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:

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:

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 Participates in Emergency Preparedness Drill

Berkeley, CA – June 17, 2010 – UC Berkeley’s annual emergency preparedness drill took place on the morning of Thursday, June 17th, with more than 700 people participating in activities both indoors and outdoors across the campus and in nearby areas.

Tau Kappa Epsilon was one of the campus affiliates that participated in the “Vigilance 2010″ drill, organized by the campus’s Office of Emergency Preparedness. The exercise was designed to ensure that the campus is ready to respond to a major emergency. This year’s scenario involves a magnitude 5.5 earthquake on the Hayward fault that leads to a hazardous material spill on campus.

This drill provided Tau Kappa Epsilon the perfect opportunity to test the new CalGreeks Emergency Plan, part of a wider CalGreeks preparedness imitative, pioneered and written by recently graduated Frater Anthony James Wright. The new plan goes into effect in August with the 2010-2011 school year.

Tau Kappa Epsilon would like to encourage all members of the UC Berkeley campus community to sign up for WarnMe and to view emergency preparedness tips.

For more information contact:

Anthony James Wright
Nu Chapter #1043
awright@tkenu.com
2725 Channing Way,
Berkeley, California 94704

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Nu Chapter Hosts Dinners for UC Berkeley Faculty

Berkeley, CA – March 15, 2010 – On March 8th and 15th Nu Chapter was privileged to have had a number of faculty guests join the brothers for dinner. Among them were members from the Local Government and Community Relations Office, the Center for Student Conduct and Community Standards, as well as from the Offices of Fraternity & Sorority Life.

The dinners, organized in part by Kyle Meshna, current Nu Chapter Chaplain, and Anthony Wright, helped foster a closer relation between the brothers and these members of the UC Berkeley Faculty.

“It was really great to meet and talk to these esteemed faculty members and to see the faces behind these organizations that make UC Berkeley what it is,” said Dustin McKenzie, Chapter President.

“We hope to continue having dinners like this,” said Anthony Wright. “It’s great getting to know the Faculty.”

The guests that visited include:

Brandon Tsubaki; Coordinator, Fraternity & Sorority Life
Dr. Grahaeme A. Hesp; Director of Fraternity & Sorority Life
Susan P. Trageser; Assistant Dean of Students and Director
Caleb Dardick; Director of UC Berkeley’s Local Government and Community Relations Office
Maria Iglesia; Program Coordinator, Fraternity and Sorority Life
Laura A. E. Bennett; Assistant Director, Center for Student Conduct and Community Standards
Jeff Woods; Assistant Director, Center for Student Conduct and Community Standards

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

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