After a 10-year absence, Theta Chi officially began its return to Babson College on March 2, 2024, at 2 p.m. by holding a Ceremony to establish the Eta Delta Colony on campus. The 17 men who made their pledge to join Theta Chi and revive Eta Delta were recruited by Growth Specialists Angel Rodriguez and Eric Rys and include: Samuel Ceballos (2027), Cade Collins (2027), Will Freudenheim (2027), Coleman Hayes (2027), Alex Kozin (2027), Lex Langer (2027), Will Marra (2027), Ryan Martines (2027), Gavin Meslter (2027), Leo Mu (2027), Seth Nisguretsky (2027), Alessandro Potutylowicz (2027), Nico Rapoza (2027), Alex Schoss (2026), Jack Scilio (2027), Nate Sheer (2027), and Alex Sica (2027).
The Eta Delta/Babson recolonization journey began back in fall 2017. Chief Operating Officer Ray Vanlanot began his initial efforts and reached out to the college to discuss recolonization and received a cool response. In 2018, Vanlanot was invited to speak to the Eta Delta Alumni Corporation during their “Back2Babson” homecoming event, which he concluded by opening the conversation to the idea of Theta Chi’s plans for a return to Babson. Later in the evening, the college’s development office revealed Theta Chi was the top donor organization for Babson, both in terms of the number of donors and dollars raised. Soon after, the college’s then-Director of Fraternity/Sorority Life expressed concern and stated the student body wouldn’t be prepared for an expansion in the immediate future because the “climate wasn’t great.” Eta Delta alumni and their spouses vocalized their dissent, disdain, and disagreement with his analysis and those gathered vowed to ensure Theta Chi’s return.
In fall 2019, Ray Vanlanot petitioned and received approval from the Grand Chapter to initiate four Babson alumni who were members of Alpha Delta Sigma, the predecessor organization of Theta Chi on campus. The four men tapped included John Horton (2019), Dennis Pelletier (2019), Judson Smith (2019), and Richard Snyder (2019), a Babson Trustee. Vanlanot returned during homecoming in 2019 and “Back2Babson” for their initiation and learned the news of recent turnover in the fraternity/sorority life office and another record-breaking fundraising effort by the Eta Delta alumni. During fall 2020, Vanlanot met with Emily Kunkle, then-Assistant Director of Fraternity & Sorority Life, who expressed their office was changing to be more pro-expansion.
In February 2021, Vanlanot & then-Sr. Director of Growth Zack Brown made a virtual presentation to the Babson Interfraternity Council, Student Government Association, and several college administrators. The following month, Theta Chi learned that it had been chosen to return to campus during fall 2023.
The expansion process began formally on August 28, 2023. Prior to the start of fall semester, interest was expressed by students who wanted to learn more about Theta Chi. Several students completed a form indicating their interest in joining. However, the Growth Specialists were faced with a challenge due to Babson College’s deferred recruitment policy for freshmen. First-year students were ineligible to be recruited and were unable to join a fraternity until the spring semester.
On the first day of classes, Angel and Eric met with Nico Rapoza (2027). Rapoza was calm, cool, and collected and was extremely passionate about starting something new at Babson College. He had always been interested in Greek Life but wanted to set a new standard for fraternity culture within the campus community.
Rapoza was very keen on joining after the meeting. Soon after, he began talking to his roommates, friends, and classmates about the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a new fraternity experience at Babson - one they could mold and establish their own legacy on the campus. This struck accord with many of Rapoza’s friends, and other men at Babson: Those who attend Babson College have a robust entrepreneurial drive and many students enter their first year with internship experience already under their belt and are ready to be leaders in the business world.
Rapoza was very keen on joining after the meeting. Soon after, he began talking to his roommates, friends, and classmates about the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a new fraternity experience at Babson - one they could mold and establish their own legacy on the campus. This struck accord with many of Rapoza’s friends, and other men at Babson: Those who attend Babson College have a robust entrepreneurial drive and many students enter their first year with internship experience already under their belt and are ready to be leaders in the business world.
With so many students having such a strong entrepreneurial mindset, joining Theta Chi at Babson was not only something special to them, but important during their collegiate experience, and instrumental to their long-term plans following graduation. Initially, many of the men who were recruited did not know each other very well, though some others lived together on the same floor, and quickly formed a bond of friendship together through their shared interest in joining Theta Chi.
Many of the men are involved in a large variety of clubs and sports at Babson. Several of the members are active players on Babson’s rugby, track & field, and lacrosse teams. Most of the members are involved in entrepreneurship clubs on campus, along with the business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi. Their heavy involvement in many different clubs and sports teams will give them many opportunities to recruit new potential members.
At the beginning of spring 2024, Angel and Eric began extending bids to the excited men who had been patiently waiting at Babson College. A core nucleus was officially formed, officers were selected, and the group submitted a formal petition to the Grand Chapter to recolonize the Eta Delta Chapter.
On March 2, 2024, 17 men of Babson College were officially pledged to Theta Chi and the Eta Delta Colony was formed with the goal of reinstalling Eta Delta Chapter. The Installing Officer was International President Creig Andreasen. Additional attendees included Director of Growth Sam Terry, Eta Delta/Babson alumni Jaime Cacace (1990), Harold Cooper (1975), Ray Forcina (1993), Matthew Knoettner (1995), Joel Orcutt (1993), Eric Moffat (1992), Keith Patriquin (1986), Adam Sachs (1993), Richard Snyder (2019), Greg Spier (1979), Matt Toolan (1990), and Kevin Walsh (1994) as well as Bill Koromhas (Zeta/New Hampshire 1994) and Mark Martines (Epsilon Theta/Tufts 1988).
Director of Growth Sam Terry spoke with the Eta Delta Colony members throughout the day of the ceremony and, on the following day, set goals including the particularly ambitious goal to reinstall the chapter within the 2024/2025 academic year. The colony also set their own goals for enhancing the philanthropic, service, and social experience at Babson.
"Through the challenges we've faced, an immense work and time put into this, the one true fuel to this fire lays in the individual ambitious men who make up this chapter. We all knew this wouldn't be easy, but we believe the future is too bright to let off the gas and let this opportunity pass by. As we continue to carry the legacy of Theta Chi at Babson, we aim to re-establish both Babson's ethos of entrepreneurial spirt and Theta Chi's focus on the Assisting Hand into Greek life. Through these efforts we have support over 4000 families in need in just one semester alone. On top of this, we've focused on the opportunities for personal and professional growth through internal programs shaping tomorrow's leaders into Resolute Men. We are grateful for this opportunity and can't wait to get back after it in the fall." - Colony President Nico Rapoza (2027)
"To say that these men are go-getters would be an understatement. Their combination of drive and passion for service and personal growth shows great promise for this group. I am incredibly proud of these men for what they've achieved already and I'm excited to see what's in store for Eta Delta." - Director of Growth Sam Terry
Congratulations to the new colony members and Go Beavs! You can follow their exploits via their Instagram.