Dave Willoughby was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1987 until 1992. In this interview, Willoughby describes his upbringing in the College Heights area of Ypsilanti with EMU virtually in his backyard. With a father who owned Willoughby Shoe Store in downtown Ypsilanti, Willoughby details his time at Central MIchigan University before coming to EMU where he lived in "The Hutch," a windowless room in the Arm house with room for a dresser and a twin bed. Willoughby speaks of his Arm of Honor brothers, his decision to join the frat, his mandatory ride, and the relationship between the University Department of Safety and the Arm of Honor Fraternity. Willoughby describes the night the Arm house was firebombed by a rival frat and the all-neighborhood brawl that nearly followed. Willoughby describes managing fraternity events, charging cover for parties, and the effect of the 2008 recession on the fraternity.
Mike Srock was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1965 until he was drafted by the US Armed Forces in 1967. Now a reknowned strength and speed coach, Srock talks about his upbringing, education and athletic exposure in Detroit, before detailing his college experiences, academics, and friendships within the Arm of Honor. He details his off-campus living situation, the atmosphere at EMU in the 1960s, rushing for Arm of Honor, and the six kegs of beer won by his pledge class for various athletic achievments. He talks of fellow Arm Dennis Snary and his unusual method of intramural swimming. Srock describes the fraternity band, Bob Schneider and the Collegiates, and their focus on socializing instead of rehearsal. He speaks of the lifelong friendships gained from the fraternity, and talks about the annual Alumni Day, and meeting former Arms Pat Dignan and Red Miller. He also describes the Motown Revue held at Bowen Fieldhouse, and the roles that the Arms played in making the concert happen. Srock also talks about the challenge of coming back to the fraternity after serving in the War in Vietnam.
Bob Scheloske was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1965 until 1969. In this interview, Scheloske details his upbringing in Cleveland, OH., his introduction to fraternity life at EMU, the ties between Arm of Honor and Alpha Z, the reign of terror by John Norman Collins, baseball coach Ron Oestrike, Arm of Honor brother Jim Zolkowski, and the relationship with rival fraternities. Scheloske also details the economic origins of the Arms, and the larger than life names that abound in the frat history like Elton Rynearson, Lloyd Olds, and Benjamin D'Ooge. He also speaks of the fundraising that Arm of Honor did for various causes and the process of being blackballed from the fraternity, the lottery draft, and some of the construction projects that Arms did on the Arm house.
Phil Riggio was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1968 until 1975, coming to EMU from Detroit, MI, where he sold produce from the back of a wagon before helping with the family produce business. Riggio's sons have followsed him into the business as well. Riggio details his father's journey to America from Sicily, and learning the tgricks of the produce trade from his father. There were expectations for Phil to attend college, he became interested in attending EMU after his team, University of Detroit, played them several times during the basketball season. Riggio details the bonds between Arm brothers, social movements on campus, and the "tight-lipped and tight knit" nature of the frat. Riggio describes initiation rituals, mandatory rides, and what happened when a pledge wanted out. Riggio, a reknown basketball player at EMU, also talk abotu playing at Bowen Fieldhouse, running in intramural cross country events, and the process of evicting the Arms from the fraternity house in 2015. President of the Arm of Honor Alumni Chapter in 2015, Riggio spearheaded the effort to clean up the image of the Arms.
Kirk Profit was an active member of the Arm of Honor from 1970 until 1975. Son of University Controller Louis Profit, Kirk Profit was a student at Roosevelt School until its closing in 1969 when he moved to Ypsilanti High School. Profit details some of the physical changes to campus since his student days, and the more familial aspect of campus in the 1950s and 1960s. Profit speaks of his father's friendship with President Harold Sponberg, and the need to keep a low profile during the tumultuous days on campus in the late 1960s. Profit describes fraternity living, and the pursuit of the All Sports Trophy, given to the most decorated fraternity in intramural sports. Profit discuesses fraternity initiation and taking clandestine drives to Silver Lake to try marijuana. Profit walks the reader through the Arm house, explaining the orgins for many of the room names.
Tom Prieur was active with the Arm of Honor Fratrernity from 1960 until 1963. Coming to EMU from Alpena, Michigan, Prieur is said to have brought several athletes into the fraternity, allowing the fraternity to achieve its athletic dominance on the EMU intramural fields. Quarterback for the EMU football team, Prieur, known as “Puss” to his Arm brothers, describes his introduction to athletics as a child, the occupations of his parents, and being recruited for the FBI following college graduation. Prieur speaks of living in the frat house, hazing rituals, and off-campus hang outs of the fraternity brothers. Prieur also speaks of the importance of talking to his college professors about his academic struggles, the presence of Black players at EMU, and the role of organized crime in the construction field.
Angelo Pizzo was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1968 until 1971. Universally loved by Arms of all generations, Pizzo details his upbringing in Wyandotte, his parents' immigration from Sicily and the importance of family ties while growing up. Pizzo details playing football in high school and then for EMU, his first experiences on a college campus, and the first few friends he made upon arriving in Ypsilanti. Pizzo details the intiation process and Hell Night, describes the living conditions in the house, and describes how he always loved dancing with his Arm brothers' girlfriends at parties. He speaks about parental visits to the Arm house, seeing the movie Animal House with the fraternity, winning the Greek Sing in Pease Auditorium, and the numerous lifelong bonds created in the Arm of Honor. Pizzo also talks of the enduring bond bewteen his fraternity brothers and himself that has lasted well after he left the fraternity.
Tony Pappas was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1963 until 1968, and currently (2024) serves as the President of the Arm of Honor Fraternity Alumni Chapter. In this interview, Pappas recounts his time growing up on the east side of Ypsilanti, above the Seven Seas Restaurant, owned by Pappas’ parents, on Michigan Avenue. Pappas describes the Ypsilanti of his childhood, particularly Ypsilanti Township and the area directly surrounding the EMU campus. Pappas describes his fraternity brothers, their superior athletic acumen, and the criteria for joining the fraternity, along with the core beliefs and values of the fraternity. As in all of the AoH interviews, Pappas emphasizes the ongoing close relationships sustained with other Arms, during and after his active membership.
Mike Pappas, brother of fellow Arm Tony Pappas, was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1970-1974, living in the Arm house fo the entirety of his stint at EMU. Growing up in Ypsilanti Township and Ann Arbor, Pappas describes the Seven Seas Restaurant, which his parents owned and lived above, and his formative years at St. John's Catholic School in Ypsilanti. Pappas describes the Ypsilanti he knew as a child and the differences between the local religious schools. Pappas describes hitchhikinig culture of the 1960s, and talks about how improtant the history fo the Arm of Honor was to pledging members. Pappas also discusses the sexual assault rampant in modern fraternity culture, Ted's Campus Drugs, and the comparisons between Animal House and the Arm of Honor.
Dick Look was active with the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1962 until 1966. Look discesses his personal growth in the fraternity and at EMU, and expresses his appreciation for EMU Dean of Men, James "Bingo" Brown. Look also talks about the presence of the Arm of Honor Fraternity in the coaching field in Michigan. Look emphasizes the importance of a sense of belonging in a community in which all members are mutually supportive. Graduating from Walled Lake High School, Look retraces his journey to EMU, including his father's occupation in the entertainment industry and his own plans for a different life for himself. Looks atttributes his interest in sports broadcasting to listening to Mel Ott and Van Patrick on the radio as a child. Look also recalls his surprise to be dormmates with four Black men, the first Black people he had ever associated with. Look also speaks of Gilbert Gregory, an Arm brother on the Autism spectrum, and describes the day that the Homecoming float caught fire during the Homeecomign parade. On his pledge "ride," Look was taken to Canada and dropped off. Look speaks of the condition of the house and the lengths to which frat brothers went to conserve their sparse collections of clothing.
Robin "Hawk" Kreger was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1962 until 1965.Growing up in Wyandotte, MI, Kreger was the younger brother of the infamous Dale "Luke" Kreger, also an Arm of Honor member in this collection. Grandson of the mayor of Wyandotte, Kreger details growing up in a family that was a fixture of the community, along with several other Arm members as well. Kreger describes his brother Luke and some of the hijinx they found themselves in as fraternity members. Kreger talks of his initiation into the fraternity, the reputation of the fraternity, strong personalities in the fraternity, and the reason for his nickname, Hawk. Kreger also speaks of how to survive the intense swatting sessions, rivalries with other fraternities, and the working class, local aspect of the fraternity that made it so unique.
Dale "Luke" Kreger was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1961 until 1965. Universally known for his fraternity antics, Kreger was the older brother of felloow Arm of Honor member, Robin "Hawk" Kreger. In this interview, Kreger details his time growing up in Wayne County, MI., his teammates in high school athletics, and the occupations of his parents. Kreger describes the pledge process and initiation rituals and Hell Night, and recounts several of his favorite Arm brothers. Kreger discusses how the fraternity system has changed and talks about the unbreakable bonds gained during his time with the fraternity.
Dick Cottrill was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1963 until 1967. IN this interview, Cottrill details his upbringing in Flint, MI before arriving in Ypsilanti for college. Cottrill describes his friend Bob Schneider, leader of Bob Schneider and the Collegiates, the Arm of Honor house band, and his efforts in booking the band in various venues around Ypsilanti. Cottrill describes the criteria for joining Arm of Honor and the initiation process, before talking about his employment iwth the first Domino's Pizza on Cross Street in Ypsilanti and how the fraternity house was received in the neighborhood on Emmet Street. Cotrrill also describes the feeling of leaving the fraternity at the end of his active membership.
Mike Colletta was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1965 until 1969, and is now a member of the Arm of Honor Alumni Chapter. A first generation Detroiter bron to Sicilian immigrants, Colletta describes his time at Allen Park High School and Michigan State University before coming to EMU with a friend to visit. Colletta talks about meeting with Dean of Students Ralph Gilden, the lost sense of community on the EMU campus, a failed Marine enlistment, and having a student deferment plus a married deferment from the arned services. Colletta describes meeting the Arms for the first time, using meal tickets for lunches at the Wolverine Grill, and details living in a fraternity house, the Arm initiation process, and how the experience of being an Arm prepared him for everything that came after college.
Tom Charbonneau was active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1972 until 1976, and now a member of the Arm of Honor Alumni Chapter. Growing up in Catholic school, Charbonneau grew up in Dearborn, eventually joining the Air National Guard before enrolling at EMU and pledging Arm of Honor. Charbonneau speaks of Vietnam War draft lotteries, and of his introduction to the Arms by their reputation in athletics, and by the fact that many of Charbonneau's friends and former coahces attended EMU and were members of Arm of Honor. Charbonneau speaks of his time as a Residential Advisor at EMU, Arm hazing rituals, his beest friend Steve "Tuna" Thompson, working at the Ypsilanti Beer Cooler, the housemother, fireside conversations, fraternity parties and command structure. He also speaks of Dr. Angelo Angelocci, Scott Rynearson, Marsh Plating, Bimbo's On The Hill, and other Ypsilanti establishments.
Tony Catros, nicknamed "Cassius" by his fraternity brothers, served as an active member of the fraternity from 1963 until 1967. Catros relates his grandparents' immigration to the United States and his graduation from Redford Union High School before applying at EMU on a whim with friend Gary Griswold. Catros describes the differences between the Arms and other fraternities, his employment with Ypsilanti State Hospital while an Arm, and the importance of winning the All-Sports Trophy. He describes the reputation of Arm of Honor prior to his membership, and the initiation period that was part of all pledges' lives. He describes Arm of Honor outings to Silver Lake and other places around the Southeast Michigan region. Catros explains the ways that household chores were done in the Arm house, and the relationship between the Arms and their "sweetheart" of a house mother. Catros describes the close-knit relationships bewteen the Arms even to this day, and relates many of the experiences involving Arms beyond his time as an active member.
Michael Beaugrand was an active member of the Arm fo Honor Fraternity from 1988 until 1994 and is the younger brother of fellow Arm of Honor member, Bob Beaugrand. In this interview, Beaugrand details his upbringing in Ypsilanti, the death of his younger brother in a car accident just off the EMU campus, and his stints in the US Military. Beaugrand talks about his mother, Geri Beaugrand, serving as advisor to the fraternity. Beaugrand talks of having no other options as a college hopeful, and his introduction to the fraternity. Beaugrand speaks of the hazing process, Hell Night, and the secrets to surviving a swatting session. Beaugrand competed in manyh intramural sports while in the fraternity, and participated in various renovation projects in the Arm house, including the purchase and renovation of the house following Arm of Honor's expulsion from EMU in 2015.
Bob Beaugrand, brother of fellow Arm of Honor, Michael Beaugrand, wa an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1986 until 1990. Beaugrand details his upbringing in the Ypsilanti area and the origins of the moniker "YpsiTucky." Grandson of the first female foreman at the Ford Motor Company, Ramona Bullet, Bob Beaugrand found the Arm of Honor following serving in the US Armed Forces and deciding that the military was not the future he wanted. Beaugrand describes his closer friends in the fraternity, the philanthropic nature of Arm parties, rivalries with Theta Chi and other fraternities, and the importance of a strong and responsible alumni chapter. Beaugrand also details the purchase of the Arm house following the fraternity's expulsion from campus 2015, and the renovations done by he and his brother Michael to get the house back up to code.
Serge Barna was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fraternity from 1964 until 1968. Brother of Arm Ken Barna, Serge was raised in Detroit, graduated from the Detroit Public Schools System, and was surrounded by aspiring teachers, growing up. Without a solid direction followign high school, Barna did a ten-month tour in Vietnam before coming back to EMU and the Arm of Honor. Barna discusses his expectations for college and his perceptions of EMU President Harold Sponberg before speaking of his most memorable Arm brothers and the living conditions inside the frat house. Barna speaks of the complex relationships between the fraternity and the university, and the rules and regulations of fraternity house living. Barna describes the atmosphere on campus the day that Martin Luther King Jr. was assasinated, Alumni Day, Arm of Honor athletic prowess, and the importance of Arm connections long after college graduation.
Ken Barna was an active member of the Arm of Honor Fratternity from 1961 until 1965 and was the older brother of fellow Arm Serge Barna. Barna describes his experience at Redford High School, the occupations of his parents, and how he got interested in athletics at a young age. Barna speaks about his outlook on fraternity life prior to coming to EMU, the enduring historical names in the fraternity, and the importance of recruiting locals to the fraternity. Barna recounts the letters he received from Bingo Brown, advising him to get his grades up, notable speakers on campus, and the future of the active fraternity.
