Eta Zeta - Spring 2009

Pi Kappa Phi- Eta Zeta

April 11th 2009 Volume 1, Issue 1

Chapter Update Written by Justin Lafreniere With only two rising seniors next year, Eta Zeta promises to be in young hands. However, after a successful fall rush that brought in ten new Brothers and a spring rush that brought in a single, dedicated Associate, the chapter seems to be in good hands.

The new Executive Council consists largely of sophomores, but their leadership and dedication knows no limits. The Chapter continues to be dedicated to Push, with brothers going most Saturdays to bowl with people with disabilities. They are inspiring to the attending Brothers and to the House as a whole.

Rose Ball promises to be an exciting event, being held in Rock Hill, South Carolina on April 25th and the Actives have promised to blow out the Alumni in the upcoming Brotherhood Football Game (actives lost..).

Brotherhood Spotlight Interview by Dallen McKinnis 1. Can you tell us a bit about your personal life? Are you married? Do you have any kids? What do you do for a living?

I am married to Staci Benson McBride, who was also in the class of 1992 at Queens and in the Phi Mu sorority. We have two boys – Jonathon (age 5) and Nicolas (age 2) and hopefully will be future Pi

Kapps. While I am a CPA, I currently work for Radiator Specialty Co. managing their financial reporting. I have been with them for over three years. Prior to that I have worked for Price Waterhouse (public accounting – audit group), Thos.

Somerville Co. (plumbing wholesaler – Accounting Manager), Collins & Aikman (automotive supplier of carpet and plastic interiors – Manager, Internal Reporting and Financial Systems Manager) and Jensen USA (Commercial and Heavy

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“My class was the first

Jensen USA (Commercial and Heavy Duty Washing Machines – Division VP Finance). Also, I am the Financial Advisor for the chapter. While I have worked more with the Treasurer in recent years, I would like to make myself more available to the other members of the chapter. I grew up in Tampa, FL, before attending Queens.

After graduating, I have lived in Charlotte, NC, Virginia Beach, VA, Washington D.C. and Arlington, VA – but been back in Charlotte since 1999, so I guess I would considered this home.

class of men to attend Queens as residential students.”

Lance Laws, Ben Webber, Chris Barlow and Shaina Perky Barlow at Nationals

2. You're HZ #2, obviously. Can you tell me what it's like knowing that whenever a new associate enters our house that he will have to learn your name, along with 20 others?

Quite frankly, I have never really thought about this. My class was the first class of men to attend Queens as residential students. Pretty much everything we did was in the “pioneering” category. I certainly did not work towards chartering the Eta Zeta chapter so that some future member would have to learn my name. I think it is pretty cool that you honor me and the other brothers that founded our chapter in this way.

Actually, I think the guys that were in the chapter at its founding are not all that different then the present members. While there has been evolution of the chapter in the almost twenty year existence, I think the core values are still the same.

3. What was your experience like as an undergraduate in Pi Kappa Phi? We had our chartering weekend the same time as I was graduating, so I did not get to fully enjoy the benefits of formal membership. We had the equivalent of oral boards with the National Office on Thursday, initiated on Friday, graduated on Saturday morning and a Chartering banquet on Saturday night. I was glad to go through it all, but it certainly made for a non-stop weekend.

During undergraduate years, I was a presidential scholar – so grades were very important. Fortunately, like in the true spirit of a liberal arts education, I had the fraternity to help balance my academic life. I was also involved in student government and was elected the first male SGA president in the history of the university (though at the time I attended Queens was known only as a college). Funny aside about SGA president - the only person that would run against me was my fraternity brother, and good friend, Scott Handback, So one way or another, Pi Kappa Phi was going to get the historical honor.

Derek Painter and I were roommates the entire four years of college, with Shawn Stinson joining us in the senior suite-style dorm. I enjoyed the many opportunities that Pi Kappa Phi gave me to develop my leadership skills both formal, as Treasurer and Warden, and informal, as Push participants at Give-A-Push

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weekends and the Push spring break extended work trips.

I am proud to be associated with a fraternity that is so committed to their philanthropy and I continue to financially support it to this day. It made me especially proud to help guys from our chapter that participated in the Journey of Hope teams in recent years. Only recently when a few of us were reflecting our 15th anniversary of our chartering, did it hit me that I was very frustrated during our almost three year associate chapter period over the fact that we had to create and enjoy the fraternity experience at the same time.

Often, I think it would be easier to follow the “normal” fraternity experience and enjoy the fruits of someone else’s traditions to only tweak or change them over time.

Somehow planning brotherhood events, creating Eta Zeta specific chapter traditions, even initiation seemed to be less enjoyable because of the extra effort needed to “make them worthwhile to continue in perpetuity”.

I think the closest comparable position in today’s chapter may be the executive officers that try to make the fraternity experience meaningful to the rest of the house. I am not giving a good explanation here, so if you would like to ask questions or discuss more, please feel free to follow-up.

4. How has Pi Kappa Phi helped you in your life since graduation?

During my early years at Price Waterhouse, I was involved in recruiting which allowed me to go back to some of the larger colleges and universities in the state to find folks

interested in a career in public accounting. I felt like this was exactly how Rush was handled by the fraternity. Identify the good candidates, talk with them to make them feel comfortable and interested in your “group” as we were competing against the other “Big Eight” firms, give them a realistic, yet favorable picture of what it was like to work for the firm – all skills that translated easily. Also, obviously the Treasurer’s role helped me to determine that finance/accounting was a career I wanted to pursue. One thing I wish I had, and I am trying to get going within the Alumni chapter, is a sounding board to folks that were in or close to positions that I was interested. Not sure if you would call it an alumni career networking group or what, but someone that shares their experience with undergraduate students so they can get a “head start” on the job path.

The other thing that I still carry with me is the close friendships I made. Many of my brothers were groomsmen in my wedding, celebrated the birth of my sons, and unfortunately I have helped some through divorces and been to a few parental funerals as well. I see Derek, Shawn, and Stuart Hair on at least a monthly basis and would not hesitate one minute to call these guys if I needed something.

5. Do you have any advice for current and future brothers?

Advice – hmmm. Take what resources or experiences you have and try to make them better. It does

2008 bowling mixer with the Kappa Delta’s

2009 Valentines Day Mixer

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not have to be the biggest or best ______ (fill in the blank with whatever event, like Rose Ball, mixer, meeting, Push event) in history, but make it fun and memorable for all that attend. Contrary to popular belief, size does NOT matter. While having more people participating makes it feel successful or even give you resources to have a bigger/better event, quality brotherhood can happen by simply eating meals together or having a group of guys watch a sports event together. Brotherhood takes some effort by all and will not happen to those that simply coast along. Find your niche, search out your passion, take steps to make your chapter better, because if you do not do it, who will?

“Take what resources or experiences you have and

Midyear 2009: The Power of One

try to make them better.”

Written by: Justin Lafreniere

“We only get in because of some help from alumnus Adam “Big Silly” Phillips.”

John Spence is an overweight man, balding. He sits in a chair turned backwards, a big smile across the face, talking jovially about something I can’t quite overhear. Travis Mullis, Matthew Mozzo, Wes Clarkson, Eric Galdo and Jarred Bean file in and sit in the second row of this small hotel conference room.

We went to Midyear as a group of sophomores unsure exactly what was going on. New to the Executive Council or Push Chair, we thought we knew what we were supposed to do in our positions. We just didn’t know how.

As we were funneled in and out of leadership conferences (except for Eric Galdo, a Journey of Hope cyclist who was being taught about fundraising and the amazing journey he will be going on this summer), we began to get a sense of what it was going to mean to be in a leadership position in the House. As the

Secretary, I knew about the Green Report. I didn’t know I’d also have to know about Tax Day, Bid Cards, Insurance Payments, Email Lists, Phone Trees and somewhere when the facilitators from Nationals, it all clicked and I knew I was ready to be a leader. The other brothers that attended the conference with me would probably agree.

Life 401 takes all morning; less than a fifth of the attendees are allowed in the room because of capacity issues. We only get in because of some help from alumnus Adam “Big Silly” Phillips. The lesson teaches us more about being a better person than it does necessarily being a leader, but we come out richer for the experience. The entire eighteen minute car ride back to campus, on previous days, had been filled with talk about where to hang out, what movie to watch, what to do about dinner, who we had met.

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Today, it is filled with discussion on how we can improve ourselves and the chapter, what we learned and what we need to do, our personal goals. And a few brothers developed man-crushes on John Spence. But that’s another story…

Push America Update Written by: Travis Mullis Hello alumni! I hope you are all doing well, and I would like to take this time and space to fill you in on what fundraising opportunities for Push America are coming up at Queens.

Jarred Bean and Eric Galdo speak with Durward Owen about National Push events

Clear room on your calendars for Eta Zeta’s annual Scaffold Sit which is taking place on April 17th, 18th, and 19th on the front lawns of Queens University of Charlotte. Please come and donate as much money as you can. You can drive, walk, or bike. Come on down and support peoples with disabilities.

In November, Eta Zeta also plans to host our first ever Fundraising dinner for parents, alumni, community leaders, and Queens Faculty. Formal invitations will be sent out next autumn so keep it in the back of your mind. Dinner Prices will range from 50 to 100 dollars and all proceeds will go to Push America.

Eta Zeta is also proud of Joey Haynes, Eric Galdo, Justin Lafreniere, and Jarred Bean for participating in national Push events. Joey and Eric will be cycling in the Journey of Hope this summer and Justin will be crewing for them. Last but not least, Jarred Bean will be participating in Build America. Their contact information is below.

Jarred Bean/ jarredkbean@aol.com

“Eta Zeta is also proud of Joey Haynes, Eric Galdo, Justin Lafreniere, and Jarred Bean for

Justin Lafreniere/ jkid912@yahoo.com Joey Haynes/ wjh_12@hotmail.com Eric Galdo/ eric.galdo@qmail.queens.edu

participating in national Push events.”

Pi Kappa Phi Eta Zeta

1900 Selwyn Ave Charlotte NC, 28274 Questions?

Contact: Matthew Mozzo E-mail: mattmozzo@hargray. com

Where Are They Now? Written by Travis Mullis Like just about all HZ brothers, I had a tremendous time as an active brother. I learned many things, but most applicable now are organizational skills and the self-knowledge that comes from experience. I recently purchased 16 apartment units and am working like mad to finish the renovations. The labor is physically demanding, but it sure is a hecuva good time.

The house, as best as I can tell, is doing exactly what it should be doing: recruiting and retaining high quality men. Once you have that down, most other things seem to work out pretty OK. The chapter is still a huge leadership presence on campus, so all I would want is for them to keep up the great work.

I don't really know how to begin this, so...

My name is Johnathan Pennington. I'm HZ 177 and I graduated in May of 2008.

When I entered the house in 2006, HZ was in a state of transition.

We experienced a culture change the two years I was an active. Some people resented it; others thrived in the new house. As long as brothers hang out, have fun, and continue to practice ultimate respect, I think I'll be fine with the house. Right now, I'm working as a full-time cashier at Dick's Sporting Goods. It's awful. Don't graduate.

Stay in school until the economy turns around.

- Johnathan Pennington

- Jonathan Lasater Also Check out the chapter website! http://www.hzpikapps.org/

Current Executive Council Archon- Pablo Carvajal Vice Archon- Joey Haynes Secretary- Justin Lafreniere Historian- Matthew Mozzo

Treasurer- Sagar Patel Warden- Wes Clarkson Chaplin- Josh Lipack

*Rose Ball will take place at The Palmetto Room on April 25th 2009. *Any Alumnus interested in attending should contact Matthew Mozzo No later that April 17th 2009.