UPCOMING EVENTS Mark your calendar for these upcoming 2010 events: Blue/White Weekend April 24
Alpha Mu Chapter Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity
The Pennsylvania State University www.alphamupikap.org
Arts Fest July 8-11 Homecoming October 9 vs. Illinois
State College, Pa.
October 2009
IN THE WORDS OF OUR ALUMNI How Pi Kapp Can Literally Change Your Life Alum Shares How His Networking with a Fellow Brother Landed Him a Job By Steve DiOrio ’78
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Find your Member ID above your name and address on this newsletter, and follow the First Time Login link on the home page for full instructions. You’ll only need this Member ID once, as you’ll receive a username and password for future visits. We keep our site ultra-secure because your privacy is important to us! If you ever have trouble logging in, click on the Tech Support link.
GET PUBLISHED We’re Looking for the Best Game Day Photos! Did you tailgate with other Pi Kapps this football season? Then we want to see your photos and hear your stories. Send your submissions to our editors at content@affinityconnection.com (mention Pi Kapp at PSU) and we’ll post them in our online photo albums and possibly feature them in the next issue of our newsletter.
It’s easy to forget about the interview. fraternity, it’s easy to think it Mr. Exley took a chance on a was just something you did in fellow Pi Kapp. I will always be college…but this example more indebted to him. And I will always than proves the lasting value of be on the lookout for the opportubeing a Pi Kapp, shows how nity to help another Pi Kapp out. your alumni experience can I invite you to do the same.” literally change your life, either It’s stories like this that through networking like in this reaffirm why I am involved as a example, or through lifelong volunteer, and why you should friendships. actively participate with Pi Dan Castello writes, “After Kapp as an alumnus. Even Dan Castello in 1983. graduating in 1983 with a degree though you’re not in school any in Nuclear Engineering, I spent months looking longer, you just never know when the Pi for a job while earning a little spending money Kapp experience just might change your life! pumping gas and working in restaurants. In Here are the top five ways you can get reJanuary 1984, still unemployed, I remember involved today: getting a copy of the latest Alpha Musings and 1. Reunite with an old friend! Look up his reading through it. On the back page, I read contact info in the online directory at through the Alumni News, and noticed a blurb www.alphamupikapp.org. written by Bill F. Exley (1956, I think). 2. Submit a story, memory, photo or update for publication in our next "I will always be on the newsletter. lookout for the opportunity 3. Send us your email address so we can to help another Pi Kapp out." keep in touch with you throughout the year. Mr. Exley was updating his brothers on the 4. Register on the web site and take advanlatest happenings in his life, including his tage of the great tools it has to offer. current position at the Boeing Company in 5. Make a gift to the annual fund in Seattle. At the end, he provided his phone support of our alumni relations program. number, and invited any of his old friends to give him a call. Being in dire need of a job, I figured it could do no harm to give him a call. I introduced myself to him and explained my situation, including my status as an unemployed Pi Kapp engineer. He told me to send my resume, and that he would send me an application, and that he had a job for me. Six weeks later I started working for Boeing in Seattle, WA. Other than a telephone conversation with him, I never even had an
Share your stories on how Pi Kapp (or a fellow brother!) influenced your life at www.alphamupikap.org. We want to hear how the fraternity influenced YOUR life! Share your stories on the message board at www.alphamupikap.org.
ALUMNI EVENTS Nearly 20 Brothers and Friends Return for 2009 Pi Kappa Phi Golf Weekend The annual Pi Kappa Phi golf weekend was held in State College on July 24. A big thanks to Tee Burns ’67 and all of the brothers who made this weekend another great success! Pictured (left to right): Nick Say (not Pi Kapp), Jeff McManus ’72, Dan Mcnalley ’71, Tom Pollack ’68, Carl Yaras (not Pi Kapp), John Kieser ’70, Gary Bello ’68, Luday Rentschler ’68, Steve Bradley ’71, Butch
’73, Dave Peacock (not Pi Kapp), Tee Burns ’67, Rick Say ’74, Fast Ed Korecky ’70 and John Gulley ’67. Find more pictures online at www.alphamupikapp.org! If you have any pictures from the event, email them to us at content@affinityconnection.com (mention Pi Kappa Phi at PSU in the subject line) and we’ll add them to the site.
Ferraro ’68, Tom Rackley ’67, John Turcheck ’69, Ron Trull ’73, John Talone
ANNUAL FUND The Annual Fund Needs You With our active alumni membership just over 1,000 strong, we rely on the financial support of our brothers to keep our program running strong. Our annual giving saw a decline last year. Help us to get our annual fund total back up in 2009-10 as we strive to reach our goal of $14,000. The annual fund promotes continued publication of our communications, including Alpha Musings, and enables us to keep you connected with your Pi Kapp friends.
Annual Fundraising (AF) Stats: Total Alumni Membership: Addressable Alumni: Lost Members:
There are three ways to make a gift: 1. Online at www.alphamupikapp.org. 2. By calling 800-975-6699. 3. By mailing a check payable to “Pi Kappa Phi Alumni Corporation” to:
1,449 1,011 79
2009-10 AF Donors to Date: 2008-09 AF Donors: 2007-08 AF Donors:
Pi Kappa Phi Penn State Alumni Relations Processing Center P.O. Box 7007 Albert Lea, MN 56007-8007
36 (3.6%) 121 137
2009-10 AF Dollars Raised to Date: 3,330 2009-10 AF Goal: $14,000 Record AF High: $93,027 (1999-00) Record AF Low: $5,370 (1985-87)
HONOR ROLL OF DONORS This Issue of Alpha Musings Brought to You By… Thank you to the following alumni for their support so far in the 2009-10 giving year: Palmer L. Davis Jr. Richard W. Brown Jr. Alexander Lewis Parry Jr. Edwin R. Yeager John M. Antolick Larry L. Gerwig Harold C. O’Connor Jr. Richard F. Seidel John Muench Jr. Donald B. Wood Robert D. Buchwald Martin R Hornung Charles E. Skopic
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1942 1943 1948 1948 1949 1949 1952 1952 1953 1953 1955 1955 1959
Read H. Roberts William S. Simpson Thomas Edward Keen Douglas R. Forbes Robert L. Healy William E. Johnson James H. Hugar Gary D. Bello Stephen J. Bradley William L. Ross Eugene A. Bruss Guy A. Kanak Todd F. Kelly
1960 1963 1964 1967 1967 1967 1968 1969 1971 1971 1972 1973 1973
www.alphamupikapp.org
John M. Talone Robert J. Trotter Curtis R. Butler David M. Kyle Bruce R. Foster Michael J. Wells Jason A. Borrelli Michael J. Scheel Matthew A. Curtin Russell Talone
1974 1975 1980 1981 1983 1987 1994 1994 1998 2002
Reflects gifts received as of October 13, 2009.
October 2009
ALUMNI UPDATES
’30s William Griffin ’36 (405 Heron Point, Chestertown, MD 21620; wcgriffin@verizon.net) Last year it was my good fortune to have an Applied Research building at the Wilmington, Delaware Croda facility dedicated in my name. This was based on an article written in 1949 on emulsifier selection by HLB that is still being used by them and also throughout the industry. Google “Griffin HLB” to learn more.
’50s Dick McKnight ’57 (320 Old Oaks Road, Fairfield, CT 06825; mcknightgroup@mail.com) I would have enjoyed the golf event scheduled for this summer; unfortunately, I had a torn patella tendon repaired in June and out of action until the end of September. Don Woodrow ’57 (41 Idaho St., Point Richmond, CA 94801; woodrow@hws.edu) Dave Nash and I are trying to get together. We live in northern CA while Dave lives in southern CA. Meetings are hard to arrange. I met with John and Sue Schmucker for dinner just outside Harrisburg in early August. No occasion, just that I happened to be back east and we got together. Sadly, Bill Simon tried could not join us. I have tried to get in contact with Brother Maggio with no success.
Norman Mawby ’58 ((7 Constance Dr., Glen Riddle, PA 19063; mpgetta1@verizon.net) Vince Carocci ’58 and I have written a book titled Part of the Parade about the unrecognized winners on the Phillies team: those who help make the park run. We interviewed many of the 1,200 team employees last year as the Phillies rolled to victory in the World Series and during this spring season. The employees and management of the Phillies are excellent at providing customer satisfaction. This book shows a rare glimpse at people who take their jobs seriously and perform flawlessly while greatly enjoying their time at Citizens Bank Park. They come from all walks of life and have many interesting individual stories.
’80s Jeff Lasala ’80 (153 Lakeside Dr., Ridgefield, CT 06877; jlasala@ridgefield.org) On August 30, I completed my first Ironman Triathlon in Louisville, Ky. It consisted of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and then I ran my first marathon. My finishing time: 12:07:30! My wife joined me and completed it as well.
firm in September 2009. The new firm, Devon Financial Partners, LLC will be client centric and will focus on tax efficient wealth protection, accumulation and distribution planning techniques.
’00s Russ Talone ’02 (3953 Ridge Pike #201, Collegeville, PA 19426; russtalone@yahoo.com) Below is a picture from my bachelor party which took place at the Temple game in 2008. After being forcibly removed from the tailgate area near the stadium well into the second half of the game, we moved our tailgate to the Days Inn parking lot which was like a ghost town. We were left all afternoon to our own devices before the hotel realized what was going on and eventually ended the party. Most of the guys shown are fellow Pi Kapps. We ended up heading over to the house on Friday night and the active Pi Kapps coordinated a nice little party with my brother and best man, Corey Talone ’04. The current Pi Kapps are great guys and I thank them all. Every time I have been in Happy Valley since, I have felt right at home stopping by the house.
Steven D. Earhart ’81 (7 Trotter Way, Collegeville, PA 19426; seat7tr@comcast.net) I started my own wealth management and employee benefits
We’re Missing Email Addresses for 70% of You! Welcome to the 21st century, guys. We know that more than 327 of you have email addresses that you use on a daily basis. Please update your email address with us so that we can keep you in the loop throughout the year. Having a high percentage of email addresses is a critical advantage to our alumni association. Why? It saves us money on paper and printing, it enables us to communicate with you more frequently, and, if you choose, your email address will be available to other Pi Kapp alumni through our passwordprotected online directory. Oh yeah, and we promise not to SPAM you – ever. Your email address will be stored in our secure database and
Alpha Musings
used solely for Pi Kapp communications. It will never be traded or sold. So please update your email address today to stay informed on the latest news and activities from Alpha Mu undergraduates and alumni.You’ll also receive electronic reminders when we’re getting ready to publish an issue of Alpha Musings so that you can submit your latest news and photos for publication. You can send your email address directly to our alumni relations firm at feedback@affinityconnection.com (mention Pi Kapp PSU) or update it by logging on to www.alphamupikapp.org. (See page 1 for further instruction if you haven’t yet logged in to our site).
www.alphamupikapp.org
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Happy “Snowcoming” Despite the uncooperative weather and tailgating ban at Beaver Stadium, Pi Kapp alumni stayed nice and dry at our Homecoming 2009 celebration. Pictured here between two active brothers on either end are (left to right): Gerry Yantis ‘82, Dave Kyle ‘81, Jeff Hathaway ‘49, Bill Simon III ‘59 and Jack Worrell ‘77. See more pictures from our Homecoming celebration at www.alphamupikap.org. Did you brave the weather and tailgate in the Wal-Mart parking lot (or that of another local business)? Share your stories and pictures from that experience on our web site.
FROM THE ARCHIVES Pi Kapps Rock 1982 Fashion Trends We love coming across great pictures from throughout our chapter’s history, including this one from the 1982 LaVie. Help us to feature more archived pictures in upcoming issues of our newsletter and monthly e-Letter. Send the best photos from your era and of more recent reunions to our editors at content@affinityconnection.com (mention Pi Kap at PSU). Your submissions may be chosen to appear in an upcoming edition of our newsletter.
Nearly 20 brothers from the '60s and '70s came back to State College for a golf outing this summer! Read more on page 3. 540-096
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In this Issue... - A Great Golf Outing - Top Things to Do in Happy Valley - How Pi Kapp Changed An Alum’s Life 25+ Years After Graduation