Paul Vassil '86 - Alumni Profile
Click Here to Fill Out Your Own Alumni Corner ProfilePaul Vassil - 1986
Big Brother: Todd Moore
OX: Why did you join Theta Chi?
Paul Vassil: It was a low key, down to earth diverse group of guys - not at all like the fraternity stereotypes I wanted to avoid.
OX: What is your favorite Theta Chi memory or story?
PV: When, as a pledge, I was sitting two tables down from Ed Brown and Al Guber at the Cellar in the HUB; I buried my head in the Collegian as they discussed the plans for our pledge class's Hell Night and they didn't see me. I later told the details to the guys in my class, so we weren't totally caught off guard for our initiation. I'm not sure Ed and Al knew this....until now!
Vassil and familyOX: What kind of influence has the fraternity had on your life since graduation?
PV: It taught me to relate to all different kinds of people with different goals, morals and values; this is definitely something I have to apply in my line of work. It also showed me how a group so different as individuals can make a really pretty solid whole.
OX: What is your nickname? How did you get it? Did anyone in particular give it to you?
PV: None, really, so no story.
OX: Did you live in the house? If so, who were your roommates? Tell us about a memorable time with them.
PV: I was a brother but a "townie", doing the off campus apartment thing. I never roomed with another brother, but I don't think that limited my experience much.
OX: Where did your pledge class go on their bolt? What brothers did you take? Any funny stories you can tell?
PV: We went to James Madison University and partied at a really cool dance club while Bob Kramer tried to steal a keg and smooth talker Jamie Alder and a few of us others had to get him out of trouble. To this day I still do NOT believe that Big AL blew chunks on the trip!
OX: With whom do you stay in contact? And is there anyone with whom you’ve lost touch that you would like to find?
PV: Not as many as I'd like. I correspond at holidays with Ed Brown, Al Guber, Rod Miller, Bob Kramer, and Anthony Panichelli and hope to get better at keeping up with e-mails. Ron Haws lives not far and manages a pretty popular restaurant in our area- hope to see him there. I'd like to get in touch with Leo Sugg and Randy Siegmann - we were pretty close in college.
OX: What other activities or organizations were you involved with during your college days?
PV: I wrote for the Collegian and was in the Penn State Scholars Program - that got me into some really cool programs and lectures.
OX: Tell us about your family. Have you married? Do you have children?
PV: I've been married to Maria, a pharmacist, since 1995. We have four children - Kyriaki, born 8/97; Katerina, born 6/99; and Markella and Peter,our twins, born 1/03. They keep us pretty busy most of the time!
OX: What do you do for a living?
PV: I'm a Family Practice physician in Lititz, PA. It's challenging all the time, rewarding most of the time, and boring little of the time. I do urgent care,home visits and nursing home care too, to KEEP it interesting.
OX: What hobbies do you enjoy?
PV: Spend time with my family - the kids are growing too fast! We really like the beach - Sandy Hook, Island Beach State Park, and Spring Lake, NJ are our favorites. We like watching movies and old TV shows at home, and we even enjoy going shopping. I do like to exercise, if you can believe it - I set my goal at 4 times a week.
OX: What are your goals for the next few years?
PV: To be a good, caring physician; to impart my own values and the benefits of my experiences on my children, and to raise them to appreciate that what is of value comes through commitment and hard work. I want them to live by the mantra: sing as if nobody's listening, dance as if nobody's watching, and live every day as if it were your last!
OX: What organizations are you involved with in your community?
PV: I'm a member of the PA Medical Society and the American Academy of Family Physicians.