Once again Tennessee Kappa held its annual Family Day on April 3. The chapter welcomed parents and alumni from all around the country to the place the undergraduates spend most of their time throughout the school year. The day began with a round of golf featuring parents, alumni, and undergraduates at Wyn Ridge Greens in Troy. House tours and informational sessions for parents followed the outing.
Upon the conclusion of these sessions, all sat down for a barbecue lunch on house’s back patio. The program began with the singing of “The Blessing” by undergraduate brothers Ryan Hartley, John Lankford, Mike Baggett and Adrian Montague. Alumnus Brother Lowe Finney, Chapter Counselor for the Tennessee Zeta chapter at Lambuth University, then introduced the keynote speaker for the day Alumnus Brother Dr. Jay Trussler. Dr. Trussler addressed the crowd, reminding everyone that the ideals that the chapter was founded upon still need to be remembered for success.
Afterwards, Tennessee Kappa’s Chapter Counselor Steve Shanklin announced this year’s chapter awards. The brothers honored included those who excelled in the classroom, served the campus, served the community, and served our country. The most prestigious award of the day had to be the Phillip Ralston “Broadening the Horizons of Brotherhood” award. Named in remembrance of Brother Phillip Ralston who was killed in an automobile accident in 2001, the award and newly found cup symbolizing all it entails was awarded to Brother Joseph Dacus. Brother Dacus came to Tennessee Kappa from the Kentucky Epsilon chapter at Murray State University to serve the chapter, campus, and country in ways few others could.
Following lunch the much talked about Undergraduates versus Alumni Softball Game took place at Harrison Field. The Alumni went on to win the game by a score of 19 to 6. The undergraduates quickly gathered themselves for the conclusion of the day, the All-Sing competition. SigEp was judged as second place in the Fraternity Division, however, everyone in the crowd enjoyed the show.
President John Lankford says this year’s Family Day was a success. “All-in-all the day served as a fitting event, one that reflected on the achievements of the past year and expressed the chapter’s gratitude to those who have done so much for us,” Lankford states. “We hope that next year will be even more of a success for everyone involved.”