Pi Kappa Phi – Tau Chapter celebrated its 90th Anniversary in style at the North Raleigh Hilton on April 9 ‐ 10. Dinner, drinks and dancing rounded out an incredible evening for all in attendance. Did you miss it? Make sure your information has been updated with the National Fraternity or enter your e‐mail contact information at PKP.org – You won’t want to miss out on the Fall 2010 Homecoming Event!
Current Historian, Brother Taylor York,T‐1317 Layout design by Alumni Assistant Advisor Brother Jay Kohler, T‐1177
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The Alumni Newsletteer of Pi Kapp pa Phi at No orth Carolinaa State Univ versity
TAU U T TA ALE ES
AR RCHON’SS LETTER R
This edition of Tau Tales marrks a special d date for our th Chaapter, the 90 h Anniversaryy of our founding at NC State. On Aprril 9 and 10, w we held a welcome reception at the Bricckhouse, a Pigg Pickin’ at the fratternity house as well as a ban nquet at the N North Raleigh Hilton. The event was a huge succcess, and as m many of the alum mni and activve brothers in n atteendance will ttell you, it waas also o a whole lot of fun! As a chapter, we are in the plannin ng stagges of an event for this com ming fall seme ester in which h the tentative datte has been sset for the weekend d of Hom mecoming (November 13), so m mark your calendars! If you missed this seme ester’s event,, u won’t want to miss this you onee; and I hope tto see everyo one th from m the 90 the ere too. As TJ Ashach hik (Past Archon) stated in n the fall edittion of Tau Taales, we weree onee of five fraterrnities nom minated for th he prestigiouss Cald dwell Cup. Altthough we diid not win the award, we were tthe runner‐up to recceive the awaard, whiich was certainly a result o of our intense efforrts scho olastically and athletically as well as our efforts on campuss as a Greek organizaation. From a chap pter standpoin nt, we just initiated the spring claass (fivee members) o on May 1. Thiis puts the chapterr’s total mem mbership up to 55 active mem mbers (not in ncluding this sem mester’s gradu uates), which h is not quite as high h as
ny of us would d like it to be. man The eeconomy oveer the past year and aa half has cerrtainly led to somee difficulty regarding recru uitment; how wever, many can ssee that the tides are turniing. With the change of recru uitment this ccoming fall to o a semi‐formal systeem as well as the sslow improvement of the econ nomy, I am higghly optimistic abou ut rush this co oming semeester and exp pect large gain ns over the past few w years.
are working C Currently we on an n alumni weeekend for the upco oming fall as I have alreadyy stateed, but we have plans for next spring as well. For now, no dates are set; butt the chapter is lookiing forward to o organizing both a spring Pig Pickin’ as welll as a “Demolition P Party” for thee day o of demolition n. Please keep p your eyes out for more inforrmation regarrding all threee of these events; aand if you woulld like to help p, contact me direcctly. One of m my goals as Archon is to recon nnect more mni with the active chapterr, alum
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so o please visit tthe chapter website (www.pkp p.org) and updatte your contact inform mation either by filling outt the on nline form or e‐mailing me. Hopeefully this inform mation will make comm munication ab bout future events much easier enabling us to freee up money aand time for the planning of thee event itself!! M Many of you a lready know that N NC State is in tthe process of revvamping Frateernity Court into w what will be caalled “Greek Villagee.” This includ des the demolition of all cu urrent housess on thee court in which the scheduled date forr demolition of thee Tau Chapterr house is June o of 2011. Bob Lamphier (T‐ 710, aablamphier@aol.com) is the prresident of ou ur Housing Corpo oration and is currently working to boost aalumni and financcial support fo or the projecct. If you wou uld like to help ccontribute to the housing fund o or offer servicces, please do o not heesitate to con ntact Bob directtly. If you have anyy other questions, please ccontact me eitherr by phone (704‐560‐2895) or through e‐mail (tyler..b.hull@gmaiil.com) or simplyy drop by thee fraternity housee to chat. I wo ould like to once aagain thank eeveryone for their ssupport and aattendance att the 90 0th Anniversarry. Thank you u for reaading this sem mester’s edition of Tau Talees; another one w will be delivereed this fall. In Pi K Kappa Phi, Brother Tyleer Hull, T‐1288 8
Tau 90th Draws a Crowd As everyone knows, 2010 is a big year for Tau chapter. It marked the 90th anniversary of the chapter at NC State; and to celebrate the occasion, there were many events planned. The anniversary was celebrated from April 9 ‐ 10 with four separate events. The weekend began on Friday afternoon at Lochmere Golf Club in Cary, N.C., with our annual alumni charity golf tournament. The par‐71 course provided a challenging but fun day for everyone participating. This year there were 47 alumni, 11 current brothers and 11 friends and family that played, totaling 17 teams. The team of alumni Scott Bowling (T‐706), Jed Dale (T‐713), and Brother Bowling’s two daughters, Olivia and Julia, won the event with a low score of ‐12. The real winner of the event was Push America as Tau raised more than $1,700 dollars ‐ doubling last year’s efforts. Special thanks to Rob Schabinger and all of the current brothers and alumni who helped make this even such a success.
Later that night everyone was invited to The Brickhouse Sports Pub on Hillsborough Street for some socializing, appetizers and karaoke! The event was a great opportunity for alumni, families, and the current brotherhood to interact and get to know each other in a less formal setting. Thanks to John Kaeser and the crew at The Brickhouse for hosting such a great event. The festivities started up again Saturday afternoon at the chapter house. The current brothers sponsored a Pig Pickin’ lunch with BBQ, hot dogs, hamburgers, mac and cheese, and Chef James Bennett’s jambalaya. There were well over 200 guests at the house enjoying the great weather and reminiscing on the back deck. Guest enjoyed themselves with music, corn hole, and everyone’s favorite Pi Kapp traditions. There were plenty of stories to be told, and the interaction between current brothers and alumni was great to see. Thanks to Brother Shane Sheppard for cooking the pig and Chef James Bennett for making this event a huge hit.
The final event of the weekend took place at the North Raleigh Hilton. The event had close to 200 guests and took place Saturday evening. There were light hors d’oeuvres served as well as a DJ that provided great music throughout the night. The night began with a moment of silence and opening prayer by Richard F. Baker Jr. of the Delta Beta Chapter. Following Mr. Baker, the current Tau Housing Corporation President Bob Lamphier (T‐710) as well as current Director of Greek Life John Mountz gave a presentation on the current housing situation of Tau chapter. Mr. Rob Schabinger followed with a Push America update. Our next guest was Pi Kappa Phi national Treasurer Dudley F. Woody from Xi chapter. Mr. Woody gave his thoughts on the event and imparted to all of us some of the great times and events that Pi Kappa Phi has given him and how we can always give back. Our current Chapter Adviser Mr. Chris Boyd (T‐1161) followed Mr. Woody in a ceremony called “90 Candles.” Those that had donated their funds or time and energy throughout the week were also recognized by Dawn Humphrey. The formal part of the evening closed with a state of the chapter address by current Archon Tyler Hull as well as reflections from past decades by Jim Johnson (T‐493), Bill Stammetti (T‐627), Bob Cunningham (T‐753), Rob Schabinger (T‐1132), and Jay Kohler (T‐1177). Thanks to everyone, especially Dawn Humphrey, for making this event possible. The rest of the night was spent dancing, socializing, and having a great time! Thanks again to everyone that helped make this weekend a huge success that will not soon be forgotten. The chapter is already planning our next alumni event, which we tentatively have scheduled for the weekend of Saturday, November 13. This is homecoming for the university, and there is a home football game against Wake Forest so everyone mark your calendars! More information will be forthcoming soon. You can always check the alumni website for updates at pkpalumni.org. Also, any e‐mails can be directed to jtyork@ncsu.edu. Thanks again for all that came out and made this weekend such a success, and we look forward to seeing you all next fall. Brother Taylor York, T‐1317 Historian
UPDATE ON PUSH AMERICA As everyone associated with Pi Kappa Phi knows, we care very deeply about helping people with disabilities through our national philanthropy, Push America. Tau chapter is no different. Last fall, Tau chapter held our second annual Scaffold Sit in the brickyard. To go along with this, we held a raffle and sold tickets that enabled purchasers to win a XBOX 360, a PlayStation 3, and other prizes. The chapter also sold snacks and drinks underneath the scaffold. Although the weather was uncooperative (with driving rain and almost freezing temperatures for the entire 48 hours of the event), the brotherhood banded together to make it a success. The event raised more than $1,400 for Push America. Push America Chairman for the fall semester Jacob Barker (T‐ 1315) did an excellent job of rallying the troops despite the less than optimal conditions. Brothers Barker, Stephen MacPherson (T‐1311), Trey Gazdec (T‐1312), and the associate members also volunteered time towards Hilltop Home. The same trio spent time volunteering with Enable America, an organization that works toward helping people with disabilities gain employment throughout the United States. This spring the new Push America Chairmen Benjamin Lingo (T‐1324), organized our fourth annual Tournament of the Roses, which is a flag football tournament between the eight sororities on campus. This year the ladies from Pi Beta Phi took home the title after several hard fought games. Congrats to them, and thanks to all of the ladies and guests of the event that made it a success. Brother Lingo also planned another Push America event that took place at The BrickHouse. We were able to get The Band Of Oz come to play a concert to benefit Push America for us. All of these events were part of a new idea that Tau chapter was trying out called “Push Week.” Overall, the week went very well and looks like something we will continue in the future. Overall, Tau chapter has raised more than $3200 for Push America this year and hopefully that will be a stepping‐stone for years to. Our new Push America chairman John Ratley (DI‐175), is a transfer to Tau chapter this fall from the Delta Iota Chapter at Middle Tennessee State. Brother Ratley brings a lot of new ideas and enthusiasm to the position and is really looking forward to getting started. He plans to try and implement some of the things that made the Delta Iota chapter so successful in raising money to benefit Push America. If you have any Push America related questions, please feel free to e‐mail John at jpratley@ncsu.edu. Brother Taylor York, T‐1317 Historian
FUNDRAISING FOR A NEW HOUSE During Tau’S 90th Celebration, the concept of the new Greek Village was introduced. Bob Lamphier (T‐ 710) and John Mountz of NCSU Greek Life presented the vision and raised the call to action. The idea of reducing our annual expense to the University and taking control of our own destiny has long been a dream for us, and the opportunity to make a move on this exciting project is now in front of us. The Reunion made for an excellent forum to share ideas on how to raise funds. We heard ideas ranging from selling bricks from the soon‐to‐be demolished house, to establishing an annual fundraising campaign. And so we need two things: your input and your help to make the next 90 years a reality! With demolition of the existing chapter house slated for summer 2011, we need your time, talent and resources to organize the Housing Corporation and develop a fundraising campaign for the future of Tau. Contact Bob Lamphier at ablamphier@aol.com or 919‐531‐9420.
ALUMNI UPDATES Brother Matt Frazier, T‐1171, and his wife, Melissa, welcomed their first born, Olivia, on January 25. He has also started a new job as a commercial lines account executive at Swimmer Insurance Agency in Charlotte.
Ryan Patrick. T‐1207, is riding Gear Up Florida this summer. Brothers can visit pushamerica.org to donate. Checks can also be made out to Push America and sent to the national office with his name in the memo line. Jeff Roberts, T‐1045, is a management consultant in London, UK. He lives there with his partner, Lanny Walker, and their two children, Grace and Alexander. David Duong, T‐1250, is continuing his education at NC State in Poultry Science and Wildlife Biology while also working for the University. He has opened his own taxidermy studio in Raleigh, N.C., called “Hoss’s Taxidermy.” Jay Kohler, T‐1177 and his wife, Emily, were married on May 30 in Charlotte, N.C.