ALPHA SIGMAN THE ALUMNI NEWSLETTER OF PI KAPPA PHI AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE
FALL 2010
Alpha Sigma House reopens doors
New Alpha SIgma Housing Corporation Members Named
Mike Mynatt, Alpha Sigma 578- President Mike was initiated in to the chapter in 1978 and served the chapter as archon, vice archon and warden while in school. Mike has served as the chapter advisor for Alpha Sigma for 17 years, as well as a 7 year stint serving Alpha Epsilon (Florida) on the housing corporation and as chapter advisor. Mike currently works in Commercial Lending as a Vice President for Community South Bank in Knoxville.
Tim Welles, Alpha Gamma (Oklahoma)- Treasurer
LEFT: Keith Moore (1231), Durward Owen, Mark Timmes, Mike Mynatt (578), Charles West (888), Mark Allan (673), Kyle Kuderewski (1194)
After years of preparation, the Alpha Sigma Housing Corporation will oversee the opening and operation of the newly renovated Pi Kappa Phi house. After nearly $600,000 in renovations, 1828 Fraternity Park Dr. will once again be opened to Pi Kappa Phi students at the University of Tennessee and the Alpha Sigma chapter will have a home that we can be proud of. With the new renovation come new responsibilities, making it essential for the Alpha Sigma Housing Corporation to create a housing board to alleviate the pressure off of one individual and create a group of alumni with different backgrounds to work together and maintain order for the house. The Alpha Sigma Housing Corporation (ASHC) has 8 board members and they are President Mike Mynatt, Treasurer Tim Welles, VP Strategic and Long Range Planning William Sigmon, VP Reunion Events Charles West, VP of Communications Jason Donald, VP Development Steve Evans, VP Facility Management/Operations Mike Keener, and VP Legal Alf Southerland. The members of the board will serve a term of two years. During their terms they will have monthly conference calls and to meet in Knoxville at least twice a year to discuss housing issues. The Housing Board will be responsible for: 1) Maintainung the current house; 2) Hosting at least two alumni events each year; 3) Communicating effectively with alumni; 4) Ensuring the Alpha Sigma Housing Corportation is in compliance with all obligations to the government and partner organizations; 5) Securing the future of the Alpha Sigma Housing Corporation and Pi Kappa Phi at UT; The new Alpha Sigma Housing Corp members will strive to ensure Pi Kappa’s continued success for years to come.
Tim was initiated in to the Alpha Gamma chapter at Oklahoma in 1988 and served his chapter as archon while he was in school. After graduation, Tim worked on the national fraternity staff, serving as the director of leadership and executive vice president of Pi Kappa Phi Properties. After moving to Knoxville, Tim served Alpha Sigma as chapter advisor and as a member of the Housing Corporation Board. Tim currently works for Benefits Consulting Services and lives in Knoxville with his wife Kelly and their two children.
Alf Southerland, Alpha Sigma 604- Legal Alf was initiated in to Pi Kappa Phi in 1979 and was named a Pi Kapp Scholar while he was a student and also served Alpha Sigma as Archon. Since graduation, Alf has been a loyal supporter of the Foundation as well as the national fraternity. Previously he served as the legal advisor to the Beta Nu chapter at Houston. He currently lives and works in Houston as an attorney and is a shareholder for Ogletree Deakins lawfirm.
William Sigmon, Alpha Sigma 694- Strategic Planning William was initiated in to Alpha Sigma in 1985 and served the chapter as treasurer while he was in school. After graduation, William moved back to Charlotte, NC and has since served the fraternity as an advisor for the Delta Lambda chapter at UNC-Charlotte and Regional Governor in North Carolina. In 2006, William joined the Push America Board of Directors and still serves on that board as secretary. William currently works for Bank of America as a Senior Vice President and lives in Charlotte with his wife Elizabeth and two children.
Charles West, Alpha Sigma 888- Reunion Events Charles was initiated in to Alpha Sigma in 1992 and served the chapter as historian while he was in school. After graduation, Charles went to work for the family business, West Chevrolet, one of the most successful car dealerships in east Tennessee and is currently the owner of this business. Charles served Alpha Sigma as President of (continued on page 3)
letter from the archon PI KAPPA PHI
ALPHA SIGMA
ALPHA SIGMAN publisher
The Alpha Sigman is published by Pi Kappa Phi National Headquarters through the fraternity’s alumni newsletter program. Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity P.O. Box 240526 Charlotte, NC 28224 (800) 929-1904 www.pikapp.org alumniservices@pikapp.org
save the date The next Alpha Sigma Alumni Weekend will be held in conjunction with the Orange & White game in April of 2011. The dates are to be announced from the university, but make plans to attend and be on the lookout for more information!
During the past three years that I have been a student at UT and a member of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, we have enjoyed some exceptional accomplishments. I can without a doubt say that this past calendar year has been one of our best in terms of chapter growth, campus leadership and community service. Every single brother has contributed in their own way to all we have achieved, and it is very obvious that campus and the community are starting to take notice. I am extremely proud to be the president of such a great chapter, and at such an eventful period of time. It is hard to choose a place to start with all of the successes Alpha Sigma has enjoyed, but community service stands out prominently in my mind. Last summer we had three brothers fly out to San Francisco and ride their bikes across the country to raise money and awareness for Push America, the fraternity’s national service project for people with disabilities. This summer we had another brother, Houston Carbaugh, complete the same journey and dedicate his entire summer to service. They’re experience and their stories have inspired our chapter and we are extremely proud to already have three more brothers accepted and signed up to participate in the Journey of Hope next summer! This seems to have become an incredible tradition in our chapter, and we hope that this is just the tip of the iceberg. However, the Journey of Hope is just one of the ways Alpha Sigma gives back. We also had three brothers participate in Camp Koinonia, a weeklong camp for children with disabilities. Beyond that, we continually put in countless hours of service on campus and were even recognized as the largest male group at dance marathon, participated in relay for life with the ladies of Chi Omega and hosted a successful “Beach Week,” which raised more funds and awareness for Push America. Pi Kappa Phi has also done a great job reaching out and getting involved on campus. Over the past year we have had two members elected to the executive board of the Interfraternity Council and two members to the director’s board, which is the maximum participation allowed. We also have members in All Campus Events (ACE), Student Government Association (SGA), Student Alumni Association (SAA), University of Tennessee Ambassadors, Order of Omega Honor Society, Dance Marathon Executive Board, Honors Program Ambassadors, Volunteer TV, ASME, Unite, ROTC and many other campus organizations. While all of our service and leadership is great experience and we are very proud of it, the reason we Tennessee IFC are all here is academics, and this is another area we Recruitment 2010 have excelled in. Over the past year, Pi Kappa Phi’s 1) Sigma Chi- 52 GPA has climbed to the highest on fraternity row, and 2) Sigma Alpha Epsilon- 44 at the moment, is above the all men’s average. I am 3) Pi Kappa Phi- 37 confident the chapter will continue to raise the bar and 4) Pi Kappa Alpha- 37 succeed academically. 5) Alpha Tau Omega-37 All of our hard worked really paid off this year at the annual Greek Awards Banquet. We took home a number of individual awards, as well as “The Volunteer Award for Chapter Achievement,” which is the highest status a fraternity chapter can achieve at UT. It is also worth noting that we have accomplished all of this without having a fraternity house. Our house has been under renovation for the past year and we were extremely excited for its reopening this school year. None of this would have been possible without the support of our outstanding parents and alumni, and with your continued support we hope to accomplish even more next year. I hope all of you enjoyed yourselves at the Parent and Alumni Banquet, and I hope to see you all soon. Yours in Pi Kappa Phi, Kyle Kuderewski Alpha Sigma Archon IFC Vice President
visit alpha sigma’s website at:
www.utkpikapp.com 2
MY JOURNEY OF HOPE
This summer I took part in Push America’s Journey of Hope, the signature event of Pi Kappa Phi’s national service project. Each summer, more than one hundred brothers cycle from the west coast to Washington, D.C.; raising funds and awareness for people with disabilities. Taking part in this journey was one of the most challenging and impactful experiences of my life.
BY HOUSTON CARBAUGH
When I began the journey in San Francisco, I absolutely hated cycling. With 4,000 miles between me and the Capitol Building, I knew that I was in for an onerous summer. However, I knew the time spent impacting the lives of people with disabilities we were cycling for would make the miles worth it. Throughout the summer, I not only gained insight into the abilities of people with disabilities but also the intensity and elegance of the sport of cycling. The biking was only the tip of the iceberg in the experience of the Journey of Hope. The true purpose of the experience is the funds and awareness the event raises for people with disabilities. My favorite part of the experience was hopping off the bike every day to take part in a friendship visit with people with disabilities. These visits were trips our team made to various organizations for people with disabilities of all ages, where we would participate in all sorts
of activities alongside of them. My favorite friendship visit was teaching girls with autism social interaction skills in the Milwaukee mall. These visits taught me that there is so much more to life than I had initially known. I learned much about myself, but more so about people with other abilities. These people may not appear exactly like you and I, but they are amazing people that are blessed with a different set of abilities than those we are used to. They taught me so much about how to live my life and how truly blessed I am. I want to thank all of my sponsors for helping me make it through this challenging journey. For those of you who have never had an opportunity to be involved in Push America, I challenge you to attend one of the chapter’s Push America events and learn a little more about the opportunity we have to make a difference.
new alpha sigma Housing Corp Members (continued from cover) the Alpha Sigma Housing Corporation from 2000 to 2010, overseeing the development, funding and construction of the chapter’s $600,000 housing renovation. He currently lives in Maryville with his wife Mary Beth and three kids.
Mike Keener, Alpha Sigma 925-Operations Mike was initiated in to Alpha Sigma in winter of 1995 and went on to serve the chapter as Push America chairman and historian while he was in school. Mike currently lives in Knoxville and works on campus in the marketing and advertising department for UT Athletics. For the past two years, Mike has served as the Housing Advisor on the chapter’s Board of Alumni Advisors, specifically working with the housing manager and the archon to improve upkeep as well as accountability in the house.
Jason Donald, Alpha Sigma 1114- Communications Jason was initiated in to Alpha Sigma in fall 2003 and while in
school, served Alpha Sigma has chapter Historian. After graduation, Jason moved back to his home town of Pittsburgh, PA and worked for a commercial real estate firm. In 2008, Jason took the position of director of leasing with Plaza Management, LLC, a commercial real estate firm in Florida. Jason currently lives in Destin, FL.
Steve Evans, Alpha Sigma 1099- Development Steve was initiated in to Alpha Sigma in spring 2003 and served Alpha Sigma as archon, treasurer and Push America chairman while in school. After graduation in 2006, Steve went to work for Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity as the Director of Volunteer Services. He has continued to work for the national fraternity, serving as the Director of Alumni & Volunteer Services and in his current role, as the Senior Director of Alumni Development for both the Fraternity and the Pi Kappa Phi Foundation. As a volunteer, Steve has served on the University of Tennessee Young Alumni Council since 2008 and is currently the President-Elect of this Board. He currently lives in Charlotte, NC.
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Chapter celebrates house dedication On September 17-18, more than 200 alumni, students, family and friends of Alpha Sigma gathered together in Knoxville to celebrate Pi Kappa Phi and the re-dedication of the chapter house after the $600,000 renovation was completed this summer. Alpha Sigma brothers from six different decades were present at the festivities which included a Friday evening reception and Saturday tailgate prior to the Tennessee vs. Florida game. The weekend provided a great back drop for alumni to reconnect, enjoy Tennessee football and see the newly renovated house for the first time. This “confirms for me that my investment in our chapter was wise.” Jimmy VanFrank (ΑΣ 538) said of the dedication weekend. “I know that the leadership that [the Executive Council] and the rest of [our] fellow brothers will provide and instill in the incoming members will lay a foundation of pride and accomplishment for years to come” said Van Frank. Mark E. Timmes, Chief Executive Officer of Pi Kappa Phi presented Charles West (ΑΣ 888) and Mark Allan (ΑΣ 673) with Certificates of Appreciation awarded to them by the Supreme
Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi this summer. West has served as Housing Corporation President for the past 10 years and led the fundraising and renovation effort. Allan has served the housing corporation, assisted in the fundraising and was also the architect overseeing the construction process of the housing renovation. In addition, the Alpha Sigma Housing Corporation and alumni advisory board announced that two spaces in the renovated house will become permanently named spaces. The Charles E. West Education Center, formerly known as the ‘Alumni Room,’ is named to commemorate Brother West’s service for more than a decade. It also commemorates the current and future use of the space which will be focused on the education of Alpha Sigma students and the preservation of the chapter history. The Michael D. Mynatt Leadership Suite, formerly known as the ‘Archon’s Office,’ will be named for Mike Mynatt (ΑΣ 578). Brother Mynatt is a past Archon of the chapter and has also served Pi Kappa Phi as a volunteer for 25 years, serving nearly 20 of those years as Alpha Sigma’s Chapter Advisor.
BY Kyle Kuderewski
Friday night, guests in attendance were treated by a keynote from Executive Director Emeritus Durward W. Owen, who attended the dedication with his wife Connie. Brother Owen was Executive Director of Pi Kappa Phi when the national organization purchased 1828 Fraternity Park Drive in order to help provide Alpha Sigma with competitive housing on campus. Owen provided a historic perspective on the history, struggles and accomplishments of Alpha Sigma. Brother Owen was particularly excited to attend the weekend so that he could spend time with his grandson Jonathan, who joined the Alpha Sigma chapter this semester. More than 30 family members of active members were also recognized on Friday evening. The event gave them an opportunity to learn more about their son’s chapter as well as meet other parents of the fraternity. Alumni and student members alike left the weekend, not only proud of recent accomplishments, but with a feeling of excitement and anticipation about what great things the future will hold for Pi Kappa Phi at the University of Tennessee.
LEFT: Houston Carbaugh (1218), Ryan Dodd (1146), Mark Timmes, Kyle Kuderewski (1194), Josh Greer (1117), JJ Bautista (1210), Tripp Plaskett (1160) RIGHT: Chapter members relax and enjoy SEC football from the comforts of the newly rennovated house.
Alumni updates Derek Deguire, Alpha Sigma 905 Derek was recently married on June 11, 2010. In addition to celebrating his marriage, Brother Deguire alsorecieved his CFP ceritificate and is now a Certified Financial Planner. Mike Keener, Alpha Sigma 925 Mike celebrated the birth of his son, William Kenner, on June 2. James Glover, Alpha Sigma 992 After working a season on Dr. Phil and the Fox’s “The Moment of Truth,” James is currently serving as a producer for the FOX television program Judge Alex.
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Justin Lovely, Alpha Sigma 1065 Brother Lovely was recently married on June 19th of this year and is expecting a baby boy in November. In addition to celebrating his the growth of his family, Justin also opened his second law office in Myrtle Beach, SC. Brother lovely also owns a law office in Conway, S.C., both focus primarily on criminal defense and personal injury.
send your updates to jasonp.donald@gmail.com
giving back This month marks my tenth year as an alumnus of the University of Tennessee and Pi Kappa Phi. In the fourteen years since stepping foot on Tennessee’s campus and signing my bid to join this incredible fraternity, our brotherhood has given so much to me. As a proud alumnus, I recently caught myself thinking about my years as a pledge, active brother, and alumni, which got me thinking: “Am I giving back? What am I doing to give back to the fraternity that gave me so much? Can I do more?” One promise we all made when we were initiated was to become lifelong brothers; but unfortunately too many brothers forget that promise, graduate and the fraternity becomes an afterthought. Today’s graduates face incredible challenges in an uncertain job market and many alumni are stretched thin with the struggles of work and raising families. How can we help when we have so many other responsibilities, worries, and problems? How can we give back? After graduation I found myself too busy to even think about the fraternity. As a logistics graduate, my job requires me to work long hours and work extremely hard. In the past 10 years, I have lived in many places and held many titles. My work has taken me to Philadelphia, Chicago, Greensboro, Raleigh, Franklin, Columbia and southern California to name a few. After retiring from the Army in September 2008, I returned to east Tennessee and realized something was missing in my life: fraternity. I decided it was time to become involved again and fulfill my obligation as a brother. But what could I do? In the decade since I graduated from UT, I had done very little to support my fraternity and felt a little shameful coming back. Luckily, I am fortunate to have my two young brothers follow in my footsteps nd join Pi Kappa Phi; Jay, a current new member, and Kyle, the chapter’s current Archon. Last summer Kyle rode in the Journey of Hope and was elected sophomore and junior of the year among fraternity men. I am extremely proud of the contributions that he has made to our chapter and thankful that he has helped inspire me to rejuvenate my involvement in Pi Kappa Phi. As he fundraised last year as a team member for the Journey of Hope, I was excited to donate money to help him have this incredible experience. It also gave me the opportunity to connect with alumni friends in order to help Kyle reach his fundraising goal. I was proud to be giving back and reconnecting with brothers, but I continued to ask myself “What else can I do?” After my initial re-involvement with the fraternity, I quickly found a number of different ways alumni like me could give back to the
BY LANCE KUDEREWSKI
chapter. On August 1, our newly reconstructed house will be open and once again inhabited by the men of Alpha Sigma. We all know how desperately we needed to make renovations to our aging house, and recognize that the new house would not have been possible without help from alumni like Charles West and our chapter advisor Mike Mynatt. Unfortunately, money is still very tight. The newly renovated house needs furniture, framed chapter photographs, a flat screen TV and many more accoutrements to be competitive with fraternity housing on our campus. As alumni, we can support our brotherhood by making whatever contributions we can afford in order to furnish the beautiful new chapter house our brothers deserve. We can also support the mission of our fraternity and Push America by sponsoring brothers that ride in the Journey of Hope each year by making even a small, tax-deductible donation. This donation will not only give a brother the chance to cycle across the country with nearly one hundred Pi Kappa Phi members, but will also support programs that assist and raise awareness for the abilities of people with disabilities. Supporting our fraternity does not only come in the form of donating our treasure, but also by committing our time and talents. I urge you all to show up at the house for a football game. Come by and see the new house, meet the active brothers and pledges, and see other old friends that you may have pledged with or been active with. You can help with Rush, show up for alumni events or even simply send in an alumni update for the newsletter. Do what you can to give back and keep our brotherhood strong. In closing, this next year is crucial for our chapter. Many houses on the row have been rebuilt and the competition for pledges in the fall will be fierce. The new house, recruitment, homecoming and alumni involvement will play a vital role in the future of the Alpha Sigma chapter. Let us each do everything we can to help ensure our chapter remains strong. As active brothers, we all remember thinking that the alumni didn’t care about us. As alumni, many of us feel that the active brothers don’t care about us. This is a misconception that has been going on for far too long. We all love Pi Kappa Phi, as well as our chapter. Pi Kappa Phi has given us all so much. Let’s all do what we can to give back and keep our promise to be “lifetime brothers.” If you have any questions or would like to see how you can reengage in our fraternity, contact our Historian Keith Moore at (615) 428-2035, or contact our Archon Kyle Kuderewski at (423) 384-9979.
editor’s note: Lance Kuderewski wrote this article for the Alpha Sigman in July of 2010, but passed on to the chapter eternal on September 1, 2010, prior to the newsletter’s publication. Lance loved Pi Kappa Phi and was a dedicated brother, son, husband and father. Though Lance has passed on, his memory will ever be green amongst brothers of Pi Kappa Phi. He is survived by his fiancé, Valerie Webb; one newly adopted son, Logan Howard; two step sons, Devin and Logan; mother, Gay Skoglund of Huntington Beach, California; his father Peter Kuderewski and step mother Colleen of Kingsport; two brothers (both current members of the chapter), Kyle Kuderewski and Jay Kuderewski of Kingsport; grandparents, Peggy and Jim Parlier of Kingsport; along with several aunts, uncles and cousins. Let us honor Brother Kuderewski’s memory by striving to fulfill the challenges set forth in his final message to the brothers of the Alpha Sigma chapter of Pi Kappa Phi.
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Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity P.O. Box 240526 Charlotte, NC 28224
ALPHA SIGMAN ALPHA SIGMA
1986
The chapter poses in front of the house in 1986 while awaiting the arrival of Brother Howard Baker (ΑΣ 228). Senator Baker spoke at the house later that evening and the chapter hosted a reception in his honor.
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