Kappa Delta Phi Brother and American Army Soldier, Geoffrey Carmichael.

This month’s Spotlight on a Kappa is on Geoffrey Carmichael. He is an alumni Brother of the Nu Chapter from Thomas College, Waterville, Maine. His hometown is in Sanford, Maine but now resides in Steilacoom, Washington with his wife Camilla of 1 year. He is a medical lab technician stationed at Fort Lewis with the 47th Combat Support Hospital. He also does church ministry and missionary work at McNeil Island Corrections Center on Sunday evenings. His wife, Camilla, is also in the Army and is a supply specialist and has been in Iraq since last September, but will be coming back within the month. Geoff is expecting to be heading out to Iraq in late 2008.

Geoffrey pledge in the fall of 2003 and was active until he graduated from Thomas College in May 2006. He believes that Kappa chose him because the brothers showed a lot of interest in him, seeing the potential leader he would blossom into being. They didn’t know who the real Geoffrey was until after the interview process. While he was active, he held the position of pledge master and the philanthropy chairman. Geoffrey was also on the Thomas College Lacrosse Team, the college republicans as well as several other organizations on campus. He hasn’t been to a convention yet, but did go to the President Treasurer’s Meeting in the fall of 2004.

Being in Kappa and going through pledging helped him get through basic training. He had two similar situations where a girlfriend broke up with him during pledging for Kappa Delta Phi and another girlfriend broke up with him during basic training. Geoffrey said, “The hardest part in training and pledging was just going through the process and the emotional attachment to someone. The hardships you go through and the bonds you make were most important and the trust that you build with the other comrades.” After Kappa, he had a really life changing experience at his job. It happened at his first autopsy and he realized the full value of life.

Some of the many Kappa past times that people have are just being with their brothers and sisters, Geoffrey loved late night Kappa chants before quiet hours at school and getting together with alumni such at Scott Cranston, Ken Holman and David Alberico. Many brothers and sisters have changed our lives in some way, even if they are a small way. David Alberico is one of those brothers that changed Geoffrey’s life. David met Geoffrey’s mother and made a great lasting impression of a classy gentleman. Cherry Drew is a sister that showed Geoffrey the meaning of having a good time with other Kappa Brothers. Geoffrey tries his best by staying in touch with the actives from Nu Chapter and helps them out if it is financial or even just some brotherly advice.

Something that most people don’t know about Geoffrey is that he is training for a marathon right now and has about 20 pairs of running shoes. I don’t know what obsessive is but that seems like a lot! He loves cookies, doesn’t drink any alcohol, doesn’t smoke and is also an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Saints. I asked Geoffrey what the top three things he wants to do before he got too old. He replied with running ten marathons; after he retires, he wants to go on a church mission with his wife because he didn’t get to do it because of the military and he is married; and to win the Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest by trying to eat 58 hot dogs.

Congratulations Geoffrey on being this month’s Spotlight on a Kappa!

Kappa Delta Phi Brother and Police Office, Keven St. Peter.

This Month’s Spotlight on a Kappa is on Kevin St. Peter, alumni of the Eta Chapter. He is 40 years old and he calls home Limestone, Maine. He has been married to his wife, Claudia, for 14 years and has 2 beautiful daughters, Alyssa age 12 and Kelsey age 9. Kevin went to school at the University of Maine, Machias and later joined Kappa Delta Phi in the spring of 1987. He was only there for one semester, but soon traveled up to the University of Maine, Presque Isle. He was a commuter student there and was also involved with the Mu Chapter for a little bit, but did not hold any positions at either chapter. The ideals and the men of Kappa Delta Phi really appealed to Kevin. He had many friends in the other fraternities on campus, but he never really felt chemistry with the others ones due to their different styles of being a fraternity.

Soon after college was over for him, he went to the academy to become a police officer. He spent 12 weeks in the academy and he reflected on Kappa while he was there and used it to get through the academy. Being up at 5am and having every second of the day planned for him until 10pm was a change for him. It was military based and where as other men were in some type of military beforehand, Kevin was coming right out of college. Kappa was a big help as a core foundation for him through the academy because it reminded him of the pledging process that he did with Kappa. Some things that were different for Kevin was the attention to detail, marching, PT in the early morning, breakfast at 7am, room inspections. A lot of physical training was not something Kevin was used to like running three days a week, doing a circuit, and sometimes having classes after supper. The only time he would have free time was when him and some of the guys would play volleyball and that was it.

Kevin has recently had an interest in the outdoors and has started camping with his family. He is a very outgoing person and enjoys concerts every now and then. A game of paintball is another thing that is one of his hobbies. Some of his favorite Kappa past times as an active was going to Kappa Kamp. As an alumni, his new past times are the Greek Games at Eta that he’s attended and Mu Reunion the past few years. Whenever he’s gone on a trip, he’s gotten in touch with brothers in the area and got a bite to eat to catch up.

Being a full time patrolman is a tough and strenuous job. He works all the small departments but is never involved with murders. Most of Kevin’s job enquires him to work on computer crimes, white collar crimes, and financial crimes. Two of Kevin’s most memorable incidents are very touching. On October 8th, 2004 in Caribou, ME, a 13-year-old girl was getting off a school bus right in front of her house. A truck lost control on the road and as soon as the girl got off the bus, she was hit and killed instantly by the truck. At the very same time, Kevin was having a fight with his oldest daughter Alyssa, age 9 at the time, because she had a splinter. The call finally got to Kevin and he was the first on the scene. The second most memorable incident happened with winning a court case. In 2005, a 46-year-old man tried to solicit a 13-year-old girl over the internet and told her parents and they contacted the police about it. At the time, they had a small female police officer and they used her to resemble the girl and caught him when he pulled up at the meeting spot. The case went to a 2-day trial and the jury was out in 7 minutes and found him guilty. He went to jail and was later released and tried to grab a young girl in Fort Fairfield, ME the next day and is in jail now.

Kevin lost touch with a lot of people when he moved back home to Limestone/Caribou, but the Kappa Talk has gotten him connected with people he lost contact with. He plans on going to convention this year for the first time in a long time.

Congratulations Kevin on being this month’s Spotlight on a Kappa!

Brother Ken Holman, right and Goetz Brandau

The first Spotlight on a Kappa is our own Kappa Talk website creator Kenneth Holman. Ken is 34 years old and lives in Clifton Park, NY, just 15 miles from Saratoga Springs. He lives with his lovely wife, Stacey, of 6 years and their 2 dogs, Kelsey and Chowduh. Two of the things that are very important to Ken are politics and his faith,. He is also a major fan of the New York Rangers!

Ken went to New Paltz State and joined Kappa Delta Phi in the Fall of 1995. He felt Greek life was not for him until he found Kappa Delta Phi, they were established for only a year at the time, otherwise he would have pledged for them sooner. He liked what Kappa Delta Phi was presenting to him. They had a very good group of core values and they weren’t a huge national fraternity where he’d be lost in the shuffle. What attracted him the most was that Kappa showed a great blue collar New England work ethic. He believes that in the end he chose Kappa and that Kappa chose him.