DTS on a Philanthropic Roll!

Two weekends ago Delta Theta Sigma raised $700 for MDA.
This past weekend DTS raised $570 for American Cancer Society.
In two weekends from now, DTS will raise money for St. John's Community Kitchen through Wifflefest.

Let that sink in for a minute.

Got it? Ok, awesome.

Let's take a minute to think about what all of that means. Four years ago, Delta Theta Sigma did not do anything to give back to the community, aside from items over on Ag Campus. Three years ago, we began with Wifflefest. Two years ago, we raised $1400 dollars. This year, we already have almost $1300, and we still have one philanthropy to go. If there was ever a way to say, "Hey that's progress," then this is certainly it.

Delta Theta Sigma cares deeply about the community that has supported its growth since 1906. Over the past few years, we have been able to do a lot with a little.

This past weekend, April 28th and 29th, DTS set up shop at Lincoln Tower Field for Relay for Life. Unfortunately, we had almost the entire house head back to their respective homes for duties on the farm. We had actives: Andrew Metzger, Austin Bahnsen, Austin Kirk, Dave Dziak, Tanner Schoen, Michael Moore, and Jordan Schaeffer help out with Relay. Dave Dziak, Tanner Schoen, and Michael Moore stayed overnight, making it nearly the whole 24 hours.

Kirk and Bahnsen were able to help sell pulled pork sandwiches to help us reach our $570 mark. Schoen and Dziak spent nearly all of their time at Relay behind the stand, providing OSU with quality pulled pork sandwiches.

With only 3 or 4 men there at a time, we were able to contribute to this worthy cause. It is a true sign of the quality of men that DTS has within its house.

DTS is truely an organization that acts upon its foundation, and for that reason, it is one to join and become a part of. DTS is on the incline, while other organizations are either stagnant or facing problems. It has never been more of an exciting time to be a part of DTS.

Be sure to stay involved and follow us on Twitter! Thanks for reading!

Reservations About Joining? Read This.

-From Former Delta Member Trainer Dave Dziak

Hey there folks! As a former freshman looking into Greek life at Ohio State, I had a few concerns. I was worried about being hazed. I wanted to be accepted and knew that I would have to do something to earn my place, but I didn't want it to be something dangerous, like being forced to drink or do something gross. In my searches among Ohio State fraternities, I wasn't necessarily convinced that I would be able to avoid that. That is, until I came over to Delta Theta Sigma.

Right away I felt at home, something that seemed sort of alien when on my own for the first time in my life. I met then president Nick Atterholt, as well as Cody Beucler (then rush chair), Jed Bookman (then VP), and Joe Greene. After conversing with Nick for awhile, he turned to me and said something I will never forget.

"Dave, you're exactly the kind of big guy we need around here."

Thinking back, I think he was referring to my large stature, but the idea that I was needed and had something to contribute only appeared at DTS. In the other fraternities that I had rushed, I was perceived as just another person. I was a number in a quota of people that the fraternity had to fill. But at DTS, I was already a friend. That friendship with the House would build over the next few times I was over, and I began to trust the guys as people that were there for me. Through random acts of kindness, I realized they actually cared about my well-being, as opposed to some of the risky behavior I noticed while at other houses.

When it came time to join, I knew I was in good hands. I put my trust in them, and they didn't let me down. I began my journey at the beginning of Winter Quarter 2010. I can proudly say that I was not hazed, nor forced to drink alcohol or take place in risky business.

Over the course of the past four or so years, DTS has completely revitalized its "pledge process," and has truly made it into a new member training course.

Our process rests on three main ideas: No Hazing, Professionalism, and Brotherhood.

In its current form, the process lasts six weeks. Each week, new members learn about an aspect of the fraternity's core values, as well as get trained on an aspect of professionalism. Through this process, we have been able to educate our men on brotherhood, service to fellow man, academics, and involvement. In addition, we have prepared our boys to become professional men by:

-Providing training on portfolios
-Resume building workshops
-Social media training
-Public speaking
-Time management
-Risk management
-Diversity training
-Event planning

all culminating with a mock job interview.

By the time our delta members are initiated, they are fully trained on the aforementioned items. They also have accumulated extensive knowledge about DTS, Greek Life in general, and Ohio State history.

Anyone can join a student organization at Ohio State. There are over 1,000 to choose from. But if you as a student want to become a leader of men and succeed in future endeavors, then Delta Theta Sigma is the right fit for you.

What's Next?

Hey Folks, Dave Dziak here again.

You may be thinking, "Okay, so these guys raised $700 for MDA, big whoop." While it is true that we hardly beat our mark of $700 last year, we are still making great progress. This Roast Away was done with only 1 other Greek organization attending (props to Delta Zeta). When we, as a community, continue to work together, we can accomplish great things.

Speaking of great things, we have some more philanthropic efforts on the way. Our next effort will be on May 12th, 2012. We will be hosting our 3rd Annual DTS Wifflefest! This is a Wiffleball tournament benefiting St. John's Community Kitchen. The event will take place at Fred Beekman Park, from Noon until 4:30. We will be handing out two trophies, one for the Women's Bracket, and one for the Men's. Last year, we raised $700. I am confident that we can grow those numbers this year. Please be sure to visit our website to register. As I always say, there are two types of philanthropies: ones that involve food, and ones that involve sports. This happens to be one of said sporting events. Whether an Indians or a Reds fan, be sure to come on down and compete against the best.

As if that weren't enough, DTS currently has two philanthropies on the horizon. The first is in its early stages. We would like to keep it a surprise, but we will give you a bit of a teaser. First, we will be pairing up with Delta Gamma. Secondly, this is a philanthropy that involves neither sports nor food (seemingly against my hypothesis), yet remains possibly the most American philanthropy ever put on in the history of America. Be sure to stay tuned for more information as we slowly leak this event. It is set to take place in the fall.

Next Winter, we are looking to pair with Phi Sigma Rho for a bowling tournament, named Strikes for Spielman. Stephanie Spielman was an influential Buckeye who lost a battle with cancer. Let's be sure to treat those pins as if they were cancer, and knock them down. No tentative dates have been set as of yet. Be sure to stay tuned for more information on this philanthropy as well.

Delta Theta Sigma is an organization that is committed to giving back to the community that has given it so much since 1906. With your help, we can continue our efforts to donate to worthy causes. We'll be sure to keep you posted as more details come!

Thanks for reading ya'll!

Why We Roast Away

The following article appeared in The Odyssey on April 18th, 2012.

Are you going to the OSU Spring Game? Yes? Good. No? Well read this anyway. On Saturday, April 21^st from 9am – 4pm, the men of Delta Theta Sigma and Alpha Gamma Rho as well as the Committee of 88 will be hosting the 2^nd Annual Roast Away for MDA. The event will be held at The Women’s Field House, on Lincoln Tower Field. If you’re heading over to the game, be sure to stop by first. Or after. Or during. If you can’t find us, follow the music as we will have a DJ. We will be selling pulled pork sandwiches for a suggested donation price of $5. With that comes the hefty half pound of delicious smoked pulled pork sandwich, access to an exclusive barbeque sauss, aka a nectar sent straight from Zeus himself, known to us mere mortals as Sweet Baby Ray’s, a bag of chopped taters known as chips, and an ice cold beverage of the soda variety. If you’re not in a hurry, stick around for awhile and play corn hole with DTS and AGR, as there will be plenty of boards available. And again, we will be blessed with the musical stylings of various American musicians selected by none other than the famous DJ Edge of Alpha Gamma Rho.

                As aforementioned, this is the second annual event. The first took place last year at Beta Theta Pi with DTS and AGR. $700 was raised last year for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. You may have heard of MDA before when Firefighters across the nation stop traffic during events with their “Fill the Boot” campaigns to raise money for MDA. For just a simple dollar or two, you received a sticker. Well my friends, though stickers are great and I certainly approve, for just a small suggested retail price of $5 you receive much more than a sticker. For a rundown of the pallet teasing menu, please refer once again to the first paragraph.

                Jokes aside, Muscular Dystrophy is a serious disease. MD deteriorates the muscles over a person’s lifetime, and causes severe issues with everyday activities, such as walking. The event was originally inspired by Olivia Campbell, a Kent State Delta Gamma. Campbell is very active at Kent promoting Greek life, as well as working with MDA. She has been a facilitator at Camp Cheerful, an MDA camp near Cleveland that works with children with MD. She was also recently quoted in the Kent State newspaper this past March. She also gave a speech on Monday, April 9^th.

                “The Muscular Dystrophy Association, for example, has become the most fabulous, supportive second family whom I would never have met without my diagnosis. They were there for me through testing, hospital visits, surgeries, school, summer vacation, you name it; and for that, I am beyond grateful. No one ever talks about whom you turn to after the shock of a diagnosis sets in, and they should, because organizations like MDA change lives. I would never say MD made me the person I am today, but I would be ignorant if I didn't acknowledge how greatly it has impacted the person I've become.”

                We as a Greek community are all about service, philanthropy, and brotherhood. In my opinion, there is nothing more touching than a community coming together to help one of our own.

                “Here I am today, a sister of Delta Gamma Fraternity, studying Health Care Administration and Health Services at Kent State. It is because of the many people I have encountered along my journey that I plan on entering the health care field. It’s time for me to give back what I have been given and I dream that one day I will be able to ease the pain for at least one other person, in the way that so many have done for me,” Campbell said in her speech.

                No matter the university, no matter the letters, no matter fraternity vs. sorority, we are a community. We have done great things as an Ohio State Greek Community, and I know that we will continue to support not only our own, but also those that have been “dealt a stack of cards in which we have no clue what's to come.” You can help people like Olivia by making a donation to MDA at our booth or getting some ridiculously delicious pulled pork sandwiches at our Roast Away Philanthropy on April 21^st from 9-4 at the Women’s Field House. We are a community. Greek strong.