"iEijstlon 0iiil Epsilon of Phi Gamma Delta THE University of North Carolina October 1996 Chapel Hill, N.C. President Rewolds Announces Campaign to Rebuild Epsilon By Jim Sessoms '76, Campaign Coordinator Epsilon s Graduate Association President Fairfax Reynolds '75 tecently announced the start of the fund-raising campaign to rebuild Epsilon s Vance Hall, which was gutted by a tragic fire on May 12. brothers to make pledges. Later, we hope to complement the campaign with class solicitations, where we may be able to have competitions. It will be a lot of work, but it should be a lot of fun as well." (See below tor the campaign chairman in your area.) We re proud to announce the beginning of a most ambitious campaign to raise $1,000,000 to rebuild our fraternity, and to do so in a manner that will ensure our role as the leading fraternity at UNC into the next century, stated President Reynolds at a recent meering. Commenting on the lofty goal. President Reynolds said: "I know it will be a challenge. No fraternity has had to raise this much money at this campus. But then, no fraternity has suffered the tragedy we ve been through—and no other fraternity has such an "What we'd like to do is make this a grass-roots, one-on-one, brother-to-brother campaign, very personal. We have a huge need, a great stoiy to tell, and 1 hope eveiyone will respond in a positive manner," Reynolds said. "We believe that the circumstances ofthe fire and the deaths ofthose outstanding group of loyal graduates who will step up to the plate wonderful students will make every Epsilon graduate want to help us, but we realize they need to be asked. Direct mail campaigns are so impersonal, plus they are expensive, so we felt that a one-on-one approach would suit our brotherhood better. Besides, this wiU give us all and give so that Epsilon will survive." a chance to call or visit some friends we made back at Vance Hall." "Numerous Epsilon graduates have called with questions regarding the status of our rebuilding plans," he said. "It basically boils down to this: we re talking about our very survival here. Our best estimate of the costs we're facing in the rebuilding of Vance Hall IS about $1,250,000. Plus, we're committed to raising $125,000 for the endowment of five scholarships for each of the victims of that fire. Our insurance will pay some of the rebuilding costs, but it appears we'll still need the full $I million." Reynolds said that the campaign will progress "at several levels Reynolds pointed out that the fraternity situation at Chapel Hill is changing, and that Epsilon wall need to change, as well."What we'd like to do is determine what fraternities will be like in the next century, and set some long-range goals to get there. For instance, it's clear the University will be much stricter in its drinking policies — and on its academic emphasis—with regard to fraternities. If we accept that premise now, we can plan ways to adjust and capitalize on our foresight in the future." "As such, we need everyone's help not only with monetary gifts, but also with therr ad\ace and their input as to the fraternity's future goals and plans. For example, what are the most important things we at the same time. By that I mean that Dixon Fleming '76 will be m charge of soliciting major donors, having made a lead gift himself. Concurrently, we are recruiting chairmen in each of the largest cities can do as a fraternity — not only for undergraduates, but for gradu m North Carolina as well as out-of-state chairmen to begin recruit- ates as well? What sort of place do we want Epsilon to be, and how mg four or five lieutenants, who will each call on five of their can we best do that in the late 1990s?" Campaign Committee Chairmen Ijcat)Gift,!: Dixon Fleming '76•919-934-9446 Charles 1vey '75•910-274-4658 Charlotte: Greenville: Green.iboro: Sandy Weathersbee '74•704-372-0053 John Coffinan '81 •919-756-8237 Steve Comwell '74•704-372-4500 Waighty Scales '77 Durham: Ralei/jih: Larry Aiaddison '65 * 919-821-5482 Ronnie Batchelor '81* 919-787-8212 Rocky:Mount: VCiLon: Averette Lamm '68•919-237-1564 Wiihiton-Salem: Scott Richardson '71 •910-724-0102 Frank Shields '68•919-443-7884 Marvin Carver '75* 919-490-8200 Alary/lane): Bill Reynolds '70•410-461-2619 SanforA: Ed Peele '77•919-775-7150 I'ayettevdle: New Bern/Kin,iton: W'a.ihinyton: Mike Winesette '74» 910-433-2400 Ben Alford '73•919-638-5792 is not listed above and you'd like Wayland Sermons '77•919-946-0871 to help in the campaigTi, please Georijia: Bob Hortman '76•706-234-5116 Netv York/iWE: W'e.itern iWC: Kevin Mertens '85•864-298-1019 John Beall '70•800-726-0405 GohXthoro: Northea.it iVC: W'ilniinyton: A.W. Griffin '50 •919-734-5564 Warner Penv '71 •919-482-4792 Rusr\' Carter '71•800-722-5841 Note: Ifyou live in an ai'ea that call the campaigTi coordinator Jim Sessoms at 800-879-3134. \r\nOctober 1996 Page 2 The Fire Revisited By Jim Sessoms '76 Memories of the Mother's Day fire, and the tragic deaths of five wonderful kids, will live with all of us associated with Epsilon for the rest of our lives. Many of us have visited the charred ruins of Vance Hall; many of us have attended the funerals and memorial services; all of us have felt a deep hurt. The fire has hurt a lot of people. On Monday, May 20, the students at the University held a beautiful memorial service for the victims, concluding their sad meeting with the laying of flowers along the stone wall m front ol the Phi Gam house. The accompa nying picture of it doesn't do justice to the touchingly beautiful act of compassion expressed by those students and others in Chapel Hill. A number of people from various walks of life and different parts of the country have sent expressions of grief to the Phi Gam house. When I saw them, 1 was deeply moved, and I thought that everyone would like to see some examples of the many kindnesses expressed to us and the students'families by the community. A number of floral arrangements were sent to 108 West Cameron Avenue, including one from the fCappa Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta at Baylor University. Most arrangements were sent by individuals, and were deposited on "the bench" in front of the House. Teddy bears and notes to the victims were prevalent, and one sympathy card was notable in its expression of grief and anger, s^ytig I am so terribly soriy. These children never had a chance against black cyanide smoke that snuffed out their lives in minutes. This must never happen again." It was left unsigned. Perhaps the most moving expression of grief was a poem left on "the bench" by an unknown writer. At the risk of appearing too maudlin, I have reproduced it here. Memorial Service Draws Hundreds Mother's Day 1996 Reverend Mitch Simpson of the University Baptist Church in Chapel Hill led several hundred mourners in a moving, heartfelt memorial service on June 3 honoring the five student victims of the tragic fire which gutted the Phi Gamma Delta And n'hcn he wne liny /\nd how ehe worried ehe nviild make him elap when he wae awayJroiii her Iv relie hie ehive that eoiiie harm ,ui he ii'anlthi'/ hup yreal or email and hurt himeell would he/all him Raleigh, himself a graduate brother of Phi Gamma Delta (Georgia Andehe n'onld held hie hand And ae he prew ehe had new worriee '85) and a former member of the Board of Chapter Advisers of Epsilon chapter. A number of students spoke at the seivice, which was marked by a sincere outpouring of grief and emotion. Among the student that alwaye eanie lo naiiyhi speakers was Ben Eubanks '97, a survivor of the fire who had just when they ern.'eed the read and rode hie hike and wateh lr care and learned to driee and waieh tar him And ehe waitldn i lei him lamp I'll the hed afraid he miyhl tall afj thidehe wati/d liplae in al nu/hl jiiel to wiileh him eleep and hear hie yeiille hrealhinp Bill thai niorniiiij ehe wae no! worried Thai eool. hreezy, eiinny Mother e' Day niormna She wae not wi'rrteif Those of us with children of our own can feel the writer s meaning without elaboration. It's difficult for us to put into words the grief we still feel for the Stricklands, the Weavers, the Wood ruffs, the Smiths and the Joneses. So let's do what we are able to do, and that is to rebuild that flouse as a living memorial to those fine young people who didn't deseive their tragic fate. We can make no more fitting tribute to them, than to turn this terrifjle tragedy into a positiw act ol rebirth, ol rededication to those ideals so timelessK' expressed in our Creed. So with their memory m our minds, let's get bus\'. firothers. We've got a lot of work to do. fraternity house. Also leading the service was Reverend Jonathan Eidson of been released from UNC Hospital. Also speaking were representa tives from the Alpha Delta Pi and Pi Beta Phi sororities, whose friends, Joanna Plowell and Ann Smith, perished in the blaze. One speaker, Garrett Perdue '97, speaking of his friends Josh Weaver, Ben Woodruff and Mark Strickland, concluded his poignant remarks by saying, "This (eulogizing his friends) is the hardest thing I've ever done. I hope I'll never have to endure another tragedy like this." Epsilon graduates from all over the country attended the service, as did Pi Phi and Alpha Delta Pi alumnae. Special recogni tion was given to the brave firelighters from the Chapel Hill Fire Department, who fought the horrible fire so valiantly on May 12. The firefighters sat together behind members of the victims families. Special thanks go out to Rev. Simpson and eveiyone at University I3aptist, as well as to brother Tim Kepley '75 for his work in organizing such a beautiful service. \r\nPage 3 The Epsilon Owl Costs Then and Now By Jerry Cashion '63 Epsilon Graduate Association Historian Faced as we are with a huge rebuilding operation of the firegutted Vance Hall, long-time Purple Legionnaire and current Historian of the Epsilon Graduate Association Jeriy "Pop " Cashion '63 thought it might be interesting to research the original construction costs of our house. His findings follow: Epsilon of Phi Gamma Delta Inc. purchased the lot, house, and dependencies at 108 West Cameron Avenue on April 29, 1927, from Louisa D. Weedon and others for the sum of $1 1,200. Mrs. Weedon held the note. Undergraduate members of the recently reactivated chapter moved into the Weedon house, which was located near the street. By the start of 1929 Epsilon of Phi Gamma Delta Inc. had raised $6,111. A large part of this was from gifts and loans (later forgiven) from Dr. James Bell Bullitt, a professor of medicine who pledged one year's salary toward the goal. Other sizable gifts were from Leslie Weil (1895) of Goldsboro and Walter H. Woodson (1896) of Salisbury. This was a period of growth for the university and for the fraternity system. Berry McAlester Corporation of Columbus, Mo., was constructing houses lor both Phi Delta Theta and Beta Theta Pi. This company contracted to build Vance Hall. Two factors led to considerable savings for Epsilon of Phi Gamma Delta Inc.; first, as noted. Berry McAlester Corporation had two projects underway which allowed for cost reduction; also, many undergraduate chapter members worked without pay in the construction crew. Two construction laborers who would long be associated with Vance Hall were Albert Reeves and Paul Minor. On October 5, 1929, Epsilon of Phi Gamma Delta Inc. negotiated two promissory notes with Berry McAlester for a total of $45,294.63. Twenty-four days later the stock market crashed. Epsilon had a "bare wall" structure and nothing more. The trustees of Phi Gamma Delta, Washington, D.C., loaned Epsilon of Phi Gamma Delta Inc. $10,000 on Januarj' 13, 1930, to purchase equipment and furnishings for the physical plant. It should be remembered that until the 1960s, residents were supplied with beds, mattresses, desks and bureaus. Vance Hall was dedicated on March 29, 1930. Certainly the amounts cited above have little relevance to today's costs. Perhaps some perspective can be gained from the fact that the per capita income in North Carolina for 1929 was $334. In 1995 the per capita income in the state was $20,604.00. Go figure! Nisbet Names Building Committee House Corporation Chairman Tom Nisbet '71 recently announced the formation of a committee to begin the task of rebuilding Vance Hall. Bob Winston '90 of Raleigh and Tim Kepley '75 of Chapel Hill will head up the committees, which have already been hard at work choosing an architect. Edger Carr of the R.W. Carr firm will head up a team of engineers and architects for the Vance Hall project. "We're happy to report that the earliest indications lead us to believe that we will be able to rebuild Vance Hall within its existing walls, " said Winston."We hope to use the existing structure wherever possible. The exterior brickwork is beauti ful, and we'd be hard pressed to reproduce it with modern brickwork. Plus, 1 believe it will give us all a connection to the past, because we're planning for Vance Hall to look very much like it did before the fire." Inside will be a different story however, according to Winston."This is 1996, and a lot of changes have been legis lated in the building codes. For example, the Americans with Disabilities Act compels us to make the house wheelchair accessible. That will include installing an elevator, using wider doors throughout, and other expensive changes," Winston said. The first hurdle for the committee has been the process of dealing with the town of Chapel Hill. "We have been treated with every courtesy by the town," said Kepley. "They share our sadness over the tragedy, and they have expressed a willingness to help us in any way they can. Naturally, we appreciate their concern and their assistance." Winston pointed out that the process still takes time, even with the help of the town. "Review boards are traditionally deliberate. We have a number of zoning and building-related issues we must work out. We'll have to figure out the best way to meet the town's requirements and still maintain the character of the Phi Gam house." "Aside from the town's requirements, we also plan to make the new Vance Hall the safest fraternity house in America. We'll work closely with the Chapel Hill Fire Chief to incorpo rate the latest safety features, including a full sprinkler system. Plus, we want to make this a 21st century fraternity house, wired for and equipped with the latest technology." "However, all this is going to cost money. 1 estimate our costs to be about $1.3 million. That's a lot of money for us to raise, but we absolutely have to do it. If the graduate brothers aren't willing to step up to the plate and give generously, this could very well mean the end of Phi Gamma Delta at the University of North Carolina. " "Epsilon means too much to me to let that happen. 1 hope it means that much to everyone else. 1 don't want to see us go i away from Chapel Hill." New House Needs Furnishings Doyou have some passable furnishings in your attic that you can spare? Have you recently remodeled and are wondering what to do with the old-but-perfectly-good furniture left over? The "now" Phi Gam house at Finley needs all kinds of furnishings, from lamps to chairs to rugs and pictures. Everything that can be donated will result m that much money saved for our rebuilding effort. So please, look around your house and see if there's anything you could spare to help us out. Epsilon Goes Online Epsilon is now on the World Wide Web! Thanks to the good work of Stephen CAvington '88, we now have our own web site. Visit us at the following URL: http://www.phigam.com/epsilon Stephen Covington and Brandon Fentress '87 are the webmasters, and they welcome your feedback about the web site. Please e-mail any comments, suggestions or ideas about the site to them. \r\nOctober 1996 Page 4 Despite AovERsm^ Undergrads Pledge Twelw These are our new pledges and their respective hometotvns: brotherhood has paid big dividends, as Epsiion Chapter of Phi Gamma Delta netted 12 men during the recently-completed fall rush. "We knew we really had to work hard this summer," said Rob Young, Chapter President."We had a very successful party at the beach, and all the brothers took an extra interest in seeing that this Taylor Manning Rocky Mount Rocky Mount Rocky Mount Raleigh Raleigh Nell HUl Kinston A. Hobgood Kinston rush was successful. Now we are confident that Phi Gamma Delta Was Elden Kinston will be at Carolina for years to come," said Young. Since Epsiion had no chapter house to "show off,"and the difficulty of having no "base of operations" for dinners, parties, Lon Edwards Snow Hill Charles Vaughan Woodland Aaron Jennings New Bern meetings and the like, it is safe to say the current group of under Matthew Lazenby Coral Gables, Fla. Hard work over the summer by the entire undergraduate Jeff Strickland Holton Wilkerson Lank Dunton David Burke graduates did a fantastic job. 1995-96 Honor Roll of Contributors We thank the alumni listed below who supported our annual giving program during 1995-96. Your support enables us to maintain our alumni programs, including the publication of our newsletter. F. Turner Aliiiuiell 1927 R. Bryant Hare 111 1953 John H. Home Jr. 1968 Robert P. Hortman 1976 Herbert H. Taylor Jr. 1932 Jooeph H. Ncloon 1933 Averette/M. Dimm 1968 Janieo W. Keel Jr. 1936 Wiliuim D. Smith 1953 Ronald W. /Miller 1968 Laurence E. Lilley Jr. 1976 Jameo F. Royall 1976 it. Stuart Gregg Jr. 19J0 John G. Borden 1954 J. Hubert Parrott 1968 Jameo B. Seooomo 1976 Dane)J. Morruian 1941 Rowland Burnotan Jr. 1954 Janie,! M. Tanner Jr. 1968 Paul V. Seeerin 1941 Kenton B. Creuoer 1954 Al R. Cheooon Jr. 1977 John W. Hawkino 1977 E. Ranwey Harbin Jr. 1942 Andrew H. Patteroon 1954 Robert T. Wright Jr. 1968 Hany W. Gurkin Jr. 1969 Emmett it. /McLean 1977 Kenneth E. Ancteroon Jr. 1956 Hiram J. Mayo Jr. 1969 Aubrey B. Taylor Jr. 1969 Wayland J. Sermon,! Jr. 1977 Joe L. Hodge Jr. 1978 Theodore K. Lynch Jr. 1956 Jooephuo L. Maoretic 1956 William R. Titchener 1969 Kevui A. Shwedo 1978 Wllliain E. EJnwre Jr. 1943 E. Jerome Ventero Jr. 1969 Van W./Martin 1979 William C/Viehajfey Jr. 1943 K. Frank /McCain 1956 John B. Beall 1970 D.Jordan Whichard 111 1979 Gip 1. Kunball Jr. 1942 Walter L. Pamley 1942 Riehare) W. Coppage 1943 Leon W. Syb'eoter Jr. 1954 Jack IE Noneman 1944 Robert Exum Jr. 1957 John A. Elmore 111970 Ronald A. Batchelor 1981 Walter S. Crump 1946 William S/McLean 1957 Theodore E. Haigler Jr. 1946 Henry H. Caldwell Jr 1958 Henry E. Griffin Jr. 1970 Jameo P. Hugheo 1970 Robert P. Holmeo IV1981 Howard J Lamabe Jr. 1946 Thomao A. NL