Tri-Kap Updates

In an effort to highlight some of the interesting things that brothers are doing, we will be putting up some posts that allow brothers to share their passions. Below, Charles Cai, a member of the '16 class and one of our Rush Chairs, talks a little bit about his experience with music and singing with the Aires. 

Golf for me has been such a huge part of my life ever since I took it up at the age of 8 and I wouldn’t be where I am today without it. It all started when I was down in Myrtle Beach, SC on a family vacation, and my dad and I went to the driving range for the first time ever. Despite our lack of experience, we both had a ton of fun and got hooked onto the sport. I am grateful I was able to go through the many ups and downs of golf throughout the years with my dad, who has been there every step of the way.
Charles, third from the left, with other members of the golf team.
In high school, I also ran cross country and winter track but golf was still my main focus come springtime. In the summers, I would spend countless hours working on my game and traveling across the country competing in junior tournaments. Some of my best memories have come from competing and dealing with the pressure that’s present during the last few holes of a golf tournament. Golf has taught me how to remain cool and collected in the heat of the moment, which I think was one of the reasons why Danny Katz ’16 and I were able to win Masters this summer.
Danny Katz '16 and Charles following their victory at MastersAt Dartmouth, I am a member of the varsity golf team and also our team’s DP2 mentor and Student Athlete Advisory Committee representative. My freshman year, I was voted as the team’s Rookie of the Year and have enjoyed every moment on the team. One of the most enjoyable aspects is the long van rides we take traveling to tournaments as we share stories and crack jokes. We just wrapped up the fall season a few weeks back and it was a successful one. We started off the season with 2 straight wins as a team and the freshmen were able to gain a lot of invaluable experience. We hope to build on this momentum and carry it into the spring season, which culminates in the Ivy League Championship during the last week.

Yours in Kappa,
Charles Cai '16

In an effort to highlight some interesting projects that current brothers are working on, we will be putting up some posts that allow brothers to share their passions. Below, Brian Chalif, a member of the '16 class and one of our Rush Chairs, talks a little bit about his experience with music and singing with the Aires. 

Brian before one of his a capella showsIn high school, I was always known as the musician. I played violin, guitar, piano, and I sang. Coming to Dartmouth, I had little expectations to continue music to such a large extent. However, I now am in Glee Club, Gospel Choir, Canta Choral, a Jazz Trio, take voice lessons, and am a double major with music. Despite my involvement in all these activites, the biggest impact on my Dartmouth career was my freshman trip leader, who convinced me to audition for a cappella. 
Brian during his FSP in LondonBeing a member of the Dartmouth Aires has been an adventure I could not have imagined when coming to Dartmouth a little over two years ago. My first term at Dartmouth, the group sang at Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign rally in Hanover. Later the same term, the Aires sang at an Obama and Clinton Presidential campaign rally in Concord, New Hampshire for over 15,000 people. The rest of the year was full of exciting shows, including the traditional East Coast winter tour and an exciting international tour to Aruba.

Brian, fourth from the right, with the AiresNow, two years later, it is still a constant stream of new experiences. Last spring, we recorded an album, which after six months of editing is getting released next month. This year our winter tour will be going to the west coast, for the first time in many years. However, most excitingly, this spring the Aires are traveling to China! I am super thrilled for this because, obviously it is a great experience, but I also have planned most of this tour as the spring tour manager. I look forward to this exciting year and to my senior year, where I can give back to the group that has been one of the most significant impacts on my Dartmouth experience.

I hope to see some Kappas at one of our shows in during our spring tour to California.

Yours in Kappa,
Brian Chalif ‘16

Last weekend, fraternities across campus held rush, and 18 members of the class of 2017 sunk bids at Tri-Kap. We are thrilled with the kids that we brought in to the house, and we look forward to instilling our Tri-Kap values in them as they join the brotherhood. 

Here is a picture of most of them after they received their first and favorite house shirt:
From left to right: Sam Agler, Chris Laughlin, Arun Reddy, Scott Lehman, James Howe, Josh Lange, Jeff Lange, Phillip Yom, Ronak Kanwar, Ted Poatsy, Daniel Kang, Caleb Junmo Kim, Sidney Wijngaarde, and Fred Kim.
Not pictured: Matt Zubrow, John French, Joe Minichiello, and Brendan Krimsky.Yours in Kappa,
Manav Raj '15
Vice President

A large contingent of Tri-Kap 1960s got together in early September in Boston to reunite for a few days and remember their friend Tony Rodolakis '60.  We had 8 brothers and accompanying wives and lady friends: Bob Armknecht, Don Belcher, Frank Bell, Pete Crumbine, Paul Goldberg, John Mitchell, Jim Nolan and me (Bill Danforth). We started off with a Duck Tour (first for many) followed by dinner at the old standby Durgin Park. We were treated royally. On Wednesday we had the grand tour of Fenway Park. The Tour people were very accommodating to the members who didn’t feel up to stairs and they had their own guide, even including the Green Monster. That afternoon we had a great turnout for a 3-hour culinary tour of the City’s North End followed by an authentic Italian dinner at Antico Forno. We refused to retire early and spent some time discussing the Tri-Kap capital campaign and a memorial donation in Tony’s name. 

At Fenway Park: Bill Danforth, Frank Bell, our tour guide, Joanne Danforth, Don Belcher, Pete Crumbine, and Carol and John Mitchell
The whole gang:Bottom: Paul Goldberg, Frank Bell, Bea and Pete Crumbine; Middle: Sally Nolan, Don Belcher, Carol and John Mitchell, and Judy and Bob Armknecht; Top: Bill Danforth, Jim Nolan, Maureen Bell, Marie Belcher, Joanne Danforth and Margie Goldberg
Rising early on Thursday, we took a Boston Harbor cruise out to George’s Island and toured the Civil War fort. After a short rest we rode out to Brookline for a memorial service for Tony Rodolakis at the chapel of the Boston Metropolis, the headquarters of the Greek Church in New England. It was a simple yet memorable opportunity to share memories and feel as one with Tony. We continued marching (as all Tri-Kaps do) down to the harbor where we enjoyed a private room at another Boston dining icon, The Union Oyster House. Having enjoyed the 3 days fully, we’ve set a target of 2017 for a repeat, this time in Williamsburg, Virginia, It’s very fitting to be in such a historic spot since we are all rapidly becoming antiques.

Yours in Kappa,
Bill Danforth '60

At the end of the summer term, Tri-Kap held a talk with Steve Swayne titled: "What Ferguson Means/How Ferguson Feels: The Thoughts of a First-Generation African-American College Kid Who Became a Dartmouth Professor." This talk lasted 3 hours and was attended by almost the entire active summer brotherhood, other undergraduate students, graduate students, and a college administrator. 

Professor Swayne, Chair of the Music Department and a Jacob H. Strauss 1922 Professor of Music, discussed the current state of affairs in Ferguson and why that impacts everyone, even students far away at Dartmouth College. Professor Swayne, who grew up facing discrimination as a gay black man, told stories of his life and at multiple points was close to tears.

A packed house listening to Professor Swayne
His talk started by going around and having everyone in the room introducing themselves. Then he spoke for about 45 minutes before opening it up to become more of a conversation. After about another hour the formal aspect of the conversation ended and some people left, but still about 10 people stayed for another hour and talked further with Professor Swayne about this and tangential issues. 

Professor Swayne, in an email after the event, said it felt like one of the more important things he has done while at Dartmouth. 

Yours in Kappa,
Brian Chalif '16
Summer Academic Chair

14X Jock Chair Update - Hector Iturbe and Eric Chalif
Coming off a spring IM championship in softball, we were set to do well for the summer season. We advanced to the knockout stages as the first seed from our group. Brothers Charles Cai '16 and Brian White '15 led the way for Tri-Kap. After a very good run, we were knocked out by AD in a close 2-0 loss. 

Coming off a championship run in the fall, Tri-Kap was also set to do well in the IM Soccer league for the summer. Led by the play of club soccer player Hector Iturbe '16 and brothers Keaton Renta '16 and Eric Chalif '16, Tri-Kap was set to advance into the knockout stages with a good seed. However, due to a misunderstanding with a grad school team the friday of Masters we had to forfeit that match. That technicality eventually cost us our bid in the knockout stages. The fall will bring back a couple of other club soccer brothers and Tri-Kap will be set to defend their fall IM soccer title. 

14X Philanthropy Chair: Joe Wang
This summer, the brotherhood of Kappa Kappa Kappa has participated in a variety of philanthropic events. We raised more than $500 for The Prouty, an annual charity effort whose proceeds go directly to funding cancer research. We also participated in the Pelt-a-Delta dodgeball tournament, raising money to go towards the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Furthermore, we have worked closely with the Upper Valley Haven this summer. We helped bake and sell bread to raise money to help fund the services that the Haven provides, such as food, shelter, and educational programs for the children of homeless families. We also collected food and clothing donations for the Haven. All in all, the brotherhood of Kappa Kappa Kappa has made a strong philanthropic effort this summer term.

14X Academic Chair Update:
The brotherhood continues to exhibit extreme commitment and contribution to the internal academic community at Dartmouth and external international world, whether it is in finance, music, government, or entrepreneurship. I, Brian Chalif '16, just completed the four-week Tuck Bridge program, which gave me an introduction to business, which Dartmouth does not offer. This introduction to business culminated with a team-based DCF, economic, marketing, financial and strategic analysis of Nike. Both Juan Nicholls '15 and Johnny Yoon '13 are participating in the second session. This summer, instead of taking classes, as a presidential scholar I am helping the chair of the music department do research for a book he is writing. 
Josh Tupler '16 flew to Gent, Belgium, to present at the 14th annual Transatlantic Studies Association Conference. He was a panelist with three other officers from across the world presenting about Canadian ballistic missile defense – he was the first undergraduate to ever present at this conference. Joshua Schoenbart '16 spent a week at the G20 YEA Summit in Sydney, Australia, as the youngest of eight delegates from the United States. 
These are just a few examples, but every TriKap brother is a crucial part of the academic community at Dartmouth.  
Brian Chalif '16

The last two weeks, the house hosted reunions for the classes of 1964, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1984, 1989, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2009. We were thrilled to see so many brothers and their families take the trip back up to Hanover and visit the house. Especially impressive was that 16 out of the 19 members of the class of 1964 were present for their 50th reunion. Thanks to all of the brothers that were able to make it up, and we hope to see you again soon. Here are a few pictures from the '64s reunion:





YiK,
Manav Raj '15

In an effort to highlight some interesting projects that current brothers are working on, we will be putting up some posts that allow brothers to share their passions. Below, Jeremy Thibodeau '14 talks a little bit about the feature film that he has been working on for the last year. 

Jeremy framing a shotSince our sophomore spring, my team and I have been working on "THE UNION", a feature film about a bartender and his experiences dealing with the dysfunctional family whose wedding reception he is working at. Spanning a period of three weeks, the shoot took place primarily on the Dartmouth campus. It was an intense and educational experience, the source of many wonderful memories I'll cherish for years to come. A look at the set within the tower room in Baker LibraryWe are proud to be offering a pre-screening of the film tonight in the Black Family Visual Arts Center. Hopefully, many brothers will be able to attend. If you're interested, take a look at the trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kigrb2uLhw0
We are excited to keep you posted as the film nears completion. 
YiK,Jeremy Thibodeau '14

This last Sunday, Tri-Kap won the IM softball championship, beating Alpha Chi 11-10 with a walk-off hit in the bottom of the sixth inning. The victory completed a successful three-peat for Tri-Kap, capping a year in which we won Soccer in the Fall and Basketball in the Winter. After a rocky start, Tri-Kap trailed 10-6 going in to the fifth inning. However, the team remained resilient, lead by solid fielding and coaching by Brian White '15.

Down 10-8 in the bottom of the sixth, the situation looked dire with two outs and just a man on first. However, Keaton Renta '16, remaining cool and composed despite the pressure, hit a clutch single, and Charles Cai '16 followed it up with a huge triple to bring home the tying run. On the next pitch, Anthony Zhao '14 hit a line drive over the second baseman to bring Charles home and win the game.

We are excited to bring another IM championship to the house, and hope to continue Tri-Kap's IM dominance in the coming term. Here's a picture of the winning team and the crew that came to heckle and cheer them on.




YiK,
Eric Do '15
Jock Chair

On May 10th, the brothers of Kappa Kappa Kappa participated in Dartmouth College's Relay for Life event. Relay for Life is a walking marathon that benefits the American Cancer Society, an organization that is dedicated to helping those suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy, and service.Our team was able to raise $3,143.69 in the two weeks leading up to the event, and we were proud to have the second highest total of any team participating and the highest team fundraising total of any fraternity. Above and beyond that, brothers sold grilled cheeses at the event to help provide whatever we could. We were excited to see the energy that these brothers have put in to finding sponsors for this cause, and we were thrilled to see that we could give back in some way.A few of the brothers that were able to participate at RelayWe wanted to give a special thanks to the alumni that helped donate to our cause. We greatly appreciate the support, and we look forward to continuing the strong tradition we have of helping the community in anyway we can.
YiK,Brian White '15Philanthropy Chair

Brotherhood lock-in this spring term was a great success. On a beautiful Saturday afternoon, brothers spent the early part of the afternoon playing lawn games and hanging out on the front porch, and later, the entire brotherhood came together to share a few hours of productive discussion and conversation, ranging from the status and care of our house dogs to the future of our house’s renovations project. The programming chairs decided to take the culinary aspect of lock-in to the next level, driving over an hour to pick up a truckload of catered Chipotle. Needless to say, the brotherhood appreciated their effort.
Brothers dressed up and ready to play in the Ryder CupThe brotherhood ended the night with a match-play pong tournament, pitting the seniors against the sophomores and juniors in what we call the Ryder Cup. Though there were some hotly contested match-ups,  the senior class gracefully took the title, concluding an enjoyable lock-in Saturday.
YiK,Marty Gatens '15

On Wednesday, April 23rd, Tri-Kap hosted "Xi Man" with Alpha Xi Delta sorority. The annual event pitted 13 fraternity presidents against each other in a variety of entertaining trivia and skills-based competitions. President Anka Tezcan '15 showed everybody why Tri-Kap represents the best of brain and brawn and spirit at Dartmouth,  finishing second in the competition following a contested decision in the final dance off.  All proceeds from the event benefit Autism Speaks, an organization that funds research geared towards understanding, treating, and preventing autism while also increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders and advocating for the needs of patients and their families. The event was a huge success, with over 200 attendees packed in to the great hall, and all having a great time.
The first floor packed for Xi ManOn Friday April 25th, Manav Raj ’15, Andy Solares ’15, Josh Schoenbart ’16, and Brian White ’15 cooked a ‘ghetti and chicken parmesan dinner for some 20 needy Upper Valley residents at Our Savior Lutheran Church in Hanover. The event was sponsored by Tri-Kap and hosted by Students Fighting Hunger, a non-profit that works to provide meals for local families struggling to meet dietary needs while also raising awareness about national and global hunger-related issues. Each brother enjoyed the opportunity to engage with Upper Valley residents and learn about the lifestyle and problems associated with hunger. Our Savior Luther Church’s pastor, Reverend Michael Thomas, commented on the success of the event and invited us to return soon!
Andy Solares '15 with the meal we prepared
YiK,Brian White '15

In an effort to highlight some interesting projects that current brothers are working on, we will be putting up some posts that allow brothers to share their passions. Below, Josh Schoenbart will talk a little bit about his experience starting and running his own business. 

Josh Schoenbart '16 (right) with his big, Anthony Zhao '14My name is Joshua Schoenbart, I am a member of the Class of 2016 from New York City, a Business/Sociology major, the current Houseman at Tri-Kap, and the CEO and Founder of The EyeBook. I also sit on the Board of the Innovation Center and New Venture Incubator as Associate of Business Development and Operations.
Though I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit, I learned about the optometric industry from my father, an optometrist in Long Island. After understanding the operations and intricacies of the industry, I decided to act on my keen interest and enter the field myself. My career as a businessman within the eye care industry began in 2004 when I assisted Long Island optometric practitioners and eyeglass stores in buying and selling eyewear. Through e-commerce and online stores, I was successfully able to facilitate the buying and selling processes of both eyeglasses and sunglasses. 
After continuing this venture for over six years, I decided to start my own line of eyeglasses in 2010. Despite designing each frame and beginning the production process in factories worldwide, I soon realized the inefficiencies, strong competition, and time consumption that my venture entailed. Thus, I decided to place my idea on hold and focus my attention on another endeavor. I was determined to remain in the optometric industry, and sought to create a service-based site that would benefit practitioners while improving the accessibility of optometric health services. Soon thereafter, The EyeBook was born. With its extensive directory of 5000+ highly qualified and specialized eye care professionals, The EyeBook serves as the best tool on the web for helping thousands of patients find the right optometric professional in their area and for connecting these professionals with patients. I am also a Partner of Glass-U, an exiting new startup licensed to 200+ universities and nearly every fraternity and sorority in the country. It has been featured at events such as The Rose Bowl and Lollapalooza and has recently become the official distributor for the FIFA WorldCup this summer for all North and South American Countries as well as all Asian countries.
YiK,
Joshua Schoenbart

On March 26th, we hosted professor Julie Kalish ‘91 at our house for an academic talk. Professor Kalish teaches at the Institute for Writing and Rhetoric and is also an expert on constitutional law. Along wither her responsibilities at Dartmouth, she recently tried and won the case Hackett v. Town of Franklin in front of the Vermont Supreme court. She and her colleagues on the case were given Jonathan B. Chase Cooperating Attorney Award for their work with the ACLU.

The main topic of Professor Kalish’s talk was the first amendment and its implication for college students, but the discussion covered topics from the recent Hobby Lobby case to first amendment rights of students on college campuses. Brotherhood attendance was strong, and many actively participated with the conversation. Professor Kalish ended up staying within the house and discussing constitutional law with brothers for more than two hours. Here are some pictures of Professor Kalish and of brothers enjoying the talk. We really appreciated the opportunity to talk to Professor Kalish, and hope to have a few more academic events this term!



Professor Kalish speaking to our brothers

A packed house had a great time learning a little bit more about constitutional law

YiK,
George Phillipose '15Academic Chair

Tri-Kap has now become the dominating force in the IM leagues with our recent championship win over Heorot. This now makes us back-to-back champions including our Soccer championship last fall. With a commanding win of 38-31 over a strong Heorot team, we brought home the championship t-shirts to expand our already impressive collection. Plans are already being made for establishing our dynasty and further adding to our championship collection by putting together a strong team for IM Softball this spring.
The championship winning team celebrating their decisive victory Heorot
YiK,Aaron Goone

18 Tri-Kaps together on Saturday, January 11 for a great night at SmithHouse Tap & Grill for our first Los Angeles Tri-Kap Reunion. Thanks to Richard Park ’01, Ed Son ’08, Chris Takeuchi ’09 and Blair Randall ’11 for organizing. The turnout was a great one for a first time event so many miles from Hanover. While many of those Tri-Kaps who attended were graduates from the ‘90s and ‘00s, we were happy to have Bill Danforth ’60 and his wife Joanne join us as well as Greg Pulis ’74.The group had a great time together reconnecting, sharing stories and meeting fellow Tri-Kaps. Bill shared with us the sad news of the passing just that morning of Tony Rodolakis ’60. Over the years of Tony’s illness, Bill and many of his Tri-Kap classmates routinely visited Tony in Massachusetts together. Bill gave a stirring tribute to Tony and said that he and many of his Tri-Kap classmates were on the phone that morning after news of Tony’s death circulated. Greg was kind enough to lead the group in a verse of the Tri-Kap Marching Song in honor of Tony. All those in attendance received a Tri-Kap coffee mug emblazoned with the Pillar and Shield seal. Everyone had a great time and promised to both get together for future Los Angeles reunions and spread the word to other Tri-Kaps. Look out for upcoming Tri-Kap reunions in your area on the website at www.tri-kap.com

This past Friday, February 14th, the pledges, joined by me (House Historian Matthew Graves) and their Pledge Trainer Scott Nelson, made a visit to Rauner Library to view house artifacts and explore our rich history. It was a great opportunity for all of the pledges to learn about house history through reading old meetings notes and see a number of old pictures. A number of upperclassmen also made the trip with the new members and everyone had a great time. It was particularly interesting to examine the house photos from the late 1800's, which impressed everyone present with the vibrant traditions and history of our house. We look forward to adding in our own memories and contributions to this great society for those a century from now to look back and get the same feeling of connectedness as we do today. 

YiK,
Matthew Graves '15

It was with great sadness that we learned of the passing of H. Hamilton (“Ham”) Chase.
Ham’s passion for Tri-Kap began during his undergraduate years as he was an active member of the brotherhood.  After graduation he settled in Keene, New Hampshire and continued his active involvement with the College. He was often seen on the campus attending alumni functions. He rarely missed a home hockey game.  While in town, he often found time to stop by Tri-Kap to visit with the brothers.  He shared stories of his beloved Class of ’47 and always showed a deep concern for the welfare of the House.
Ham was President of the Tri-Kap Alumni Board of Directors for many years. He would make the trip from Keene (often several times a week) and whenever necessary to attend meetings, initiate new members, or just hang out. He seemed to revel in the company of the brothers in the place many of us call “home at Dartmouth”.
When I joined the Board in 2003, he welcomed me with his typical charm - making sure I felt comfortable with the group. He looked out not only for the short-term happenings in the fraternity, but also for the long-term needs. He started the idea of a capital campaign to address the deterioration of our, then, 85 year lodge building. Ham was all for anything that would make the brotherhood stronger. He truly worked for every project, for the welfare of Tri-Kappa, for promoting its ideals, for upholding its fair name.

When he stepped down from the Board, the undergraduates wrote and signed a letter thanking Ham for his service.  Alumni and undergraduates alike wrote articles in “The Pillar” celebrating his service. Francisco Ayala '02 painted a wonderful portrait of Ham (pictured above), which hangs on the walls of the GOTE room today. Even after he stepped down from the Board, Ham continued to demonstrate an interest in the brothers and the welfare of the fraternity. For 70 years, Ham served the fraternity as a brother, alumnus, advisor, and President of the Board. He taught and embodied the Dartmouth “work hard, play hard” ethic.
YiK,James McKim '83