NEWS from the KNOLL HOUSE GETS HEATING, AIR CONDITIONING UNITS The house at 106 The Knoll is saying goodbye to the old-school radiators and natural-gas boilers in the basement, making way for a state-of-the-art, greener air-sourced heat-pump HVAC system. The upgrade was necessary due to the repeated failure of the existing system and old pipes in the basement and below the foundation, which were leaking. One of the two natural-gas boilers will remain in use for hot water, though heat and air conditioning will now be provided from multiple heat-pump units on the exterior of the house and blower units mounted on the wall in each of the rooms, including the third floor. For all those alumni who lived in the Crow’s Nest, Penthouse, or the Swamp, you can finally be happy to know that the third floor will have air conditioning too. Planning for the major capital improvement took over one year to coordinate and involved the House Corporation Board of Directors, property management firm (Wishful Necessities), contractors (Van Hee Heating Service Inc. and Pleasant Valley Electric), and the Ithaca Landmark Preservation Committee (ILPC). Since the house is located within New York State Cornell Heights Historic District, exterior changes or additions must be reviewed and approved by the IPLC. To satisfy the IPLC, the exterior placement of the heat pumps needed to be mostly out of public view from The Knoll, and all exterior wiring was routed within line hides that look like regular gutters. The overall bill for the project came to about $200,000. The Board of Directors is happy to report, though, that the project will be fully funded without having to take out any loans. Of the $200,000, one third ($67,000) is from alumni donations that have been made CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE
HOMECOMING LIVENS UP THE FALL
Connecting before the big game (left to right): Alex Mayo Smith ’19, Vice President Willem Clendenin ’21, President Scott Siegel ’21, and Bob Cundall ’83.
Homecoming took place September 23–24. Although the Cornell football team lost to Ivy League rival Yale by a score of 38–14, that did not stop the brothers from having a celebration. Prior to the game, the chapter hosted a tailgate in Collegetown. The location of the tailgate, on the corner of Eddy and Catherine, made the tailgate hosted by Phi Kappa Tau the center of attention. Friends of brothers made sure to stop by prior to heading to Schoellkopf Field. In addition to great brotherhood attendance, great jams, and great vibes, several Phi Kappa Tau alumni came back to Ithaca. We had a starstudded reunion with Rory Williams ’19 (former president), Luke Pichini ’20 (former VPAR and vice president), Stephen Kaiser ’19 (former treasurer), Hamza Akik ’18 (former philanthropy chair), Bob Cundall ’83 (who was a recruitment chair back in the ‘80s), and Scott Conroe ’01
(current chapter advisor). Bob came from Syracuse and brothers were able to learn about a different generation of Phi Tau. The brothers enjoyed seeing some familiar faces, and the newer guys enjoyed strengthening ties to the chapter. Whether the conversations were personal or professional, the red and gold energy was contagious and demonstrated the power of our alumni network. One of the best parts about being vice president of alumni relations and being in the house is being able to meet Phi Tau brothers from all over the world, which is really inspiring and reminds us of what it means to be part of such an organization that impacts our everyday lives. Without the executive leadership and brotherhood collaboration in the chapter, Homecoming would not have been possible. David Salmonson ’21 VP for Alumni Relations
www.phitaucornell.com
ALPHA TAU CHAPTER of PHI KAPPA TAU at CORNELL • ALUMNIRECORDS@CORNELLPKT.ORG • FALL 2022