SUMMER 2019
BETA ETA
PI KAPPA PHI FRATERNITY
Beta Eta Website Enhancements
FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY BETA ETA ALUMNI CHAPTER
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Mid-Summer 2019!
The Beta Eta Alumni Chapter website is undergoing a renovation! After its debut in 2005, BetaEta.com has remained largely unchanged. This is all about to change in the very near future. The new website will retain the BetaEta.com domain name but everything else about the site will change for the better. The website is getting a new look and many upgrades. BetaEta.com will bring a host of new features including mobile friendly access, a picture gallery and social media interaction. A space is reserved on the site for the undergraduate chapter to post their information as well. Also, the website will feature Beta Eta composite photos, so please share your digitized composite photos via email at fsupikappalumni@yahoo.com. The goal is to have a unified Beta Eta website for both the Alumni and student chapters. The new website will increase Beta Eta's digital presence and help brothers stay connected and easily share information. The Alumni Chapter Board has been working on the rebuild with Beta Eta brother, Mark Mills '88, and his company Yuma Solutions. The website is in the last phase of design and will be ready by mid-summer '19. Check the Beta Eta Alumni Chapter Facebook page for updates on the website.
This past year of 2018 has been somewhat of a somber year for Sco Middlebrooks us all. Both boards have held many conference calls over the summer on past events with the chapter closure, and its impact to our organization on multiple levels. Some calls were open to all with Mark Timmes, while others were confidential access only. Let me back up for a moment and say the early part of 2018 was focused more on settling immediate affairs with the house, bracing for the impending media storm, and preparing for the uncertain university sanctions. The middle part of the year was legal posturing, house administration, and very careful alumni communication. We're now entering the latter stages of events as we wait for the final verdicts of the criminal case and look forward to the long road ahead of property maintenance and eventual recolonization. Other factors contributing to our somber year include the dismal football season and the major hurricane that hit North Florida. So, I dare say 2018 was a pretty tough year. Regarding the student chapter, the University sanctions came at the end of 2018 spring semester. We received the full 7-year max penalty which, quite frankly, is not all that unexpected. This means we have an opportunity to apply for colonization in 2025. The National Office will start to work with the University before that time to posture with other fraternities have the same intent of applying during that time period. Remember, there is only a limited number of people who are entrepreneurial enough to start a continued
Lee Nichols '87 Recognized for Leadership & Dedicated Service Lee was recognized at the 2018 Annual Meeting for his dedicated and long-standing service to the Beta Eta Alumni Chapter. At the Orlando event, the Board acknowledged and thanked Lee for his many contributions, dedication and willingness to serve for so many years. As a founding member and Treasurer, Lee was instrumental in the success of the Alumni Chapter. His dedication and service as a Board Member and Treasurer will be greatly missed. Former Alumni Chapter President Mike Loy '91 comments, “Lee was there from the beginning and really helped shape and guide the course of the Alumni Chapter. His 13-year tenure as Treasurer is a testament to his dedication and love for Beta Eta.�
continued chapter and staggering these opportunities is important to ensure a stable and productive process for the broader Greek system. After recolonization, it will be another year to get the house fully operational and occupied.
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
BETA ETA
Beta Eta Alumni Chapter, Inc. P.O. Box 11244 Tallahassee, FL 32302-3244 www.BetaEta.com fsupikappalumni@yahoo.com The Beta Eta Data is published by the Beta Eta Alumni Chapter, Inc. Please submit questions, comments and corrections to Katie Baker at bakeraddesign@carolina.rr.com
NOTES NAMES | The number after each name in this newsletter represents the year of initiation. NEED TO FIND A BROTHER? The BHAC would like you to stay connected with fellow Beta Eta brothers. Email us at fsupikappalumni@yahoo.com to request contact informtion for alumni you would like to contact. PUBLISHING NOTICE The BETA ETA DATA is typically published one to two times a year by a volunteer team. CHAPTER ETERNAL The following brothers were reported to the National Fraternity as having passed to the Chapter Eternal since the last publication. Richard George Berube '57 BH 99 April 13, 2018 Peter A. Kalmes '59 BH 136 January 24, 2019 Stephen Claibourne Botts '60 BH 166 February 26, 2019 George Henry Sheldon '69 BH 416 August 23, 2018 Michael Jacob Hindman '93 BH 1023 April 9, 2018
Ready to join or renew your dues? Dues are only $35 per year and are vital to the success of your alumni chapter. Go to betaeta.com and click Membership. 2 www.BetaEta.com
After the student chapter was closed the University put a ban on all Greek activities, which was partially lifted in January 2018 and fully lifted later in the year. Lifting the ban came with tighter rules of which are a mandatory orientation and risk management training for individuals seeking Greek Membership, a 2.5 GPA Minimum and the creation of a Greek Scorecard to make chapter activities more transparent. These scorecards can be viewed on FSU's website for the Office for Fraternity and Sorority Life. Additionally, the University invested $900,000 to hire more staff for that office to ensure greater oversight on Greek activities. Currently there are 26 fraternities and 25 sororities on campus (including 17 culturally based organizations) with a combined membership of about 7,000 students. Regarding the criminal charges, 9 men were charged with felony hazing of which 5 were offered a plea deal down from a felony to misdemeanor hazing. This reduced charge carries a sentence of 60 days in jail and 2 years of probation. The case for the remaining students was previously scheduled for June 2018, but because of the vague nature of the FL statute regarding felony hazing, the judge requested the appellate court system give guidance on this situation before the trial in 2019. This clarification related to forced consumption vs. over exuberance and would help determine whether the charges should be felony or misdemeanor. If you want continued
Separately, the civil suit against the National office, newsletters and special specific individuals and other entities was resolved last projects to maintain our summer. This was done with minimal media coverage brotherhood, then please (considered optimal), but the settlement amount was step up and consider a material for all parties involved. Details of that are not small donation. $35 is all it takes to make a difference. being discussed, but max punitive damages relative to insurance policy maximums are most likely the case. Finally, Governor Ron DeSantis (FL) signed “Andrew's Law” into existence which tightens the existing “Chad Meredith Act” (2005) which deems hazing acts causing serious injury or death a 3rd degree felony. The additions toughen the law by adding that fraternity or sorority leaders who plan an event, but aren't physically present, will be criminally liable as well. However, there is a provision that the first person to call 911 or anyone performing first aid at the scene will be not be prosecuted. Only time will tell if these measures are effective. On a separate and more upbeat note, the Alumni Chapter Board is actively working on two main projects: The newly designed website (still under construction) and a push to acquire digital photos of old composites for the website. If you have some digital composite pictures to add, we're looking for anything we find without purchasing them from the composite companies we used, especially any prior to 1990 as digital files are not available before then. If you have any, please reach out to us or email them to fsupikappalumni@yahoo.com. Finally, I need to impress on everyone that we need your support. We have less than 100 people financially supporting the Alumni Chapter and the publication of these articles carries a heavy cost. If you want continued newsletters and special projects to maintain our brotherhood, then please step up and consider a small donation. $35 is all it takes to make a difference. Our product offering is a four-pronged approach: newsletters (past events), Facebook group (current events), social events in various cities, and special projects. The board is committed to the sustainability of the organization, but we can't do it without you. Lifelong friendships are hard to come by. Guard them well. Thank you,
Scott Middlebrooks Beta Eta Alumni Chapter President
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Frank with FSU President John Thrasher and Florence Associate Director Lucia Cossari.
Frank currently serves as the director of Florida State University International Programs, Italy. We recently caught up with Frank to ask about a number of things including life in Italy, the Florence International Program and his Beta Eta experience. How did you become affiliated with FSU's Florence Program and what led you to Florence? “My affiliation with the Florence Program is a long one; basically, I'm a true testament of how the Florence program can change the direction of a student's life. I was a history major at FSU from 1990-94, and as an undergrad I decided to do the Florence program my senior year at the insistence of one of my humanities teachers. So, I'm an FSU Florence alumnus from 1994. Then I came back as a graduate student in FSU's Department of Art History in 2005 to teach the ARH 2000: Art, Architecture, and Artistic Vision class. Basically, after that I only left Florence for a short time and remained an adjunct faculty member since then. In spring 2016, our long-term former director retired, and I received a call from Tallahassee asking me if I'd be interested in the job. I'll never forget it. I had taken a year off from teaching and was working as a kayak attendant in a national wildlife refuge on Sanibel Island; I received the call while I was in the middle of kayaking in the mangrove forests of Tarpon Bay. I almost fell out of the boat.” “It was the Florence program that led me to pursue a degree in art history. The Florence program and the museums, monuments, and medieval and Renaissance history of Florence opened up a new world for me, one that I didn't even know existed. I proceeded to graduate college with a history degree, and then I taught high school in Coral Gables for three years, and then in 1998 I decided just to move back to Florence on my own to teach myself Italian and art history. For an entire yearand-a-half, I just haunted the libraries and museums and parks and cafes of the city on my own just trying to teach myself all I could about the subject matter. When I got good enough, I started moonlighting as a local tour guide.” Do you have family or family history in the region? “I'm just a blue-collar guy from the suburbs of New Jersey. Yes, I have dual citizenship. I was able to get it through my greatgrandparents on my father's side, who both were born in southern Italy in a region called Molise. They emigrated to New Jersey via Ellis Island in 1912. It's a funny story, really, about how I got my dual citizenship, which happened quite by accident. Back in 2001, a friend and I took a road trip to my great-grandparents' hometown, a stereotypical small Italian hilltop town with only a few hundred people and rundown buildings scorched by the sun with stray dogs lying around everywhere. I wanted to see the place that my grandmother had always talked to me about as a kid. This town is called Lupara, which in Italian means a rifle for shooting wolves. When we got there, there was only one café in the whole village, and while my friend distracted the barista, I went in the phone booth and tore out the page in the phonebook that had all of the people with my same last name. And then basically we
3
'91 BH 926 went door-to-door trying to find out if I had any relatives. After getting many strange looks and doors slammed in our faces, lo and behold, the whole town ended up being related to me in one way or another. They put us up for almost a week, and I think I gained 100 pounds from all of the food they cooked for us. Anyway, one of my cousins there worked in the city hall, and he made official copies of all of my great-grandparents' documents so I could bring them back and show my dad and grandfather. Years later, those documents were why I was able to get my dual citizenship, and they are really the reason why I can work in Italy for the program today.” What do you like most about living in Florence? “I should say the art, but come on, it's the food. The only problem is I'm starting to get a pizza and pasta belly. I have to get back in the gym.” What do you like to do in your spare time? “Listen to old school Bruce [Springsteen] and [Frank] Sinatra—or think up all of the Great American novels I'll probably never write. I like to cook sometimes too, or wander around the same streets where Galileo, Michelangelo, Ma-chiavelli, Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo da Vin-ci, Amerigo Vespucci, and Dante walked. Even after all these years, it still gives me the chills.” What is your goal for the Florence Center? “Our goal is to combat biases, combat misconceptions about difference, combat all the things that divide us, and to use the experience we've had in Florence (good and bad), the education we've received, the new people and new Frank Nero speaking to alumni at the Florence Center. language and new cultures and new cuisine we have learned to appreciate, on our own and through our professors and Florentine friends, as something to bring back home to our country, our communities, our campus, our homes and families, to make our own society a better place—to use this moveable feast for good. For me, this is the most important aspect of getting an international education and being a Florida State Seminole.” Looking back on your FSU and Beta Eta experience, how has it impacted your career choice? “I look back on my Beta Eta experience with much nostalgia. Since the majority of our students at the Florence Study Center are freshmen, I often field questions about what it's like to be a part of a fraternity or sorority on the home campus. And I always put it like this: I wouldn't trade my experience for anything, because I was able to participate in things that as an independent I probably would not have. Some of my fondest memories of college were working with the brothers on the homecoming parade floats parked on trailers in the back of the house until the wee hours of the morning; directing and participating in the skits we would do for Greek continued page 4
continued from page 3
Week, for homecoming, for the sororities' philanthropies; going to the football games all together as a house, especially in 1993 when we were cheering on Charlie Ward to a national championship; preparations for the Rose Ball and being a part of our singing group that would go around to the sorority houses with the invitations. One of the best memories was doing a synchronized swimming competition: we dressed up as sixties flower children and did our routine to Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In. As a naturally introverted person, Beta Eta allowed me to creep out of my shell. Belonging to Beta Eta not only made me feel part of a small community of brothers, no matter how diverse we were and from different parts of the country, but I feel it inserted me in a more profound way into the macrocosm of all that Florida State University has to offer. This is how I try to answer my students' questions about Greek life; and it was quite fun when I would see that some of my former students pledged Beta Eta. Another aspect of my personal development that being a part of Beta Eta certainly influenced, was being able to observe and participate in a sort of band of brothers, all with different backgrounds and personalities, interests and goals, living together in close quarters in a single house—despite our difference we always seemed to band together when it mattered most. It's what I try to instill in our students here in Italy. Beta Eta, and living in the house, made me more sympathetic and empathetic to the challenges our students face in Italy, making me not just the chief Frank with students at the Colosseum in Rome, Italy administrative person on the ground for the university, but also someone to whom the students can come for sound advice and possible solutions. In more ways than one, being a member of a fraternity can prepare one for a career leading young people. One of the most important impacts Beta Eta had on me, as it relates to my current position at FSU, is a renewed dedication to philanthropic causes. Along with FSU Florence's Associate Director, Lucia Cossari, we have developed relationships in Florence and Italy which allow our students to volunteer and fundraise for important causes. Work on behalf of charities spurs our students to action, allowing them to give back in a small way to the Italian community that has hosted FSU for 53 years. It also fosters a more profound integration into Florentine society which is highly appreciated by our Italian friends. Over the past two-and-a-half years, our Seminoles in Italy have raised around $20,000 for a range of charitable causes and institutions, from asylum-seeker hostels, women's shelters, the local children's hospital, to the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation of Italy's anti-bullying campaign in elementary schools and high schools. What we as Beta Etas accomplished with PUSH America, for me, laid the foundations for what I and my staff believe is an integral aspect of studying abroad: having our students feel more invested in their experience—an investment and awareness we hope they bring back home with them to their own communities in America. In sort of an elementary way, if it weren't for Beta Eta, I probably wouldn't have the position I have with the university today. It was a fraternity brother, Michael Ferruzzi, who got me off my lazy butt, and together we went into the Study Abroad office and he forced me to sign up to go to FSU's program in Florence. Since then, I've lived the overwhelming majority of my adult life in Italy, much of it connected one way or another to FSU.”
4
A Special Thanks to Craig Filar, Chapter Advisor The Alumni Chapter would like to take a moment to say a big “Thank You!” to our brother and Student Chapter Advisor Craig Filar (BH1629). For years, Craig has been a loyal and loving mentor to hundreds of Beta Eta brothers. Many exceptional young leaders have been developed under his guidance, both within Pi Kappa Phi and across the FSU campus. Craig is the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies & Director of the FSU Office of National Fellowships. As a testament to his efforts, he has received multiple recognitions including the Ross Ogelsby Award and being named FSU IFC Chapter Advisor of the Year. We can only imagine the difficulty of the situation you faced leading to the Chapter closure. All of Beta Eta is so grateful for your time and service. It is our belief that the work you have done, and the wisdom you have instilled on our brothers, has been impactful, lifechanging, and has not been done in vain. We sincerely thank you!
U P D AT E
Beta Eta House Corporation The House Corporation remains on solid financial footing as we get closer to turning the keys over to another fraternity for the next 5 years or so. The House has been vacant since January 2018 but thanks to the hard work of brothers like Eric Wahlen '85, Brian Baber '92 and Chris New '75, we were prepared for this type of situation with cash reserves and a relatively low mortgage balance. After meeting with numerous organizations, the BHHC is pleased to announce we have found the right group to lease the house. Alpha Delta Phi is a men's social fraternity that has been on the FSU campus since 2009. Their Chapter is currently 70-men strong and is housed in Heritage Grove (FSU's off-campus fraternity row). They see a move to College Avenue as a huge driver for recruitment. Our lease will be with Crescent Housing Corporation which is Alpha Delta Phi's local house corporation. We have negotiated a 5-year lease with an option for an additional 1 to 2-year period. This will provide BHHC with some flexibility for Beta Eta's return to FSU. In the interim, we will continue to build our cash reserves so that we are ready when the Beta Eta Chapter returns to campus. Chris Anderson '98 Beta Eta House Corporation President
BETA ETA ALUMNI UPDATES Chris BRANDT '91
Adam FOX '09
Chris is the owner of Redwire Sports (www.redwiresports.com), a business and sports consulting firm. He currently resides in Sarasota, FL, with his wife of 24 years, Stacie (FSU Theta alum), and his children Lauren (17) and Will (15). In his free time, Chris is involved in his community by participating in local economic development and various charities. Chris has many fond memories of his time at Beta Eta, but some that stand out are serenading sororities, getting wrapped to one of Theta's columns (you know why), and having brothers attend his wedding. cbrandt@redwiresports.com
After graduating from FSU, Adam lived in DC for five years before moving to the Charlotte Metro area. He has been there for two years now, working as a marketing communications director for Diversey, a global chemical manufacturer. He got married back in May of 2017 (congrats!). His fondest Beta Eta memory was the Chartering Banquet and that entire weekend. fox.adamjohn@gmail.com
Beau LOMBARDI '93 In April of last year, Beau moved from Miami to Chicago with his fiance, Katherine. He is the US Midwest Division Manager for illycaffè. Beau's fondest memories of Beta Eta were building the friendships that he still enjoys today. Keep living the dream, brother… beaulombardi@yahoo.com Dr. Dan THOMPSON '91 Lt. Colonel Dan (USAF) is a Chaplain at Langley Air Force Base in Yorktown, VA. Since graduating from FSU, he has lived in Louisville, KY; Graceville, FL; Las Vegas, NV; Mechanicsville, VA; Wrightstown, NJ, Valdosta, GA; Spangdahlem, Germany; Montgomery, Alabama; and Charleston, SC. He and his wife, Erica, have a busy home full of activities with his sons Josh (16) and Noah (12), and daughter, Abigail (13). Dan stays very active with his local church (Crossroads Community Church) where they reach out into the community by holding free markets, harvest festivals, food pantries, soccer leagues, and so much more. He also volunteers at least 60 hours a month with the Boy Scouts of America as one of their key leaders with Troop 54 and the local district programs. Dan would like to reconnect with Chris Brandt (we got you, brother…see above) and John Kemp. dwthompson_2000@yahoo.com 5
John-Frazier STRICKLAND '09 John-Frasier graduated in 2012 and went straight to work at Pi Kappa Phi HQ in Charlotte, NC. He was there for two years as a traveling chapter consultant before deciding to move back home to Jacksonville, FL, to help manage the family business—Faith Jewelers—and to apply for graduate school. In addition to managing the store, he also handles most of custom jewelry design. John-Frasier has had the unique opportunity of selling engagement rings to chapter brothers and other Pi Kapps he's met through his experience at the National Office. jfstrickland1451@gmail.com
Adrian ROMERO '11 Adrian is a Risk Advisory Consultant for RSM US, specializing in manufacturing operations, reporting, compliance, and efficiency. He currently resides in the Brickell area of Miami, FL, but he's rarely home due to traveling. Just like during his undergraduate days, Adrian continues to maintain a high-level of civic involvement. He serves on the Executive Committee for Special Olympics – Miami as a Sub-Committee Member and Chairman of The Social League and also as a Stars and Stripes Leader (Veterans Initiative Lead) for his company. His fondest Beta Eta memory was initiation night. While Adrian still speaks to a lot of brothers, he wishes he could speak to Jared DuBosar a bit more and to any other brothers that live in South Florida or NY. Adrianromero1851@gmail.com
Beta Eta Alumni Chapter P.O. Box 11244 Tallahassee, FL 32302-3244
REMEMBER
Mom Knighton Ruth Knighton, beloved Beta Eta House Mother, 1955 through the early 70's.
The mission of the Beta Eta Alumni Chapter is to enhance the lifelong fraternal experience for Beta Eta alumni by maintaining an active alumni group that is dedicated to connecting alumni with each other and to their fraternity by providing timely communication of relevant alumni news and organizing meaningful events. This group shall promote the ideals of the Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity as expressed in our Ritual of Initiation and Supreme Laws and encourage Beta Eta alumni to renew their lifetime pledge to the brotherhood of this fraternity.