Prior to the Founders Day celebration dinner on April 1, 2023, the annual meeting of Beta Pi and the Alpha Phi Delta Housing Corp. took place at the Sheraton Hotel University City.  

In attendance at the meeting were: 

Joel Catania ’71	Morty Cohen ’65	Bill Kenney ‘69
Bruce Wolfson ’71	Mark Perna ’68	Rich Sussman ‘69
Lucas Loschiavo ’21	Jonathan Kim ’21	Jack Kollmar ’20
Harvey Mackler ’72	Ross Weiner ’80	Richard Myers ‘69
Cameron Harrington ’21	Paul Zaentz ’69	Dave Edman ‘73
Nicholas Snyder ’22

 

Also in attendance was the chairman of the Beta Pi Advisory Board, John Strong from Gamma Lambda chapter. 

Beta Pi Alumni Association President Ross Weiner chaired the meeting. The meeting focused on the current state of the chapter on Penn’s campus.  

A presentation was made by John Strong on the ability of the undergraduates to satisfy the residency requirements of the University of Pennsylvania at the chapter house. Maintaining a full house has been difficult since the University’s mandate that no sophomores at Penn may reside in fraternity houses.   

The current undergraduate President, Jack Kollmar, advised the alumni that current undergraduate members of the fraternity have not been efficient in managing the house and there are problems. A representative of Pi Kappa Alpha Inter/National spent a week with them to assess conditions at the Chapter House. The undergraduate brothers of the fraternity are now working hard to follow his recommendations and implement needed policies and leadership to have the chapter running smoothly again. 

Following these presentations, there was a lively exchange of ideas amongst all present. There were many suggestions and encouragement offered at the meeting.  

After the Alpha Phi Delta/Beta Pi meeting, everyone was eager to join other alumni and undergraduates brothers at the Founders Day dinner also held at the Sheraton. 

Philadelphia Magazine Top Dentist 

Appearing in the March 2023 edition of Philadelphia magazine on its annual list of Top Dentists in the Philadelphia region is Dr. Louis P. Tarnoff, Beta Pi ’66. Brother Tarnoff is an Assistant Professor at the Temple University Kornberg School of Dentistry. Philadelphia magazine states that selections are made for this list on the basis of “thousands of detailed evaluations of dentists and professionals by their peers”.  

Congratulations to brother Tarnoff for this very notable achievement. 

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Paul Zaentz Documentary Debuts in San Francisco 

The Paul Zaentz, Beta Pi ’69, produced film, Coup 53, examining the events surrounding the overthrow of the Shah of Iran in 1953 and the consequences of these events toward foreign relations between the United States and Iran to this present day, has finally been commercially released to movie theaters for in-person viewing. Due to COVID-19 protocols, previous viewings were limited to the internet. 

Paul’s film, that received rave reviews from just about every professional film critic, as well as a 100% fresh rating from Rotten Tomatoes, recently debuted at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco. Public demand was so great that a second showing was scheduled. 

After learning of the strong public response , Laemmle Theaters in Los Angeles scheduled screenings at the Royal Theater in West L.A. and the Twin Center 5 in Encino, California. 

Hopefully more screenings will follow at other theaters.  

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Beta Pi Active Chapter Has New President 

Having received an offer of immediate employment he could not refuse, Lucas (Losch) Loschiavo, Beta Pi ’21, left Philadelphia to begin his career in New York City. Unfortunately, Losch, a dedicated member of Pi Kappa Alpha and a devoted brother to his fellow members, had to vacate his position as President of the undergraduate chapter. 

Taking his place as President is Jack Kollmar, Beta Pi ’21. Jack is also a dedicated and devoted brother to the present 45-member chapter. Prior to becoming President, Jack was a Vice President of the chapter.  

The Beta Pi Alumni Association congratulates Losch on his good fortune and wishes him only the best as he moves forward. Jack is congratulated on his appointment as President and the alumni association looks forward to working with him to ensure the continued success of Beta Pi. 

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Andy Miscio is Retired in Colorado 

Andy Miscio, Beta Pi ’62, reports he is enjoying his retirement in Colorado. Every day, he is able to look out his front window for a magnificent view of the snow-covered Rocky Mountains.  

Originally from Long Island, New York, he moved to Colorado and was able to successfully begin a career in real estate investment. He has two children and his wife, Veronica, is a great cook and makes sure he eats healthy.  

Andy declares that the time he was in Pi Kappa Alpha was the “best time of my life”. At Beta Pi, he served as Vice President when Conrad Bosley ’61 was President. He has been in touch with many of his PiKA contemporaries and has fond memories of Hugh Glukenhous ’62, Jeff Sacco ’62, and especially the checkers games he played with Rich Kopelman ’62. 

If you wish to connect with Andy, he would love to hear from you. His email address is [email protected], his telephone number is 970 482-6066, and his street address is P.O. Box 92, Fort Collins, Colorado 80522. 

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Beta Pi Alumni Meet for Dinner 

On Friday, March 31, 2023, a group of Beta Pi alumni met, for what has become an annual event, at the White Dog Café on Penn’s campus. 

Enjoying the fine cuisine at the White Dog were Bruce Wolfson ’71, Joel Catania ’71, Mark Perna ’68, Rich Sussman ’69, Paul Vogt ’68, Rich Myers ’69, Ken Widelitz ’69, Paul Zaentz ’69, Morty Cohen ’65, and Bill Kenney ’69. The highlight of the evening occurred when Morty Cohen got the attention of the entire table and announced, “George Santos is from my congressional district and I voted for him!” The table erupted. You can only imagine everyone’s reactions.  

Throughout the dinner, rather than discuss matters that were to be covered at the next day’s annual Beta Pi meeting and Founders Day dinner, the brothers eagerly shared their personal activities, triumphs, and accomplishments, as life-long friends at the fraternity that brought them all together.  

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The Hermanators Ride Against Parkinsons Disease 

On September 9, 2023, the Annual New England Parkinsons Ride will be held. In honor of Jerry Herman ‘72, lifelong friend to so many Beta Pi brothers and longtime supporter of his beloved fraternity, Pi Kappa Alpha, a group of bicyclists named The Hermanators will ride the course. The Hermanators team is a labor of love organized by Jerry’s wife, Linda, and all funds, raised by the cyclists and non-cyclist donors to The Hermanator team, will benefit the Michael J. Fox Foundation for research toward a cure. 

Further details to follow will advise how you can make your personal donation and join the fight against Parkinsons.    

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At the 2023 annual meeting of the Society for Technology and Anesthesia, Dr. Richard H. Epstein, Beta Pi ’72, was presented the J.S. Gravenstein Award for lifetime achievement in the field of anesthesia. This award is the latest acknowledgement of his dedication and knowledge in the field. In previous years, he had received the Award for Faculty Mentoring from Sidney Kimmel Medical College (Kimmel Medical School) at Thomas Jefferson University, the Ellison C. Pierce Research Award from the American Society of Anesthesiologists, and the Dr. Roy G. Williams Research Award from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.  

Brother Epstein is presently a professor of clinical anesthesiology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (Miller School) in Florida. In recent years, he has written articles and been published in both American and British Medical Journals. 

After graduating from Penn with a B.A. degree in biochemistry, he received his MD at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Prior to joining the faculty at the Miller School, Richard was on the faculty of the Kimmel Medical School. 

During the years he lived in Philadelphia, he was actively involved as an alumnus in the Beta Pi Alumni Association. Using the knowledge and expertise he gathered as an investor in real estate in the Philadelphia area, he spearheaded an exhaustive repair/renovation of the Chapter House at 3916 Spruce Street. For many years, the Penn administration allowed the Chapter House to deteriorate even though Penn was holding a significant amount of money intended for repairs to the Chapter House. Thanks to brother Epstein, who designed and acted as general contractor for the project, significant improvements were made to the Chapter house over the course of two summers. Upon conclusion, the undergraduate brothers were thrilled.  

Our congratulations are extended to brother Epstein on his latest award and the success of his career.    

The March 2023 issue of Philadelphia magazine featured an eight-page article on Jeff Marrazzo, Beta Pi ’97, and his exploits in creating the first gene therapy company, Spark Therapeutics (Spark), owned by the hospital where the research and development began.  

After graduating from Penn, brother Marrazzo worked, as a special assistant to Governor Ed Rendell, to implement Medicaid regulations and long-term health care policy. He subsequently earned a master’s degree in business and health care management at Wharton.  

As a consultant for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), he was tasked by CHOP CEO Steve Altschuler to find new areas of revenue that would help CHOP at a time when existing revenue streams were drying up or cut completely. Altschuler’s idea was to have CHOP research, create, manufacture, and sell its own products, that were developed in their own laboratories, rather than license or sell their patents as was de rigueur at the time. 

After an exhaustive review of operations at CHOP, brother Marrazzo identified gene therapy as most likely to produce the desired result. Philadelphia magazine explains, “Gene therapy is the process by which doctors replace harmful or defective human genes with healthy or supercharged ones in order to treat a disease”. 

Katherine High (High) was the leading scientist at CHOP in the field of gene therapy. Following a meeting with High, Spark Therapeutics was established in 2013 with High, brother Marrazzo, and Altschuler as co-founders. CHOP provided $10 million to begin the enterprise with brother Marrazzo assuming the position of CEO. Spark had an initial public offering (IPO) in 2015, and developed the first FDA-approved gene therapy product, Luxturna, in 2017. 

When Luxturna, a cure for some forms of blindness, was first available at a price of $425,000 per eye, health insurers were loath to approve the drug. Brother Marrazzo negotiated with health insurers and reached an agreement that health insurers would receive a sizable rebate if the treatment was unsuccessful. Fortunately, Luxturna achieves positive results in 93% of its cases.    

Jeff spearheaded the sale of the company to international drug giant Roche for $4.8 billion in 2019. This was quite a financial windfall for CHOP. Roche continued to operate Spark as a separate entity. Brother Marrazzo stayed on as CEO of Spark until 2022. As CEO, he was successful in keeping Spark in Philadelphia. Spark is now located at 30th and Market Streets but is in the process of building the Gene Therapy Innovation Center, a 500,000 square foot facility at 30th and Chestnut Streets. 

When he stepped down as CEO, Jeff said, “I am incredibly proud of what we’ve built at Spark: from my first meetings in 2011, when the company was merely an idea, to now as the gene therapy center of excellence at one of the largest healthcare companies in the world. I’ve had the remarkable privilege to be part of an incredible team and work on cutting-edge science that has the potential to change people’s lives”. 

Since he left Spark, Jeff has dedicated his life to the arts. He has endeavored to educate others and make accessible the arts in Philadelphia. Toward this aim, he and his wife have formed the Marrazzo Family Foundation that tries to enhance the appreciation of art in schools. 

 In addition, he has accepted a position as Board Member for Chroma Medicine that does genetic research. He also maintains a position on the Board of Managers of Life Science Cares Philadelphia that fights poverty in Philadelphia and is on the Board of Directors of the Rendell Center for Civics and Civic Engagement. 

At Penn, Jeff was an active brother at Beta Pi and helped to reestablish Pi Kappa Alpha on Penn’s campus. Congratulations to brother Marrazzo for his extraordinary accomplishments in the field of health care and wish him the best in his efforts to bring art appreciation to his fellow Philadelphians.         

Rebounding from two years of smaller attendance due to COVID-19 protocols, Faux Founders Day 2023, organized by Parker Weil, Beta Pi ’85, was held at Olde City Cheesesteak and Brew with approximately 30 Beta Pi alumni in attendance.  

This year’s event had a decidedly Philadelphia ambience in a bar that presents itself as the place to be to view Philadelphia sports teams, both collegiate and professional, on their many televisions. The walls were covered with posters, banners, flags, photos, and pennants. All displayed Philadelphia-based teams including Penn State University. Brothers also enjoyed scrumptious cheesesteaks, wings, and fries. Scott Krase, Beta Pi ’86, is part-owner of this latest destination for Beta Pi fraternity brothers from the late 80’s to gather and discuss family, careers, and recent events in their lives. Among the brothers in attendance were: 

David Stonberg ’86	Ken Esterow ’83	Parker Weil ‘85
Ross Weiner ’80	Steven Wayne ’85	Hank Weiss ‘85
Andy Kurtz ’85	Jamie Gertler ’85	Andrew Gold ‘85
Josh Dvorin ’85	Tommy Sandler ’84	Jamie Michelson ‘84
Zev Abraham ’84	Jeff Tepper ’84	Scott Tolchin ‘86
Brad Silver ’86	Ben Young ’86	Mark Stein ‘87
Ari Horowitz ’87	Bruce Darringer ’87	Kyle Solomon ‘87
John Gamba ’87	Brad Finkelstein ’87	Michael Lipsky ‘87
John Kasselakis ’89	Rob Epstein ’83	Jeff Horing ‘83
Larry Israeloff ’83	Morty Cohen ‘65

 

Some of the brothers proudly wore Pi Kappa Alpha paraphernalia as they stood shoulder-to-shoulder in a rear area of the establishment set aside for this annual traditional get-together. 

Once again, Parker Weil promised everyone a good time and delivered on his promise. Thanks to Parker for bringing-it all together. All of Beta Pi should look forward to Faux Founders Day 2024. No matter when you were initiated, you are always welcome. If you missed it this year, you missed a good time.  

Dan Malasky, Beta Pi ’97, played football in high school and was the kicker for Penn’s sprint football team. When sports play such an important part of your life growing up, it follows that sports may play an important role in your career. 

At Penn, Dan was a member of the new member group that brought Pi Kappa Alpha back to the University and the chapter house at 3916 Spruce Street. After graduating from Penn, Dan received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law. Shortly after receiving his law degree, he became general counsel for DIRT Motor Sports (DIRT). While there, DIRT became the premier sanctioning body for dirt-truck auto racing in the United States.  

Following his success at DIRT, he became general counsel for the United States Tennis Association (USTA). At USTA, he led the legal team at the annual U.S. Open tennis tournament at Flushing Meadows, New York. When USTA asked him to help in developing the largest tennis complex in the world outside Orlando, Florida, he moved his family to Florida. While still in the employ of USTA, he also took on the responsibilities and leadership as chair of the Central Florida Sports Commission, later known as the Greater Orlando Sports Commission.  

In 2018, an opportunity to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL) arose. Unable to resist being employed in the sport he loved, he joined the Buccaneers and is now Chief Legal Officer there. As Chief Legal Officer, he oversees the legal side of all circumstances and situations concerning the team except player contracts.  

Congratulations to brother Malasky on his successful career and achievements.

The January/February 2023 issue of The Pennsylvania Gazette (Gazette) featured an unprecedented in length article of eight pages bringing attention to the accomplishments of Andrew Slavitt, Beta Pi ’85, C ’88, W ’88, on his mission to bring available and affordable healthcare, in both the public and private sectors, to the American people. 

After graduating from Penn, brother Slavitt earned an MBA from Harvard and began his career in financial services at Goldman Sachs. In 1998, he learned that a fraternity brother, Dr. Jeff Yurkofsky, Beta Pi ’85, was suffering from brain cancer that led to his death only months later. His death left his family in severe financial straits due to a large medical care debt that was not covered by his health insurance. Brother Slavitt shared his home with the Yurkofsky family until they were able to gain financial stability. This incident had a profound effect on brother Slavitt. It provided the impetus to redirect his career toward the health sector of the United States economy.   

In matters of healthcare, brother Slavitt explained his mission to the Gazette,”I have one thing I care about…Making this country better for the people who have been ignored for too long”.  

In 1999, he founded HealthAllies, a company focused on persuading doctors and hospitals to provide medical services at a lower cost to anyone lacking sufficient health insurance. He served as CEO of HealthAllies until 2003 when the company was purchased by UnitedHealth Group. He remained with UnitedHealth Group, serving as CEO of Optum Insight and as executive vice president for Optum, both divisions of UnitedHealth Group. 

When President Obama’s desire to bring affordable healthcare to the American people via Healthcare.gov showed signs of failing, brother Slavitt’s Optum unit was brought on in 2013 to establish Healthcare .gov as a fully functioning website. The Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator described brother Slavitt as a “key part of our leadership team to help millions of Americans get affordable health insurance in a whole new way”. 

In recognition of his fine work, brother Slavitt was appointed Principal Deputy Administrator of CMS in 2014. He became the Acting CMS Administrator in 2015. Upon his appointment, he made one of his priorities to be the institution of quality medical services in rural and underserved urban areas. Besides leading CMS in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), popularly known as Obamacare, President Obama also appointed him to the Heroin Task Force and as a member of Vice President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot task force. 

When the ACA came under attack in 2017 by Republicans in Congress, brother Slavitt galvanized opposition to its repeal by traveling across the country organizing and appearing at Town Hall events to discuss healthcare directly with the American people. In the end, the attempt to repeal Obamacare was not successful.  

After Donald Trump became President, the American public was faced with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Brother Slavitt contradicted claims by the Trump administration, early on in the spread of the disease, that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) were able to adequately contain the spread of the disease. He also predicted the oncoming shortage of hospital beds and ventilators necessary to treat victims of the pandemic. 

However, when it came to consideration of healthcare for the masses, brother Slavitt took a bipartisan approach. He highly praised the Trump administration for its ability to develop vaccines for COVID-19 in “record time” and that this accomplishment was a “great thing”. During the Trump years, he was frequently asked for, and did provide, advice to the Trump White House. 

Brother Slavitt helped in beginning the Trump administration’s initial phased reopening plan, but was critical that the reopening did not address increased testing and contact tracing for COVID-19. Accordingly, he became one of 16 public healthcare officials and scientists that launched an effort to secure $46. 5 billion in congressional funding that would expand contact tracing, create self-isolation facilities, and provide income support to Americans in financial need after having contracted COVID-19. 

In April 2020, brother Slavitt began a biweekly podcast, “In the Bubble with Andy Slavitt”, to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Often with the help of well-known guests including, but not limited to, Senator Chuck Schumer (NY), Tina Fey, Pete Buttigieg, Judd Apatow, Bernie Sanders, and former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, he provided vital information about the disease. All proceeds from listener donations went toward COVID-19 relief efforts.  

When Joe Biden became President, brother Slavitt joined Biden’s coronavirus team as Senior Advisor. In this capacity, he regularly briefed the news media on the Biden administration’s public health efforts. Areas of concern, such as availability of vaccines and the increased production of home tests, were subjects of his scheduled public appearances.   

As an authority on COVID-19, with expertise garnered through three presidencies, brother Slavitt authored the definitive book on the subject, Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response (debut June 15, 2021).  

At Penn, brother Slavitt was active at all time with Beta Pi and was a resident of the Chapter House his sophomore year. All of Beta Pi should take pride in his spectacularly successful career in healthcare. The American people should be thankful for all brother Slavitt has done to combat COVID-19, limit the spread of the disease, and to aid those afflicted with the coronavirus.      

Chapter Room 

P. Zaentz ’69, R. Sussman ’69 

Seated left to right: J. Catania ’71, S. Pyun ’72, H. Mackler ”72, M. Cohen ’65, P. Townsend ’04 

Standing left to right: L. Gordon ’72, R. Bryan ’02, T. O’Donoghue ’04, B. Wolfson ’71 

A. Brodsky ’03, S. Rickets ’03, D. Kuhn ’03, P. Townsend ’04   

Photo: The Pennsylvania Gazette.

The January/February issue of The Pennsylvania Gazette (Gazette) announced that Alberto Joseph Chamorro, Beta Pi ’75, Wharton ’78, has been selected to receive the University of Pennsylvania’s Alumni Award of Merit, the highest recognition Penn assigns to an alumnus. The Gazette mentions that brother Chamorro is the 3^rd generation of the Chamorro family to attend Penn. His late father, Alberto J. Chamorro, Beta Pi ’47, preceded him and his three children, Alberto III, Carolina, and Valeria, followed in his footsteps as the 4^th generation.

The Gazette lauds Alberto’s activity on behalf of Penn, “You have built upon that legacy brilliantly through steadfast leadership, pivotal support of financial aid, and vital assistance of Penn Admissions and Penn Alumni efforts across Central America”.

After joining the family business, E. Chamorro Group, that has very large diverse and financial interests in his native Nicaragua, he still found the time to devote considerable energy, initiative, and expertise to promote Penn to the Central American community. He has served as President of the Penn Central/South America and the Caribbean Regional Alumni Club and then as President of the Penn Club of Nicaragua.

In consideration of his considerable work on behalf of Penn, the Gazette states, ”Your efforts have spurred an increase in Penn students from the region, and, as a result, a stronger international alumni community”.

Congratulations to brother Chamorro for having received Penn’s most valuable alumni award. Thank you from Beta Pi for all you have done to enhance the reputation of Penn and for increasing the value of a Penn education, by helping to establish a more diverse student community. 

An article titled “Penn Housing Policy is “Bad News” for Fraternities” appeared in the December 2022 eletter sent to Beta Pi alumni. The article explained that Penn’s housing and meal plan were detrimental to fraternities and the personal growth of students by dictating that sophomores were required to live in University housing and required to purchase a meal plan with Penn.

After reading two articles that appeared in the February 16, 2023, issue of the Daily Pennsylvanian, it appears that the “Bad News” article was only “scratching the surface” of the disastrous effects these policies have placed on freshmen, sophomores, transfer, and exchange students.

An article written by Alex Baxter, addressing the housing problem at Penn, provides details of a system that provides both substandard and luxury accommodations to students for the same rent. Residency locations are mostly determined by lottery, and the facilities may be subject to rodent infestation, flooding, and mold, depending upon the housing location. The situation has students wondering why the money spent to build the new luxury Gutmann building could not have been used to improve living conditions and renovate older buildings to provide the same amenities as Gutmann.

Baxter describes the quality of Penn housing ranging from the newly built Gutmann, featuring “single bedrooms, spacious living areas, study rooms, and an exercise suite”, to his “tiny, two-person, shared-bedroom apartment in Rodin” that “barely had space to breathe in, never mind any semblance of privacy”. He reports that various buildings have their own unique problems. There were rodent sightings in Kings Court English House, flooding at Harrison, and mold in the quad.

He complains that “Penn cannot continue to force their students to pay extremely high rent prices for clearly inadequate facilities without any option of moving off-campus. Either lower the rent for those in the clearly worse accommodations…or allow students to move off-campus”. He opines, “Failing to do either is a blatant abuse of monopoly power which demonstrates both greed and a serious disregard for their students’ wellbeing. For one of the world’s best economics and business schools which claims to care about its community, you’d think they’d be above such inconsiderate inefficiency”.  

The inequalities of the Penn housing policy can be compared to the unhealthy conditions that exist in many of their dining locations. In the same February 16, 2023, issue of the Daily Pennsylvanian, an article written by Jin Kwon addresses the unhealthy conditions that exist at the Penn dining facilities available to the Penn students’ mandated meal plans.

After reviewing Philadelphia city records for health code violations at Penn dining facilities, it was learned that a majority of the 12 dining locations were cited for five or more violations. Barbara Lea-Kruger, the director of communications and external relations at Penn Business Services explains, “When evaluating findings, diners should be most concerned when a facility has repeated violations which are not corrected upon reinspection or when the inspection yields discoveries that reflect severe violations that require a facility to immediately shut down. Neither of these events have occurred with any Penn Dining location on campus”. As inspections are done on an annual basis, an unhealthy condition could be existent for 11 months before Penn will address the deficiency.

It is noted that Hill House and 1920 Commons are awaiting reinspection “because of their non-satisfactory compliance statuses”. On initial inspection, the “inspection report” at Hill “listed six separate sightings of mouse droppings, two of which were observed in direct contact with pans and containers of ingredients” among other lesser violations. In addition, three other dining locations have not yet had their initial annual inspections. Two other dining locations, having insect activity and mouse droppings, were not in compliance with the health code in the fall of 2022 but have since passed their reinspections. 

Koon states that a student was taken to a hospital by the Penn Medical Emergency Response Team for suspected food poisoning. This student told Kwon, “When I was at the hospital, they told me that (food poisoning from eating in the dining halls) was very common…They said, ‘You are not a rarity among the students at Penn, getting sick from eating at the dining halls’ ”.

In a statement to the Daily Pennsylvanian, Penn’s Director of hospitality Services Pam Lampitt wrote, “Providing a clean and safe dining experience is our highest priority and formal Health inspections supplement our own efforts to ensure that we maintain a high standard”.

If you assume that Penn’s reason for dictating that Penn students must live in University housing and pay for Penn meal plans has actual merit and is not detrimental to students (an assumption that was portrayed otherwise in the Beta Pi December 2022 eletter), Penn has a duty to its students to carry out their policies in an equitable manner and safeguard the health and safety of its students.

Penn is not a small landlord nor the owner of corner luncheonette. Penn, with an escrow greater than $20 billion, can afford to do the necessary renovations to Penn housing so that they can be considered relatively equal in quality and desirability. Also, the dining facilities should maintain an all-year-round healthy and safe environment.   

December Dinner.

The annual Beta Pi dinner, organized by Jeff Kaufman ’80, took place at Ben and Jack’s Steakhouse in New York City on December 15, 2022. COVID cautions, the weather, and the proximity to the Christmas and Hanukkah holidays, limited attendance to 16 hardy brothers who fought the cold and rain, including Greg Sembler ‘80, who came from Florida, and Mike Halpern ’80, who came from California, to attend. A separate but equal dinner was held in January 2023 for anyone unable to attend the December event.

During the cocktail hour and sit-down dinner, conversations were loud and lively as brothers reminisced. This year, conversations were centered on the present much more so than what is now the distant past. Most of the brothers who came graduated approximately 40 years ago. As retirement sneaks up on them, the brothers were more concerned with how COVID affected their lives and what they were doing now.

All life-long friends, there were no awkward moments as each brother was concerned for each other as they were for themselves. The friendship they felt for each other could be sensed and observed at all times during the evening. In attendance were:

Tony Lundy ‘80                                                  Buddy Altus ’80                                                Eric Morgenstern ‘81

Mike Halpern ’80                                             Greg Sembler ’80                                             John Feder ‘80

Jeff Lehman ’79                                                Jeff Himeles ’79                                                                John Joseph ‘80

Morty Cohen ’65                                              Lawrence Orans ’80                                        Ross Weiner ‘80

Sam Weinstein ’81                                          Bora Sila ‘80                                                      Adam Hodes ’81             

Jeff Kaufman ‘80

January Dinner.

Unfortunately, many brothers were unable to attend on December 15, 2022. Upon request of these brothers, Jeff Kaufman ‘80 scheduled and organized a second dinner at the Redeye Grill in New York City on January 19, 2023. Again, the weather did not cooperate. Nevertheless, 15 brothers braved the cold and rain to attend, including Steve Washuta ‘80 coming from Texas.

Redeye management provided an area, overlooking a very wet 7^th Avenue, for the exclusive use of Pi Kappa Alpha. A tray service cocktail hour, complete with sushi and green bean salad starters, preceded the dinner. Popular topics of conversation were health, homes and families, and business including “Are you still working?”.

Over sirloin steaks, salmon, or a fish assortment consisting of shrimp, lobster, and calamari, the observations and remarks drifted toward COVID histories, and memories at Penn. The discussions were lively and everyone felt comfortable and had something to say. At one end of the table, brothers were comparing the beauty of brothers’ girlfriends. However, when one brother mentioned that his girlfriend senior year was a Philadelphia Eagles cheerleader, a deep silence filled the room. A brother said, “You don’t have to say anymore” and the group moved on to a different subject.

That this particular group had a great time was evident. Fred Rubin ‘80 emailed this message, “So great to see you guys this evening! It’s been a while but it was really terrific to have the chance to get together and catch up. Good size crew but still able to carve out time with everyone…even Washuta. Looking forward to the next one.” Tom Fogarty ‘81 immediately responded, “Agree with Fred…Great to see all who were there last night. I enjoyed the stories and memories.” In attendance were:

Buddy Altus ’80                                                Tom Brodie ’81                                                 Dave Horing ‘81

Steve Kreichman ’79                                       Eric Morgenstern ’81                                      Lawrence Orans ‘80

Ron Pillar ’83                                                     Morty Cohen ’65                                              Fred Rubin ‘80

Steve Washuta ’80                                          John Feder ’80                                                   Sam Weinstein ‘81

Ira Horowitz ’79                                                Tom Fogarty ’81                                               Jeff Kaufman ‘80

Thanks and kudos to Jeff Kaufman for putting together two great dinners. Anyone who did not go this year should make an effort to attend a Jeff Kaufman organized dinner. You will never be sorry. 

When looking back on his decision to pledge Pi Kappa Alpha, Steve Robinson ’77 is open and honest about the fraternity’s top distinguishing characteristic: “The best test files on campus.” Certainly, any applicable statute of limitations has long since expired. 

He is a little more tight-lipped, however, on the subject of tall tales and wild times from his time in the house. Asked about funny stories from his fraternity days, he offered only: “Nothing I can repeat here.” 

Accounts of any classic college road trips are similarly classified on a need-to-know basis, with Steve simply hinting, “See my answer about funny stories, but think about the Spring Break trips to Florida.” He does fondly recall many hours spent hanging out on the house porch and hopes that the fraternity’s initiation rituals will always survive. 

He describes his Pi Kappa Alpha friendships as “mutually supportive,” reporting that there have been several times when brothers have had his back in the years following graduation. 

Steve majored in Decision Sciences, “before anyone knew what that was,” as he puts it. He then spent his entire career working in data and analytics in banking, consulting, and enterprise software. He is currently retired and teaching. 

It is with deep regret to report the passing of the following Beta Pi fraternity brothers into Chapter Eternal:

• As reported in the summer 2022 issue of Shield & Diamond magazine: Steven Sterbach ‘78
• As reported in the summer 2022 issue of Shield & Diamond magazine: Louis Villaume ’51
• As reported in the autumn 2022 issue of Shield & Diamond magazine: Larry A. Brossman ‘52

We wish to extend our deepest sympathies to the families, friends, and loved ones of our dear departed brothers.

Photo: Pi Kappa Alpha

The winter 2022 issue of Shield & Diamond magazine thanks many Beta Pi brothers for their loyalty and generosity to Pi Kappa Alpha.

Mitchell Goldsmith ’72 is mentioned for having joined the Lily of the Valley Society, a designation awarded to those whose cumulative gifts to PiKA total $2,500 -$4,999. Mitchell is also thanked for becoming Beta Pi’s newest member of the President’s Council. President’s Council members pledge PiKA an annual gift of $1,000 or more.

Tribute donations, in honor of a chapter brother or loved one, were made to PiKA by Larry Gordon ’70, and Fred Rubin ’80 in honor of Bruce Wolfson ’71. Brother Wolfson’s latest achievement was to champion Beta Pi before the PiKA Supreme Council and successfully procured a one-time allocation of funds to be used by Beta Pi undergraduates to cover the costs of travel and lodging when attending Pi Kappa Alpha Inter/National events.  

First time Beta Pi donors were honored by the PIKE Foundation. They are Michael Benator ’74, Thomas Brodie ’81, Michael Feuerman ’81, Thomas Fogarty ’81, and Eric Lemer ’89.

As reported in our November 2022 eletter, Beta Pi’s team effort in total donations toward the PIKE Now Chapter Challenge was worthy of a 3^rd place finish among all 200 current Pi Kappa Alpha chapters and provisional chapters. In 3^rd place among all “ambassadors”, PiKA brothers acting as team captains, was Bruce Wolfson ’71. Beta Pi’s total contribution was $20,366. As a result of Bruce’s effort, $500 scholarships to be used to cover registration fees for PIKE University events was awarded to our chapter.

Kudos to all Beta Pi brothers who generously supported the ideals and goals of Pi Kappa Alpha.   

Photo: Farragut

At Beta Pi’s Founders Day Dinner 2022, a special award was presented to Don Schreiber, Beta Pi ’47, acknowledging his 75 years as a member of Pi Kappa Alpha. It is with deep regret to report that Don, a fixture at Pi Kappa Alpha for 75 years as a brother, mentor, life-long friend, and inspiration to generations of Beta Pi members, died on August 25, 2022.

Joining Pi Kappa Alpha in 1947, Don was a stalwart, loyal, and active member of the fraternity he loved and helped to rejuvenate during the critical period following World War II. Pi Kappa Alpha was one of the fraternities able to survive during a period when most of America’s young men were off to war. After the war, a significant number of returning veterans comprised the students at Penn. Being older than the typical freshmen, the veterans often had wives and children. They were not interested in fraternity life. Thanks to Don and others of that era, Pi Kappa Alpha has been able to survive and thrive these many years.

After graduating from Penn, Don eventually became an independent insurance agent affiliated with Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company. At the time of Founders Day 2022, he was still going to his office every day. His leisure time was filled with his lifelong membership at the Huntingdon Valley Country Club. He also enjoyed golfing, boating, and traveling, including an around-the-world flight in a small, private plane, trips to Civil War battlefields, and visiting National Parks.

Besides Pi Kappa Alpha and the University of Pennsylvania, Don was also a valuable alumnus of his prep school, Admiral Farragut Academy, in New Jersey. Although the New Jersey location closed in 1994, Don remained faithful to the school. He was a major influence as a leader of the alumni association and served on the Farragut Board of Trustees for the school that is presently located in Florida.

Fortunately, brother Schreiber was equally faithful to his beloved fraternity. He could always be relied on and always came to Founders Day Dinners, annual luncheons at the Union League, as well as other impromptu gatherings. For decades, a group of approximately 25 alumni brothers met annually at the Union League in Philadelphia. In addition to the scheduled gatherings, he and other brothers of his era, along with their wives, met regularly for dinner at their homes. Don met and courted his wife, Betty Anne, when he was at Penn. Betty Anne was named Beta Pi’s Dream Girl during his senior year.

One of Don’s closest friends was the late Alberto J. Chamorro, Beta Pi ’47. Don was in frequent contact with him, including a visit to brother Chamorro’s native Nicaragua.   

He took pride that brothers of his era took a leading role, during the late 1960’s, in the transition from the former Chapter House location at 3900 Locust Street to the new location at 3916 Spruce Street.

Although he out-lived most of his contemporaries, he continued to make life-long friends with younger members. Despite his years, Don was in complete control of his faculties. As noted by Ross Weiner ‘80, Don was “with it mentally and physically at our last dinner…and had an iron grip too”.

All that knew him realized his fine character and worth. Bruce Wolfson ’71 succinctly put it, “He was a wonderful human being”. Don’s concern for the fraternity he loved and all it’s members never wavered. In fact, Don has described his membership simply, “My experience at Beta Pi gave me a bunch of true friendships that I’ve maintained a long time”.

Paul Zaentz ’69, summarizes, “It was always a pleasure speaking with Don. He certainly lived a full and adventurous life”.

Our most heart-felt condolences are extended to Don’s children, Richard (Beta Pi ’75), Bruce, and Peter, son-in-law Thomas Wallace, and seven grandchildren. He was predeceased by his daughter Lynn, sister Anne Collins, and his wife Betty Anne.

Photo: Olde City

The annual New York City Faux Founders Day 2023 get-together with other Beta Pi brothers for drinks and conversation, organized by Parker Weil ’85, is scheduled for Thursday, March 9, 2023, at Olde City Cheesesteaks & Brew, from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. The venue is located at 66 Madison Avenue (near 27^th Street), New York City. Please note the new date for this wonderful event.

Last year’s event had a large turnout even though some COVID protocols were still in effect. Catch up with old friends. Do not miss the opportunity to meet and greet with your fellow brothers from Penn.

NO EXCUSES. Make your plans now to attend.

A personal message from Joel Catania ‘71, Treasurer, Beta Pi Alumni Association: 

Our annual Founders Day dinner will be held Saturday, April 1, 2023, at the Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel (3549 Chestnut Street).  The event will begin with a cocktail hour (cash bar) at 6:00PM followed by a buffet dinner beginning at 7:00PM.

The charge for attending the dinner is $120 per person.

As in the past, this amount includes a subsidy to help offset the dinner cost for our active undergraduate brothers.  The chapter contributes a portion of the cost for each undergraduate and the alumni association picks up the balance.  The additional subsidy required for each undergraduate brother is $40, so we ask each alumnus attending the dinner to include an additional subsidy for at least one of our undergraduate brothers.  The alumni association maintains a separate “Undergraduate Assistance Fund” that is used for this dinner subsidy as well as subsidizing travel costs for undergraduate chapter leaders to attend PiKA educational programs.  Additional donations to this fund are greatly appreciated.

The alumni association needs your support for another reason.  In the past, dues and contributions to our General Fund have enabled us to break even on the costs of our alumni relations program spearheaded by Affinity Connection, our alumni relations partner.  They maintain our database, host our website, provide assistance with the content for our printed and electronic newsletters, publish our monthly e-letters and periodic printed newsletters, and assist us in various other ways to keep our brotherhood connected.  These services could not be provided by our small group of dedicated supporters and volunteers.  This fund needs to be replenished by contributions in order to allow us to maintain our alumni relations communications program.

When we chartered the association in 2003, we had 110 dues-paying members.  This number has fallen off significantly since then and we have been able to fund our alumni relations program only with the additional support of a core of very generous supporters.  I would like to ask you to help us remedy this situation by paying your 2022-23 alumni dues if you have not already done so.  The minimum amount is $100; the suggested amount is $150.  Your minimum dues and additional contributions go into our General Fund, the source of funds for our communications program.

If you are not sure of your dues status for this school year, please send me a NEW message at < [email protected] > and I will advise you if you have supported us with a donation in the current giving year, July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.

We hope you will respond positively to this renewed appeal for dues-paying members and additional donor support.  The continued vitality of the alumni association is essential to keeping us in touch, organizing Founders Days and other important events, and ensuring the well-being of the undergraduate chapter. Please do whatever you can to help by paying your 2022-23 dues, attending the Founders Day dinner, and sending in as large an additional contribution as you can.

If you would like to reply to me personally and directly, please do it with a NEW message.

If you are planning on attending the dinner, please do the following:

1) Send a “Founders Day RSVP” email message to me at < [email protected] > indicating that you will be attending. 

2) Send a check payable to “Beta Pi Alumni Assn of PiKA” in the amount of $120.00.  If you have not yet paid your dues for 2022-23 (Minimum $100; suggested $150) you may include them along with any additional contributions in the same check.  If you are not sure of your current membership status, please send me an email.  You may also include any subsidy or additional donation in the same check.  Please be sure to itemize what your check is for, if it includes more than just the cost of the dinner, in the following manner:

Dinner:  $ ______    /    Dues $ ______    /   U-grad subsidy $ ______   /   Association $ ______

Please mail your checks to arrive no later than March 17th to:

Beta Pi A.A.

c/o Joel Catania

P.O. Box 7332

Garden City, NY 11530

We hope that brothers initiated in years ending in “3” or “8” might make a special effort to gather one or two of your fellow initiates and join us in recognizing notable anniversaries. 

Looking forward to seeing you at Founders Day and I thank you in advance for your support of our Beta Pi brotherhood.

Available Founders Day hotel reservations:

We have a room block for 5 rooms for Thursday night, 12 rooms for Friday night and 15 rooms for Saturday night.  The nightly rate is $179.00 plus the usual taxes.

For those of you wanting to book a room at the Sheraton, you can reserve by clicking on the link below.  Reservations are open now and will be accepted up until March 3, 2023.

You may also call the main reservations number at 888-627-7071 and specify the room block for the Pi Kappa Alpha Event Reference # M-O8QLQWR.

Here is the reservation link:

https://www.marriott.com/event-reservations/reservation-link.mi?id=1666906630304&key=GRP&app=resvlink

Annual pre-dinner meeting of the Beta Pi Alumni Association/Alpha Phi Delta Housing Corp.:

The annual meeting of the Beta Pi Alumni Association/Alpha Phi Delta Housing Corp. is scheduled at 4:00pm on Saturday, April 1, 2023, at the Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel at 3549 Chestnut Street prior to the evening festivities.

All Beta Pi alumni and undergraduates are invited to attend.

                The Penn housing policy that sophomores may not live in fraternity houses has already begun to negatively affect the ability of fraternities to survive at the University of Pennsylvania.

                One year after the policy was implemented, occupancy at fraternity houses is down significantly. It is reported that some fraternity chapter houses have temporarily closed and other fraternities have lost their chapter houses.

                An article, titled “Fraternities struggle to meet occupancy requirements as sophomore housing policy takes hold”, that appeared in The Daily Pennsylvanian, on October 12, 2022, written by Radwan Azim, delves into the effects felt by the fraternities and the deleterious effects it has on Penn students as individuals. Lucas Loschiavo, Beta Pi ’21, president of Pi Kappa Alpha and vice president of programming for the Interfraternity Council, is quoted extensively in the article.

                Contrary to the Penn administration’s explanations why the new housing policy is in the students’ best interests, the housing policy is detrimental to the personal growth of the students and their desire to be considered independent and capable adults.

                Penn claims that forcing students to live on campus will provide greater access to university activities. Besides the fact that fraternity housing is within easy walking distance of Penn’s campus and provides the same access as living in a dormitory, Penn’s position ignores known human behavior. All students are not alike.

                There will be some students that do not want to belong to a club (or fraternity). They have come to Penn to acquire academic learning that will benefit them after college. An off-campus home or apartment would acquaint these students to the real-life situations they aspire to.

                Other students want a social life with their academic education and desire to learn how to live and work with others. They seek friends with like interests that can be a foundation for mutual support, mentoring, socialization, and learning to live and work with others. At Penn, dormitory living has never been able to provide them with the full college experience they desire and lead to a life of achievement.

                Shared vision, values, and goals, provide the basis for true success in life. Getting an education at Penn should be more than adding to the dollars Penn earns by forcing them to live in Penn dormitories, where Penn pockets the rents, and eat in Penn dining halls, to which Penn sophomores must pay in advance for a full year of dining, whether they eat there or not. Penn should be providing an environment that is conducive to students being a success in life. There is an education that fraternities can provide that Penn does not provide. Fraternities prioritize personal growth and teamwork as opposed to the Penn policies that can be described as exploitative of the students.

                French philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville has stated, “Among the laws that rule human societies, there is one which seems to be more precise and clear than all others. If men are to remain civilized or to become so, the art of associating together must grow and improve in the same ratio in which the equality of conditions is increased.”

                Expectations, memories, stories, and relationships guide destinies. Fraternity men share a common purpose and create a community in which a student can learn to live outside an academic environment. That is why fraternities have succeeded at Penn. Most students want to make their own choices where to live, where to eat, and with whom to associate.

                Achieving familiarity with the campus, by forcing students to live in “University housing” and dining in university dining rooms, should not be the aim of an Ivy League institution. The goal should be in developing successful and loyal alumni.         

Annual Beta Pi Dinner Scheduled

                The Annual Beta Pi dinner organized by Jeff Kaufman, Beta Pi ’80, has been scheduled for Thursday, December 15, 2022, at 6:30pm, at Ben and Jack’s Steakhouse, 219 East 44^th Street (between 2^nd and 3^rd Ave), telephone number 212 682-5678.

                The cost will be $115/person without alcohol. Coffee and soda are included. 

                Discount parking is available with validation (see hostess for validation) at the GGMC Parking Garage, 217 E. 44^th Street.

                If you wish to attend, and have not yet rsvp’ed, email Jeff at [email protected]

 

Annual New York City Faux Founders Day Event

                The annual New York City Faux Founders Day 2023 get-together with other Beta Pi brothers for drinks and conversation, organized by Parker Weil ’85, is scheduled for Thursday, March 2, 2023.

                This year’s event had a large turnout even though some COVID protocols were still in effect. Catch up with old friends. Do not miss the opportunity to meet and greet with your fellow brothers from Penn.

                NO EXCUSES. Set aside this date, further details to follow.

 

Founders Day Information 

                Our annual Founders Day dinner will be held Saturday, April 1, 2023 at the Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel (3549 Chestnut Street).  The event will begin with a cocktail hour (cash bar) at 6:00PM followed by a buffet dinner beginning at 7:00PM.  For those of you who are in town earlier, we will hold an alumni association meeting at 4:00PM.

If you are planning on attending the dinner, please do the following:

 1)      Send a “Founders Day RSVP” email message to me at < [email protected] > indicating that you will be attending. 

 2)      Send a check payable to “Beta Pi Alumni Assn of PiKA” in the amount of $120.00.  If you have not yet paid your dues for 2022-23 (Minimum $100; suggested $150) you may include them along with any additional donations in the same check.  If you are not sure of your current membership status, please send me an email.  You may also include any subsidy or additional donation in the same check.  Please be sure to itemize what your check is for if it includes more than just the cost of the dinner in the following manner:

Dinner:  $ ____    /    Dues $ ____    /   U-grad subsidy $ ____   /    Association Donation $ ____

Please mail your checks to arrive no later than March 17, 2023 to:

Beta Pi A.A.

c/o Joel Catania

P.O. Box 7332

Garden City, NY 11530

Photo Credit: Robert C. Gottlieb & Associates

                Paul Townsend, Beta Pi ’04, is the creator and host of the popular legal podcast In Summation, The Final Word. This podcast can be accessed at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Listen Notes and where ever else you can get podcasts.

                In Summation, The Final Word reports on and scrutinizes news-making court cases across the United States. On his podcast, Paul presents listeners with an accurate and unbiased assessment and understanding of the facts as they are related in the courtroom. Allegations, conjecture, and assumptions that are portrayed as facts on cable and regional “newscasts”, but are not part of the actual court proceedings, do not influence Paul’s analysis that explains why a judge and/or jury makes their decisions and determinations. Paul will spell out the role of each party, set forth the legal arguments of each party, and inform his listeners why the winning party prevailed. His analysis and conclusions are totally unbiased. Bedsides his podcast, Paul has been published in the New York Law Journal.

                After graduating from Penn, brother Townsend graduated from the Brooklyn Law School and is admitted to practice in all New York State and local courts as well as Federal District Courts for the Southern, Eastern, and Northern Districts of New York State.

                He has served as an Assistant District Attorney in the District Attorney’s Office (DA) in Brooklyn, prosecuting hundreds of felony cases, specializing in the use of electronic surveillance to bolster the evidence for the prosecution of cases involving narcotics, firearms, assault, burglary, white-collar crimes, and other felonies.

                Following his stint at the DA, brother Townsend practiced criminal defense that led to him handling high-profile cases in New York and other states. Perhaps his most notorious case involved being on the trial team of lawyers, in the federal court for the Eastern District of New York, representing Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman-Loera who was accused of being the leader of an infamous drug cartel in Mexico.   

                In May 2019, Paul joined the well-known and well-respected legal firm of Robert C. Gottlieb and Associates as senior counsel. As a member of the Gottlieb firm, he has successfully represented clients both in New York and across the country in white-collar and other criminal matters.

                At Penn, Paul was an active member of Pi Kappa Alpha. He lived in the chapter house and always participated in Beta Pi activities and events. Our congratulations to Paul for his distinguished career in the law.