Tri-Kap Blog

In many ways, this past spring has been a time of renewal for the house. We have a lot to talk about, from spring rush to furniture upgrades to the relaxing of pandemic restrictions that let us do more in-person activities. I hope this post will be a little more uplifting to read than the previous few. 

This spring was the second term of rush for this year, and I’m pleased to announce we took on twelve new members:

TJ Dychitan

Nick Sugiarto

Luca Fagotti

David Gambee

Dhruv Uppal

Jack Hargrove

Gautham Sivadasan

Sam Crombie

Sathya Thenappan

Ian Hsu

Tony Perez

Brendan Loftus

In true Kappa tradition, our new members are diverse in backgrounds and interests. In our spring rush class, there is a track-and-field athlete, a rugby player, and a veteran of the Singapore Armed Forces. Members of this class are active in many student organizations, including TEDx, GlobeMed, and Aquinas. I have yet to meet some of them, as most ‘23s took classes remotely this past year, but I’m looking forward to living with them in the house this summer!

As I’m sure all alumni know, Tri-Kap typically embraces the “lived-in” aesthetic when it comes to house upkeep. Unfortunately, much of our furniture has become too lived-in. We’ve disposed of the worst of it and replaced it with items donated by Jack Nicastro ‘23 and his family. 

Brothers Brendan Loftus ‘23, Jack Nicastro ‘23, and Harold Than ‘23 drove the furniture up to Hanover in a U-Haul

The new furniture includes two couches and three large tables, among other items. We’ve put the tables to good use in the kitchen and the great hall -- which has become a favorite study spot for many in the house.

Brothers Anoop Nanda ‘21, Kerem Kazmirci ‘21, and Vamsi Gadde ‘21 admire their work after setting up a new table in the kitchen.

As the weather warmed up, brothers increasingly pursued outdoor activities. The Ledyard canoe rentals operated free of charge this term, and we made good use of it. We would go down to the river several times a week during the later weeks of the term. Despite our frequent excursions, only on one occasion did someone capsize a boat (it nearly sunk to the bottom).

Brothers Aditya Choudhari '22 and David Yin '22 on a canoe

Brothers Suraj Srivats ‘22, Jason McFadden ‘22, Kevin Xiao ‘22, Hank Patil ‘22, and Kyle Immel ‘22 hanging out on the Ledyard docks

Thanks to the efforts of president Max Pumilia ‘22 and interim academic chair Eric Chen ‘21, the brothers hosted a cookout with our house professors Julie Kalish ‘91 and Roger Ulrich ‘77. They were elated to be at their first real social event since the pandemic started! I enjoyed getting to know the professors that I’d thus far seen only on our composites. After the event, brothers gave a tour of the house to Professor Ulrich, a Tri-Kap alumnus, who was happy to see that the kitchen is no longer in the basement. 

The cookout with our house professors

This term, the brotherhood discovered the joy of our local minor league baseball games. The initial scouting party of Colin Shaughnessy ‘22, Jake Philhower ‘21, Chris Kartsonis ‘21, and Jacob Parker ‘23 reported very positively of their experience at a New Hampshire Fisher Cats home game, and programming chair Aditya Choudhari ‘22 took note. He planned a full house trip to another game; unfortunately, it was rained out. This house will forever have a soft spot for the Cats, though, and we hope to make Delta Dental stadium a recurring destination.

Colin Shaughnessy ‘21, Jake Philhower ‘21, Chris Kartsonis ‘21, and Jacob Parker ‘23 enjoying themselves at a Fisher Cats game

As we always do during spring term, the house held elections for the summer. Even though some ‘22s who skipped their sophomore summer will be on campus and living in the house, we decided to give ‘23s priority in all summer positions, as it’s their sophomore summer and their turn to try on leadership roles. Since most ‘23s took classes remotely this past year, many summer officers face the unique challenge of taking on leadership postions without ever having stepped foot in the house as a brother. Despite this, I have full faith that they will perform excellently, and that ‘22s will mentor them as needed and pass on important institutional knowledge.

Our 2021 summer officers are:

Jacob Parker ‘23

President

Teddy Press ‘23

Vice President

Jack Hargrove ‘23

Treasurer

Jack Nicastro ‘23 & Brendan Loftus ‘23

Housemen

Diego Perez ‘23 & Gautham Sivadasan ‘23

Social Chairs

David Gambee ‘23

Risk Manager

Tony Perez ‘23

Programming Chair

TJ Dychitan ‘23

Philanthropy Chair

Nick Sugiarto ‘23

Academic Chair

David Yin ‘22

Jock Chair

Lastly, I would like to recognize the ‘21s for all they’ve done for Tri-Kap and congratulate them for graduating! I hope the brotherhood will remember them as the class that led the house through the pandemic, who were forced to make sacrifices their senior year, and whose officers readily took on roles very different from what they thought they were elected for. I wish them success in their endeavors wherever they may go, whether it be New York, LA, or Madison, Wisconsin.

Until next time!Yours in Kappa,

David Yin ‘22

Brothers,

As autumn turns to snow in Hanover, a new dawn has risen on Tri-Kap. For the first time in over six months, the house was able to open its doors to 16 brothers returning for Dartmouth’s on-campus residence this fall. Per Dartmouth Coronavirus guidelines, the brothers settled in at the house within the week before classes. Upon arrival, each brother underwent a battery of tests, along with a mandatory two-week quarantine. Though these precautions proved crucial for protecting campus from a potential outbreak, brothers were able to return without a single positive test. 

The Kappa Lodge awaits the brotherhood’s return

Once released from the initial quarantine, brothers in the house adapted to “the new normal” in the Upper Valley, spending large amounts of recreation time outdoors. Daily activities have varied, though there never seems to be a moment without some sort of outdoor activity going on. Several brothers have ventured to the fire tower of nearby Gile Mountain, taking advantage of the sunrises and peak fall foliage. 

President Colin Shaughnessy ‘21 at Gile Mountain

House Manager David Yin ‘22, Risk Manager Dan DiPietro ‘22, and House Manager Max Charmichael ‘22 enjoy Gile’s morning view.

Brother and Captain of Dartmouth Club Golf Zach Gottesman ‘22, was quite excited to see a resurgence in house Golf outings this fall. Despite the unfortunate closure of Hanover Country Club, the Donald Ross-designed Carter Country Club in West Lebanon was still within the travel restrictions established in Dartmouth’s Community Guidelines. Though there was a fair share of shanks, hooks, and slices, we’re all relieved to report no windows were broken in the process. 

Zach Bilcheck ‘21, Jacob Philhower ‘21, and Alex Crosby ‘21 tee up on a sunny afternoon.

Though a concerted effort has been made to maximize our time exploring the outdoors in the Upper Valley, rainy days and frigid October afternoons have forced the brotherhood to consider ways to use our lovely home creatively. Given the Great Hall’s open-aired nature, the brotherhood has further furnished the area with socially distant activities such as ping-pong and air hockey courtesy of Brian Drisdelle ‘21. Additionally, with limited seating available in on-campus dining hall venues, house meals with campus takeout have become increasingly popular ways for brothers to catch up. Often half of the on-campus brotherhood may be found around the projector watching television and holding a lively conversation in the dinner hours. 

Dinner and a Movie: A Staple of 20F

Brothers Studying on the Beach

A resourceful addition was most recently made to the house’s largest approved social room when Dan DiPietro ‘22 was able to secure the donation of a free upright piano from the Dean of Thayer. While some brothers admittedly have more talent than others, one can almost always expect to be greeted with a cheery tune flowing out of the Great Hall. 

Aditya Choudhari ‘22 working on his improvisation between classes

Though there were only 16 brothers approved for on-campus residence in the house, several members looked to fill in the gaps of their college experience by coming back to live in the Upper Valley Area. Because housing was incredibly tough to find, many brothers settled into local neighborhoods, caring for homes and becoming members of local communities throughout the greater Hanover area. 

Chris Kartsonis '21 cooks a meal in his Norwich home

As we transition to the close of the fall, the house is gearing up for a new virtual recruitment season this winter while also focusing on the facilitation of meaningful house-wide bonding. Even though the pandemic’s circumstances have challenged brothers to find creative ways to achieve these goals, I am confident the spirit and love for Tri-Kap shown by this resilient bunch will continue to live on. 

Yours in Kappa,

Jake Philhower ‘21

 

 Brothers,

As our summer term comes to a close, I’d like to reflect on the unique experience our brotherhood had. Despite a virtual term and the unprecedented challenges posed by social distancing, I’m proud to say that we as a house have remained a close brotherhood. In Tri-Kap spirit, we did not let our current circumstances stop us from having a great summer experience full of camaraderie and recreation. 

Our sophomore summer exec board has continued to meet weekly via zoom, always striving to find ways to keep our sophomore class close despite a virtual experience. Our programming chairs Daniel Ha '22 and Max Weintraub '22 have done a great job organizing different events during our Wednesday meetings, including fun activities like brotherhood family feud and kahoot tournaments. Our social chairs David Kantor '22 and David Yin have '22 also found fun ways to engage our brotherhood with activities like our July 4th virtual BBQ. Through our sophomores’ hard work and dedication to the house, we were able to make the best of our summer term and will come back to campus a closer class this fall.

Though we were off campus, brothers all across the US were still able to meet up. Our brothers  in Atlanta met up several times and had a great experience visiting different parks like Jones Bridge Park. 

Vamsi Gadde '21, Dhaivat Mehta '22, and Aditya Choudhari '22 (not pictured) at Jones Bridge Park
In the north, several of our brothers decided to stay in a house in the beautiful town of Cavendish, Vermont where they continued the Tri-Kap traditions in full capacity. Whether it was hiking, golfing, swimming, or even ping pong, these brothers demonstrated they were true students of Dartmouth, embracing the outdoors.  Even if their time in the house has come to an end, they have undoubtedly formed many fond and unforgettable memories of their time in Vermont.
Max Weintraub '22, Colin Shaughnessy '21, Chris Kartsonis '21, Alex Crosby '21, David Yin '22 enjoying a day at the river

Jake Philhower '21 and Kyle Immel '22 playing golf

Our brothers in Vermont ready for an outdoor dinner! 

With the onset of fall term, several of our brothers plan on coming back to campus. With a new term comes new challenges and situations. For one, our rush process has gone virtual, and our rush chairs will have to adapt to this new rush process which will take place over zoom, with a shakeout occurring next winter. For those of us living in the house, we will have to strive to ensure the health and safety of our fellow brothers as well as the rest of the Dartmouth community. However, I am proud to say that the brothers of Tri-Kap are up to the challenge and we will make the most of our fall term.

Yours in Kappa,

Aditya Choudhari ’22

Brothers,
As you have probably guessed, this Spring term has brought with it a number of new challenges for the Kappa brotherhood. Despite these hard times, I am proud to say that our leadership and brotherhood has risen to meet these challenges. Our exec board has worked tirelessly to make sure our finances are and continue to be in good order. We have also been in contact with the Dartmouth administration, which has been flexible with the house in terms of our payments. The brothers on campus in student housing have done a good job of preparing the house for being empty by shutting off all unnecessary utilities double checking that every door and window is secure and locked. So far, the brotherhood and the house are both weathering the lockdown well.

Despite our isolation we have remained close. Wednesday meetings have been moved to online through zoom, as have our weekly exec meetings. Similarly, Tri-Kap recently had its annual meetings over zoom and we proud to have hosted almost 50 brothers from across 6 decades!
In spite of the quarantine, our rush chairs (Sam Lefkowitz, Aditya Choudhari and Dhaivat Mehta) have continued working diligently on assembling a rush list. Brothers have been reaching out to rising sophomores who have expressed interest in joining and we remain on track to taking another successful rush class in the fall.
Although the administration has made the decision to cancel sophomore summer and have classes online, the undergraduate exec board decided to elect a sophomore summer exec board regardless. After some deliberation it was decided that even though they won’t have the full on-campus experience, the early experience of running an exec board and the house is still invaluable. Current execs will remain on-call to help out and advise the new board to ensure a seamless transition of responsibilities and institutional knowledge. I am confident that this board of execs is made up of devoted and hardworking brothers who will carry the house onwards through these tough times.  
When possible, brothers have met up (while always maintaining a strict 6-foot separation from each other and wearing masks!) Despite, being spread across many states and countries the brotherhood is still managing to stick together and support each other.


I would like to take this opportunity, to thank, on behalf of the entire brotherhood, all of the brothers who working on the front lines in the medical profession and other essential services. While I may know only a fraction of the brotherhood, I have seen how Kappa men rise to the occasion and do their part.
Lastly, I would like to leave you with some pictures of the house and the brotherhood that we have found in the Dartmouth library reserves.  These pictures illustrate how long Tri-Kap has been around and how it has always prevailed. Pretty soon we will look back at this term as just another one of the many periods in our shared history. Tough times make strong men!


Until next time!Yours in Kappa,Alex Crosby ‘21

Foliage at The Kappa Lodge  


Brothers,
Fall Term is always a very exciting time as the house is revitalized with new faces and fresh energy but it is also very hectic and chaotic as upperclassmen welcome and get to know the new members. This is year was no different, and we are very proud to announce a very successful rush season. Our rush chairs, Chris Kartonis, Vamsi Gadde, and Brian Drisdell did a fantastic job organizing and recruiting the next generation of Kappa Men! We had many rush events early in the term, including our now famous Paint Ball Rush Event pictured below, which led to a great rush turn out!
Brothers and Rushees at AG Paintball Rush Event
We welcomed a total of 19 new members, who in true Kappa tradition are very diverse in both background and interests. This class is involved in many activities and clubs all over campus; to writing for the Jacko Newspaper, to being part of the Frisbee team and Club Golf!


On the photo below, from left to right, top to bottom. 
Ricardo Almazan 22', Dan DiPietro 22', Maxwell Carmicheal 22', Aditya Choudhari 22', Dhaivat Mahta 22', Sam Lefkowitz 22', Kyle Immel 22', Kevin Xiao 22', Zack Gottesman 22', Zach Shen 22', Max Weintraub 22'
Ben Citow 22', Casimiro Cosme 22', David Yin 22', David Kantor 22', Daniel Ha 22', Isuru Abeysekara 22', Suraj Srivats 22', and Ananta Pabrin Karki 22'






Tri-Kap 22s ClassA week after Rush, many new and long-standing alumni were able to make it down to the Kappa Lodge for the Homecoming Celebration. It was great to see old friends in their old stomping grounds and seeing them connect with the new faces! The 22s really enjoy getting to know the older generations and were able to see how much these hallowed halls meant and still mean to them. We are always honored to host and hope to see more alumni come back to tell their stories!
This was the first term the house was out of alcohol probation with the college and thanks to strong leadership from our president Jonny Benitez 20’ and risk man Alex Crosby 21’, the transition was very smooth. This term there was a strong push from the exec board towards our philanthropic and academic presence on campus. Luckily both our Phil Chair (Jake Philhower 21’) and Academic Chair (Web Harrignton 20’) did an excellent job. On the philanthropic front, we orchestrated our termly efforts to assist Students Fighting Hunger, and we worked with the Greek Leadership Council to put on a trick-or-treat event on the front lawn of the house for DREAM Kids of the Upper Valley during Halloween. On the academic side of things, we hosted economic professor Meir Khon to give a talk in an open to campus event that was very popular due to our advertising all over campus (See Flyer Below)!


David Neidzwicki 21', Max Carmicheal 22', Vamsi Gadde 21', Jonny Benitez 20, and David Mena 20' handing out candy during Halloween! Flyer used to Advertise Academic TalkThe Fall also sees our yearly Montreal Trip. This trip is a great time for brothers to bond and get away from campus for a couple of days. The brothers take time to enjoy all the city has to offer including great food, sightseeing, museums, and fun nightlife! This trip is always a highlight of the term, especially for the new members. 





Brothers enjoy Korean BBQ style Buffet in Downtown Montreal! 

Towards the end of the term, the house voted on the new leadership, which will take the reins in the Spring of 2020. The new exec board is composed of 21s and 22s and is decided this early to allow a deeper institutional transfer of knowledge and a smoother transition since the new board has a couple of terms to learn from the current exec board. I am very excited to present the next exec board and I have no doubt they will only bring great things for the house. The 21s have already done so much, and I am very excited to see the new horizons they’ll bring to Tri-Kap!



Colin Shaughnessy 21’PresidentAlex Crosby 21’Vice PresidentZachary Bilcheck 21’TreasurerKerem Kazmirci 21’ & Maxwell Carmichael 22’HousemenDavid Kantor 22’, Brian Drisdelle 21’,Ruben Garcia 21’Social ChairsIsuru Abeysekara 22’Risk ManagerVamsi Gadde 21’ & David Niedzwicki 21’Programming ChairsJake Philhower 21’Philanthropy ChairKyle Immel 22’Academic ChairBlaine Grant 21’Jock ChairAdytia Choudhari 22', Sam Lefkowitz 22', Dhaivat Mehta 22'Rush Chairs

Lastly, I wanted to leave you with a photo of all brothers enjoying our yearly Spaghetti Dinner as a way to close a great term! A couple of days before finals start, we spent all day cooking together (Spaghetti, Meatballs and Garlic Bread) then come together to enjoy a great meal! This year we were even honored to be joined by Al Forbes 82’ in our celebration!



Ghetti Dinner! 
Until Next Time!Yours in Kappa,David Mena 20'

Brothers,I would first like to extend a warm welcome all the Tri-Kap alumni who have taken the time to visit their old stomping grounds once again. I hope you have a wonderful time that reconnects you with your brothers (and connects you to some new faces) and brings back great memories from past times. We are always honored to have you stop by the lodge.Brothers enjoying pizza and the warm weather during lock-in
Spring term is always bittersweet. Though the sun has finally emerged from its long winter hibernation and the days are longer and prettier than they’ve been all year, we are faced with the realization that the seniors—who have been our drinking buddies, teammates, tutors, confidants, role models and, most importantly, friends for years—will soon be alumni and are embarking on the next stages of their lives.Now that the bitter is done with, we can move on to the sweet. With longer, sunnier days and more free time than any other term, there is so much more opportunity to have fun and enjoy the twilight days of college. Hope they were good ones!Tri-Kap had a great run in IM softball this term, going undefeated into the finals which we unfortunately lost. We had beaten the team before, but the scheduling during finals period left our dugout spread thin and outnumbered.
   
In other athletic news, special props to ‘19s Sam Lawhon (Left), Alex Chan (Mid), and Tony DiPadova (Right) for running the Shipyard Marathon in Maine this May.


Though it may not have been the most graceful thing I’ve ever seen the three of you do in recent years, it was still an impressive feat nonetheless.

Montreal, always a highly-anticipated event, did not fail to impress. It was a great time for the brothers to blow off some steam away from campus and strengthen their bonds of friendship, or form new ones.Colin Shaughnessy 21', David Niedzwicki 21' and Ruben Garcia 21' at a Cigar Club in Montreal
Tri-Kap is known for the diversity of its brotherhood, both in backgrounds and interests.Special congratulations to David Dick (’19, pictured second from right in the back row) for winning the 2019 NASA BIG Idea Challenge! It was both the first time Dartmouth students had entered, and won, the competition. The team created an innovative design for a greenhouse, called DEMETER, capable of growing food and sustaining a team of astronauts on a possible future mission to Mars.
Equal congratulations must be extended to Kevin Hawlik, Drew Leonard, and Afnan Enayet (as well as anyone else) for completing their senior theses.Jason Wei (’20) received a Goldwater scholarship, designed to “foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue careers in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences, and engineering” and is one of the most selective and competitive programs of its kind, for his machine learning research at DHMC.
Feel free to also tune in weekly to listen to Vamsi Gadde’s (’21) weekly radio show, with some special guest stars (Kerem Kazmirci, ’21).


Of course, Dartmouth isn’t all work and no play. Days and nights were spent hanging out on the beach, barbecuing on the porch, watching movies in the great hall, and other perhaps-less family-friendly activities in the basement. Formal and Green Key were both blasts, and special recognition ought to go out to our tirelessly-working social chairs Raj Chanda (’21, Green Key Photo far left) and Eric Chen (’21).Brothers during Green Key's Block PartyFormal at Dowd's Inn
Spring term also marked the transition from the 19s executive board to the underclassmen. This transition was made daunting due to many execs taking off terms. Nearly half the positions were interim positions, and Tri-Kap perhaps saw her first interim-interim president. The transition was quite smooth however, due to a talented and committed ‘21s class, who enthusiastically picked up the reigns. Interim-President David Mena (’20) did a great job of holding down the fort and Cris Cano (’20) performed equally as well as Treasurer, both of these individuals having no prior experience in their roles. Alex Crosby (’21) and Colin Shaughnessy (’21), both winter rushes, impressively performed in their new roles as houseman and risk man (respectively). The new officers, as always, were assisted by the now-retired 19s. The 19s have been watching over the house for quite some time now, and I think it’s about time they got some well-earned rest (see President Emeritus Johnny “The Starfish” Emanuel, ’19, below).


As summer term begins, I have no worries that the ‘21s will keep Tri-Kap running smoothly and successfully. They have more administrative experience than any other recent class and are cohesive to the point that they wouldn’t even need it. We look forward to passing on the torch to our ‘21s summer executive board. Vamsi Gadde President Jake Philhower Vice President Alex Crosby Treasurer Blaine Grant and Colin Shaughnessy Housemen Raj Chanda and Ruben Garcia Social Chairs Danny McClafferty Risk Manager Zachary Bilcheck and David Niedzwicki Programming Chairs Luis Flores Philanthropy Chair Christopher Kartsonis Academic Chair Kerem Kazmirci Jock Chair

Congratulations (again) to the 19s for graduating. You are a great group of guys and I’m proud to be able to call you all my brothers and friends. You will be dearly missed. I have no doubt that all of you will succeed in whatever pursuits you choose and I wish you nothing but the best in life.


Wherever life takes you after Dartmouth, don’t forget about your roots and your friends still on campus. We’ll all be here eagerly waiting for you to visit.


Yours in Kappa,
Zachary Wang (’20)

Brothers,
A chilly hello from the undergrads up in Hanover! Much has happened in the first half of our winter term:

The undergrads are recovering from a great Winter Carnival. We held several fun social events over the weekend to celebrate Dartmouth's 250th winter. We were happy to welcome back Marcus Reid '18, Jerry Peng '18, and Ted Bausch '18, who came up to campus to partake in the big weekend revelries. Additionally, several brothers took advantage of the ample daytime programming, enjoying a trip out to Occom Pond for the annual Pond Party.

The main ice sculpture backlit in cool blue on Winter Carnival Friday.Brothers skating around on Occom Pond during the Pond Party.Earlier on in the term, we held our winter rush. The undergrads of Trikap are beyond excited to welcome Colin Shaughnessy and Alex Crosby to our already amazing class of '21s.
Alex Crosby '21.Colin Shaughnessy '21.We have had a great (or terrible, depending on your point of view) winter up here this year, with several feet of snowfall and recently frigid temperatures. Several of the undergrads have been greatly enjoying the snow and cold: learning to ice skate on Occom, taking ski trips to local ski mountains, and participating in Club Ski Racing on the weekends.
The Kappa Lodge covered in its winter coat.Brothers Kevin Hoffer-Hawlik '19 and Brian Schoenfeld '19 learning to skate on Occom Pond.Brothers Daniel Lein '19 (Bib #44) and Brian Schoenfeld '19 (Bib #45)
participating in a giant slalom ski race at the Dartmouth Skiway.Beyond enjoying the winter weather and festivities, the undergrads of Trikap have been working hard to give back to the community. Several brothers recently cooked for Students Fighting Hunger, a charity we helped support in the fall and are honored to be able to support on a continuing basis. Additionally, several brothers will be giving blood in an upcoming Red Cross blood drive this week.
Brothers Raj Chanda '21, Alex Crosby '21, Johnny Emanuel '19, Zach Bilcheck '21
Chris Kartsonis '21, Brian Schoenfeld '19, Jake Philhower '21, and Daniel Lein '19
cooking at a local church for Students Fighting Hunger.Members of the community enjoy a delicious meal cooked by Trikaps for
Students Fighting Hunger.
Finally, several Trikaps sacrificed both body and dignity in winter IM sports. We fought valiantly in IM basketball, but despite several close games, we were unable to come away with a victory. In IM hockey, we were able to battle some stiff competition and fight our way to a 1-2 record, even though several of our players had never skated before. We look forward to hopefully making the playoffs in hockey, but if not, we will have to wait for the spring to claim our IM victories.
That's all for now, stay tuned for an end of term update coming in a few weeks.
YiK,Daniel Lein2018-2019 Vice President

Brothers,
We are quickly approaching the end of fall term, and a lot has happened in the few weeks since my last update:
The undergrads were beyond excited to welcome back dozens of alumni for Dartmouth Night and Homecoming Weekend 2018. It was great to see so many familiar faces from recent classes and to get to know generations of Tri-Kaps past. While the weather was unfortunately uncooperative––Hanover greeted us with ice and rain on Saturday, we were still able to make the best of the weekend by holding a barbecue for undergrads and alumni which was quite well attended. Following the cookout, we held a watch party for the football game (Dartmouth def. Harvard 24-17!) in the Great Hall. Several of our more dedicated alumni braved the elements to watch the game in person––a very committed group, indeed!

Andrew Gutow '86, John Goldman '86, and Greg Smith '85
enjoy the football game despite the nasty weather.Alums and undergrads enjoyed gathering around 
the Homecoming bonfire this past Friday.Perhaps the most important part of this update is the Rush Update. This fall, we took a New Member class of 18 fantastic '21s. The new class has enjoyed meeting Kappa men, young and old, over the past few weeks, and they have done a great job learning Tri-Kap’s myriad traditions and values. It is truly a very exciting time for the house, and the future looks bright.
The newest generation of Kappa men: Daniel Diaz, Eric Chen, Hershel Wathore, Zachary Bilcheck, 
Brian Drisdelle, Blaine Grant, Jake Philhower, Daniel McClafferty, Kerem Kazmirci, Vamsi Gadde,
Taylor Armbrister, Luis Flores, Eric Forehand, Rajiv Chanda, David Niedzwicki, Ruben Garcia,
Anoop Nanda, Christopher Kartsonis
In addition to connecting with past brothers, we remain as committed as ever to bonding amongst ourselves. A few weeks ago, during our termly lock-in, we held the annual brotherhood football game, in which the '19s thoroughly routed the '20s and '21s, 49-7.


Zach "The Refrigerator" Wang '20 takes a handoff during the annual
brotherhood football game.
There has also been a high level of involvement in IM sports amongst the brotherhood, most recently IM soccer, where we made it to the playoffs before losing in the quarterfinals. We now look forward to IM football, which will begin next week. The entire brotherhood is also eagerly looking forward to our trip to Montreal this upcoming weekend.

Many brothers have been enjoying the fleeting good weather while it lasts. A handful of brothers spent a recent Saturday climbing Mt. Washington via the Huntington Ravine Trail. The route was a great workout––several stretches were nearly vertical, and it was the perfect way to enjoy the outdoors before the winter weather sets in.

Brian Schoenfeld '19, Alec Pelton '19, and Daniel
Lein '19 at the summit of Mt. Washington after
ascending the Huntington Ravine Trail.
On the philanthropy side of things, Dartmouth recently hosted the annual CHaD Hero race, in which one of our alumni, Joe Minichiello ’17, provided medical support to the runners. Most notably, this past Friday, several undergrads volunteered to help cook for Students Fighting Hunger, a group that helps combat hunger in the Upper Valley by cooking meals for those in need.

Tri-Kap undergrads cooking a meal for Students Fighting Hunger this past Friday.
Additionally, we have been working hard to keep the Kappa Lodge in pristine shape. During our lock-in, the brotherhood participated in Kasa Krew, during which we take on several intense housekeeping projects. This term, we hung the most recent composite and reorganized and cleaned the beach furniture, among other things.

Anoop Nanda '21 cleaning the Great Hall during Kasa Krew.Our beloved beach cleaned and reorganized.The 2016-2017 composite, now hung proudly in the entryway.
The final update of this post concerns the addition of the newest member of Tri-Kap. Recently, Cesar Guardiola '19 adopted Lola Hobart, our house dog. Lola is adorable, full of energy, and loves meeting new people, so if you're up in the area make sure you get to say hi!

Lola Hobart––isn't she cute?
That's all for this very long update. If you made it to the end, congratulations! Until next time...

YiK,
Daniel Lein
2018-2019 Vice President

Brothers,

Fall term is in full swing, and the brotherhood is as active as ever. The '19s have returned to campus and a (mostly) intact house, and we are beyond excited to be able to bond with our '20s and welcome some new '21s now that the suspension period is over. The term got off to a good start with our Y2Kappa throwback dance party on the first weekend, which was a great success.

Brothers spending time at Trues Ledges on a
warm September day.Brothers have also been taking advantage of the beautiful early-fall weather and surroundings that only Hanover has to offer. We have been going on several day trips in the area, including to the Trues Ledges area, which has a beautiful creek and waterfalls, which provide a refreshing break from campus on a hot day. Several brothers are also planning more ambitious hiking trips to Mt. Washington in the coming weeks before the weather changes.
Despite the allure of the beautiful weather, the brotherhood remains very focused on philanthropy and academics. Brothers have orchestrated efforts to assist Students Fighting Hunger and the upcoming CHaD Hero race, which benefits the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Additionally, academic talks with professors are in the works, and hopefully we will start the planning process for an academic mixer soon.
Our programming chairs have also been active, as we have held a series of brotherhood barbecues. Nothing is nicer than watching the sun set across campus while enjoying burgers on the front lawn.
Grilling up burgers and hot dogs at sunset.On the rush front, our rush chairs have been very hard at work re-establishing our presence on campus following the suspension. In the past few weeks, the rush chairs and the brotherhood as a whole have been holding multiple events to better get to know the potential rushees. The culmination of our pre-rush efforts was a brothers-rushees paintball event at AG Paintball this past Sunday. Thanks to generous donations from several alums, we were able to take over twenty brothers and rushees to have a truly unforgettable day.
Brothers and rushees after a day playing paintball at AG PaintballLeading up to rush, the house will be in full swing making sure that our next generation of Kappa men lives up to the incredible standard of generations past. Alumni who are in the Hanover area this weekend (9/28 and 9/29) are encouraged to come to IFC Rush from 7-9pm at the Kappa Lodge each night. We look forward to seeing some of you up here for rush and/or Homecoming in the coming weeks.
YiK,Daniel Lein2018-2019 Vice President

Brothers,

Towards the end of Spring term, many Tri Kaps were hyping up how great the summer was going to be. Although I did not want to get my hopes up, the summer term has truly gone above and beyond what I could possibly have hoped for. I am excited to share what we have accomplished to better the house and the Dartmouth community at large. We have genuinely grown closer as a class through the many academic, social, philanthropic, and brotherhood events. But before we get into the nitty gritty, please take a look at the most recent pillar to get more information on our recent activities and plans http://www.tri-kap.com/?q=Pillars.

First some housekeeping items: The summer exec board has taken initiatives to make the house run as smooth as possible and upgrade social spaces. In thanks to Daniel Lein, we now have a doorbell system installed to alert the brotherhood in the suite and the basement if there are vital people in the foyer. We have also began seeding the grass to keep the front lawn looking clean and full. Additionally, Skyler Perot utilized his artistic skills to paint this awesome piece on the suite door.

On the academic side, Professor Ryan Hickox of the Physics and Astronomy Department invited us to a dinner at his residence, which resulted in a fantastic conversation. In addition to keeping our relationship with Professor Hickox strong, we are also planning an scheduling an academic talk with Professor Kohn from the Economics Department.

Socially, we have had tails with a multitude of sororities. Drew Leonard and Tony Dipadova have been doing a great job coming up with new themes. For our semi-formal with Kappa Delta, we had a 'Red Carpet' theme with a Oscars style banner.

Although all of us have been having a great time, we have not forgotten our mission to better the community at large. We had a 100% participation and volunteer rate for The Prouty, which helped raise funds for cancer research and important patient services at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer center.

The programming chairs have been taking full advantage of the beautiful scenery and weather New Hampshire has to offer. The overnight cabin trip to Nunnemacher, Fourth of July festivities, parents weekend BBQ, and more have genuinely made the summer term stand head and shoulders above any other.

Additionally, we ventured outside of Hanover to the beautiful island of Nantucket courtesy of Daniel Lein and his family. The food and beaches were pure bliss.



Finally, we are planning for Tri Kap's 175th Anniversary, during the Homecoming weekend of October 6-8, 2017. The undergraduates, along with Keith, digitized many interesting historical documents and pictures and a banquet dinner is scheduled for Saturday October 7th. Keep an eye out for more details to come!

YiK,
Jason Kim
Undergraduate Summer VP

Brothers!

With Greenkey weekend upon us the brotherhood is anxiously awaiting the return of so many alums. The weekend will surely be one to remember, or one to put the fragmented pieces of memory back together. Regardless, we're all excited for what surely will be an awesome time. That being said, I'd like to give you all a brief recap on some of the great things the house has been up to over the past few weeks. The spring term has been a busy one, with a number of brotherhood events and frequent alumni visits taking place. But before we get into the revelries of this term, take a look at the House's last few terms through the Pillar! The most recent and a number of past Pillars can be found on the Tri Kap website at: http://trikap.com/?q=Pillars

Now to get into the nitty gritty:

July 13, 1842 saw the dawn of the college fraternity, and it all started right here in our hallowed halls. This year brings the 175th anniversary of the Kappa Lodge! Members of both the undergraduate executive and alumni boards are coming together to create an event around this momentous occasion. This Homecoming will be accompanied by an all out anniversary bash. Details are in the works, but the undergrads hope to see an absolutely overwhelming number of alums coming back to celebrate. So please, start making plans to come visit for Homecoming this Fall. Anyone with suggestions for events or activities please reach out to me at Berlinghof3@gmail.com.

Spring started off with a bang as the boys took a trip down to Cancun, Mexico for Spring Break 2017! Staying at the Grand Oasis Hotel brothers enjoyed the multitude of swim up bars, beach side dance parties, and night clubs. The week long trip was a marathon, but as Tri Kaps tend to sprint marathons, it was a welcomed challenge.

Next stop on the tour was Montreal, Canada. Joined by recent graduate Josh Tupler '16, the boys set up camp in a remote Kappa Lodge. There was pool, poker, and general bro time before nights filled with bar hops and club scenes. This trip has become a brotherhood favorite, having been conducted three out of the past four terms.


The brothers returned home and put in work. Elections for the '19s summer term finalized the exec board for next term. The board consists of quality guys who have shown their loyalty to the house since their "education" period this past year. President Johnny Emmanuel '19 will surely lead the charge towards another great Tri Kap summer.


Socially the house has been on point the past few weekends. Semi-Formal with Kappa Delta sorority saw the debut of many new basement fixtures which have made their mark since. The event brought strobe and laser lights into the basement to completely change the ambiance into a bumping dance club. In addition the brothers and sisters bathed one another in neon paint, all of which was illuminated by new black lights installed in the basement as well. The event was a great success and possibly a recurring feature of Tri Kap's social scene.

It gives me great pride to point the spotlight to one of our undergrads and his philanthropic cause. Abraham Herrera '18 will be running a half marathon on June 4th, 2017 in recognition of The Family Place. Since 1985, The Family Place has operated as one of fifteen state subsidized Parent Child Centers. The Family Place provides local Vermont families support in the forms of child care, financial assistance, parental education and more. That being said, Abe is looking to raise $500 to help the center provide family services for the Upper Valley we all call home. To learn more about Abe's initiative in his own words and to donate to his cause, please check out the following link:
https://www.z2systems.com/np/clients/familyplacevt/campaign.jsp?campaign=3&fundraiser=102&team=null&

The house has welcomed Keith Quinton '80, a local Hanover brother, to the alumni board as our new Alumni Advisor. Brothers invited Keith to a Molly's dinner on our favorite day of the week, Wednesday, followed by some pong and of course meetings. In addition, Al Forbes '82 stayed in the GOTE this past week. He is never one to shy away from a pong challenge and was a great addition to meetings this week. The undergrads love to see alums coming through, and the GOTE is really comfy I promise. Any alums making the trek back to campus, feel free to reach out to me or any current undergrads so we can best welcome you home.

Those are just some of the highlights of the term. Again, the boys here at 1 Webster are anxiously awaiting the return of our great alumni and the start to an epic Greenkey weekend. Don't forget to check out the Pillar and of course, save the date for the 175th anniversary party this Homecoming.


YiK,
Luke Berlinghof '18
Undergraduate VP

Hey all,

Winter carnival tore through Hanover this past weekend, and with the actual blizzard (over a foot of snow!) came other blizzards of various sorts.

The first and foremost of these was thanks to brothers Andrew JL and Chris Takeuchi, to whom we could not be more thankful for hanging out over the weekend. It was great to hear some of the stories of a slightly older Tri-Kap, and to gather some life (and pong related) wisdom from some wiley veterans. The brothers and new members alike all had a fantastic time hanging out with you guys. Please, if you're ever back in the area, give a shout.

CTak and JL being ridiculous as usualBut even as the fun raged on, the undergrads were hard at work with a number of other endeavors. Kourosh Saghri '19 and Kevin Hoffer-Hawlik '19 were hard at work on Friday night cooking up one of the greatest batches of chili this world has ever seen. With this magnificent, exotic chili, Tri-Kap entered into the annual Phi-Delt chili Cookoff, which pitted many greek organizations, clubs, and even local businesses against each other for the best chili in Hanover. While the boys did not take home the gold, their chili will certainly hold a special place in my stomach for years to come.

Kourosh Saghri and Alec Pelton serving up chili at the cookoffPrior to the festivities of winter carnival, the brothers hosted our semi-termly academic talk, featuring government professor Brendan Nyhan. A specialist in political scandal and applied statistical methods, Nyhan talked about the advent of "fake news" in the 2016 election cycle, and the scary truths surrounding human responsiveness to alternative facts. A large contingent of our very politically involved undergraduate brotherhood came for the pizza and stayed for the fake news, as many eyes were opened by some of Nyhan's most recent research findings. Many thanks to James Howe '17, our academic chair, for setting up the wonderful talk.James Howe and Professor Nyhan next to the "burning dumpster"
of the 2016 political cycleProfessor Nyhan addressing the brotherhood



















Alas came along the Sunday of Winter Carnival, and yet there was still much to do! The Tri-Kap IM basketball team had gone 4-0 in its regular season to earn a top seed in the playoffs against Sig-Ep. The battle was hard fought, as Sig-Ep showed up with their full A-team. The refs let the boys play, and the game turned into a rugby match. Unfortunately, with just seconds left, Sig-Ep hit a foul shot to go up three and the men of Tri-Kap could not hit the three pointer to tie it up. It was a great season, but alas, our championship must wait til next year. Thank you to all of the brothers who participated throughout the season. Onto softball in the Spring!

Winter NM David Dick '19 after the "rugby" match against Sig-Ep

L to R: Sam Libby (coach), Kevin Hawlik, Brian Schoenfield, David Dick
Chris Loughlin, Jeff Lang, Vince Puzak, and Joe Minichiello (coach)An eventful carnival full of icecraft and blizzardry it was, and all involved had a heck of a time. In the coming weeks, the brotherhood looks forward to multiple tails events, lock-in, and the introduction of the 6 winter new members as full brothers of Tri-Kappa. 
All the best,Jeff LangUndergraduate VP

Brothers,

From left to right: Gary Garcia, Drew Leonard, Alec Pelton,
David Dick, Sam Lawhon, Afnan EnayetThe undergraduates are proud to announce the introduction of six new members into our brotherhood. Winter rush took place this past Friday, and the undergraduates came out in full force to welcome our new members. As a reference point, most winter rush classes contain 2-3 new members, so this one was especially successful. A huge thank you to our rush chairs, Johnny Emanuel '19, Kevin Hoffer-Hawlik '19, and Jason Kim '19 for their fabulous work over the past few weeks.

We cannot wait to see what these young men will bring to the brotherhood. In the meantime, the rush chairs and the rest of the brotherhood are already looking ahead to next year's rush, as we will host our first rush event for the class of 2020 in the near future. As the rush chairs like to say, "The rush game never sleeps."

YiK,
Jeff Lang
Undergraduate Vice President

Brethren,
We're back! Despite the bitter cold (-5 fahrenheit yesterday with windchill), the brothers of Tri-Kap have returned home to our hallowed halls. We are excited for what promises to be quite the winter term--welcoming a handful of new members into our historic brotherhood, watching hours upon hours of football in the Great Hall (beginning last night--what a game), embarking on a journey to Montreal in late February, and, of course, the fateful hour of 10pm each Wednesday. 
1 Webster in all its gloryBut of course, when its this cold and dark up in ol' Hanover, we sometimes cannot help but to think back to warmer times in 16F. From formal at the Engine Room to a wonderful faculty mixer (thank you James Howe '17), from Thursday night BarHop to hanging with the Tri-Kap pup Maia Hobart, the latter days of 16F were certainly ones to remember.
Tri-Kap takes the Engine Room for 16Formal
James Chartouni '19 and John Mbugua '19 chat with professors at the 16FacultyMixer
Pup Maia Hobart poses for a 16Foto
The seniors continued their Thursday night tradition at BarHop with 16FreeBeerFollowing the fall term, this winter break saw brothers of Kappa Kappa Kappa doing anything but sitting around. Marcus Reid '18 (better known as Ill Fayze) dropped a new track, Offended Remix (ft. Ill Fayze). Be sure to check out his awesome work on Soundcloud here. Brothers Jeff Lang '17, Joe Minichiello '17, and Chris Loughlin '17 embarked on their first trip to Vegas. But most impressively, Sam Libby '17, our illustrious treasurer, represented Dartmouth in the Fed Challenge as the team took first place. Congratulations Sam!Joe Minichiello '17 and Chris Loughlin '17 eating some gelato in Vegas
Sam Libby '17, the Dartmouth fed challenge team, and Janet YellenWhile we have seen some good times pass at the end of 2016, the brothers of Tri-Kap are excited to take on the new year. As always, if you ever find yourself in the Upper Valley, please reach out and remember that 1 Webster will forever be your home.
YiK,Jeff LangVice President

Brothers,

Homecoming 2016 has come and gone, and what a weekend it was indeed! The undergrads had a fabulous time welcoming Kappa brethren young and old back to 1 Webster Avenue.

The week began on Wednesday, with the annual New Member dance as the young men of Kappa opened for the Sheba dance group. The boys were extremely excited for their performance, and, by all accounts, "crushed it". Many thanks to Sydney Wijngaarde '17, the dance captain, for choreographing and coordinating the dance.

The '19s were psyched in preparation for their dance
Thursday and Friday raced by as alums continued to trickle back into our hallowed halls. One highlight in particular was the delivery of our newest Tri-Kap artifact: a marble bench donated by the class of 1960 in honor of their late brother. Many thanks to John Mitchell '60 for the delivery and the imparting of many nuggets of Tri-Kap history. It is always a thrill to learn about the evolution of the house.

John Mitchell '60 and President Ted Poatsy '17 shaking hands over the placement of the new bench
As usual, the homecoming bonfire was burning bright on Friday night, and the Dartmouth community came out in full force to watch. The Tri-Kap brothers were similarly out in full force; some on shift for Dartmouth EMS (Joe Minichiello '17), some receiving awards for athletic achievements (John Lundgren '73), and others just enjoying the tradition (see below). Despite the cold and some raucous behavior by '20s, the fire still burned bright as ever this homecoming.

L to R: Brothers James McKim '83, Marcel Wolff '12, Hector Iturbe '16, and Matt Graves '14
Saturday morning was the culminating experience: a wonderful barbecue put on by the undergraduate brothers before the Dartmouth vs. Harvard football game at 1:30pm. From '67 to '17 and many years in between, brothers of all ages gathered at the house for some barbecue and good conversation. Kevin Kim '15, honorary grillmaster, has the undergrads' thanks for owning the grill during this event.

Alumni and brothers mingling in the great hall

Kevin Kim '15 and brothers at the grill scene
We can't thank everyone enough for their contributions to this fine establishment and for continuing to visit and impart wisdom to the undergraduates as we navigate our Dartmouth and Tri-Kap experiences. A special thanks to Al Forbes '82 who stayed at the lodge for the entire weekend and was generous enough to complete a Black Book session with a variety of brothers and new members. That sort of genuity is a hallmark of the Tri-Kap brotherhood, and we thank Al for embodying that this weekend.
As always, if you are in the area, please do reach out and stop by. 
Oh yes--happy late halloween everyone!
YiK,Jeff LangUndergraduate VP

Hello Brethren,

And we're back! My apologies for the lack of posts recently. Senior year remains a busy time in the Dartmouth student's career.

To start with, I bring you all a tale of epic academia--the great success that was our fall faculty mixer. This past Friday, the brotherhood invited a variety of faculty from all departments to the Kappa lodge to enjoy light refreshments and good conversation. As in the past, the event was extremely well received by brothers and faculty alike, including President Phil Hanlon and his wife Gail, who were both present for a good portion of the mixer. Many thanks to our academic chair James Howe '17 for organizing the event. We hope to continue this as an annual or semi-annual event, and hope to expand our attendees to local alumni as well.
New Member James Chartouni '19 chats with a professorBrothers and faculty mingled in the Great Hall on Friday afternoon Secondly, this week is Homecoming, and the undergraduate brotherhood cannot wait to welcome alumni young and old back to the new 1 Webster. Come see the new house, hang out with the newest members of the brotherhood, and reminisce with old friends. The undergrads will be hosting a barbecue at 11am on Saturday before the football game to welcome back our elder brothers. We hope to see you there!
Maia Hobart collecting her fair share of sticksThe new entrywayOne instance of the new strip lights that now decorate and populate the house

As always, please reach out if you have any questions or are ever in the Hanover area. We always look forward to meeting our brothers.
YiK,Jeff LangVice President

Brothers,

We're back. After what sounds like another feasty and fabulous sophomore summer, the seniors have returned to their hallowed halls to begin the final stretch before adulthood finally catches up to us.

We could not be more pleased with the progress that the '18s have made on turning the new house into a new home for the brotherhood. Beach furniture has been fully installed and has turned the space into one of the top evening hangout spots on campus. The basement decorations have gone up as well, and the bottles will be soon to follow. Big thanks to Rob Sayegh '18 and Cody Pennypacker '18 for spearheading those renovation items. Some of the key issues with the house, such as lack of AC in the basement and faulty fire alarms, are also being addressed by the legendary Bruce Williamson and the efforts of the Alumni Board of Directors. In sum, looking good.

1 Webster looking fine on a September morningThe brotherhood is looking forward to hosting and initiating a new class of new members back in our hallowed halls at the end of September. As always, if you are in the area, do not hesitate to reach out or stop by. Your new home at Dartmouth is up and running.

YiK,
Jeff "The VPrincipito" Lang
Vice President

Brothers,

Another spring term has passed, and it's that time of year again. Time for the underclassmen to say goodbye to our beloved seniors. It has been an emotional few weeks for us all, as it is never easy to say farewell to those who have been fixtures in life for the past few years. Not to mention dealing with the stress of finals, looking critically at our budget for the summer and coming year, and continuing to move final elements into the new house. But regardless, we gave the seniors of Tri-Kappa the best send-off we could.

It started with a fantastic formal on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. What better place to come together as a brotherhood one last time than Tri-Kap's go-to formal venue: Lake Morey Resort. The event was well attended by all classes despite proximity to finals period, and all enjoyed the beautiful views, great food, and quality music. Thanks to the social chairs, Chris Loughlin '17 and John French '17 for their work to put the event together. Pictures below.

Josh Schoenbart '16 and date
Brett Szalapski '15 and date
Charles Cai '16 and date
Harrison Han '16 and date
Mir Faiyaz '16 and Eric Chalif '16
Josh Tupler '16 and Keaton Renta '16
Hector Iturbe '16 and dateAnd of course, keeping with Tri-Kap tradition, the brothers came together for the annual bequests gathering during the first day of reading period. Though the senior class was not particularly large this year, the bequests of Tri-Kap history and the recounting of emotional stories lasted through dinner.

From all of the sophomore and junior brothers, we sincerely wish the seniors the best in their adventures and endeavors moving forward. The brotherhood will miss them, and will honor their memory through carrying on and protecting the traditions of Tri-Kap as they did before us.

The sun sets on 16S and the new houseThe brothers in their favorite shirts for the yearly house pic














I am happy to pass on the responsibility of maintaining the Pillar and Shield blog to Abraham Herrera '18, the sophomore summer vice president. I will be back in touch in the fall!

YiK,
Jeff Lang
Vice President

Brothers,

The weekend you all have been waiting for, Green Key Weekend 2016 has come and gone. And what a weekend it was.

The undergraduate brothers were extremely excited to welcome the alumni back to the house. It's always awesome to see a large diversity of classes return from all walks of life to reconnect with old friends, reminisce, and meet the new brothers. We want to thank all graduates who returned for their respect of the many new rules and policies involved in our changing campus. As Dartmouth changes, Tri-Kap must adapt as well, though rest assured that our core values and traditions will always be upheld.

Saturday of Green Key traditionally features initiations and corporations, both of which were a great success this year. The alumni board officially initiated a number brothers, both '18s and some '17s. It was a beautiful thing to witness the persistence of these historically Green Key traditions after a hectic, nomadic year for the undergraduates.

We could not have been blessed with better weather and such a great new space to celebrate the best weekend of the year. The undergrads look forward to continue building strong relationships with our graduates next month during Commencement and Reunions.

Below are some pictures of bros from the weekend. Enjoy.

YiK,
Jeff Lang

Brothers,

As Freshman Year Parent's weekend came and went, the brothers of Tri-Kappa remained as socially and academically active as ever.

Of course, one of the most important social events of Parent's weekend is the annual Pigstick barbecue hosted by the brothers of Alpha Chi Alpha. A large contingent of Tri-Kaps attended, including the group below. Though Tri-Kap is currently awaiting final approvals and permits to become fully open (a process that will hopefully be completed by Green Key Weekend), the brothers have still made a concerted effort to maintain a strong, positive social presence on campus.

Tri-Kaps enjoying the music, food, and spring weather at PigstickFor two senior brothers, this weekend marked a duo of important academic milestones as well. Brian Chalif '16, a music and computer science double major, performed his senior recital this Saturday. The wide selection of pieces featured a variety of German compositions by artists such as Schumann and Brahms, to beautiful, inspiring selections of Vaughan Williams and Purcell. The performance was fabulous, and well attended by the brotherhood. It was great to see such strong support from the members of Tri-Kappa.


Brian Chalif '16, a bass, entrances the crowd during his senior recital 
This week also marked the finish of a long and arduous thesis project for Josh Tupler '16, a government major, who researched and modeled potential military conflicts between the U.S. and China over Taiwan and the Spratly Islands. He hopes to co-publish his paper, "Perils in the Pacific: Assessing American Air Power Projection Over Taiwan and the South China Seas," in the near future. Josh also has a publication for the World Outlook journal, "Understanding Chinas Commitment to the Conflict in the South China Sea: the Importance of History and Nationalism," forthcoming at the end of the term.

Tupler submitting his thesis a day earlyThe thesisThe brothers of Tri-Kap look forward to the return of alumni over Green Key Weekend in a couple of weeks. Please reach out if you plan on coming up and are looking for a place to stay!
YiK,Jeff LangVP