Trick or Treat Street

We would like to invite all brothers and their families to a day of Halloween festivities at the University of Richmond's Fraternity Rows. Beta Beta will be hosting a Haunted House in this day that provides a safe Halloween experience for all children in Richmond and the surrounding areas. It should be a great event, and we hope that many of you can attend.

Party with The Jaybird

With 9 days to go until Homecoming, here's the current list of individuals that will be partying with The Jaybird next weekend. We've got 60 for golf, 85 for dinner, and 48 for the tailgate and football game. If you're among the stragglers that just hasn't gotten your money in yet - or if you're still on the fence - now's the time to buck up and make it happen. Do it for The Jaybird.

Ted Albrecht
Spence Andrews
Steve Arledge
Robin & Paula Barlowe
Hill Beck
Brian Beveridge
Page & Caress Bradford
Wayne Bradshaw
Ryan Buhl
Artie Bunnell
Doug Callaway
Paul & Lynn Cook
Truba & Fran Cooper
Robert Cranshaw
Gabe Crouch
Greg & Jennifer Desautels
Gene & Kathy Donner
Frank Fahrner
Gerald & Cyndee Fallen
John Fuller
Stan Gasiorowski
Tom & Annette Gates
Chris Genier
Jeff Given
Ed Godsey
Steve Goheen
Cliff Gordon
David Harrell
Preston Hicks
Neil Howard
Eric & Greer Hughes
Kevin Hutchinson
Wife Hutchinson
Thomas Kuspis
Jimmy Lee
Alexander Leukhart
Chuck Maguire
Walter Mann
Jim Massengill
Keith McCalla
Reid McClure
Keith & Barbie McGrath
Jonathan Meredith
Skip Muller
Steve & Sharon Murphy
Jim Newins
Milt Nuckols
David & Ann Oakes
Ryan O'Brien
Greg & Ann Pannell
John Peery
Bennett Peterson
Mike Poindexter
Bill Powell
Thomas Pressler
Peter Pruden
Ron Puckett
Mark Railsback
Patrick Regan
William Reisfeld
John Richardson
Mike Sellers
Jim Smith
Fran & Sharon Spanberger
Jason Stapf
Donald Steinbrugge
Richard Stockel
Scott Stolte
Donne & Anita Storino
Wayne Street
Jim & Davidina Sutherland
Bo Taylor
Scott Walker
Charlie Williams
Jay & Brenda Wright

If you don't see your wife's name above, it's because you didn't provide her name with your payment.

The Fall of Roscoe Jenkins

Our chapter made headlines last week. Though not the good kind.

It began with the chapter's rush chair demonstrating poor judgment by sending an email to rushees laced with offensive and degrading language. This email was quickly forwarded to the rest of the student body, university administrators, and even among alumni. The Collegian ran a front-page story that ensured the entire University community knew the most explicit passages of the email. The story even found it's way to the local news last night.

While opinions vary on the response, it's safe to say that the email itself was a poor reflection on our chapter, inconsistent with the values to which we aspire. Unfortunately, this one bad decision by one brother is going to affect how Kappa Sigma is perceived by the rest of the University for quite awhile.

Silver linings in all this: good to know the actives feel such pride about the quality of their lodge parties (according to rush chair Roscoe: "we don't do lodges; we f*cking invented 'em"); and good to know that alumni will turn out in droves to make a mockery of the whole thing through humorous comments to the Collegian story.

Excuses, Excuses

Readers may have noticed that posts to this blog have slowed to a stop the last few weeks. It was not manlove for Matty Baechtle that kept him & his bride the lead story for two weeks. In fact, two more substantial roadblocks prevented me from paying this site any attention.

At home, the toddler and newborn pictured above have seriously limited Daddy's "free-time" at home until at least 2009, early 2010. If I'm not watching Backyardigans with J.D., I'm changing diapers with Matty. Those of you with kids can empathize. Those of you without, we're looking for babysitters.

At work, a far greater impediment: upgraded web filtering software that has completely denied me access to this site. Now, I realize blogging is not the best use of one's work time. But considering the sheer number of hours that I spent in front of my computer at work each week, I don't think a few minutes posting ridiculous fraternal trivia is too much to ask. Alas, I'm not about to ask anyone.



If anyone out there wants to step up and take over this magnificent blog, please let me know. Until then, expect updates to be few and far between. Just don't chalk it up to apathy. I've still got plenty of love for this little brotherhood & plenty of material that needs to be shared.

The Baechtle Nuptials

Congrats to Matty Baechtle '01 who tied the knot a few weeks back to the former Miss Carla Francischetti. The ceremony in Pleasanton, New Jersey did not feature Brother Baechtle demonstrating his kung fu skills, nor brandishing the firearm that he carries for his day job with Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. It did, however, feature plenty of Bon Jovi.

Brothers in attendance included Scott Barghaan '00, Kevin Burns '00 Mark Tumelty '01, Mike Phillips '01, Mike Francavillo '01, Minas Kourouglos '02, Joe Benanti '02, Dan Smith '02, and Pete Jerauld '03.

BOO! Run for Life

Brother Brian O'Neill '98 is recruiting runners, walkers & volunteers for the 3rd Annual BOO! Run for Life, a Halloween-themed 10k run/ 2 mile walk to support renal cell (kidney) cancer research. The race takes place October 12 at West Potomac Park in Washington, DC, beginning at 8am.

Brian's father Dean passed away in 2003 after a 7-year battle against renal cell cancer. His friends and family established the Dean R. O'Neill Renal Cell Cancer Research Fund at the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. All proceeds from the race support this Research Fund. Last year's event was a great success with over 600 participants and raised tens of thousands of dollars for the Research Fund.

More event details are available on Facebook.

Homecoming Roll Call

A great number brothers have stated their intent to join the fun for Homecoming weekend. A lesser number has actually ponied up the money. Below is the list of brothers who have PAID as of September 18, for either golf, dinner or the tailgate. We'll update this list each week as more checks are received.

The deadline to receive payments is October 10.

Hill Beck
Page Bradford & wife
Wayne Bradshaw
Paul Cook & wife
Truba Cooper & wife
Robert Cranshaw
Gene Donner & wife
Chris Genier
Ed Godsey & wife
Cliff Gordon
Preston Hicks & wife
Kevin Hutchison & wife
Chuck Maguire
Walter Mann
Keith McGrath
Steve Murphy & wife
Jim Newins
Milt Nuckols
Greg Pannell & wife
Bill Powell
Ron Puckett
Jim Smith & wife
Fran Spanberger & wife
Richard Stockel
Scott Stolte
Donne Storino & wife

Kill the Elephant!

Brother Jack Goodson '04 sends word from Kingsport, Tennessee, where he's a sportswriter for the Kingsport Times-News, a 50,000 circulation daily newspaper in Northeast Tennessee. His focus is prep and college coverage -- game leads, features and previews.  His specific beats include high school soccer and University of Tennessee football.

A fun fact about Kingsport, Tennessee, courtesy the always-reliable Wikipedia.  In 1916, townsfolk demanded the death of Mary, a five-ton Asian elephant, after she stepped on the head of her assistant trainer & killed him.  Mary was "hanged by the neck from a railcar-mounted industrial crane ... as dozens of children fled in terror".  What does this story have to do with Jack?  Not a damn thing, I just wanted an excuse to use that title for a post.

Jack sent along the above picture of the 2000 pledge class out at the Challenge Discovery ropes course up in Doswell.  I understand no elephants were harmed in the making of that team.

What's the Current State of the UR Greek System?

There are currently six men’s fraternities on campus: Kappa Alpha, Kappa Sigma, Sigma Chi, Phi Gamma Delta, Sigma Phi Epsilon, and Sigma Alpha Epsilon.  Conversations have been conducted with Lambda Chi Alpha and Theta Chi about returning to campus, as well as an historically black Greek fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha.  As of last spring, 28% of men were affiliated with a fraternity (49% of women), and the Greek GPA was higher than the all-men’s average.

There are tremendous external pressures on fraternity chapters.  National headlines are rife with stories on hazing, alcohol poisonings, sexual assaults, or drug dealing within fraternities. Many universities and national fraternities face significant lawsuits for lack of oversight or negligence in controlling the activities of individual chapters.  In 2003, Kappa Sigma National Fraternity introduced a code of conduct that addresses some of these issues.  Violations of this code can result in immediate revocation of a chapter’s charter.  Other fraternities have implemented similar rules and requirements.

Individual chapters have learned to work and operate within these new regulations and guidelines. Lodge parties are strictly controlled via a pre-approved guest list.  Kegs have been replaced with a "BYOBeer" policy that permits 11 cans of beer per guest.  A sober driver system, required as part of the risk team responsibilities, shuttles people back and forth between campus and the fraternity row.  Pledge programs last a maximum of 6 weeks and have refocused on building the bonds of brotherhood in positive ways.  Engaged community service events sponsored by chapters are commonplace. 

As fraternities refocus on the original intent of their founders, the ties of brotherhood are as strong today as they were 10, 20, or 50 years ago. There is increased responsibility and accountability expected of men in all chapters, but the commitment to brotherhood, fun and connections with the University of Richmond are as strong as ever.

Thanks to our chapter Alumnus Advisor Kevin Strecker and Director of Student Activities Alison Keller (aka Alison Bartel; fka ABL) for help answering this question.

Reinforcements

Astute readers may have noticed a few new names listed as contributors for this site.  In fact, four active brothers have signed-up to contribute stories throughout the school year:

Grand Master Keith McCalla

Grand Scribe John Frey

Alumni Chair 1 Christian Amendola

Alumni Chair B Charlie Walp

I've asked them to help all us alums understand exactly what it's like to be a Beta Beta on campus in 2008.   I'll let them handle their own introductions. Look for their posts starting soon. 

---

Behind the scenes, two alumni brothers have responded to my call for help to build a better website.  Minas Kourouglos '02 has offered to help build the infrastructure necessary to have an updatable, searchable alumni database on the site.  Andrew Miller '03 has offered his services to optimize how well the site ranks in various search engines.  Because if there are lost Beta Betas out there, they need to be able to find us just be googling "Raiders of the Night".

#28

Brother Greg Pannell '81 offers his version of the paddle signature list, circa 1978.  Compared to its' 1994 counterpart, this one offers a far simpler, cleaner look.  Just a numbered list of signatures. No strange prefixes, stains or holes. According to Greg:

When I was a pledge I made sure I took care of my list, I heard a lot of bad stories, and some of the things I had to do to earn those signatures made it that much more important.

Makes you wonder if any sigs were earned after hauling a keg onto the roof. Maybe signature #28.

Thank You, Donors

Over the past year, dozens of brothers have generously donated to the Beta Beta Foundation. We want to thank each one of these donors for their support for the Foundation and to the future of the Beta Beta brotherhood.  Every dollar brings us closer to our goal of ensuring the financial strength of our beloved chapter.

$1,000+

Wayne Bradshaw 

Robert Bruns 

Truba Cooper 

Robert Cranshaw 

Gene Donner
Jim Newins  

RJ Morris 

Peter Pruden 

Scott Stolte 

Donne Storino 

Durwood Usry

$500 - $999

Artie Bunnell 

Hunt Burke 

Dave Fuller

Ron Hayes 

Keith McGrath 

Up to $499

Herbert Arnold 

Hilaire Beck 

Jan Epstein 

Stan Gasiorowski

Thomas Gates 

Jeffress Given 

Marc Greenberg 

Ronald Greene 

Neil Howard 

Reid McClure 

Paul McEnroe 

Jack Moore  

Milt Nuckols

Cary Ralston 

Jim Smith

Jay Wright 

Russ Wyatt 

'69

A great portrait of the chapter at the end of 1969.  Thanks to Rich Johnson for the picture and Truba Cooper for helping identify (most) everyone.  Anyone that can help fill in some of the blanks, post the names in the comments and I'll update.

Front Row (Left to Right):
1 – Harry McClaren
2 - Brian McCahill
3 - Rodney Hicks
4 - Page Bradford
5 - Eddie Godsey
6 - Mike Plant (?)
7 - Bev Holt
8 - Sam Graham
9 - ?
10 - John Lashon (?)
11 - Craig Poole

Middle Row (Left to Right):
1 - Tom Redfern
2 - Sam Atkinson
3 - Truba Cooper
4 - Mike Williams
5 - Dr. Mac
6 - Wayne Leake
7 - Sam Price
8 - Rob Nicol
9 - Charlie Cosby
10 - Cary Ralston
11 - Keith McGrath
12 - Donnie Ward
13 - Randy Walter
14 - Mike Vandeweghe

Back Row (Left to Right):
1 - ?
2 - Jack Moore
3 - Bill Wilson
4 - Walter Owings
5 - Preston Hicks
6 - Wayne Warren
7 - Mike Harrington
8 - R.C. Moore
9 - Ray Blackmore
10 - Andy Swinson
11 - ?
12 - Penn Pendleton
13 - Stan Gasiorowski
14 - Jack Cocke
15 - ?
16 - ?
17 - ?
18 - Rich Johnson
19 - Bob Barkley

A couple great shots of the lodge - inside and out - from around the same time.  Note the classy padded bench seats.  In the far corner is the wooden scrapbook put together by Brother Bradshaw earlier that year.

The Bologna Locomotive

What's the difference between a hockey mom and Donne Storino? Lipstick.

With the political conventions behind us, you have may thought the best speeches had already been delivered.  No one told that to our resident pitbull.  From the desk of our President:

It's amazing how in only the last two years so many brothers have gotten involved. Many of us have grown to know brothers from many different eras. Some of these guys I feel like I have known since I was an active brother. We must keep this "good thing" going, and we must strive to bring as many people into the alumni brotherhood as possible. Everyone "on the list" should reach back past their time and forward beyond their time to bring more brothers into the rebirth of the Beta Beta Chapter through our Foundation. 

As I was telling Bruns, I really don't think [UR] expects us to come back this year after last year's smashing success. Let me tell you: they are in for quite a surprise. This year looks like a great party and celebration for us as BBs and as Spiders. Let's get on board. The Bologna Locomotive is gathering speed, boys, so let's throw some fuel on the fire!! I don't golf, but I have paid my golf fees and will be stirring up quite a ruckus both Friday and Saturday. My bride, Anita, will be at my side wearing her Kappa Sig sweetheart pin.

We need to show UR and the whole damn lot that Kappa Sig has the strongest alumni of all fraternities. There is no one like us at UR. Let's roll, brothers!!!

The Red Polo Debut

By 1994, the bar was raised (or forever lowered, depending on your perspective) for composite imagery.  No longer content with just plaid jackets, Brothers began to think outside the box about what ridiculous things they could portray inside their little box: Tom Whitehead and Jay Mark introduced two variations on 'the point'; Joe Italiano displayed his mansweater; Rich Muneke brought props; and Kevin Morrow took things to a whole new plane.

Herenow, my top 10 of 1994:


10. The Old Man


9. Dwayne Wayne glasses and a name that sounds like the title of a Skinemax movie.


8. Grunge meets The Fonz.  Aayyyyy...


7. Jean jacket and no shirt: think of the chafing.


6. Back when terrorists were still just innocent fun.


5. Sometimes nicknames don't need an explanation.

4. Hi, Eric Stratton, rush chairman. Damn glad to meet you.


3. No, he's not wearing a sweater.  And yes, that's his real name.


2. Best Use of Melon


1. Leopard print sheets + come-hither look = Irresistible

The Donne Witch Project

From the Donfather himself:

I lived in the lodge for a while with Brother Joe Baird (Chapter Celestial). It was a weird Summer indeed. Joe and I had been reading the demented tales written by the other-worldly H. P. Lovecraft. Ghouls and critters from other dimensions and all that. Really spooky stuff. On several occasions, we heard strange noises "out back" and more than once found doors that were closed, wide open. It was the time of The Haunting of the Lodge. Or perhaps it was the beer and grain alcohol punch.



It was also the time of the hamburger. Joe and Brother Bill Powell were working Channel 12 block parties, and Joe would bring back literally boxes of frozen patties. I swear we ate hamburgers for every meal for months, and I mean nothing else. It became a real mission to stick to our "diet."

Brothers would drop in all the time for hijinks and hanging out. The lodge during that time was a real hangout where brothers would congregate. Often times we would cook up pranks to pull on other frats or UR in general.

At one time, we had brothers living in the brother's room and the girl's head, as we called it. There was a closet with a pull-close wooden curtain where the bar is now. I believe it was either Brother Jim Soyars or Pete Kucera that were living in that space. Also, the doors were never locked (different times). There was always someone in the lodge. It was used constantly, 24-7.

 
I still have great nostalgia for The Grand Old Lady, and still cannot go there without waves of memories coming back.

Chuckles Takes a Wife

Brother Eric Wilborn '00 tied the knot out in Portland, Oregon earlier this summer. He's the pimp on the left. His beautiful bride Kristin can't believe she just married this clown. Guest Mike Pacchione offered the following observations:

Few grooms have the courage to dress like a gangster for their wedding. Then again, few grooms are like Eric Wilborn. This was the first wedding I'd ever been to that featured a happy hour before the ceremony. True story. If you don't think the wedding included

• The groom wearing a hat during the ceremony;
• An actual part of the ceremony in which the bride and the groom put Hawaiian leis around each other's necks;
• The longest kissing of the bride you've ever seen (long enough for the whole head left-center-right rotation);
  
• Me giving Wilborn "the grip" just for old times sake; and
• The happy couple walking off to a Bob Marley song

...if you don't think the wedding included all these things, you obviously don't know Brother Wilborn very well.

One more shot to fully appreciate that shirt...

And the happy couple on their minimoon in Washington State...


Congrats, Bro.

Damn Glad to Have You

A glimpse at the paddle signature, circa 1994, courtesy Joe Rinaldi '97. This simple piece of paper witnessed many of the indignities that befall most sheets designated for such assignment: discoloration; stains; burn marks; scotch tape holding the whole thing together. According to Joe, the big hole at the bottom is the result of Mike Relyea dipping it in beer and drinking it. Proud to be a Kappa Sigma Pledge.

The best part of any good paddle is the cryptic prefix that brothers provide along with their signature. Like that unpronounceable symbol that Prince used as his name around the same time, these prefixes were a means of asserting individuality, while making absolutely zero sense to the rest of the world. A sampling:

• "12" F3"
• "1025"
• "5-8-77"
• "46-10"
• "LAX"
  
• "NAKED"
• "Stress"
• "No F*cking Clowns"
  

I wonder if anyone still remembers what these prefixes mean. Or, who knows, maybe some guys still use them today. Would banks even accept a check that said "No F*cking Clowns" at the bottom?

Who Wants a Moustache Ride?

Thanks to Brother Steve "Boo Boo" Murphy for submitting these two gems. I'll leave the analysis to anyone that wants to share their thoughts in the comments. I just don't think I can do justice. I'm just thankful these aren't in color. The neckties alone could give someone seizures.

Is Anyone Here a Marine Biologist?

No, no, we don't really need a marine biologist (yet). What we do desperately need is a web developer that can help take this site to the next level. In the last month, 300+ brothers have visited this site from around the world. That's great news as we look to grow this into our primary communications tool. That's bad news in that we have no idea who any of these 300 brothers are.

So we need two things as soon as possible:

1. A way for alumni to provide their current contact information.
   
2. A way for alumni to search this database for other brothers.
   

Our alumni database today is pulled from various sources (the UR Alumni Office, Kappa Sigma Nationals, UPC, the Foundation, the actives). So many different inputs has made maintenance of a master alumni list difficult. We believe that bringing this data collection in house - and making it accessible to the rest of the brotherhood - is the best way to help brothers stay connected.

So anyone out there who knows how to build the forms and database we need to capture, store, and search this data, please help.
Email or call me (804-366-1996).

The Final Summer

10 years ago this week, the last brothers to live in the lodge moved out. It marked the end of a long-standing tradition of rent-free accommodations for those with summer jobs in Richmond. The next summer, fraternity row would be under construction, as the old Lambda Chi, Pi Kappa Alpha, and Sigma Chi lodges were torn down to make way for an expanded Robins Center parking lot. The summer after that, our own lodge would undergo a renovation that would forever limit it's ability to house (the kitchen & shower were both displaced).

For that last summer, three brothers called the backrooms home: Christian Shwarzkopf' '99 and yours truly in the Brothers' Room; and Tommy Hayes '00 in the Little Sisters room. For May term, six additional brothers somehow found a place to sleep inside. The beds & dressers were rented; every other bit of furniture was taken from whatever the brotherhood had chosen to store up there for the summer. That meant futons and crate furniture galore. The decor was dorm room chic. If memory serves, that's Miss February 1998 alongside my bed:

A summer at the lodge entailed unbearable humidity, a shower that actually made you feel dirtier, and a fantastic venue for weekend beer pong. With no cable, televised entertainments were limited. But there was always something going on at the Row. One guy living at Sigma Chi asked if he could use our shower once a week (what did he do the other 6 days?) and another guy living at Fiji taught me the two chords necessary to play Every Rose Has Its Thorn on the guitar (thank you, Russ).

From Brother Hayes:

Lots of memories from that summer. The 3 day power outage. The attempt to watch the 100 greatest movies of all-time. The futility of keeping the lodge clean, even after ponying up however much cash for the pre-move-in professional scrubbing. Drunken stumbling back and forth to the pool house. Your eviction of Joe Manning's junk onto the front sidewalk. . Trying to string a line of blankets from the ceiling so that the cool air generated by that measly window A/C unit in the brothers room not only stayed in the back of the lodge but also flowed over to the sister's room. Schwa cooking strange concoctions of mushrooms and onions. Random brothers from the 1970's stopping by looking for drinking buddies.

Outside of evicting Brother Everlasts' belongings in a fit of anger, it was a fantastic way to spend the summer. Any of our predecessors have their own memories of living at the lodge?

Roadtrip

Anyone considering heading to Charlottesville for the September 6 UR vs UVA football game, feel free to connect with Brothers Donne Storino and Gene Donner, who plan to attend with their lovely wives. From Brother Storino:

It's not too late for us to support the Spidermen as they face the I-A Hoos. C'mon guys show your Spider spirit! Ed Ayers will be at the tailgate, so you will have an opportunity to "bend his ear" a bit, which I intend to do. I am always looking to get a word in for Kappa Sig and the Foundation.

The UR Alumni Office is hosting an official tailgate tent at the corner of McCormick and Alderman Roads starting at 1:30. Tailgate plus a game ticket runs $50 adult/$40 child under 12. For just the tailgate, it's $34 adult/$24 child. To register, the Alumni Office has an online registration form or you can call them at 804-289-8027.

Members of the Spider Club can hitch a ride on a chartered bus leaving from the Robins Center at noon. The bus ride costs $34/person, or $50 for the bus ride plus a game ticket. For more infomation on the bus, click here or call the Spider Club at 804-289-8759.

The Class of 2012

The next batch of Beta Beta Brothers will be pulled from a very elite pool of candidates:

The university received 7,970 applications--a university record--and accepted 2,522 students (32 percent). Of students admitted, 790 enrolled (31 percent). Among first-year students, more than half who submitted high school class rank were in the top 10 percent.

The Class of 2012 is a dynamic group of students who have dedicated themselves to humanitarian relief, wildlife preservation and serving in the U.S. Army. Some also have overcome tremendous odds, such as fleeing Afghanistan to escape the Taliban. Others assumed leadership roles in their high schools and communities and demonstrated extraordinary academic achievement. The first-year class includes 19 valedictorians, 68 student government and class presidents, 53 members of state champion athletic teams, 52 editors of school publications and 16 Eagle and Girl Scout Award winners.

In addition to an Army veteran, the first-year class includes: a student who worked as a translator for the German Embassy in Kabul and later worked with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID); a student who worked as a Congressional intern; and a student who served as the president of a group for Hispanic girls.

The university’s first-year students come from 42 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and 34 countries. Forty percent hail from the Mid-Atlantic, with 16 percent from Virginia. Seven percent are from outside of the United States. Domestic students of color make up 12 percent of the first-year class, and 15 percent are first-generation college students.

Among all these valedictorians and class presidents, I have no doubt that a future Derelict of the Week is just waiting to be found.

Finished Product

This will complete our summer photo series, Lodge At Rest. The next images you see of the old Lady should include teeming masses of undergraduates. Enjoy the new accommodations, boys.
Just don't fall off the railing.