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Spring 2000 Volume 48 Number 2 News & information by the alumni association of the Beta Theta Chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity at Cornell University What's been going on down at 17 South Avenue Mike Arnold '00 msa9@cornell.edu Well, let's see. On April 30, early Sunday morning, twenty new members were initiated into the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. They are all extremely excited are looking to make a considerable contribution to the house. We passed an additional scholarship program which looks to award brothers and new members for different academic and personal achievement. The house currently is currently funding the scholarships but is looking for alumni support to provide the scholarships in the future. If anyone is interested they should contact the fraternity. This program is hopefully going to grow into something very big as the university and the brothers are very much in support of it. We also have continued to develop a remarkable relationship with our Chapter Advisor Reid Orth. Over the last year he has become played an integral part in the everyday operations of the chapter. He attends every house meeting and most social events, has consistent and meaningful contact with alumni, and is helping to focus our attentions on scholarship. Many of the brothers have regular dialogue with him concerning the how to handle certain situations as they become relevant to his guidance and he never lets us down when we come to him. The only thing we hope is that he becomes even more involved over the next few years in our affairs. Pike hosted its first ever community service and social event with a member organization of the African Latino Greek Letter Council. It was also the first event of its kind and we hope to continue developing a relationship with this organization in the future. We also placed first in the Cornell Fund Community Service Event. And quickly, what else: We are currently in second place in the All-Sports Competition with a few events remaining and hoping to catch the lead. It would be our first All-Sports Trophy since 1995. We reached our rush goal this year and currently have 81 members - the second largest house on campus. We continue to exhibit a strong showing on campus and in the Ithaca community, and remain one of the most active and philanthropic houses on campus. The above accomplishments are just a little bit of what has been going on down at 17 South Avenue. In all, we continue to have one of the most tight-knit and strongest brotherhoods on campus - one of our defining characteristics, and hope that the alumni recognize us for all that we have done and all that we are hoping to do. In the end, we have put ourselves in an excellent position to take home a Smythe Award in August - the biggest accomplishment our house looks to achieve each year. It has been a great year.

Alumni Spotlight

aldo.morell@usa.dupont.com

It's been a long time since we last got together in New Jersey with Carol & you, and even longer since Jane caught you in the phone closet without your pledge pin. Bring us up to date.

Boy, that is a long time ago. As you know I did the greedy, capitalist thing and went with the company that offered me the most money -- DuPont in Wilmington Delaware. We had a girl named Kristin in Delaware in 1982, a boy named Bobby in 1984. Then DuPont moved me to a God-forsaken place in Tennessee where, with little else to do, we had another baby -- Michael who is now 11.

I came back to Wilmington in 1991 and then DuPont sent me Altamira Mexico on the Gulf coast in 1995. That was a real adventure. Living in a third world country takes some getting used to. Little things we take for granted in the States like speaking the local language, paying your bills through the mail and modern grocery stores were not available any more. We found ourselves repeatedly saying "Toto, we're not in Kansas any more".

But after a while, we got the lay of the land and got to like having live-in maids, a cook and a yard man. We got to live like kings and I enjoyed not having to wash the car or cut the grass any more. The yard man even learned to do the honey-do chores.

What's more, we learned that Mexicans are world class partiers. We could easily host a sit-down dinner party with live tropical music for less than $500. What a life! On Carol's 41st birthday I left her at home and hosted a pig roast for the guys. I didn't use enough charcoal and although everyone showed up for a late afternoon cook-out, the pig wasn't ready until after midnight! But we never ran out of Tequila or Coronas and by 4:00 the guys were singing louder than the band so no one was complaining.

Along came 1999 and DuPont said it was time to come back to the U.S. The party's over! Now Carol is cooking, cleaning and pulling weeds again.

Now we're in Mississippi trying to learn to speak another foreign language -- Cajun, Southern.

You've been one of the few people who have, in this era of downsizing, layoffs, and laterals who has remained with the same company. It'd be interesting to hear your side of that picture, and what it is that your company does that you believe addresses the issue of employee loyalty?

Not everyone has kept loyalty to DuPont. I guess I'm just too dumb to know any better.

You've had to relocate several times recently, and that puts a lot of stress on a family situation.

The stress on the family is usually during the first year after a move. I've come home to a tearful wife on many occasions, but the funny thing is after a while the family doesn't want to move back.

Kristin put a heavy guilt trip on me one day when we had to face sending her to boarding school from Mexico. The American School in Tampico was pretty good, but after the tenth grade there was no more American School and Kristin's Spanish wasn't ready for the Mexican school system. So as we were deliberating over which boarding school would be best, Kristin asks me how I can put my career ahead of her life! Bummer. But she went on to do well and become the captain to the soccer and tennis teams. Now that she is graduating from the boarding school and planning to enter Welsley, she is feeling pretty good about her education. (Unfortunately Cornell did not accept her even though she applied early decision. Go figure!)

Bobby and Michael still keep in touch with their friends in Mexico and have plans to go back to visit this summer.

What's this marlin fishing deal? Somehow, I never figured you as a fisherman.

Altamira and Tampico Mexico are surrounded by water. So I bought a boat. Turns out that fifteen miles from shore at Tampico you are in blue water. Great fishing. One afternoon, on a calm day, I took the family out hoping they would get over being sea sick. I was hoping for a tuna or wahoo, trolling 20-lb. test line. We were ready to come in when all of a sudden the ocean explodes with a huge marlin tearing into my lure! About 20 yards from the stern of the boat the marlin jumped in the air just to show me how big he is. I fought him for an hour and 45 minutes until he finally broke off. I was hooked on marlin fishing. Carol kicks herself. She says she was praying something would bite so we could come in, but she forgot to specify what size fish.

Then in January 1999, I entered a tournament on the Pacific coast with my buddy who has a weekly fishing show on Mexican television. We fought a 345 lb. marlin for 4 hours 40 minutes, brought it in just before the scales come down and took first place to win a car! What's not to like about fishing?

Thanks for your time, Aldo. It's great to catch up. If it's any consolation, Ralph's far enough over-the-hill for road trips to Welsley, so that's one less situation to be concerned about.

Forward nominations for future alumni interviews to BetaThetaData@pikas.com .

Trivia Committee

The Trivia Committee is pleased to pass on the report that the New England Journal of Medicine has recently printed an article describing the medicinal benefits for men who engage in the practice of ogling women's breasts. The story as reported to the Trivia Committee is printed below:

Great news for girl watchers: Ogling over women's breasts is good for a man's health and can add years to his life, medical experts have discovered. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, "Just 10 minutes of staring at the charms of a well-endowed female is roughly equivalent to a 30-minute aerobics work-out" declared gerontologist Dr. Karen Weatherby.

Dr. Weatherby and fellow researchers at three hospitals in Frankfurt, Germany, reached the startling conclusion after comparing the health of 200 male outpatients - half of whom were instructed to look at busty females daily, the other half told to refrain from doing so. The study revealed that after five years, the chest-watchers had lower blood pressure, slower resting pulse rates and fewer instances of coronary artery disease.

"Sexual excitement gets the heart pumping and improves blood circulation," explains Dr. Weatherby. "There's no question: Gazing at breasts makes men healthier. Our study indicates that engaging in this activity a few minutes daily cuts the risk of stroke and heart attack in half. We believe that by doing so consistently, the average man can extend his life four to five years."

The above story is just another example of how the Trivia Committee is still on the job after all these years, still looking out for the well-being of the brothers of Pi Kappa Alpha.

Reunion 2000

Welcome to Reunion Weekend 2000!

The Reunion Weekend at Cornell is June 8^th through the 11^th. There will be Pike activities taking place on Friday and Saturday at the house on 17 South Avenue.

This will be a great opportunity to see recent improvements at the house as well as a chance to see old friends. We'd like to see a record number of alumni. To best approximate the amount of food to prepare for the BBQ, please use the linked form to RSVP , or e-mail Reid Orth .

Go to Cornell Reunion events

Homecoming 2000

Dear Brothers,

We are writing to cordially invite you to the event of the year! That's right, we're talking about Pi Kappa Alpha's 2000 Homecoming Weekend here at Cornell University. From September 22^nd through the 24^th, Pikes from the past will join with our current brotherhood in order to exchange stories, relive tradition, and enjoy a weekend filled with festivity.

This year's homecoming is going to prove to be one of the most exciting in Beta Theta history, for our chapter is striving to take home the Robert Adger Smythe Award again! As a result, the current brotherhood's spirit and enthusiasm toward the house has risen to unseen levels. However, this award does not just signify the active brothers' commitment to excellence. Rather, it is a celebration of all the brothers, both past and present, who have helped us "most successfully accomplish our object". We would like to celebrate this tremendous honor with our alumni, as it is you who have helped us to reach our goals through your continuous support and encouragement.

The house looks the best it has in years. We have recently bought new garnet carpets, and the wood furnishings are looking better than ever. In addition, at last year's Homecoming Weekend, we voted to have a new live-in house manager/cook, Mark Wagner. He has kept the house looking great over the past few months and plans to keep it that way for years to come.

Although last year's homecoming attendance was tremendous, we are hoping for an even stronger alumni response this year. The weekend truly exemplifies the idea of fraternity, and allows all of us for one weekend to witness how Phi Phi Kappa Alpha lives on outside the walls of the house and in the hearts of all the brothers. So come back to Cornell for a weekend where you will rekindle old friendships and even start some new ones. Let's make the 2000 homecoming weekend the best ever!

Sincerely,

Steven Niditch '02
Homecoming Chair 2000

Zach Resnick '03
Assistant Homecoming Chair 2000

If you have questions or would like to place your reservations in advance, please use the linked form to RSVP , or e-mail Steve & Zach
.

Go to List of Hotel Accommodations

Calendar

June 8-11, 2000	Reunion Weekend
August 9-13, 2000	PiKA International Convention Hilton Atlanta & Towers Atlanta GA
September 23, 2000	Homecoming vs. Yale
November 1, 2000	Fall 2000 Beta Theta DATA deadline
May 1, 2001	Spring 2001 Beta Theta DATA deadline
October 13, 2001	Homecoming vs. Harvard

Alumni Notes

Zulu Rosenberg '86 just finished running his first marathon at age 35 in Napa Valley, and finished in 3 hours and 46 minutes. "I am proud to say that it was 15 minutes faster than my younger brother Doug (a Penn Deke guy) did in his first marathon when he was 25."

"Also ending up working on a $1.1 billion disposition of a subsidiary at First Data to PNC Bank, who was ably represented by that hose-bag Marc Rockford. Talk about a small world! I told Marc that if he didn't play nice, I would show PNC's Vice Chairman the pictures of Marc riding the house."

"Over Thanksgiving, besides seeing my real brother / Pike little-little bro Steve Rosenberg '88, I also got together with Lars Fuchs '86. I proved to Lars that I'm never too old to piss off a brother's significant other. Promising that he and I would step out for an hour for dinner, we returned at 3:30 a.m. to his studio apartment, whereupon Lars was interrogated 'where the hell have you been?' Lars responded 'Is it OK if ZuLu sleeps on the floor?'"

Brother Steve is doing well in Southern California with a 5-year-old son Kyle (pledge class of 2013), where he has become a T-ball dad.

Howard Trepp '89 is married going on nine years and expecting child #2 in June. "Living in Westchester County outside of NYC. I am a trial lawyer specializing in plaintiff's personal injury cases. But enough about me."

"Bill Bosak and John Small are both also expecting kids this spring. The former #2 and the latter #3. They live in Westchester and Connecticut respectively. Pete Tober just got a place in Princeton, NJ and continues to work for Governor Whitman. Jeff Hill is a lawyer, lives in Queens and recently had kid #2. Tom Shpetner, John Goodman and I recently played football in Central Park and despite that they are both doing fine (more lawyers). Larry Dopkin is doing his psychiatric residency at Brown and therefore holds down the fort in Providence. Had the pleasure of partying with him on New Year's Eve. Jim Cone is in LaLa land working on opening his own hotel (California?)."

"In the it's-a-small-world category: Matthew Biben married my wife's gynecologist's daughter. More than that I can't tell you. Larry Schwartz is married and living in Idaho where he has a burgeoning restaurant empire."

"Anyone know the whereabouts of Chuck Kelly or Matt Dwyer?"

Michael Sloan '96 started a company called eLink Communications. "We wire building for high speed access and sell services ranging from 45,000 kbs of data, voice over IP, Application Service Provider programs, in house customer service (CyberSuper(tm)), web hosting, etc. We are operational in DC and NYC and are expanding to Chicago, Toronto, Philly, Boston, Atlanta, LA, San Fran, etc. Major growth. We are hiring in all cities, especially people with real estate relationships. In DC and NYC we are hiring all types of people. Our website is www.elinkcommunications.com"

Brian Pickerall '82 has moved once again. Back to Southern California where the sun shines and golf courses stay open!

Lee Soule '60 writes "I am now semi-retired, having left Cabot Corporation (Boston) in July. But I am working diligently in my own consulting business, and finding the schedule flexibility refreshing, to say the least."

"My son and his wife made Marge and me grandparents December 1998 with our first grandchild, Nathaniel!"

"Hope to go back to Cornell this spring for my 40th reunion!! Wow! How time flies!"

Neil Cantor '94 ran the NYC Marathon with brother Rob Claypoole '94 this past November. Their times were just shy of the lead runners. Not bad for two that did no training into the run.

"Sharing a house here in DC with Darren Massara (Big Brother, '93) and a couple of women. All welcome for drinks if in town. Plenty of floor space too, if you need a place to lie. Happy New Years to all, and good fortune in 2000."

Barry Lawrence '84 sends greetings from Salt Lake.

"Sorry I couldn't make homecoming this year. Spent an excellent weekend with Roscoe (Andy Glasner '86) in Phoenix in May. Caught a few Mets games, and played a few rounds of golf. A great time was had by all. If you're in the Salt Lake area, give a holler. If you're looking for Olympics tickets, good luck!"

Lowell Martin '67 has retired (at least temporarily) from active motorcycle roadracing due to 8/99 surgery to rebuild his shoulder damaged in several on-track crashes.

"Oldest son Philip (age 25) is in his first year of vet school at Kansas State, on his own money!! Middle son Andrew (age 21) graduates from New England Culinary School 8/00. Youngest Eric (age 12) is terrorizing the teachers in middle school."

Big-Bob Mateus '78 sends greetings from the golden California coast.

"I am in regular contact with Doug Wright - we see each other once a year at various exotic venues for some 'tomfoolery'! He is living in Phoenix. Every summer we talk about a fall pilgrimage to the frat lodge but with kids, work, & WIVES, it is tough to break free."

Veronica Anne (3½) & Elena Marie(1)

Marnie and Dave Mertz '83 had their third son, Andrew, on Oct 1, 1999. Named after Andy Bjork, of course.

"We bid farewell this summer to Hunter Johnson and wife Michele, who moved to Berlin from Michigan. Hunter was last seen driving 125 on the autobahn in a black Mercedes."

Recently, a bunch of Pikes got together to celebrate the wedding of Kimberly and Rob Kay '93. Bob was feeling some pressure to get this thing done, because his rate of hair loss was accelerating in recent years. When asked about his fickle follicles, Bob responded, with a savvy "I look gooood."

Attendees at the wedding included Jason 'Gator' Brand, Darren 'All-American' Massara, Mike 'Leonardo Di' Palesio, Tom 'New Daddy' Telesca, Gregg 'Big Daddy' Garno, Art '3 iron' Witebsky, Jeff 'I didn't go to Wegman's to find a date for this wedding' Deutsch, Bruce 'Ah haaaah haaaaah haaaaah' Mackle, Lou 'Coach would be proud of us (its an inside thing)' Diamond, EJ 'Edge' Minor, Ertan 'I make more money than Altan' Yenicay, Kenny 'Opey' Soldwedel, Neil 'Screetch' Cantor, Carey 'Honorary Pikette' Socol, and Adam 'Trivia is still Alive and Well' Frisch. Sean 'The Chin' Carey couldn't attend because he was competing in the finals of the Wisconsin Talent Contest; he was in the pitcher-chugging/break-dancing bracket, but lost to a girl from Kenosha.

Needless to say, many Jack and Cokes were had by all, and we confirmed that the best times are still those that involve the fellas from the house. Congrats to Bob and Kim from all of us.

Chapter Eternal

Frank LeFurgy '51
September 20, 1999

Directory

term Alpha Theta Director 2000 Neil Cantor 2001 Ken Hull, Vice President 2002 Rick Eno, Alumni Relations 2003 Steve Amador, Treasurer 2004 Tim Cole, President

Fall '00 Undergraduate Exec Board President Marco Boyce '01 Internal VP Steve Niditch '02 External VP Josh Okon '03 Treasurer Chapin Durling '02 Secretary Giuseppe Perotta '03

Go to Beta Theta E-mail Directory

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