Theta Chi National Eagle

Theta Chi Fraternity and The Norwich Housing Corporation are teaming up with the Center for Campus Fire Safety (CCFS) to recognize September as Fire Safety Month at universities and colleges across North America.
Regardless of a person’s age, fire kills. And with August and September typically being the worst months for fatal campus-related fires, now is the best time for everyone to get reacquainted with living fire safe. Fire safety skills are not just important undergraduate skills- they are life skills that will reduce the chance of death or injury. Unfortunately, most college students do not realize how quickly a fire can grow, or even worse, how to respond when a fire does occur. Therefore, spreading the fire safety message and imparting vital life preserving skills requires a team approach.
During Fire Safety Month, Theta Chi will do its part to support Fire Safety Month by providing facts, figures, and fire safety tips on the Theta Chi Facebook fan page and through Twitter. Articles and fire safety tips will also be posted on Theta Chi’s housing blog Within These Walls (www.thetachihousing.org). Finally, Theta Chi will be provide ideas for chapters to implement at their respective schools on www.thetachi.org. Theta Chi encourages its chapters to conduct fire drills, meet with their local fire marshals, and practice other important fire safety procedures during the month of September to recognize this month as Fire Safety Month.
Campus Fire Safety Month was first proclaimed by CCFS in 2005, and was formalized nationally in 2007 by resolutions from the United States House of Representatives and Senate.
The Norwich Housing Corporation is a non-profit corporation that provides loans for the purchase and renovation of Theta Chi chapter houses. Norwich is one of the first Greek organizations to provide low interest loans specifically for Theta Chi house corporations for the purpose of addressing life safety issues within the chapter house. Theta Chi house corporations wanting to learn more about the life safety loan program should contact the Norwich Administrative Officer at Norwich_Loans@thetachi.org or at 317-824-1881.
The Center for Campus Fire Safety is a national non-profit organization dedicated to protecting life and property from fire at our nation’s institutions of higher learning. Based in Newburyport, MA, the Center provides public education and support to the professionals who spend their life’s work making our campuses and communities safer. For more information about fire and life safety on and off campus, visit www.campusfiresafety.org.

[Editor's note: Brother Devin Gannon (Zeta Lambda/Westminster 2011) was recently recognized as a local hero for his quick thinking after saving the life of a woman who collapsed at the Crawford Swimming Pool in Shaler Township, PA. The below story is reprinted with permission from the Titan Sports Blog. You can read the original story here, or check out WTAE Pittsburgh Channel 4's coverage (with video) here.]
Posted by Titan Sports Blogger
Followers of sports often lose sight of who we recognize as true heroes. Gene Collier wrote in his column "The ex-sportswriter" for the Columbia Journalism Review that "an actual living hero is ten times as likely to walk down your street, sit next to you on a bus, or hold the door for you at the library than to appear on your television between the never varying pre-game yammer and the postgame lament about who 'stepped up' and who just 'didn't want it bad enough.'"
Last week a Westminster College varsity athlete was looked upon as a hero -- not a sports hero, but an actual living hero -- for helping save the life of a woman at the Kiwanis Park pool in Shaler Township. Devin Gannon (Glenshaw, Pa./Shaler), a senior-to-be on the Westminster swim team, helped save the life of a woman that collapsed on Tuesday and she was subsequently in a coma for two days before she recovered. However, the efforts of Gannon and two other workers at the pool helped sustain the woman's life until paramedics arrived.
Gannon used an AED defibrillator to shock her heart to keep her alive. Gannon and the two other workers were honored Friday night at the pool in a special ceremony.

Theta Chi Fraternity is pleased to welcome Joel Wendland (Zeta Beta/Adrian 1996) to the International Headquarters staff. Joel will be serving as Director of Member Services and will be responsible for managing the new member registration, awards, and all other membership-related processes.
Brother Wendland brings a world of experience with him to the International Headquarters. Most recently, he was the Foundation Relations Manager for the Indiana Repertory Theatre in Indianapolis, where he managed grant programming by securing private and public funding for education programs and general operations. Previously, Brother Wendland worked at the Indiana University School of Medicine as a development specialist, managing the foundation database to build donor portfolios for the IU Simon Cancer Center. He had also previously worked in Venice, CA as a project director for L.A. Theatre Works, where he managed promotional marketing and fundraising projects and launched the organization’s first national touring program.
As an undergraduate, Brother Wendland served the Zeta Beta chapter as President, Vice President, Secretary and House Manager. He is a volunteer on Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity’s National Awards Committee and is also involved with the Indiana Youth Group as a grant writer.
“We are very excited to welcome Joel to the International Headquarters Staff,” Executive Director Michael Mayer said. “His experience in the nonprofit sector will serve Theta Chi very well.”
Brother Wendland began work at the International Headquarters on Monday, Aug. 16. He can be reached by e-mail at jwendland@thetachi.org or by calling the International Headquarters at 317-824-1881. Congratulations, brother!