2021 PI KAPP REUNION BRINGS ALUMNI BACK TO HAPPY VALLEY

On August 5-8, Pi Kapp alumni came back to Happy Valley for a weekend of golfing, brotherhood, and making new memories.

“A big thanks to Reunion Co-chairs JT Talone ’74 and Jules Trull for a wonderful weekend in State College,” writes Mike Trull ‘71. “Also, a big thanks to Steve Yingling ’69 for the non-golfers program on Saturday — he arranged a tour of a brewery and a wine shop. John Kieser ’70 set up a tour of the Penn State Sports Museum and Beaver Stadium.”

Mike reports that Friday was fun from start to finish. “Golf ranged from great to not-so-great, but the only problem many of us had was not seeing the cart girl enough. It gets hot and thirsty out there.” 

During the dinner on Friday night, the group resolved a major point of discussion, which has lasted for the past 15 years. They decided that the initial reunion was held in August 2003, with the following participants:

#1 Foursome – Kieser, Korecky, Forbes, and Ferraro

#2 Foursome –  Mick & Rick Say, JT Talone, and City

“There will be no further discussion on this matter,” Mike writes. 

Saturday morning started with a bang, with breakfast served at the Talone van with contributions from some of the brothers. Harry Barfoot ’77 helped fuel the golf outing with sticky buns and other items, and brothers reported that the goldfish were even better this year.    

The big winners of the Pi Kapp Open were the team composed of Lurch, Tee, and Jeff Mac. After the open and refreshments, some of the brothers went back to the house. “No question, it needs a lot of work, although the plaster looks good and the outside of the house looks OK,” Mike says. “There’s always room for improvement.”

The group had dinner at The Tavern, which is undergoing extensive remodeling. By next year, the reunion could be dining on their new deck overlooking College Avenue.

After breakfast, the morning came the saddest part of the weekend — the long goodbye. ”I’m always down knowing it’s 12 months before we get together again,” Mike says. “but the Zoom calls organized by John Kieser ’70 give us an opportunity to spend some time along the way. That’s been a positive move that emerged from the pandemic.”