Texas Alpha Chapter of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity at the University of Texas
Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/214416
T E X A S A L P H A ALPHA AVALANCHE Fall 2013 Texas Alpha House Board Stronger than Ever T exas Alpha had a productive spring and summer that witnessed alumni and undergraduates working together on house improvement projects, chapter growth and building a stronger brotherhood. This progress would not have been possible without a dedicated cadre of almost 30 alumni volunteers assisting in everything from rush, chapter management, scholarship, housing improvements, career guidance, philanthropy, and one-on-one mentoring to a group of undergraduates eager to learn. This is a good group of young men at 2411 Longview; I am proud to be associated with them and look forward to working together this school year. There are three alumni boards: Texas Alpha Management Corporation, which oversees the day-to-day operation of the chapter, working closely with the undergraduates on budgeting and planning, and is led by Daniel Harvey '00; the Texas Alpha House Board Inc. is entrusted with housing the chapter led by Kelly Fish '77; lastly, the Texas Alpha Endowment Fund Inc., led by Kelly Brown '79, manages our local endowment and awards scholarships. Please consider joining one of them this Founders Day weekend—it will feel good to be a more active Phi Psi again. I promise you that! Texas Alpha House Board, Inc. (TAHB) now has 13 voting members who oversee the housing of our chapter. Almost all eras of the brotherhood are represented with member initiation dates ranging from mid-'60s to lastyear graduates. The brothers give their time and expertise to ensure that our undergraduates indeed get a home away from home where they can safely live, hang out, study, enjoy social events and eat meals. The house is almost 60 years old, and last year TAHB voted to seek long-term housing elsewhere for a permanent solution for Texas Alpha. Evan Cox '08, Jerry Flores '08, Zachary Rabinovitz '08, Wilson Darby '08, John Gritch '08, and David Pryor '08 on a recent camping trip. In the Bond, Kelly E. Fish '77 Texas Alpha House Board President (901) 289-5492 kfish@astate.edu John Morton '83, Kelly Brown '79, Chase McEvoy '65, and Fred Hull '83 at the 2013 Texas Alpha golf tournament. Alumnus Proves Phi Psi Bond Is Lifelong David Sheehan '80 Values Texas Alpha Friendships W hen David Sheehan '80 stepped foot on the University of Texas campus, he knew he wanted to join a fraternity. What he didn't know was the lifelong friends and experiences that would come out of one. "I visited other fraternities during rush, but at Phi Kappa Psi, I felt like the brothers showed a genuine interest in me. I was able to meet brothers like Kelly Fish '77 and Bennett Roberts III '77 during rush events, whom I really enjoyed being around. That, combined with members from my pledge class who I hit it off with—Barry Jones '80, Buddy Cramer '80, Doug Throckmorton '80, William Stokes '80, Tom Pennington '80 and William Rowlett '80—convinced me Texas Alpha was the right place for me. By the end of our time on campus, we were known as the 'kick-ass pledge class of 1980,'" David said. "We took pride in knowing we made a positive impact on the Texas Alpha Chapter of Phi Psi." David went on to serve as Phi Psi and IFC president while at U.T. "The leadership experience I gained from (Continued on page 2) P HI K AP P A PSI • UNI VERSI TY OF TEXA S