Laugh So Hard Your Guts Hurt
October 2006
Boring day? These hilarious memories will put a smile on your face and take you back to your days as an undergrad. Relive your wild days and share your memories with us here.
What is the memory that makes you laugh hardest today?
“Designing and constructing the LAFFAYETTE/LU homecoming displays on the roof and over the front porch. A couple were unbelievable.” - Frederick W. Kieshauer, ’52
Driving the "WOODEN BULLET" my 1947 wooden Plymouth stationwagon to Ft Lauderdale , Florida for spring break. -Gilbert H Cowan Jr. ‘58
“Pedro Wright, '61, being hauled off to the Allentown jail in his Santa Clause suit for leading the caroling on the Cedar Crest lawn.” - Peter S. Hagerman, ’61
“Arnie Burke slipping under the table during Saturday night dinner, leaving to fend for herself for the evening his blind date whom he affectionately referred to as "The Mouse Lady." - John E. McGarry, ’61
"That same blind date of “AT” Burke, aka “The Mouse Lady,” made the mistake of wearing a very scooped neckline dress to dinner that evening while Brother Paul Jean Wright, Jr. aka “Pedro,” was waiting tables. Having prepared diligently for his job in the bar, Pedro managed to pour an entire serving dish of creamed corn down the front of the poor Mouse Lady; HOWEVER, Pedro was chivalrous enough to scoop every last kernel of corn out of the front of the Mouse Lady’s dress….”AT” still under the table." - Peter Hagerman '61
“Our pledge class stole the Figi rock. Our electrical engineers set up an alarm system to alert us of their inevitable effort to recapture the rock. The alarm was attached to a clock radio to awaken us. It was set to music instead of alarm so we woke up after the five mine grace period when the alarm finally went off. Rushing downstairs from the dorm, the rock was gone. It was set in concrete at the front of Figi and, I believe, still rests there.” - Marc Particelli, ’68
“Thinking of the "dinner jokes" told by Adrian Corbiere at the old Beta house.” - Robert J. Kirchberger, ’69
“My intramural wrestling experience.” - Eric Glasofer, ’71
So many! Jake Blosser coming down to dinner in his underwear, having just woken up for the first time that day. The buck club sleeping on the porch. Getting arrested for sleeping on the beach at Daytona and hearing from the cell my big brother, Freddie Vajda, giving the desk sergeant some story as he (finally) came to bail me out. –Stephen Dill, ‘78
Sleeping under a bicycle on the loft during hell week and not getting caught. Other guys slept standing up in a closet but got busted. - Matthew Brogowski, ‘91
“Zambelli with fireworks on pledge class trip.” - John Charles Davis, ’95
"One winter there was an ice storm. Not all, if any, classes were cancelled. As a hockey player, I had skates that I coasted down the hill with and then skated to various classes. I wore my skate guards when walking in a building." -Gilber H. Cowan, '58
Describe the best party
“One homecoming and driving Mac Hemion's jeep up the steps with the queen of the ball in the front seat to the dance hall.” - Frederick W. Kieshauer, ’52
The "TAPERING OFF" party following a house party when Betas were rolling kegs up the hill to the house from other Fraternities and running around the campus nude. -Gilbert H Cowan Jr. ‘58
“Alumni Weekend parties with the Alumni and dates.” - John E. McGarry, ’61
“Miami Triade weekend at Hunsicker's grove. The Sigma Chi's and Phi Delts caused all the damage, the Beta's were choir boys.” - Robert J. Kirchberger, ’69
The Dead at Dawn party, complete with the Steal Your Face logo painted on the roundabout of the parking lot! –Stephen Dill, ‘78
“20 tons of sand in the House Beach Party.” - Mark Edward Hopkins, ’90
Black and white (black-light) party. Entire bar is dark except for the blacklights, pass out the highlighters, serve black and white russians, and go write on someone to break the ice. I met my future wife postering for this party, and when she showed up, I knew we made a connection. - Matthew Brogowski, ‘91
“Hurricane Party.” - John Charles Davis, ’95
"Having a pig roast with the brothers." -Charles, '09
"The pig roast when the alumni's and brother's were all together." -Charles Pei, '09
Describe your favorite/best road trip
“At the end of pledge period I drove with two pledges to Colgate and Cornell to get brothers signatures.” - Frederick W. Kieshauer, ’52
Going to Ft Lauderdale and Havana, Cuba one spring vacation with a bunch of Beta Chi’s. -Gilbert H Cowan Jr. ‘58
“Rather than a road trip, as pledges we were charged with a scavenger hunt with teams going to retrieve various items -- from cow crap that had never touched the ground, to size extra large women’s panties from Moravian to a breast impression in a pumpkin pie to many others. The stories and great time returning to the house after midnight still makes me smile.” - Marc Particelli, ’68
“Ski trip to Vermont.” - Eric Glasofer, ’71
About 8 prospective Beta pledges from the football and wrestling team piled into 1 car and a few days before the Lehigh Lafayette football game which was at Lafayette that year, went to the Lafayette campus very late one night, proceded to tear down the goal posts and arrange them into a big LU at mid field. Of course being successful, that wasn't enough, we proceded to rearrange the Lafayette Leopard statues and get into other unnamed skullduggery. Finally, the Lafayette campus cops caught us and some high up administrator at Lafayette was called in. Fortunately, some of the football players and wrestlers were good and Steckbeck bailed us out. Lehigh paid the ransom. -Craig Reynolds '72
The Annual Convention trek to Lake of the Ozarks in '78 with Guermo, Cookie and T-Judge. Who else went on that trip? –Stephen Dill, ‘78
Panama city beach during spring break 1991. 15 guys, 3 rooms at the Best Western on the beach, and featuring the buttehead/lettuce and tomato sandwich. Suprisingly, no one got arrested, hurt, or killed on this trip. - Matthew Brogowski, ‘91
“Spring Break with Clinton, Mcardle and Kenny.” - John Charles Davis, ’95
University of Rhode Island Beta House, Spring of '97-Benjamin D. Seum, ‘01
"The best memory that I have is a road trip that myself, one of the brothers (Tim Carlin), and a border of the house went on. We drove from PA to University of Tennessee Beta House, where we stayed for the night. The next morning we drove to Alabama and stayed with the Beta brothers for a day and night there. Then the next day we drove to Mardi Gras where we were going to stay at the Tulane chapter. They had lost their charter, so we slept in the streets of New Orleans. If you would like some more details, I can get them for you. But, this was a trip to remember to say the least." - Joseph Capone, '04
"Around 1958, Smiles, Duck, Blackie, and Whitey piled in Duck's 1950 Ford and
headed for Ft. Lauderdale for spring break. Duck rigged up a pony keg in the
trunk and ran a hose with a spigot on the end to the glove compartment. It
must qualify as the longest wet run ever. It's a miracle we lived through
those days!" - Pete Wright, '61
"Road trips to the Kentucky Derby and Watkins Glen."-Joe Bennett, '79
"Trip during 'pledge week,' which resulted in a lasting friendship which still persists."-Alvin B. Lewis, Jr. , '54
What is the one memory you have shared or will share with your children or grandchildren?
“My pledge class which has met on several occasions and a Caribbean cruise.” - Frederick W. Kieshauer, ’52
Having my three daughters meet "Willie Johnson" who gave each of them 50 cents. -Gilbert H Cowan Jr. ‘58
“The life lessons we all learned from Professor Willie Johnson. He was the glue that tied together generations of Beta's.” - Robert J. Kirchberger, ’69
"Pledging as a Junior with Barry Reiser and having all our friends at M&M ask, "What are you doing THAT for?" It's often important to do things different than others would." –Stephen Dill, ‘78
"My kids are still too young to share with yet."- Matthew Brogowski, ‘91
"I remember, in my junior year, the tremendous dedication and effort of the brotherhood that went into recruiting 28 new men (a Beta Chi record!) to save the house. It makes me hopeful and confident that Beta inspires love and devotion beyond any other organization and that Beta Chi can overcome great obstacles to live on." -Nathan McQueen, '07
"I suppose that, besides the day I was initiated, my favorite moment from my time at Lehigh as a Beta was the day in February of 2006, when we learned that we had 28 great guys sign bids with the house. Our recruitment was a labor of love for the dozen or so active brothers who wanted to see the chapter become a better place and who busted their butts to ensure that we brought in the right people to make it happen. It was like a giant weight was lifted off of our shoulders." -Brian Shoop, '06