FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 20^th—Fifteen Tau Kappa Epsilon fraters helped move woodchips and restore egret habitat at the Berkeley shoreline with the Aquatic Park EGRET organization. EGRET is the stewardship group for the tidal wetlands of Berkeley’s largest city park, according to egretpark.org. Volunteers with the organization help tend to the shoreline habitats, improving the quality of life for a multitude of migratory birds that reside near the coastline.

Under Mark Liolios’s leadership, the EGRET group has helped restore and maintain healthy habitats for herons, egrets, and other wildlife for more than one decade. TKE Nu first began volunteering with Mark in the fall semester of 2010, when the Rho Pledge Class’s Secretary, freshman Nik Crain, organized for his pledge class to volunteer at the aquatic park, a grassy area surrounding the lagoon off the Eastshore Freeway between Berkeley and Emeryville. The city park, full of bike paths and a disc-golf course, is a prime location to combine an enthusiasm for the outdoors with an opportunity to restore and protect Berkeley’s pristine natural features. “Volunteering at Aquatic Park EGRET has been an invaluable experience. Not only has it been educational by teaching us how to protect and preserve the natural habitat of migratory birds, but it has also allowed us to strengthen our appreciation for the local beauty of Berkeley and the surrounding Bay Area,” said frater Nik Crain at the event on Sunday.

This Sunday marks the second time that TKE Nu has served with this group and dedicated its time to preserve Berkeley’s coastline. TKE Nu would like to thank Mark Liolios for his hospitality and enthusiasm, and looks forward to continuing its involvement with Aquatic Park EGRET in the future.

For more information, please visit egretpark.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 11th-12th—Approximately twenty Nu Chapter fraters attended the Greg and Cay Woodson Regional Leadership Conference at the Hyatt Regency in Burlingame, California. The Regional Leadership Conference (RLC) is an opportunity for Tekes from across North America to congregate and further their understanding of the fraternal experience and celebrate their membership in Tau Kappa Epsilon. According to the Tau Kappa Epsilon website, “collegiates participate in educational sessions that help prepare them for success in college and the business world, network and build relationships with other collegiates and alumni, and strengthen their understanding of TKE’s ideals and principles.” Nu Chapter Fraters attended workshops on important fraternity issues including membership recruitment, candidate education, and how to effectively fundraise and volunteer in the community. The UC Berkeley chapter looks forward to internalizing the guidance provided at RLC and implementing it to sustain a healthy, cooperative, and growing chapter.

Nu Chapter’s current executive board was also given the prestigious opportunity to lead the conference’s ritual ceremony for approximately 170 fraters from at least a dozen chapters from as far away as Colorado, Washington, and Arizona, and is very honored to have been given that important role. “The most exhilarating part of the whole experience was being able to run ritual with the Grand Council, and I believe that it is something that I will always pick to remember in my time as a Teke,” said Curtis Hendrickson, Nu Chapter’s Prytanis.

At the closing ceremony of the conference, Nu Chapter received the Top Teke award for the 2009-2010 year. This prestigious award is based on administrative and academic success, as well as exceptional performance in the membership and service areas. Presented by Senior Regional Director Todd Farmer (Xi-Theta Chapter, University of West Georgia), the Top Teke award is a testament to the Nu Chapter’s dedication to the fraternal values and commitments that represent Tau Kappa Epsilon. This is the 4^th consecutive Top Teke award for the Nu Chapter at the University of California at Berkeley.

The Nu Chapter would like to thank the volunteers and staff members of the Regional Leadership Conference for their commitment to providing TKE fraters around the country with the opportunity to strengthen their leadership skills and to further their understanding of TKE’s ideals.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Berkeley TKE Chapter Holds Battle of the Bands Philanthropy for St. Jude’s

Berkeley, CA – November 6, 2010 – On Saturday night, Nu Chapter held a philanthropy event for St. Jude Children’s Hospital. The Chapter’s signature event, Battle of the Bands, was a huge success, selling over 100 tickets.

Ross Meyer, the Chairman in charge of organizing the event, organized five bands to play that night, and sold beverages and food as well to further raise funds.

“All the bands were incredible putting on a show greater than I could have imagined,” Meyer said of the event. “Everyone had a great time.”

Nu Chapter has had this event ever Fall Semester, and through this and other philanthropical endeavors, the TKE brothers will continue supporting St. Jude’s Children Hospital.

“It’s a great cause and a great event, and I’m glad that I could have had a part in planning it,” Meyer also said.

Contact:
Christian Handley
Chandley (at) TKENu (dot) com
TKE Nu Chapter
2725 Channing Way,
Berkeley, California 94704

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Berkeley Chapter of TKE Hosts Thanksgiving Alumni Dinner

Berkeley, CA – November 21, 2010 – On Sunday the 21^st, Nu Chapter hosted a thanksgiving dinner to honor old and young alumni alike, while creating a great opportunity for active brothers in the house to meet the main supporters of their house.

Andy Henning, Histor of the Berkeley chapter, organized and arranged the event, inviting all Alumni and brothers to attend a feast that consisted of ham, turkey, stuffing, and all other centerpieces of thanksgiving dinner, all of which prepared by the house chef, Ray Robinson.

“Thanksgiving is the perfect time to honor our alumni because we can bring together the TKE Nu family past and present for one dinner,” Henning said of the dinner. Overall, 50 people attended, 30 of them active brothers in the house.

Contact:
Christian Handley
Chandley (at) TKENu (dot) com
TKE Nu Chapter
2725 Channing Way,
Berkeley, California 94704

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Nu TKE Brothers Attend Berkeley Project 2010

Berkeley, CA – November 6, 2010 – On a Saturday in Berkeley, TKE Brothers went out of their way to attend the Berkeley Project, a daylong community service program headed by UC Berkeley students.

Over 2000 volunteers came out to Lower Sproul to group up and travel to multiple places around Berkeley to perform community service, such as cleaning up local youth centers or picking up trash along the highways.

Thirty-five people attended from Nu Chapter, brothers and candidates alike, to garden along the Eastshore Freeway, pulling out weeds and dead plants so that it can be properly beautified in the future.

“With over half our brothers and candidates attending, TKE was able to make an impressionable showing at the Berkeley Project,” said Alexander Hebels, Philanthropy Chairman. “Not only did this provide us with an opportunity to give back to our community, but we were able to enjoy one another’s company and successfully combine service with brotherhood.”

Hebels hopes to continue high TKE attendance at the Berkeley Project in semesters to come. For more information on the Berkeley Project, and how you can help, please visit http://berkeleyproject.org.

Contact:
Christian Handley
Chandley (at) TKENu (dot) com
TKE Nu Chapter
2725 Channing Way,
Berkeley, California 94704

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Nu Chapter Initiates 16 New Brothers Into Tau Kappa Epsilon

Berkeley, CA – November 19, 2010 – On Friday, the 19^th of November, Nu Chapter at UC Berkeley initiated 16 new brothers into its bond.

Rho class, which starts with Erik Johnson, #1131, and ends with Harry Gitelman, #1146, have endured a lot during their candidate program, but in the end, they are incredibly happy to have made it and become brothers in the house.

“I’m so happy for the Rho Class, and glad to finally be able to call Tau Kappa Epsilon my home and brotherhood,” says Candidate Class President Erik Johnson.

With these 16 newly initiated brothers the number of actives in the house is now around 75 brothers, the highest in recent history.

Contact:
Christian Handley
Chandley (at) TKENu (dot) com
TKE Nu Chapter
2725 Channing Way,
Berkeley, California 94704

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Nu Chapter Hosts Record Breaking Parent’s Dinner on Homecoming Weekend

Berkeley, CA – October 8, 2010 – On Homecoming weekend, the Brothers at Nu Chapter arranged and executed a parent’s dinner for over 20 families of the brothers and member candidates.

When the dinner was announced, over 90 people contacted Christian Handley, Public Relations Chairman, to RSVP for the dinner only a month away.

“I wasn’t expecting that many responses! Last semester we had forty people total, which was nowhere near the number of people in attendance this semester,” Handley said.

Ray Robinson, the house cook, prepared a full three course meal, including a salad, lasagna, and homemade pie. Meat and vegetarian options were offered to accomodate everyone.

After the main course was served, our Philanthropy Chair Alex Hebels gave a status update on the chapter, after which a young alumnus, Anthony Wright, presented awards the house had received earlier that evening. Also, as an after dinner entertainment, the candidates serenaded their parents and siblings with an a capella song that they had learned earlier in the semester, to great applause.

Handley hopes to keep Parent’s Dinner going every semester, becoming bigger and better every time.

Contact:
Christian Handley
Chandley (at) TKENu (dot) com
TKE Nu Chapter
2725 Channing Way,
Berkeley, California 94704

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Tau Kappa Epsilon Receives Fraternity of the Year Award from UC Berkeley

Berkeley, CA – October 12, 2010 – On Friday, October 8^th, multiple members of Nu Chapter attended the UC Berkeley Fraternity and Sorority Life Greek Awards event to recognize excellence amongst the Greek Community on campus. This was the 4^th annual event hosted by CalGreeks, Order of Omega, and Gamma Sigma Alpha, in association with the department of Fraternity and Sorority Life.

At the event, the Nu Chapter received two very prestigious awards. First, TKE was amongst three to receive the Chapter of Excellence award. However, it is the final award that was given that carried the most prestige: The Fraternity of the Year award.

Frater Alex Hebels, Philanthropy Chair at Nu Chapter, and Frater Curtis Hendrickson, the Pledge
Educator, were on hand to receive the award. “We’ve worked so hard for this, and it’s great to be recognized for our hard work,” Hendrickson said after the event. “There were so many eligible houses on campus, and I’m glad that we were even considered amongst them.”

Pictures from the event can be found at the following address: http://goo.gl/photos/Fn37

Frater Alex Hebels (left) and Curtis Hendrickson (right)

Contact:
Christian Handley
Chandley (at) TKENu (dot) com
TKE Nu Chapter
2725 Channing Way,
Berkeley, California 94704

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Nu Chapter Raises Over $1800 for St. Jude’s through Letter Writing Event

Berkeley, CA – September 8, 2010 – On March 14^th, 2010, Nu Chapter held a letter writing event for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, sending out a total of 424 letters to friends and family members, asking them to donate some amount to the Hospital.

Recently, the Philanthropy Chairman at Nu Chapter, Alex Hebels, received an email from St. Jude’s with the total amount raised as a direct result of those letters: 1878 dollars total. This money will be used to fund the non-profit children’s hospital which accepts and treats children for free.

“It’s great to know that so many family members and other people we have contacted were so eager to send money to our main philanthropy organization,” said Alex Hebels.

St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital has been Nu Chapter’s designated philanthropy organization for the past year and a half. The chapter has also raised money through its Battle of the Bands event last year.

Contact:
Christian Handley
Chandley (at) TKENu (dot) com
TKE Nu Chapter
2725 Channing Way,
Berkeley, California 94704

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

TKE Nu Chapter Receives Top TKE Award for 2009-10 Academic Year

Berkeley, CA – September 7, 2010 – On August 27, 2010, the Nu Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon received the Top TKE Award for the 2009-2010 academic year.

The Top TKE Award was only given to nine chapters across the United States and Canada this year that exemplified what it means to be an ideal and successful part of the Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity.

“Per National’s standards, we have excelled in the areas of Recruitment, Chapter Size, Chapter Philanthropy, Academics, Alumni Involvement, and Extracurriculars,” wrote Dustin McKenzie, President of Nu Chapter, in an email to the fraters of Nu Chapter. “This is our second straight Top TKE Award and our third in five years.”

Nu Chapter, along with the other eight chapters will be featured in the Summer 2010 edition of The TEKE Magazine, as well as on the National Fraternity website of Tau Kappa Epsilon, http://tke.org.

Contact:
Christian Handley
Chandley (at) TKENu (dot) com
TKE Nu Chapter
2725 Channing Way,
Berkeley, California 94704

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