The year 2000 opened with the presidency of Alyssa Noto, only the second female president of the chapter. Under Alyssa’s administration, a stringent policy on hazing and harassment was written and appended to the chapter bylaws. This policy, clarifying and codifying the rights and responsibilities of collegians and alumni, was conceived in the Spring 2000 semester and executed in the Fall 2000 semester. Other Executive Board members included Rashid Darden, Vice President of Communications; Cameron Woods, Vice President of Service; Adam Thompson, Vice President of Membership; Bernadette Redondo, Vice President of Finance; Courtney Kramer, Alumni Secretary/Historian; and Trevor Joyce, Operations Officer.
Jan Sacharko served as Vice President of Pledging for Line 89 during Spring 2000 semester. Fr. Joseph Durkin was selected by the chapter as the line dedication. Fifteen collegians and one honorary brother were initiated on this line. The honorary initiate was Dr. Darlene Weaver in the Theology Department. Dr. Weaver currently teaches at Villanova University where she is also Director of the Theology Institute. Immediately following the presentation of the new brothers, Anandi Kotak and Cristina Giampaolo were awarded Distinguished Service Keys.
Also during the Spring 2000 Mu Alpha Weekend, Noelle Kurtin was elected President of the Mu Alpha Alumni Association. Though she would hold this position for just a year, she successfully carried the association through the 45th anniversary celebration.
Nine new brothers were initiated in the Fall of 2000 on Line 90. Pledging was led by Ine Leus, Vice President of Pledging. The National Pledge Class namesake was Robert Barkhurst.
Jason Williams and Rashid Darden were elected Voting Delegates to the National Convention in Philadelphia, PA.
Trevor Joyce served as chapter president in 2001. Other board members included Kerry Monaghan, Vice President of Communications; Jason Williams, Vice President of Service; Frank Wimer, Vice President of Membership; Adam Doverspike, Vice President of Finance; Emily Porter, Alumni Secretary; Lauren O’Shea, Historian; and Corinne Tapia, Operations Officer.
In the Spring of 2001 a Georgetown tradition humbly began. Hoyathon – a dance marathon benefiting the Children’s National Medical Center and Georgetown University Pediatrics – was established by Kevin Preis (CAS ’01). Though not himself a Mu Alpha brother, the chapter contributed dancers and volunteers. It grew to be a well-loved project of the chapter and has gained its support every year since its inception.
Rashid Darden, the first known African American Vice President of Pledging in the history of the chapter, led the initiation of the seven brothers of Line 91. Two honorary brothers were also selected, but only Bill Murphy, the Executive Director of Mary House, was initiated with this line. Several minor but lasting modifications to the pledge program were made during this process. Line 91 was dedicated to the last living founder of Alpha Phi Omega, Donald LeRoy Terwiliger. Brother Terwilliger would later pass away on August 10, 2002, in Sarasota, Florida, at the age of 95.
In addition to the 45th anniversary of the chapter’s founding, the Spring 2001 Mu Alpha Weekend had several other highlights. Bernadette Redondo and Jan-Michael Sacharko were awarded Distinguished Service Keys. Scott Beale was elected President of the Mu Alpha Alumni Association and his administration would be known for greater fraternalism and an earnest effort to endow university office space for Mu Alpha chapter. The anniversary banquet was held at the Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington, Virginia.
In response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on America, specifically at the Pentagon, Mu Alpha organized a blood drive. This activity earned Mu Alpha a mention in the Winter 2001 edition of the Torch and Trefoil. Additionally, the chapter conducted a bake sale and contributed over $100 to the 9/11 relief fund, according to The Hoya. And in another article in The Georgetown Voice, Alpha Phi Omega was mentioned as one of only two fraternities on campus receiving access to university benefits.
The Georgetown Academy, an independent campus periodical, featured Mu Alpha in an article titled “Georgetown’s Best Fraternity and Service Organization: Alpha Phi Omega.” This piece detailed many aspects of the chapter’s history, including mentions of the ever-evolving service program and its committment to alumni involvement.
Toward the end of 2001, Rashid Darden was appointed Sponsor of the second Alpha Phi Omega rechartering effort at Howard University. To prepare for this task, Rashid performed hours of research to write Zeta Phi chapter’s history and to locate chapter alumni.
The following semester, Spring 2002, Mu Alpha Chapter took a leadership role among chapters in promoting Alpha Phi Omega on the campus of Howard University through three back-to-back campus canvassing days and by assisting with an information session in the Blackburn Center at Howard University. These actions led to Mu Alpha’s selection as the first big brother chapter for the eventual petitioning group at Howard. The chapter served dutifully in that role during the petitioning group’s most formative months.
Justin Slavin was elected Vice President of Pledging for Line 92 in Spring 2002. Dedicated to the rescue workers of 9/11, six brothers were initiated on this line. Among this number was a chapter legacy, Kyle Joyce, brother of sitting president Trevor Joyce.
Adam Doverspike served as chapter president in 2002. Serving on the executive board was Soozie Klock, Vice President of Communications; Sean Garrett, Vice President of Service; Dulcie Madden, Vice President of Finance; Corinne Tapia, Vice President of Membership; Laura Salvidar, Historian; Emily Porter, Alumni Secretary; and Lisa Sutz, Operations Officer.
Brother Doverspike would also serve as the chairman of the second annual Hoyathon during this semester. The event raised over $18,000 for Children’s National Medical Center.
As was often the case over the half-century history of Mu Alpha, a new service organization spun off from the chapter in Spring 2002. The American Red Cross Blood Drive Club (BDC) was established by Alex Diaz de Villalvilla due to the overwhelming need for blood in the Washington area.
Trevor Joyce was Vice President of Pledging for line 93, which included 17 collegians and one honorary brother, Patricia O’Connor. During this Mu Alpha weekend, Ine Leus and Trevor Joyce were awarded Distinguished Service Keys. Later in the semester, graduating seniors Shannon Kahle and Kerry Monaghan received Lena Landegger Community Service Awards in recognition for their extraordinary accomplishments in community service.
Emily Porter was elected Vice President of Pledging for Line 94 in Fall 2002. During this pledging chapter alumna Carmen Cardenas “adopted” the recently transferred brother Dani Ressegue onto her family tree (Looney).
In September 2002, The Hoya published an article about the results of a study on the Catholic response to HIV/AIDS education. An APO advisor, Christina Aquino, was a principal author of the study. This article also highlights a chapter service project with Pediatric Care, a nonprofit organization serving children and families living with HIV/AIDS. The following month, Mu Alpha participated in Georgetown Clean-up Day along with several other campus organizations and the Office of Off-Campus Student Life, the Georgetown University Student Association, and the Citizens Association of Georgetown.
Adam Doverspike and JR Devallon were elected voting delegates to the 2002 National Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Sean Garrett became chapter president in 2003 and served with JR Devallon, Vice President of Communications; Jeremy Jenkins, Vice President of Service; Erica Weisgerber, Vice President of Finance; Jim Purcell, Vice President of Membership; Mary Beth Sullivan, Historian; Danielle Barrios, Alumni Secretary; and John Goodman, Operations Officer.
Charles Harris served as Vice President of Pledging in the Spring 2003 semester, which was dedicated to Eugene Mark.
David Bujard assumed the helm of the Mu Alpha Alumni Association during Mu Alpha Weekend Spring 2003. Dulcie Madden and Amanda Ochoa were awarded Distinguished Service Keys at the New Brother party.
Hoyathon, led by chapter president Sean Garrett, raised over $21,000 for Georgetown University Hospital’s Pediatric Mobile Clinic and the Children’s National Medical Center. Brother Garrett had been the corporate sponsorship chair for the previous Hoyathon. Other Alpha Phi Omega brothers providing leadership for Hoyathon included media relations director Pontip Rasavong and fundraising chair Abdul Ismaila.
On Saturday, May 31, 2003, Honorary Brother Rev. Joseph T. Durkin, SJ, died of pneumonia at age 100. Fr. Durkin taught at Georgetown into his nineties, was the author of over two dozen books, and was well known for his religious service to Alzheimer’s patients and in prison ministries. He had just been awarded the prestigious John Carroll Medal of Merit at Commencement 2003.
Line 96 was led by Vice President of Pledging Erica Weisgerber in the Fall 2003 semester. Line 96 was noted for its diversity as well as its size – 23 were initiated, making this line tied with only Line 59 as the largest pledged line in the chapter’s history.
About 30 Mu Alpha brothers participated in the Fannie Mae Help the Homeless Walkathon on behalf of Mary House in November 2003. The chapter also participated in the Angel Tree Book Drive as a cosponsor along with the Georgetown University Bookstore, John Carroll Scholars, and the offices of the University President and Provost. The Angel Tree Book Drive collected children’s books for donation to DC school children.
2004 saw Patrick Schmidt’s service as chapter president. On his administration were John Goodman, Vice President of Communications; Elizabeth Walley, Vice President of Service, Sarah Sanders, Vice President of Finance; Maura Flaherty, Vice President of Membership; Pat Scruggs, Historian; Danielle Barrios, Alumni Secretary; and Daniel Gude, Operations Officer.
Soozie Klock was elected Vice President of Pledging for Line 97 in Spring 2004. These diverse six students were dedicated in honor of Mu Alpha brothers Rosie Hidalgo and Mike McCabe. Emily Athy and Sean Garrett awarded Distinguished Service Keys during the New Bro/Sis party.
Three members of Mu Alpha served as board members for the record-smashing 2004 Hoyathon, which raised over $27,000. The chapter was acknowledged in The Hoya by the Hoyathon chair as being lead donors, fundraisers, and participants.
David Karch was elected to serve as the Vice President of Pledging for the 18 brothers of Line 98 in Fall 2004.
Dominick Moreno and Moises Mendoza served as voting delegates to the 2004 National Convention in Denver, Colorado.
On Founders’ Day, December 16, 2004, Mu Alpha Alumnus Vidal Perez was found murdered in his apartment in Harlem, New York City. Memorial services were attended by several Alpha Phi Omega brothers later in the month. To date, Vidal’s killer has not been found.
David Karch was President of Mu Alpha in 2005. Along with him served Danny Gude as Vice President of Communications, Meghan Maxwell as Vice President of Service, Max McMahon as Vice President of Membership, Séamus Browne as Vice President of Finance, JP Abello as Alumni Secretary, Dominick Moreno as Historian, and Lorraine Riley as Operations Officer.
The Vice President of Pledging for Line 99, Spring 2005, was Brendan Coffman. These 14 men and women were dedicated to the memory of Vidal Perez. Shortly after pledging commenced, The Hoya published an exceptionally positive profile of the chapter’s service and pledging program. The author of this article, Britt Cramer, would later go on to herself pledge Alpha Phi Omega in the Fall of 2005.
Sarah Sanders and Erica Weisgerber were awarded Distinguished Service Keys at Mu Alpha Weekend for Spring 2005. Also during Mu Alpha Weekend, Jan Sacharko was elected President of the Mu Alpha Alumni Association. He would serve for two years, successfully leading the way to Mu Alpha’s 50th anniversary.
Five members of Mu Alpha were honored with Lena Landegger Community Service Awards: John Goodman, Charles Harris, N. Rashad Jones, Elizabeth Walley, and Erica Weisgerber. Elisa Perez was honored by Georgetown as an outstanding graduating senior.
On April 1-3, 2005, Mu Alpha Chapter hosted the final Section 84 Conference. The theme was Swingin’ Service n’ All That Jazz and Past National President Jerry Schroeder was the keynote speaker. The morning after his speech, Jerry was invited to the initiation of the newest pledge class at Eta Phi Chapter, American University. Much to his surprise, his daughter Kat Schroeder was one of the new brothers.
The Vice President of Pledging in Fall 2005 was Laura Collier, who led the recruitment and education of 13 initiates. Not only was Line 100 the first line with three digits, it was also the first time a national pledgeclass namesake was named for a Mu Alpha alumnus – Jerry Schroeder took that honor and became a household name among a brand new generation of Alpha Phi Omega brothers nationwide.
On October 28, 2005, Mu Alpha Brother Daniel Gude wrote a profile of the Van Escort Service in The Hoya in response to escalated attacks and robberies against Georgetown students. He also served as the project’s coordinator.
Meghan Maxwell served as chapter president in 2006 and the following executive board members served on her administration: Katherine Albutt, Vice President of Communications; Abbie Wheeler, Vice President of Service; Dominick Moreno, Vice President of Membership; Sarah MacArthur, Vice President of Finance; JP Abello, Alumni Secretary; Gina Bulett, Historian; and Gabbie Cojuango, Operations Officer.
Max McMahon was elected Vice President of Pledging for Line 101, which was dedicated to notable Mu Alpha alumna Maura Harty. Albert Wat was initiated with Line 101 as an honorary brother.
On Sunday, February 19, 2006, Kelli Auletta, Past President of the Mu Alpha Alumni Association, passed away from ovarian cancer. Several alumni, undergraduates, and pledges attended the memorial service in Dahlgren Chapel on Saturday, March 11, 2006.
One week later, Mu Alpha Chapter celebrated 50 years of uninterrupted service. Mu Alpha Week consisted of the traditional activities associated with the end of the pledging program, a barbecue, an alumni reception, and a gala banquet held in O’Donovan Hall, at which Brother and Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Consular Affairs Maura Harty was a keynote speaker. Over 300 brothers participated in the 50th anniversary weekend activities. Laura Collier and Liz Walley were the undergraduate co-chairs of the anniversary celebration, while alumni association president Jan Sacharko led the alumni involvement.
Arun Koottappillil became Vice President for the 11 brothers of Line 102. New Bro/Sis was held in the Holiday Inn Georgetown.
Meghan Maxwell and Kat Albutt were elected voting delegates to the 2006 National Convention in Louisville, Kentucky. At this convention, Past National President Jerry Schroeder became the first brother to recognize his own child (Kat Schroeder, Eta Phi) on the floor of the legislative session.
In 2007, Heather Hosmer was elected chapter president. Other Executive Board members included Davine Scarlett, Vice President of Communications; Laura Finnigan, Vice President of Service; Andres Hernandez, Vice President of Finance; Sarah MacArthur, Vice President of Membership; Kavitha Subramanian, Historian; Ally Kruger, Alumni Secretary; and Nicole Pedi, Operations Officer.
Endy Mageto was elected Vice President of Pledging for Line 103. After a strong effort by the chapter during rush, twenty new brothers, dedicated to the memory of Kelli Auletta, were initiated during the Spring of 2007. During the Spring 2007 New Bro/Sis party Meghan Maxwell and Dominick Moreno were awarded Distinguished Service Keys at New Bro/Sis at the Holiday Inn Georgetown in the Mirage room.
Also during Mu Alpha Weekend of Spring 2007, Rashid Darden was elected the Alumni Association’s first African American President. The major accomplishments of this administration were the launch of a new alumni/undergraduate website, the migration and updating of the membership database, launching an alumni association newsletter, greater communication between the alumni and undergraduates, instituting the senior reception and alumni induction, and reorganizing the leadership structure of the alumni association board of directors.
Hoyathon, co-chaired by Mu Alpha initiate Katherine Albutt and again supported by the chapter, raised over $41,000 for children’s hospitals.
The first senior reception and alumni induction was held on the Thursday evening before commencement at the home of Brothers Meghan Maxwell and Katherine Albutt. This event served as a rite of passage for graduating seniors and to remind them of their lifetime commitment to the principles of Leadership, Friendship, and Service. This public event also educated visiting family members and guests about the history and accomplishments of Alpha Phi Omega and Mu Alpha Chapter.
James Astrue became Vice President of Pledging for Line 104, successfully leading nine students through the pledging program in the Fall of 2007. Also during the Fall of 2007, Phil Brown was elected Vice President of Finance to replace Andres Hernandez who left the university. Finally, Patrick Higgins, a recent alumnus of Alpha Gamma Chapter at Purdue, was appointed Mu Alpha’s Chapter Representative by Laiza Casas, Chair of Section 85.
Joe Reilly was elected chapter president for the year 2008. Other Executive Board members included Ally Kruger, Vice President of Communications; Kristin Shaw, Vice President of Service; Phil Brown, Vice President of Finance; Olivia Sawyer, Vice President of Membership; Kavitha Subramanian, Historian; Jayson Lewis, Alumni Secretary; Christa Coronado, Operations Officer.
On January 19, 2008, honorary brother and long-time chapter advisor George R. Houston, Jr., passed away from pancreatic cancer. Brother Houston, a Georgetown alumnus, served as a faculty member in the School of Business from 1961 to 1994, at which time he became President of Mount St. Mary’s University. While at Georgetown, he also served as the university’s chief financial officer and managing director of Georgetown’s Endowment Fund.
Nicole Pedi was elected Vice President of Pledging for Line 105, which included 15 brothers and was dedicated in honor of Kindra Tully, a long-time chapter advisor and the longest-serving President of the Mu Alpha Alumni Association. At the New Brother Party, Heather Hosmer and Kat Albutt were awarded Distinguished Service Keys.
Mu Alpha initiates Janieasha Freelove-Sewell, Gina Bulett, and Hammad Hammad were honored with Lena Landegger Community Service Awards in 2008. Brother Hammad also earned a Fulbright Scholarship.
On the Thursday prior to commencement, the second senior reception and alumni induction held in the Leavey Program Room.
In a move which an editorial in The Hoya says “blindsided” Alpha Phi Omega and other student organizations, Mu Alpha was one of many student organizations which lost office space in the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Center over the summer of 2008. Having had a home in the Leavey Center since the Fall of 1994, with dedicated, unshared office space in room 434 since 1998, the chapter was unsure how it would manage its day-to-day program of service and fellowship. After several meetings between chapter leadership and university officials Suzanne Tarlov and Bill McCoy, Mu Alpha was given office space in the New South building in Riverside Lounge.
In an ironic twist of fate, even though Mu Alpha found itself temporarily homeless, the chapter had met the requirements for the Diamond Level of the Chapter of Excellence Award. The purpose of the Chapter of Excellence Award, according to the national website of Alpha Phi Omega, “is to recognize those Chapters whose programs of Leadership, Friendship and Service promote growth, retention and stability for the active Chapter, while providing a positive, inviting and educational environment for prospective and new members.” The first Chapter of Excellence Awards were named in 2004.
On Wednesday, September 3, 2008, Mu Alpha hosted the Petitioning Ceremony for the students attending the University of the District of Columbia who sought to establish a new chapter there. Other chapters in attendance were Theta Chi (who conducted the petitioning ceremony), Zeta Phi, Eta Phi, Epsilon Mu, and alumni volunteers on section staff.
Mu Alpha hosted Section 85’s Leadership Day on September 21 in the Bunn Intercultural Center, for which they were mentioned in Torch & Trefoil’s Winter 2008 edition. Every active chapter in section 85 participated, as well as the Petitioning Group at UDC.
At the fall meeting of the Mu Alpha Alumni Association on Friday, November 14, 2008, the association bylaws were amended to reduce the number of at-large members serving on the board, to eliminate the position of Vice President, and to create the positions of Vice President of Service, Vice President of Communications, Vice President of Fellowship, and Chancellor.
Phil Brown was elected Vice President of Pledging for Line 106 in Fall 2008. His election to this office created a vacancy for Vice President of Finance, which Christie Gibbons was elected to fill. Twelve new brothers were on Line 106, which was initiated on November 15, 2008, at the Kaleidoscope Room of the Holiday Inn Georgetown.
Ally Kruger and Kavitha Subramanian represented Mu Alpha at the National Convention Planning Conference at the University of Maryland at College Park on Saturday, November 22, 2008.
On Saturday, December 7, 2008, Kavitha Subramanian was elected to lead Mu Alpha Chapter as its President in 2009. The remaining members of the executive board were Christie Gibbons, Vice President of Communications; Kristin Shaw, Vice President of Service; Jenny Devine, Vice President of Fellowship; Jaleesa Jackson, Vice President of Finance; Ally Kruger, Vice President of Pledging; Alberto Camacho, Alumni Secretary; Marissa Barmash, Historian; Kelly Pilchard, Operations Officer.
At this same meeting, Mu Alpha’s constitution and bylaws were amended with the several significant changes. In terms of leadership structure, the chapter codified the 2001 decision to separate the Alumni Secretary/Historian position. The Vice President of Membership position was renamed to Vice President of Fellowship to more accurately portray the duties of the position and to use terminology consistent with other chapters. The responsibilities of the Vice President of Pledging were clarified and the Big/Little Committee was firmly established.
In matters of membership, the constitution and bylaws were amended to add sexual orientation and socioeconomic background to the open membership section. Also, the chapter clarified that associate membership would be conferred automatically to members meeting the conditions and that honorary brothers are given the rights and privileges of alumni membership.
In procedural matters, the chapter codified the ability of the chapter circle to award Distinguished Service Keys, clarified the procedures for the Circle of the Good of the Order, and gave the executive committee the power to elect delegates to conventions.
Finally at this meeting, the chapter unanimously voted to offer honorary membership to Ky Adderley, a distinguished alumnus of Georgetown University and founding principal of a charter school in Brooklyn, NY. Meanwhile, another honorary brother Georgetown University President John J. DeGioia was honored as one of 12 Washingtonians of the Year by The Washingtonian magazine.
The Mu Alpha delegation to the 2008 National Convention in Boston, Massachusetts, was led by voting delegates Kavitha Subramanian and Ally Kruger.
Katherine Faley of Line 103 was elected as the Vice President of Pledging for Line 108. The other brothers elected to Executive Board positions were Nicole Pedi, Vice President of Communications; Melody Hsu, Vice President of Service; Colleen Kerrisk, Historian.
On Halloween night of 2009, sixteen brothers on Line 108, dedicated to Jack McKenzie, were initiated at the Holiday Inn Georgetown. On this line was exchange student Kim Fernandes, who became the first student from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar to become a member of Mu Alpha Chapter.
In the spirit of cooperation and dedication to extension, Mu Alpha once again graciously shared ceremony space and ritual properties with the Petitioning Group at the University of the District of Columbia, allowing them to induct several more Petitioners on the same evening.
The Regional Conference was held at the College of William and Mary. Here, Mu Alpha was presented with the Chapter of Excellence and the Pledge Program of Excellence awards both at the Diamond Level for the second time. Mu Alpha was the only chapter in the region to receive both the awards at the highest level.
During this time, Rashid Darden was selected to become a Community Advisor for the chapter, replacing a previous advisor who had moved out of the area.
At the elections in December of 2009, amendments made to the bylaws codified the election procedures for the chapter, instituting a time limit on speeches and the order in which officers were to be elected. Another amendment was made allowing alumni to participate in chapter events only at the discretion of the executive board.
