Consul - Mike Trewyn
Senior Tribune - Rob Jennison
Junior Tribune - Joe Schwartz
Praetor - Brad Brzuchalski
Quaestor - Chris Arendoski
Risk Manager - Kevin Clinton
Propraetor - Steve Bardelline
Pontifex - Steve Gamalski
Centurion - Dan Judge
Historian - Matt Vincent
As Kappa Delta Rho went into the year 2000, they were determined not to have a repeat of winter rush 1999. Rob Jennison led the new recruiting effort for winter rush with such events as “New York Night” and “Cigar and a Movie.” Kappa Delta Rho gained 6 pledges to start out the New Year, a vast improvement from the year before, proving that winter rush could be very successful.
The year got off to a great start with Chris Miller visiting UDM in late January to discuss goals of the chapter and meet with officers. Chris gave the chapter some final pointers about what it takes to become a fully chartered chapter of Kappa Delta Rho. He warned us that chartering is something that should not be rushed. However, the UDM Provisional Chapter had great enthusiasm about becoming a fully chartered chapter and a chartering committee was set up the following week.
The Brothers of the UDM provisional chapter thought that having a local philanthropy would be a great way to reach out to the surrounding community. During February, we decided that Selma’s Home in Detroit would be a great charity to contribute to. Selma’s Home gives children from the inner city a drug free environment to live in with positive role models.
The Brothers started working events at The Palace of Auburn Hills to raise money for charity and for the fraternity. Some of the events included Piston’s games and concerts (one of which included Brittany Spears!). Some of the other fundraising and charity work that the Brothers participated in was working Las Vegas night in the student ballroom at UDM and answering phones at a PBS telethon. The brothers of Kappa Delta Rho also took it upon themselves to landscape a section by Holden Hall on the University’s campus.
The 2000 Regional conclaves were held in the last weekend of February at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois. The conclaves were a great experience for brothers of the UDM provisional chapter to interact with chapters at other schools.
The weekend of March 7-9 was when the Brothers of KDR took off for a weekend and went to Toronto, Ontario. It was a great bonding experience between all of the Brothers. The weekend was tipped off by a group meeting in Toronto where the Brothers bonded and did such things as “pass the gavel.” There were many things to do and see in Toronto such as the CN tower and Hard Rock Cafe.
The month of April was filled with many special events. To start the month, was the campus wide celebration of Greek Week. KDR had a strong showing in all of the different events. Unfortunately, KDR finished second but looks like it has a strong potential to take first place next year! The first weekend in April also was the time for the Annual Rose Formal. 57 people attended the event. It was a great time to let loose and relax and put schoolwork to the side for a few hours.
The time for the UDM provisional chapter finally came on April 15, 2000. The hard work of many was rewarded, as the UDM provisional chapter of Kappa Delta Rho became the Alpha Gamma chapter of Kappa Delta Rho!! The festivities included an alumni lunch that was held at Mr. B’s. This lunch included many KDR alumni from the Metro Detroit Area. Later in the evening, all of the Brothers attended the formal initiation to the fraternity with national officers present. There was also a banquet in the Titan Club after the ceremony. All of the brothers received their plaques of admission to the fraternity at the banquet. It was a special day in the history of Kappa Delta Rho at the University of Detroit Mercy.
The summer of 2000 included many awards received at the National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Alpha Gamma chapter cleaned house by taking home 8 awards! They include the following:
Donald C. Wolfe – Best Newsletter
John L. Blakely – Philanthropy (2nd)
George E. Kimball – Social Service (2nd)
Leo T. Wolford – Campus Involvement
Individual Scholastic Awards – GPA above campus all-male average
William I. Myers – Highest Chapter GPA in KDR
Executive Directors Award – Recruitment
Grand Consul’s Award – Chapter of the Year!
The fall of 2000 was a very special time for the Alpha Gamma chapter of Kappa Delta Rho because it was the first semester as a fully chartered chapter. There were many exciting rush events such as a private screening at the Star Theater and the traditional “Cigar and a Movie Night” to get the semester going in the right direction. All said and done, Kappa Delta Rho gained 7 pledges at the end of rush. One of the pledges, Ben Borowiak, was involved in a serious car accident, but was welcomed back for the next semester. Some of the highlights of the fall 2000 terms included a formal dinner, paintball, road trip to Chatham, and a cancer walk.
One of the best ways to escape the stresses of school is to get out and play some paintball! About 20 brothers experienced this at Paintball World in Chelsea. There were many different games played and many stories generated from the experience. A couple of the favorite games among the brothers were “capture the flag” and “destroy the terrorist”. Another popular social event for this semester was the formal dinner at Andiamo’s Restaurant. All of the brothers and their significant others were dressed in sharp formal wear ready for a night of fine dining. Another major social event was the trip to Chatham, Ontario after the completion of finals. This was a great way for all of the brothers to relax after a tough semester at school. These events were complimented by the continuation of traditional events such as “South Park and Xochi’s.”
The Alpha Gamma chapter of Kappa Delta Rho also participated in many service events throughout the semester such as Selma’s Home. One of the highlights was the Cancer Walk on November 11th. Many brothers asked their family and friends to donate money to the event with a goal of $200 for each brother. Many of the brothers also made the trip over to Macomb Community College for the walk. Some of the brothers walked for a majority of the time remembering loved ones that had died or recovered from cancer.
The 2000-2001 year started out with the chapter extremely enthusiastic and ready for rush. Chris Miller came down for a brief visit during this time to see how the chapter was doing. The chapter was also treated to the good news that Ben Borowiak was back on campus and ready to join KDR with the incoming pledge class. Also, Dr. Robert Ross became our new faculty adviser after our former faculty adviser and sweetheart, Becky Langrill left the university. Later in the term Harry Veryser also became our faculty/financial advisor. It was also at this time that the landscaping project next to Holden was destroyed when contractors fixing a steam pipe leak tore apart the ground between Holden Hall and North Quad.