 25, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70 & 75 year legionnaires.

75 Year Legionnaires
#456 Dr. Richard A. Forney #457 Francis J. Conlan, M.D.

70 Year Legionnaires
#509 Mr. Robert T. Petersson #510 Mr. Karl O. Fox #513 Mr. William H. Rogers
#514 Mr. John C. Obermuller #517 Mr. William A. Beal #519 Mr. James H. L’Hommedieu, Jr.

65 Year Legionnaires
#577 Mr. Robert K. Arnold #578 Mr. Edwin S. Anderson #579 Mr. Joseph A. Woods, Jr.
#582 Mr. Robert F. Teddy #591 Mr. Newell D. Mitchell #594 Mr. Charles F. Gray
#595 Mr. George M. Brodrick #602 Mr. William G. Robinson #604 Mr. Theron L. Prentiss, Jr.
#606 Mr. Oakley M. Hall, Jr. #613 Mr. James H. Stewart #615 Dr. Walter M. Bowman
#616 Mr. Richard F. Backman

60 Year Legionnaires
#674 Mr. James L. Anderson #676 Mr. Virgil R. Butler #683 Mr. Donald H. Kincaid
#685 Mr. Gordon C. Nash #686 Mr. Eric H. Nielsen #687 Mr. Guy E. Watson
#688 Mr. Ellsworth P. Anderson #693 Mr. Ronald E. Hubbard #694 Mr. Bert M. McCabe
#696 Mr. Manning W. Park, Jr. #698 Mr. William W. Reinhard #699 Mr. Charles R. Way

55 Year Legionnaires
#769 Mr. Richard E. Johnsen
#774 Mr. Mark J. Bain
#777 Mr. Dennis T. Cutland
#782 Mr. Charles J. Whyte
#770 Mr. Jack C. Lockhart #772 Mr. Phillip E. Peterson
#775 Mr. Roy W. Burkett #776 Mr. Thomas J. Coakley
#779 Mr. Herbert M. Kennedy #781 Mr. Lavern T. Vilhauer

50 Year Legionnaires
#854 Mr. Glen L. Cureton #855 Mr. Peter H. Melvin #856 Mr. James S. O’Leary
#857 Mr. Frederick R. Daulton #858 Mr. Murray H. Hutchison #860 Mr. William K. Tuck
#861 Mr. Richard R. Scrivner #862 Mr. James F. Ernst #863 Mr. Rory Rudy

25 Year Legionnaires
#1026 Mr. Douglas J. Schenk #1027 Mr. Michael S. O’Brien #1028 Mr. John S. Hoover
#1029 Mr. Russell A. Robinson #1030 Mr. Andrew N. Roberts #1031 Mr. Kimble D. Goodman
#1032 Mr. Kevin B. Kevorkian #1033 Mr. Christian A. Lafountaine #1034 Mr. Edward E. Walsh
#1035 Mr. Peter J. Llorente #1036 Mr. David W. Krauter #1037 Mr. Scott A. Bonzell
#1039 Mr. William P. Coleman #1040 Mr. Eric G. Poerio #1041 Mr. Eugene J. Chen
#1043 Mr. Walter D. Birnbaum III #1044 Mr. Edgar H. Sevilla III #1045 Mr. Christopher J. Wolpert
#1046 Mr. Brian R. Dowd #1047 Mr. David A. Sofaer #1048 Mr. Donald W. Hoard
#1049 Mr. Roger G. Vaishville #1050 Mr. Rodney S. Pimentel #1051 Mr. Russell A. Lehman
#1052 Captain John S. Walsh #1053 Mr. Jonathan C. Groh #1054 Mr. Matthew Grimes
#1055 Mr. Mehdi Ganjeizadeh #1056 Mr. Michael I. Froch #1057 Mr. Louis M. Casabianca
#1058 Mr. Matthew L. Wilson
 Duck Dinner 4

For the 85 alumni and active brothers in atten-

dance, last Fall’s Duck Dinner will be remembered as one of
the most successful in recent history. To start off the eve-
ning, the current inhabitants of 2717 Hearst Avenue gra-
ciously allowed us to tour our grand old chapter house.
Later, the Faculty Club’s Great Hall was host to a crowd of
Phis from every era, followed by a great feast of roast duck,
and then the equally-enjoyable sound of Phikeia singing
“Warrior Greeks of Old.” Evan Basakis received the Phi of
the Year award for his tireless efforts as Chapter President,
and Greg Byard (#1178) took home Alumnus of the Year
for his dedicated work on Housing Corp. Additionally,
Brother Jed Crane (#572) was the oldest Phi in attendance,
and Brother Andy Grunes (#1230) traveled the farthest dis-
tance to see his brothers (from Shanghai). After dinner was
concluded, many Phis departed for their neighborhood bar
of choice to continue catching up on old times.

We sincerely thank all alumni who could attend and hope to

see you next year!

Yours in the Bond,

Matt Dally #1305
Vice President

California Alpha Recycling Works!

Started several years ago, the glass. I am excited to see the brothers
Phi Delta Theta Recycling Program is setting an example for each other, fellow
still a thriving program within the Greeks, and classmates about the simplic-
house. With the firm foundation con- ity of living green and taking a responsi-
structed by Benjamin Altieri #1298, I ble approach towards the future of our
am excited to take over the role of Re- planet. Our recycling bins, as always, are
cycling Chair and continue this excel- located at various locations on the first
lent and innovative way of thinking and floor, and judging by last year, we should
living. With recycling bins placed all be able to make a fair amount of money
around the house, the act of recycling is off it as well.
easily ingrained into the brothers’ daily
lives. It’s great to know that Phi Delt is
doing its part for the environment by Yours in the Bond,
doing something as simple as recycling Matt LaCoste #1323
aluminum cans, plastic, paper, and Recycling Chair

Recruitment
Spring 2008 Rush for California Alpha is under-
way! We have had some of our best Rushes in recent mem-
ory due to the hard work of Pat Cento. Unfortunately, Pat is
in DC this semester serving his country by working at a Con-
gressional office. I have taken over, but Pat first took me
under his wing and taught me some recruitment techniques.
The brothers are working hard with me in the goal of getting
new members – students that we would be proud to call Phis.
The Hog Roast went very well; we had a very nice pig, and
those that came were excited by it. Fight Night was impres-
sive; brothers were evenly matched and the bouts were neck-
and-neck. We had many come to watch, and it seemed that
they enjoyed the fight very much. One popular event is
“Iceblocking” down 4.0 hill, which will hopefully boost our
grades even more (as we have recently moved up several
places in academic rankings among fraternities, to a very
respectable 3.29 average). Another is Game Night at the
house, which includes foosball, pool, as well as some video
games on our large TV (most likely Madden Football ‘08, as
it seems to be the most popular game among the brothers).
In addition, we will have our very popular Kabobs
and Hookah Night, which was instrumental in attracting peo-
ple last semester (as well as just being delicious). To end the
process, we will have a formal dinner at the house, prepared
by our incredible cook. It will consist of ribs, potatoes and
vegetables. I predict that this event will be very popular, not
to mention especially useful in attracting new members; our
chef is one of the best cooks that I've ever known, so all
should be well. All signs are pointing towards a very strong
pledge class comprised of guys that will fit in with our chap-
ter. The brothers that are involved in carrying out Rush have
been incredibly helpful, so I have had some of the best help
possible in preparing these events. The Spring 2008 Pledge
Class will be fantastic!
Yours in the Bond,
Chadd Hollowed #1316
Recruitment Chair
Philanthropy 5

Having surpassed even our most hopeful expectations
for last semester’s philanthropy in both money raised and partici-
pation from brothers, I am looking forward to beginning philan-
thropic activities immediately. Last semester we participated in a
great number of events. For the Walk to D’Feet ALS, we raised
money and awareness by walking a sponsored route around Lake
Merritt. Additionally, many brothers volunteered for the Berkeley
Project in order to help clear the flammable brush in and around
the Berkeley hills. We renovated a student-run garden as well
during the community reparation project of the Malcom X ele-
mentary school. As usual we also supported the Greek commu-
nity’s many collective philanthropic efforts such as Trick or
Greek (a fun haunted house for young Oakland students), Mr.
Gamma Phi (a talent show/beauty competition), and Strike a
Move (a dance competition in the style of Dancing with the
Stars). We obviously will not let the celebrations of our accom-
plishments prevent us from improving upon them this semester.
Already in the planning phase is the annual Spring Music Fest for
the ALS Association. Two of the most popular acts from last year
will be making an encore appearance and we are constantly
scouting emerging Bay Area artists. In addition to this great event
we will participate in various city-cleaning projects and also a
fair amount of Greek-wide events. Overall, I am confident that
our chapter’s resurging philanthropic spirit will allow us to make
more of a difference in our community than ever before.
Yours in the Bond,
Konrad Knusel #1309
Philanthropy Chair

House Improvements
Spring is shaping into a new and exciting semester with
house improvements. Following the condemnation of our rear
fire escape by the City of Berkeley last summer, and the erection
of a monster scaffold instead, it appears that Cal Alpha will fi-
nally lose the eyesore and regain our back deck with the installa-
tion a new fire escape, scheduled tentatively for Spring Break.
Unfortunately the cost of this new fire escape has temporarily
pushed aside former plans to replace our aging roof, so minor
ongoing repairs will be performed in the meantime.
In the spirit of keeping the inside of the house as attrac-
tive as the outside, we have repainted the third floor bathrooms,
replaced any cracked or damaged window panes throughout the
house, installed new blinds in the bathroom windows, and re-
placed the numerous damaged or missing balusters in the stair-
well. Furthermore, plans are in progress to redesign the basement
layout to favor a more social and dance-floor oriented
“dungeon.”
Periodically over the semester, the men of Cal Alpha
will meet for work-days designed to maintain the neat and tidy
condition of our house, as well as to work on any minor projects
as they come about. We appreciate the help of the Cal Alpha
Board of Directors as well as every alumnus for helping us main-
tain and 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.
Yours in the Bond,
Robbie LaBare #1317
House Manager

Building Fund
We would like to thank the brothers listed below for their generous gifts to the Building fund last semester.
We hope that you will consider a contribution to the California Alpha Building Fund as part of your annual
donations. Your contributions will go directly towards replacing our fire escape (show below)! Please return
the enclosed card with you generous gift.

Before After
#578 Mr. Edwin S. Anderson
#851 Mr. Henry M. Giudice
#558 Mr. Curtis H. O’Sullivan
#554 Mr. Robert T. Coats
#849 Mr. Bob R. Henrich
#722 Mr. Sidney R. Petersen
#854 Mr. Glen L. Cureton
#733 Mr. Fred C. Hawkins
#840 Mr. Joe E. Richardson
#1203 Mr. Adam Garfinkle
#657 Mr. Charles H. Manning, Jr.
#1050 Mr. Rodney S. Pimentel
#550 Mr. Robert S. Shoemaker
#1150 Mr. Dennis D. Sidbury
#662 Mr. Dick W. Strong
#526 Mr. Ed F. Willi
#1242 Mr. James G. Zoulas
 6
Lost Phi Delts
PLEASE HELP US LOCATE THE FOLLOWING PHIS. IF YOU KNOW THEIR CURRENT ADDRESS, PLEASE SEND IT
IN THE ENCLOSED ENVELOPE OR EMAIL IT TO SIDBURY@CAL.BERKELEY.EDU.
341 Mr. George L. Taylor 749 Mr. Richard N. Peterson 976 Mr. Richard L. Armstrong
390 Mr. Thomas Greene 757 Mr. Robert A. Smith 977 Mr. Carl A. Northcraft
396 Mr. Lytell V. Brown 777 Mr. Dennis T. Cutland 1001 Mr. William P. Leary
792 Mr. David K. Brown 1002 Mr. Mark R. Thorp
442 Mr. Merritt N. Vaughn
800 Mr. Curtis K. Townsend 1031 Mr. Kimble D. Goodman
509 Mr. Robert T. Petersson
801 Mr. Robert M. Watkins 1042 Mr. Matt E. Clark
511 Mr. Demott Modisette Jr. 818 Mr. Donald B. Shea 1055 Mr. Mehdi Ganjeizadeh
512 Mr. Laurin F. Tolman 829 Mr. Donald M. Howard 1068 Mr. Timothy E. Salter
520 Mr. George W. Shipley 832 Mr. James D. Rhoades 1070 Mr. Stephen D. Machado
541 Mr. James E. Hug 839 Mr. Laurence D. Oliveri 1075 Mr. Mark D. Fowler
553 Mr. Richard W. Steere 856 Mr. James S. O'Leary 1079 Mr. Bradley W. Coburn
566 Mr. Richard E. Baum 868 Mr. John B. Nance 1085 Mr. James W. Fannin
589 Mr. Charles S. McDonald 890 Mr. Richard B. Griffin 1086 Mr. James M. Hirst
892 Mr. James J. Kennington 1092 Mr. Dennis G. Lee
627 Mr. Jack D. Griffith
896 Mr. Mark C. Covington 1115 Mr. Eric C. Hoffmann
632 Mr. Richard C. Apman
897 Mr. William E. Dempsey 1125 Mr. Jeffrey T Han
645 Mr. Henry A. Kinnison Jr. 902 Mr. Thomas J. Seed 1128 Mr. Lasse B. Kjelsaas
648 Mr. Marion E. Willson 918 Mr. Jeffrey M. Brennan 1132 Mr. Frank R R. Avenilla
649 Mr. Gordon W. Nelson 946 Mr. James E. Richards 1134 Mr. Felix A. Torres
651 Mr. Warren E. Davis 954 Mr. Joseph A. Wharton 1142 Mr. Christopher S. Brown
652 Mr. Roger H. Ransom 957 Mr. Richard A. Potts 1144 Mr. Lee S. Roberts
661 Mr. Richard W. Henley 958 Mr. John Wisnom IV 1149 Mr. Vladimir Douhovnikoff
667 Mr. George A. Leatherman Jr. 959 Mr. Alan C. Doscher 1161 Mr. Jason M. Redd
960 Mr. Steven C. Morrell 1164 Mr. Philip S Mah
669 Mr. George W. Smith
964 Mr. Clayton T. Rowley 1189 Mr. Manuel R. Lozano
673 Mr. Jack R. Howell
965 Mr. Craig S. Nelson 1200 Mr. Jason Shuster
691 Mr. Ben E. Foster 966 Mr. Michael P. Schelp 1201 Mr. Alex B. Szeto
710 Mr. Ruben L. Navarro 968 Mr. H. D. Roebuck 1211 Mr. Jay Panchal
721 Mr. James R. Payne 969 Mr. Robert L. Johnson Jr. 1233 Mr. Nicholas Cravalho
736 Mr. Nathaniel M. Ball 970 Mr. Dennis J. Fitzgerald 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 Please look closely at all
be sure that we received them. If you have provided information on a brother who continues to appear on the names. The list gets
this list, it means the information that was provided is either the same information we already have as smaller every year. Let’s
their most recent address which is no longer valid, or that we confirmed that the new information pro- make sure every Phi is
vided is out of date. Thank you. found.

External Social Report

This last semester was great for Phi Delta Theta in
terms of our social standing. First, we had many exchanges
which built solid relationships with a number of sororities.
Our pumpkin carving exchange with Kappa Alpha Theta was
a great success. The girls were very impressed with our carv-
ings, but more so with our sound learning, friendship and
rectitude. Our other exchanges with Gamma Phi Beta, Alpha
Omicron Pi, and Sigma Omicron also went very well. Along
with these, we also had a number of brotherhood-building
events, including a chapter kickball game and a trip to
Golden Gate Fields racetrack. Next semester clearly looks
promising – a number of sororities have expressed interest in
planning social functions with us, and there are several
brotherhood-building events planned as well. Currently on
our schedule is a camping trip, an excursion to the chapter
house of the Sonoma State Phis, and much more.
Yours in the Bond,
Zachary Moore #1312
External Social Chair

The SF Alumni Club holds a luncheon on the first Friday of every month (the
next one will be on March 7) Lunch is served at the famous Schroeder’s Res-
taurant, which is located on 240 Front St. in downtown SanFrancisco. The
lunch is informal and begins at noon. Alumni are encouraged to attend.
 7

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

TO: Members of California Alpha Association

Please take notice that the annual membership meeting will be held at the chapter house, 2726 Channing
Way, Berkeley, CA, on Monday February 25, 2008, at 6:00 P.M., for the following purposes:
1.Election of directors.
2.To consider reports of the affairs of the corporation.
3.To transact such other business as may come before the meeting.
If you do not expect to be present in person and you desire to appoint a proxy, please fill in the information
below and return in the enclosed envelope.
I appoint Dennis D. Sidbury, President CAA . Or
(strike through if you fill in another name)
__________________________________________my agent and proxy for the purpose of
voting at the annual membership meeting.
Dated: _________________, 2008
__________________________________
Signature
__________________________________
Please print your name

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.

What are you doing? New Website!

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 vari-
ous experiences or accomplishments of our fellow brothers.
Please contact Kevin Amirehsani at 510-552-9454 or
Kevin713@berkeley.edu.
California Alpha's website, www.calphidelts.org,
has been redesigned! If you have any suggestions
for making the website better, please send an e-mail
to dally@berkeley.edu.
GHQ Conference
Over winter break, hundreds of the nation’s best and bright-
est Phis converged in St. Louis, Missouri for Phi Delta Theta’s Presi-
dents Leadership Conference and Recruitment Boot Camp. We were
privileged to join them. The PLC featured many distinguished orators
who spoke on a variety of topics. These lectures touched on subjects
including liability insurance and being a good leader, as well as pro-
viding hints as to how to effectively run meetings and Initiation. An-
other of the most rewarding portions of the conference was the inter-
actions with other Phi Delts from around the country. During breakout
Building Fund Contributions Tax-Deductible? Think Again.
The effort to make contributions to fraternity housing and
infrastructure improvements (such as our Building Fund) tax-deductible
has been ongoing in Washington, D.C. for some time. In fact, the Capi-
tal Fraternal Caucus, a lobbying group for the interests of fraternities
and sororities, has especially been pressuring the U.S. Congress of late
to enact legislation which addresses this issue. With more than 160
Representatives and Senators with a Greek background, it would seem
this is something that can be quickly agreed upon by both parties. How-
ever, this has not been the case. Two years ago a bill that would indeed
have made these contributions tax deductible passed the House, but was
PHI DELTA THETA
PO Box 4338
Berkeley, CA 94704
sessions we met with students from other Pac-10 Phi Delts and dis- 8
cussed various facets of chapter activities, including Rush. By listen-
ing to the ideas of other Phis, we were able to take away a wealth of
information that should make the upcoming year a highly successful
one for California Alpha.
Yours in the Bond,
David Ginsberg #1310
Chadd Hollowed #1316
essentially ignored by the Senate. Moreover in last year’s session of
Congress, both the House and the Senate had similar bills with a sub-
stantial number of co-sponsors, but the legislation got stuck in Commit-
tee. In the current (110th) Congress, these bills have been reintroduced
in both houses. But based on the staggeringly slow progress made thus
far, this issue doesn’t look like it will be taken seriously by Congress
anytime in the near future.
Yours in the Bond,
Kevin Amirehsani, #1318