Delta Upsilon Beacon Dear Brothers,

It is my pleasure to provide you with the winter installment of our biannual newsletter. We take

great pride in everything that our chapter does each semester and are always excited to share the

successes of our chapter with alumni and parents. The chapter thrived during the 2014 fall semester as

our members continued to be involved in a wide variety of activities and organizations, from freshman

orientation leaders to a cappella singers and varsity football players.

The fall semester was, of course, defined by the 150th Lehigh-Lafayette football game, played

this year at Yankee Stadium. We’re especially proud of our DU brothers who played in the game, and

we all enjoyed cheering them on. It was an exciting weekend that will stand as one of the most

memorable experiences any of us have had during our time at Lehigh.

Our brothers’ presence on campus led to the recruitment and initiation of three new members

during the fall semester. We also anticipate strong success in the spring 2015 semester during the

traditional recruitment period. The DU Lehigh experience remains one of the best a college man can

have, which is reflected in our ability to consistently recruit quality men.

The core of the DU experience is the time spent interacting with brothers. Early in the fall, many

brothers attended a Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs baseball game. We enjoyed spending some casual time

together away from Lehigh’s campus. Another highlight of the semester was the annual Jim

Mahlbacher ’80 Memorial Fund tailgate. Many undergraduate brothers attended the event, hosted by

numerous alumni brothers prior to the Lehigh football game against Monmouth. The tailgate gave the

undergraduate brothers a much-appreciated chance to get to know some of our chapter’s alumni.

I hope that you are encouraged by the contents of this newsletter, and I extend

my thanks to our editor, Trevor Starer. In our next installment, you will hear from

Ricky Johnson, our 2015 Chapter President. We look forward to the chapter’s

continued growth, and hopefully you will have a chance to come visit us at the

chapter house and see it first-hand.

In Brotherhood, Jake Hershner -­ President - 2014

Lehigh University Chapter ⎜Volume 4, Issue 2 ⎜ March 2015

Mahlbacher

Tailgate Photos

Inside

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Tailgating for a Cause

The Jim Mahlbacher Memorial

Scholarship Fund raises money for student

athletes at Lehigh University in memory of Jim

Mahlbacher '80. The scholarship provides two

awards each year to deserving Lehigh students.

This year, DU undergraduate brothers had the

opportunity to meet and share memories with

DU alumni enjoying this special tailgate before

the September 27th game against Monmouth

University.

Many thanks to Phil McGinnis ’79 and

crew for their hospitality!

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Good Times: Then and Now

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Lehigh-Lafayette 150

DU at Yankee Stadium

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A TEDx (technology, entertainment, design) event is an

independently organized suite of short, carefully prepared talks,

demonstrations, and performances that is idea-focused, and on a

wide range of subjects to foster learning, inspiration and wonder-

and provoke conversations that matter.

In October, the chapter partnered with the Alpha Omega

Epsilon engineering sorority, the Office of Multicultural Affairs

and the Baker Institute to again present the popular event in the

Packard 101 Auditorium. Afterwards, the chapter hosted a

celebratory dinner for the TEDx speakers, distinguished guests

and organizers at the chapter house.

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Lassoing Leukemia

The chapter hosted our 3rd annual Lassoing

Leukemia philanthropy event in our parking

lot in October to benefit the Leukemia &

Lymphoma Society. A mechanical bull,

inflatable jousting ring, portable lights and

concessions made for a very successful and

fun evening for the Lehigh community.

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DU in the Community

Above: Brothers pitched in to paint sheds as part of the United Way Day of the Greater

Lehigh Valley’s annual Day of Caring community service event in September. Below left:

Brooke DeSipio from Lehigh’s Office of Gender Violence Education & Support spoke to

the chapter about gender violence prevention and making smart decisions about alcohol.

Below: Brothers showed their

support for Lehigh’s first-ever

Pride Walk, which was organized

by multiple university groups.

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Editor’s Note

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James Wilkinson ’17: Jamaica This January, I travelled to Jamaica to participate in Delta Upsilon’s national service and

philanthropy event, Global Service Initiative or GSI. Throughout the year, Delta Upsilon chapters across the country raise money, through various philanthropy events, that get put towards the GSI trip. On these trips, DU members from across the nation complete various projects to help the more impoverished portions of Jamaica, further away from the tourist centers that most people see. On previous trips members have built cafeterias, classrooms, bathrooms, etc. for various schools. This is necessary because the government often imposes regulations on the schools, but then does not have sufficient funds to provide the improvements to the schools to keep them in line with the regulations.

My trip was unique because we not only helped build a netball court for Church Hill Primary School to use during recess, but we also built a ramp for a woman named Ioni so that her handicapped son could get into their house. Until recently she had been homeless, but when she got some land donated to her from her church, DU built her a home on it. In order to allow her son to get into the house, we had to build a ramp up to the back door. This task would have been fairly simple in the U.S., but in Jamaica the necessary tools and supplies are either unavailable or very expensive. Furthermore, because we did not have a cement mixer, we had to mix by hand, which was an extremely arduous task. This was even more physically demanding at the school because there, we had to mix cement for the entire 100’ x 50’ netball court. All this work was made extra difficult by the sweltering heat of the Jamaican winter.

While the work on this trip was exhausting, playing with the kids during our lunch break was significantly more exhausting. These kids were just full of energy and would chase us around for hours without stopping or getting tired. They were always so happy while playing with us, which really impressed me considering they had so little, but just enjoyed the little that they do have. I also made good friends with one of the kids, Alewjan, because we were both playing cricket during lunch. I used to play cricket when I lived in England, so I knew how to bowl and could teach some of the kids. Alewjan was the only kid who already knew how to bowl, so we were able to talk about cricket, our favorite players, and our best bowling performances. He also really appreciated the fact that I was able to teach him how to bowl different deliveries, such as spin bowling, swing bowling and bouncers. I thought that this was cool because we are clearly from completely different worlds, yet we had a strong common bond. Overall, this trip was extremely enjoyable and rewarding, and I would love to return in the future.

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Brothers Travel the Globe

Ryan Cronin ’17: Germany

During the summer of 2014, I had a life changing experience. I travelled to Germany for a six-week study abroad trip through Lehigh called “Engineers Made in Germany”. When I accepted the study abroad offer, I didn’t know anyone in the program. I also did not know any German. There was no way I could have imagined a trip like the one I experienced. I met lifelong friends while becoming immersed in the German culture. The experience changed me forever.

After a confusing and humbling experience in the airport, I was able to take a train to

Pforzheim, which I would call home for the next six weeks. From the moment we arrived, our group moved at a thousand miles a minute. We travelled to Munich, Berlin, and Cologne. We explored Strasbourg, France. While seeing all these different places was incredible, the most amazing memories were made at the flat in Pforzheim.

The flat that I lived in was very small for five people. We cooked, cleaned, and ate meals as a group. We did everything together. By the end of the trip, we knew everything about each other. After a long weekend travelling, I remember talking with my flat-mates and we all just wanted to go home to our flat. The bonds we formed are what I will carry with me for a long time.

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From day one when I knew I would be going abroad, I looked at my upcoming schedule and realized that I would be able to come back for the 150th playing of the Lehigh-Lafayette rivalry game at Yankee Stadium. This opportunity was truly once in a lifetime and I jumped on it as soon as I could and bought a ticket for that weekend. When the time came, I flew into New York on Thursday night, spent the night in New Jersey, and then left for NYC by bus in the morning. I met up with all of my DU brothers who were staying in a hotel in the city the night before the game. This was a fantastic time for me to be able to spend with some of my closest friends, having fun and getting excited for the big game the next day. Though the outcome of the game was disappointing to say the least, I don't regret for a second taking that weekend to come back, to spend good time with good friends and to be a part of Lehigh history.

Connor Boyle ’16: Sweden I had the opportunity to spend last semester in Lund, Sweden as an exchange student

at the engineering school of Lunds Universitet. This was hands down one of the best

experiences of my life, as I was able to experience a totally different culture, learn (some of) a

totally new language, take classes taught in a different way, with students from Sweden and

all around the world, and best of all, to travel. Everything in Europe is pretty close together

and the train system is very accessible. I was able to inexpensively visit ten cities in six

countries. From seeing La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona to attending Oktoberfest in Munich,

spending an afternoon at a traditional bathhouse in Budapest and touring the Swedish,

Danish and Norwegian royal palaces, I made some amazing memories with some of the most

interesting people I know. And one of the most fun parts about traveling, especially on trips I

went on alone, was to be able to stay in a hostel and live in a room with 15 other people from

almost anywhere. Because I did weekend trips, this meant we had essentially 36 hours to

socialize and become a part of each other’s lives in a totally unique way, which I thought was

extremely exciting.

While all of this was going on, I did still manage to take a full load of courses and

will be transferring 16 credits back to Lehigh to stay on track for my double major in

Mechanical Engineering and Astrophysics. The engineering school at Lunds is one of the best

throughout Europe, and the classes I took were challenging and taught in a whole different

way than anything I was accustomed to in the U.S. To be able to take classes taught in such a

new way really broadened the way I look at learning. The Astronomy department is one of the

top groups in the world with several members of the staff working with the European Space

Agency on the Gaia satellite mission.

What I found most valuable about my semester abroad was how I was truly on my

own. I had an apartment by myself five miles from campus, so I bought a cheap bike that I

rode anywhere I needed to go. And while many people do speak English, it was still a

challenge to fully communicate with people and understand bus schedules, signs, menus, etc.

This forced me to learn Swedish in order to pick up on more of what was going on around me.

Living alone in a strange new place left completely to my own devices was one of the best

things I take away from this whole experience. It forced me to do things I might not normally

have to do, and so now I am much more confident in my ability to adapt quickly and know I

can handle pretty much any situation I may find myself in. All in all, study abroad was the

best experience I have had in college so far and I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.

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Friendly Faces & Favorite Places

Sheila, who lives in the chapter

house with her owner, Ian

Trauffer ’16, is a great friend to all.

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Dear Brothers,

As you can see from this report, our DU undergraduate chapter is “firing on all cylinders!”

It’s great to see their progress and the strong spirit of brotherhood evident in all their

activities. Thanks to all of you for your continued support of Delta Upsilon at Lehigh.

Amazingly, our second chapter house is approaching its 50th year of service! As a result,

Mark and I are taking a deeper look into what needs to be spruced up, painted, replaced,

etcetera. In taking inventory of class composites, at appears that nine of them are missing:

1962, 1963, 1967, 1969, 1989, 1994, 1997, 1998, and 2000

If you have a personal-sized copy (or the original!) of any of these composites, please send it

(them) to me as soon as possible! We’ll have them copied, enlarged, framed, and re-hung in

the Chapter House, and we’ll return the originals safely to you. We’ll even send you a DU

coffee mug, t-shirt, sweatshirt, or rugby shirt, your choice, subject to your size being

available in our inventory, as a thank you for your efforts.

As always, your contribution checks in support of the chapter are very much appreciated.

They make it possible to do the “extra” things that really enrich the DU/Lehigh experience.

Checks should be made payable to Lehigh, but mailed to me at:

Chad Paul, 116 Research Drive, Plaza Level, Bethlehem, PA 18015

And finally, DU Spring Initiation will occur on Sunday, March 29, at 2:30 PM at Ben

Franklin TechVentures on Lehigh’s Mountaintop Campus with a luncheon reception to

follow at the Chapter House. You should have already received an invitation via email. If

not, and you’d like to attend, please let me know. I strongly encourage you to attend! It’s a

great way to “recharge your DU batteries!”

Yours in DU,

Chad

DU has the Highest Fraternity GPA!

Delta Upsilon Lehigh Chapter