Phi Kappa Psi - University of Texas

Page 5 More than 200 Brothers Celebrate Founders Day 2016 T he weekend began with various groups of brothers meeting at different restaurants throughout Austin on Friday evening, February 26. Additionally, an all-boards leadership dinner was held at Fleming's Steakhouse. Founders Day this year focused on the new house at 2501 Nueces and saw more than 200 brothers participate. On Saturday morning, undergraduate and alumni brothers met for Mexican breakfast tacos on the grounds of the new house. It was a great opportunity to see firsthand the massive construction project that is underway. National Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity President Scott Noble '81 welcomed the brotherhood, and Larry Connolly, project architect, provided a construction briefing. Brothers spent approximately two hours on property before boarding a bus and heading to the Frank Erwin Center for the Texas/OU basketball game. The basketball game was a tremendous success with our entire block of 90 tickets being used. Texas trailed for most of the game until the Sooners went scoreless for seven minutes late in the second half and the Longhorns broke the game open. Once they caught up, the Longhorns rolled over the Sooners as the points piled up quickly. "Our guys were able to dig deep," Texas coach Shaka Smart said. "Our guys didn't get down, didn't get bummed out." After the game, brothers retreated to The Tavern for a victory celebration, rekindling friendships and making new ones as well. On Sunday morning, all boards met with undergraduates in attendance and pit master Daniel Harvey '00 fed everyone with perfectly smoked ribs. A few brothers stuck around Austin during the afternoon to watch the Stanford/Texas baseball game. In all, it was a more casual Founders Day event and many brothers felt it was a good change of pace from the formal awards dinner. Be sure to plan on attending next year's Founders Day, which will be the dedication of our new home! Collegiate Corner Academic Support Available for Members Texas Alpha Chapter has seen a successful academic year during fall 2015 through spring 2016. Our active member GPA of 3.08 puts us in the top 15 of all IFC fraternities on campus. We have used resources from the endowment fund to provide free tutoring at a local tutoring center for brothers who need extra help. Furthermore, we converted an unused room at the house into a study room, prioritizing members' academic endeavors. Philanthropy Raises $8,000 Last fall, we partnered with Kappa Delta Sorority to raise more than $8,000 for the Boys and Girls Club at our annual cookout. We adopted a family through the B+ Foundation, an organization committed to helping kids fight cancer through family assistance, advocacy and research. Numerous active members have given time to support their efforts. Founders Day Connects Alumni and Actives We celebrated Founders Day on the grounds of our new house and had more than 200 alumni present. Active brothers and alumni attended the Texas-OU basketball game where the Longhorns had a comeback win against our rivals. Later, brothers old and young convened to reconnect and forge new relationships. On Sunday, the Management Corporation, House Board and Endowment Fund had successful annual meetings to continue the tradition of excellence of Texas Alpha. As we transition to the new chapter facility, we will work to extend our success and continue the distinction that Texas Alpha has demonstrated throughout its long history at the University of Texas. Thank you for your support of our active members and Texas Alpha Chapter. Amici, Tyler Waterman '12 tjw100993@yahoo.com We Need Your recommeNdatioNs If you would like to recommend a young man for membership in Phi Kappa Psi, please contact our head rush chairman, Matt Knight '14, at (713) 854-5192 or MLknight14@gmail.com. Welcome, New Members Anish Aggarwal Naperville, Ill. Brantley Crow Austin, Texas Logan Crow Round Rock, Texas Chase Haltiner McKinney, Texas Brandon Harrison Lewisville, Texas Austin Lownds Austin, Texas Ryan Mathis McKinney, Texas Joshua McAllister McKinney, Texas Brando Minang Houston, Texas Jitesh Mullapudi Plano, Texas Jerry Oliphant McKinney, Texas Jason Wang Dallas, Texas Texas Cowboy Cannon Crew member Jay Trapp '13 was popular with alumni and their kids during tailgates last fall. Phi Kappa Psi Texas Alpha

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