Reflecting back on his time in Lambda Chi Alpha brought up a lot of memories for Rick Krause ’89. From intramurals to road trips, parties to weddings, the chapter added a great deal to his life.
“We were a very diverse group known for doing very well in the college’s intramural sports program,” Rick said. “We were always at the top of the President’s Cup, which was awarded to the top fraternity in intramurals.”
Not all of the chapter’s achievements in intramurals were foregone conclusions, though. “We were underdogs in the intramural deck hockey championship and we won!
“I also remember the parties with a DJ in the living room and a band in the basement. For one party, we even shoveled a few tons of sand into the dining room,” he laughed. “What were we thinking?”
In addition to providing a location for a temporary beach, the chapter house was a special place for Rick and the other brothers. “Obviously, the living room and dining room were places to study and hang out,” he said. “The basement was a great place to play pool and beer pong and listen to music.
“There was an alumnus who worked for the State Department in Washington, D.C. One Saturday afternoon, he unexpectedly stopped by the house with a high-level trade diplomat from Germany. If you were there that day, you remember it very well!!”
Like most fraternity men, the chapter sometimes would heed the call of the open road in search of fun. “A bunch of brothers took a road trip to Lehigh University for the weekend,” Rick said. “We rented a U-Haul truck and threw some of the house’s couches in the back of it and had a great time!”
While Rick was in college, his relationships with other brothers changed with the passage of time.
“When I was a freshman and going through the Associate Member program, I really looked up to the upper classmen,” he said. “They were the ones who got me interested in Lambda Chi: Mike Mayone ’88, Linc Thompson ’88, Rob Bongiovanni ’88, and Dave Behling ’88.
“Then, as I became older, I became close with some of the younger brothers: Geoff Jackson ’91, John Petrycki ’91, Andy Sonn ’91, Craig DeMallie ’91, Matt Mahoney ’91, and Keith Yacko ’90. In my class, I was close with Ted Little, Steve Elder ’89, and Scott Rockafellow.”
The development of those relationships even occurred during chapter meetings, which became Rick’s favorite Lambda Chi traditions. “I loved passing the gavel at a brothers’ meeting. Everyone had a chance to say something and participate in the fraternity.”
Rick’s fraternity friendships continued throughout his life. “A group of brothers attended my wedding and conducted the Lambda Chi Alpha pinning ceremony for my wife,” he said. “That was a very special and memorable part of our day!”