Chico State, Greek System, and Eta Omega Quick Facts

Below is an excerpt from some “research” the alumni and undergrads did in 2009, regarding the fraternity house, and Greek Life at Chico State. The research was not scientific, and many of the numbers here are just estimates…but it’s still an interesting snapshot of the overall student population, the Greek population, and some key stats about Theta Chi / Eta Omega:

CSU Chico:

• How many students are enrolled in the University/College?
  • Male: 7,000
  • Female: 8,000
• How many students of the one’s enrolled our commuters?
  • Male: 500
  • Female: 500
• How many students can be accommodated in University dormitories?
  • Male: 950
  • Female: 950
• How many students are occupying dormitories this year?
  • Male: 800
  • Female: 850
• How many people can be accommodated in private apartments or boarding houses within two miles of campus? 12,000
• How many students are occupying these apartments or boarding houses this school year? 11,000

Greek System:

• Number of national sororities on campus: 5
  • have houses: 5
  • average membership: 100
  • average capacity of houses: 13
  • average occupancy: 13
  • List: Alpha Phi, Alpha Delta Pi, Sigma Kappa, Gamma Phi Beta, Alpha Gamma Delta
• Number of national fraternities on campus: 11
  • have houses: 10
  • average membership: 30
  • average capacity of houses: 11
  • average occupancy: 10
  • List: Theta Chi, Sigma Chi, Delta Chi, Phi Kappa Tau, Alpha Gamma Rho, Phi Delta Theta, Beta Theta Pi, Gamma Zeta Alpha, Sigma Nu, Sigma Pi, Lambda Pi

Theta Chi / Eta Omega Undergraduates:

• Undergraduate chapter membership as of April 10 of each year:
  • 2009: 53+
    • Senior/Graduate Students 4
    • Senior 4
    • Junior 22
    • Sophomore 23
    • Freshman: 0
  • 2008: 50
  • 2007: 70
  • 2006: 40
  • 2005: 30
• Pledges/new members in 2009: 23
• Pledges/new members anticipated in 2010? 30
• Percentage 2008’s pledges/new members initiated: 91%
• Most recent chapter GPA: 2.6 (par with CSU Chico Men’s average)

Theta Chi / Eta Omega Alumni:

• Year chapter chartered: 1982
• Number of alumni: 700+
• Number of alumni with good addresses: 350+
• Date of incorporation: April 17, 1983
• Number of years the current house has been used by the chapter: 25

Eta Omega Chapter House:

• Year Built: 1895
• Number of buildings: 2
• Number of Rooms: 15
• Number of Beds: 18
• Number of parking spaces: 13′
• Total square footage of land: 13,609 square feet
• Approximate dimensions of land: 247’ x 55’
• How many people does the occupancy permit allow to live in the building? 19 (17 in main house; 2 in back cottage)
• Proximity to the University: 4 blocks (.4 mi)
• Based on total available bed spaces, how many bed spaces have been filled over the past 5 years (total – as of the end of the first semester each year)?
  • 2009: 17
  • 2008: 17
  • 2007: 16
  • 2006: 17
  • 2005: 15
• Read more about the chapter house…

Successful Alumni / Father's Weekend and Golf Tournament in Chico

by John Wenger

Brothers,

I am happy to report that Alumni Weekend / Fathers Weekend went off without a hitch. Everyone that came up last weekend seemed to leave town with a smile on their face. Overall Alumni Weekend brought roughly 300 Greek Alumni into town (not sure how many Theta Chi) and everyone seemed to have a blast.

Friday night the bars were packed, lines were long and drinks were flowing. Our fraternity house (surprisingly) stayed relatively quite during the night time with the occasional alumnus stopping by to take a look at the re-model.

Saturday the Active Chapter threw a Golf Tournament that included roughly 80 players in the field. Most of the field consisted of actives and their fathers, however, there were a handful of alumni participating as well. The tournament was a blast, the food was awesome, and the prizes for the raffle seemed to never stop! I encourage all alumni to try and participate in the tournament next year; you won’t be dissapointed. After the tournament the actives threw a party on 7th and Chesnut that included 5 to 6 beer pong tables, an open bar and Peter Smith running around trying to “Boat Race” everybody in the joint!

I’m sure a lot of alumni like myself, left Sunday feeling a little sub-par, but I’m sure everyone that attended will be back for more next year!

by Danny Kelchner

This past weekend, on May 1, we put on a Golf Tournament whose participants consisted of undergraduate brothers, their fathers and some alumni who were up in Chico for alumni weekend. Everyone enjoyed a day off golf at Tuscan Ridge golf course located off skyway. They were nice enough deal with us while everyone was drinking and having a great day of golf with their Dads or old friends. After everyone was done with their 18 holes we all met up for dinner and a Raffle of roughly 30 donated items (including a bicycle, a swiss army watch, gift cards, and more). Through everyone’s participation we raised $4,500 – a portion of which goes to Chico Green School. The event was not only a success but a blast for everyone who participated. We are already looking forward to doing the same thing next year and i hope you all will make the trip up and participate.

Chapter Denied Funds to Add Solar Panels on Roof

“Theta Chi recently applied for a grant through the A.S. Sustainability Fund Allocation Committee, but was turned down, said junior Cody Beratlis, house manager of Theta Chi. The $10,000 grant would have helped pay for solar panels on the roof of the fraternity [house].”

“There were eight total applicants for sustainability funding from various organizations on campus, four of which received funding…”

“The total amount of money requested for spring 2010 by all organizations totaled more than $43,000… the four that did receive funding came to almost $13,000 … there was nearly $76,000 allocated during fall 2009.”

Original article in the Orion

Orion Article Credits Eta Omega With Longevity

“Among other organizations that have lasted through the years is the fraternity Theta Chi, which has been in Chico for nearly three decades.

External Vice President Andrew Chalmers thinks they’ve made it so long because of the type of people they look for, he said.

“We’re all about bringing in men who are strong leaders that care about community involvement,” Chalmers said.

Having a cause and pushing to move away from a party-boy image are top priorities for Theta Chi, he said.”

Original article in the Orion

Undergrads Pull Off Successful Philanthropy to Help Stop Gun Violence

War of the Roses – Spring 2010

During the week of April 5^th Eta Omega raised over $3,000 during a four day philanthropy called War of the Roses – to raise money for the Brady Campaign (an organization dedicated to stopping gun violence through sensible legislation). The event consisted of 5 sororities on campus (ΣΚ, ΑΦ, ΑΔΠ, ΑΓΔ, ΓΦB) competing amongst one another throughout the week on a multitude of events, with the men of Theta Chi split up evenly among the sororities as coaches. The event was created and spearheaded by Theta Chi Vice President Andrew Chalmers, who was inspired by the death of his friend in an unsolved shooting to raise money for the cause.

War of the Roses kicked off on Tuesday with a house decoration, designed to instill competitiveness, and points were awarded to the house with the best design. On Wednesday a “Theta Chi Carnival” fundraiser was hosted on campus – with a dunk tank, kissing booth, cotton candy, popcorn, snow-cones, and a booth where you could “Pie an AD Pi.” That event alone raised $550 for charity, and points were awarded based on creativity and money raised.

On Thursday there was a change drive on campus where each cent collected was worth 1 point. However, dimes and 5-dollar bills were assigned negative values, leading teams to pour money into each others collection jars! The day alone raised well over $1,000, and reactions from the campus community were great.

War of the Roses concluded on Friday with a powderpuff tournament and BBQ where concessions could be purchased, and the value of the concession purchased would be worth points for ones team. ΣΚ won the powderpuff game, and the entire event.

The whole week was filled with mostly sober fun, an alien concept to many Greeks at Chico State. Girls were excited to be a part of a competitive event for a legitimate cause, and the bros loved being at the center of over 400 competing girls. Despite it being the first event of its kind for Theta Chi, the week went extremely well and now that people know what to expect it will certainly be even better in the years to come!

Photos from the Event:

Reminder: Theta Chi Golf Tournament in Chico, May 1

from Paul Cesario-Ketchum

Dear Theta Chi, Eta omega Alumni:

On May 1st we are holding our annual charity golf tournament. In order for this event to be successful, we would greatly appreciate if alumni would consider donating prizes for raffle and silent auction, sponsoring a hole (i.e. putting pledge class or logo on a sign), and of course playing in the actual tournament. The weekend the tournament takes place is also alumni weekend. As a fraternity we would like to thank you for everything that you have done for us and hope that this will be an exciting event to attend and to sponsor for the benefit of Chico Green School.

• Click to Sign Up Now!

Thank you!

Photos from the Spring '10 Theta Chi MYLC in Chico

As we mentioned before, Eta Omega was chosen to host the Spring 2010 Theta Chi Mid Year Leadership Challenge in Chico. Brothers came from all over the country. Our guys entertained the group, and helped organize the activities. Here are a few photos from the weekend:

Photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/reither/sets/72157623520813364/

FYI: the latest Eta Omega photos are always displayed over on the right side of this website (in the ‘Photos on Flickr’ box).

Eta Omega Hosts the 2010 Mid-Year Leadership Conference

by Dustin Pesch

Brothers,

On the weekend of February 5th and 6th the Eta Omega Chapter hosted the Theta Chi Mid-Year Leadership Conference. After many weeks of preparation and collaboration with the national chapter, we managed to host what Grand Chapter member Joe D’Amore said “was one of the best MYLCs he has attended.” Nine chapters from the Northern California region traveled to Chico to attend the conference. During their stay Eta Omega did a great job of extending a helping hand in the accommodation of our brothers from across the state and the facilitation of the conference.

The conference itself was held on Saturday February 6th from 9 am to 6 pm. During this time various exercises were conducted to access the strengths and weaknesses that each chapter had. At the end of the conference each chapter was required to meet privately with faculty from the National Chapter. During the brief session we were able to identify our own strengths and weaknesses. As of today Eta Omega excels in recruitment, social public relations, relations with campus, and inter-fraternal competition. However there are a few things the chapter can improve on in order to achieve our full potential. The National Chapter would like to see changes made to the pledge program, something they are working on with most chapters. They also expect Eta Omega to update its scholarship program. The chapter exec and officers are now working to implement these changes to the way we do these things. Once these changes have been made the chapter will be closer to an Altar Award.

Another serious issue brought up at the meeting was the condition and preservation of the fraternity house. As many of you know the first floor was remodeled after we received a $400,000 dollar loan. If we expect to finish the rest of the house the chapter must respectfully maintain the condition of the house and excel in operations. As a chapter we have the man power and drive to meet these challenges and continue to strive for excellence. With active collaboration between the alumni and undergraduate chapter, Eta Omega has potential to one of the finest chapters Theta Chi has to offer.

Sincerely,

Dustin Pesch

Undergraduate President

Theta Chi; Eta Omega Chapter

Theta Chi Charity Golf Tournament for 'Chico Green School'

Theta Chi Fraternity at California State University, Chico is hosting its 2nd Annual Theta Chi Charity Golf Tournament. Our first annual tournament was a huge success, raising about $5,000 for the Boys and Girls Club of Chico. This year’s we have chosen to donate proceeds to “Chico Green School Inc.”

• When: May 1, 2010
• Where: Tuscan Ridge Country Club in Paradise, California
• How: Click to Sign Up

Tournament Basics: The tournament will include a round of 18 holes of golf, multiple contests on the course, a silent auction and catered tri-trip dinner following the tournament. The event will take place at the beautiful Tuscan Ridge Country Club in Paradise, California on May 1st, 2010.

The Charity: Chico Green School’s mission is to create a charter high school in Butte County where students are taught an understanding of social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Using Waldorf methods, the charity will aim to increase test scores (especially among low income students), reduce truancy and dropouts, increase a greater sense of community, and develop a capacity for a creative imagination.

About Us: Theta Chi, Eta Omega strives to achieve success academically, socially, and as well as in the community in which we live. We have participated in major philanthropic events such as Up ‘til Dawn, on-campus blood drives, and won the philanthropy-focused “Greek Week” title two years running. We are the largest fraternity on campus and make every effort to be leaders in the community. We would greatly appreciate your participation in this event.

About You: We are also looking individual and corporate sponsors to help support this cause by donating money (or prizes for the check-in goodie bags, raffle, and silent auction). Thank you for taking the time to consider participating or sponsoring our tournament and we hope to see you out there.

>> Learn More and Register

Theta Chi is the Most Interesting Fraternity in the World

Spring rush is right around the corner. Every house should show this video to prospective members – it’s pretty spot on.