@ The Deke House

An e-newsletter for alumni, parents and friends of the 

Deke chapters at DePauw University, Indiana University, 

and the University of Illinois.

The photos above are clickable links

DEKE LIVES ITS IDEALS THROUGH 100-HOUR DAY

Community Service and Alumni Relations.  Delta Psi lived the Deke ideals April 23.  Its 100-Hour Day involved the chapter, alumni from two chapters, parents, and friends in a 100 “man” hour community service project that benefited a local alternative school and a Monroe County park.  The chapter’s alumni, philanthropy, and community service chairs Nick Plebanski ’07, Steve Schultz ’08, and Jason Apple ’08, organized the event, which was one of several philanthropy projects undertaken by the chapter this year.  One of several things that made this effort special was that all parents, all Psi Phi Dekes, and all Dekes in Indiana--and there are Dekes in the Hoosier state from 42 different chapters--were invited to Bloomington for the project.  Next year, a 200-Hour Day? See the photo album here. 

GoDeke.org ...THE CYBER DEKE HOUSE

www.GoDeke.org is the electronic home of the three-chapter consortium, involving alumni from the Psi Phi chapter at DePauw and the Delta Pi chapter at Illinois, and the parents, alumni, and actives keeping the Deke lion roaring at Indiana University.  Participate.  Have photos of your days in the Deke House?  Scan and email them here, or loan them to us for scanning and posting to the site.  They will be returned in perfect condition.  GoDeke.org is all about the history of Deke on our campuses, as well as the promise for Deke’s future there.  Ask yourself, “how can I help?”  Send in your answer, and read the next story for a great example. 

JOHN GEARY AT PARENTS ASSOCIATION HELM;      BILL HENRY’S LEADERSHIP WAS INVALUABLE

The integration of Deke at Indiana, Illinois and DePauw took another step this spring when John Geary agreed to chair the Deke Parents Association.  A 1982 Delta Pi Deke, John and his college sweetheart, Sandy, who will celebrate their 23rd wedding anniversary next month, are the parents of Jackie, 17, and Mike, 18.  Mike pledged Deke at I.U. last fall and will return this fall as rush chairman.  Read more here.

The Association was founded by Bill Henry, whose son, Bill Jr., graduated in May.  When Deke parents were asked to involve themselves in the growth of the young chapter, Bill offered to form a parents association.  Under his leadership, the association hosted a two-day “Dad’s Weekend” in 2004.  It also organized a sports ticket raffle generating more than $2,000 and underwriting the cost of washers and dryers in the new Delta Psi Deke House.  Bill's wife, Jan, chairs the Education Department at Vincennes University, and he gives her credit for the ideas and their successful implementation.  Bill, who owns Vincennes Insurance, Inc., one of the largest employee benefit agencies in southwestern Indiana, blazed and leaves a well-worn trail for John to follow.  Many thanks to the Henry’s for their leadership.

Former Deke chapter president Brendan McPherson was one of five undergraduate men in the U.S. and Canada to receive the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) Undergraduate Achievement Award, the pinnacle award for undergraduate fraternity men in North America.  Brendan is the first Deke ever to receive the award, and his fellow honorees include a Rhodes Scholar, a young man who rode his bike from San Francisco to Washington as a fund raiser, a tri-athlete, and a chapter president responsible for single-handedly saving his chapter from closing.  Read more.

ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS BANQUET

In April, to honor Brendan McPherson’s receipt of the NIC Undergraduate Achievement Award, alumni and I.U. professors joined the chapter’s first Academic Achievement Banquet. 

Also named the first Jackson Scholar that evening, Brendan received a $2,000 scholarship from the Ruby Cup Foundation.  The scholarship is made possible through a $125,000 gift to the Foundation from Pete Jackson, Psi Phi ’44 and his wife, Betty.  

Chapter President Kevin Cane ’05 received the first Sayers Prize, in honor of Gordon 

Sayers ’33.  After graduating in May, Kevin and Brendan were invited to leadership roles in the three-chapter consortium.  Kevin on the board of the Deke Realty Association, and Brendan on the board of the Ruby Cup Foundation.

The Ruby Cup Foundation awarded four additional $250 scholarships during the Banquet: Kevin for highest cumulative GPA, Brendan for highest semester GPA; Peter Nestingen ’07 was awarded a scholarship for most improved GPA (top photo), and Lain Herringman ’08 (bottom photo) was awarded a scholarship for highest pledge GPA.

KARL HAGEDORN ELECTED CHAPTER PRESIDENT

Karl Hagedorn ’06 was elected president of Delta Psi of Delta Kappa Epsilon in May.  Admitted directly to I.U.’s Honors College and the Kelley School of Business as a freshman, Karl will be a senior this fall.  Pursuing a double major in business finance and operations management within the Kelley School, he recently returned from a semester studying international business in London at City University’s Cass Business School. Read more.

DELTA PSI COMPETES IN LITTLE 500

March 26, 2005, saw the first-ever Delta Kappa Epsilon cycling team qualify for I.U.’s famed “Little 500” bicycle race.  The field for the 55th “Little 500” was set with DKE, with four rookie riders, officially on the scoreboard in the 28th qualifying position.  Having only trained for six weeks prior to the race, qualifying for the competition was an outstanding accomplishment.  Perhaps more impressive was the team’s finish.  Read more.  

SPRING RUSH RESULTS

After initiating a fall pledge class of 14 in January, Delta Psi pledged a spring class of seven men who were initiated April 28.  

4th ANNUAL SUSAN B. EASLICK / MIKE MICHAELS GOLF TOURNAMENT TO BE AUGUST 13, 2005

The Fourth Annual Susan B. Easlick/Mike Michaels Memorial Golf Tournament will take place at Stone Bridge Country Club in Ann

 Arbor, Michigan Saturday, August 13, 2005.  Two Omicron Dekes, Jim Roland and Doug Mervis, operate the club; and a great turnout is expected this year.

It will be a shotgun start with lunch at the Club and a cookout at the Shant, the “new” DKE headquarters in Ann Arbor.  Deke International Executive Director David Easlick says, “I hope you will join me in supporting this fine event.”

There is talk of getting a Psi Phi block of rooms in Ann Arbor and making a reunion weekend of this Deke event...play some golf...or just drive a cart, see the Shant, enjoy some Deke camaraderie, and have a meal or two in one of America’s greatest college towns. If you’re interested, no commitment is necessary, but let us know here. With enough interest, we’ll mount an organized invitation effort.