Beta Pi:
IS BETA PI BLOG without any redeeming social or artistic merit?
YEA . . . . or
NAY?Beta Pi Blog’s purpose: to bring ATO, Beta Pi Chapter Brothers and ATO Gal-Pals together. The blog is not to be taken seriously - it is meant for fun.
pictures, links, Archives of previous issues, and other timewasters.
To get there, go to web address: http://beta-pi-blog.blogspot.com
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ZEPPO-CALYPSE NOW!
A
heap of rubble, where our Carmichael Towers used to be.
Here is a view - from the heap of rubble- of the “The Hugh G. Rection Memorial Tower.”
I have made no secret of my disdain for the massive building campaign (and corresponding massive demolition campaign) which is the repulsive legacy of Von Zeppo. I am recalling the Chancellor’s address several years back, when Von Zeppo casually told us that - in his opinion, Carmichael Towers looked like “Soviet-era tenement buildings”, and his tone was so arrogant and condescending. As I sat there, I tried to imagine how our time living in Carmichael Towers had any resemblance to living in a Soviet Era Tenement building whatsoever.
I have a very different memory of the Towers, I shared a Suite with my best friend Frank Biller, and other friends J.D. Strickland and Chuck Rapp. The Towers were very cool, many students wanted to live there. Our suite was nice, much nicer than the spartan quarters in Kissam Quad. I have wonderful memories of Carmichael Towers, in the basement level was The Good Woman Pub, I had many good times there. Ann Polk Simons, whom I dated at the time, and am now married to - used to work there. Unrelated to Ann, there is another story, a true story which has never been told, until now.
My Good Woman Story…..
THE GOOD WOMAN, THE BAD TICK-A-LOR,
AND THE UGLY NO-NECK BETA.
I was thirsty, I walked into The Good Woman Pub, drank a few beers. An ATO buddy was at the Foosball Table, the game had not begun, and I started talking to him. On the other side of the table was a rather squatty Beta, pudgy with no neck and an obvious chip on his shoulder. He was not that short - just a few inches shorter than my 5' 10" - but he looked short, because he had no neck. He was "twirling" the Foosball handles, anxious to start. (Don’t get me wrong, I like Beta’s, my grandfather was a Beta, I was a Beta legacy and they offered me a Bid, but I turned it down in favor of ATO).
I am standing there talking with my friend, and this Beta guy makes a “Flick-away-shoo-fly” motion at me with his hand, he was clearly telling me to “beat it.” A provocation! And, he had an arrogant smirk on his face.
Well, this was post Fight Night, and I was also a student of Tae Kwon Do, safe to say I could not simply bow to him and say “Namaste”.
So, I said to my buddy “Who is this Beta Troll?” (I had to edit the actual slanderous name I called him, but “Troll” gives you the idea.”)
The no-neck Beta angrily threw up his hands and yelled “What did you say?”
I said “I just called you a Beta Troll.”
So, he said “Ok, you and me…OUTSIDE!”
So, I calmly walked up to him (and positioned myself) and said
“We don’t need to go outside, lets settle this right here.”
He looked at me, hesitating, not knowing what to do. There was a favorite punch I had learned in Tae Kwon Do. You start with fist at your waist, and the punch vector goes straight up to head height. Your target is 3 inches behind the face. Call it "The Face-Lift." So, I gave him that as a little gift, and he landed square on his arrogant no-neck ass.
Immediately, the Good Woman Bouncer abducted me, and ushered me out, saying “YOU ARE BANNED FROM THE GOOD WOMAN FOREVER.” I told him that I had been provoked, that the Beta started it, but he did not care to hear my side.
The story is not over. I went up to the Suite and told Buck what I had done. I was worried.
“Buck, what am I going to do. Once this Beta Troll tells his brothers, I will be a marked man.”
Buck said “Larry, we have to go down there right now, and face the guy, you have to apologize. I’ll be right by your side.” The word “apology” did not sound good, but I agreed. Buck and I went to The Good Woman, I opened the door and asked to speak to the Manager. Manager comes out, still pissed at me.
“I want to talk to the Beta guy I hit, I want to apologize.” So, Beta guy comes out, looking a little sheepish.
“I am sorry I hit you, I shouldn’t have done that.”
He said “That’s ok”” (as if it didn’t hurt) – “I heard you are into Boxing. I’d like to meet you in The Gym, with Gloves.”
I said “Ok, you name the time.” We shook hands and left. After that, I saw no-neck on Campus many times, but never once did he name a time.
TO MY FRIEND BUCK: Thank you for being there for me and encouraging me to face the guy and apologize.
BONUS FANTASY ENDING: I have a fantasy version of the ending, here is how my fantasy version goes:
Buck and I go down to The Good Woman, I knock, and the Beta Troll comes out, but this time he is not sheepish, and says,
“What do YOU want, D**K-HEAD?”
and I say “So…you wanted to meet outside, well…here I AM, YOU NO-NECK BETA TROLL B**TARD!”
and I dish up the DOUBLE FACE LIFT on the no-neck Troll’s miserable face… BOOM, BOOM! There, that feels better.
I have great memories, and the demolition cannot take those away. But the demolition still sucks, and I am not at all fond of Castle Von Zeppo and the phallic tower that is the Von Zeppo legacy.
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J.D. STRICKLAND CHECKS IN
I called J.D., we talked for an hour, because J.D., as you know, always has a lot to say, and I love it. J.D. is well, and very concerned about COVID, he is taking all precautions, and then some. He is practicing social distancing, masking and encourages everyone to get vaccinated. J.D., like me, is not pleased with all the construction at VU. J.D. is retired, in Cullman, and is an active cyclist. J.D., as always looking forward to seeing you.
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THE ARTIST FORMERLY KNOWN AS “FUR”
I called and had a very nice talk with Fur Wheeler. Fur and I reminisced about old times, and various Ticks.
Fur brought up Louis Crossley, with whom he had been very close over the years. I told him of a recent text message I got from Jack Muench several months back, telling me he had heard Louis died. This was news to Fur, and he looked up Louis’ Obituary and sent it to me that very day, here is the link.
https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/knoxnews/name/robert-crossley-obituary?pid=194272149
Thanks
to Johnny Wheeler for finding Louis’ Obituary. And thanks to Jack Muench for the
info.
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FRANK “BUCK” BILLER REPORTS
For those that are contemplating coming back for Homecoming.
“My Dear Friends,
I came across this Walt Whitman quote that
applies to all remembrances that matter in our lives:
“We were together. I forget the rest.”
I am sobbing like a School Girl right now thinking about my time at Vandy and my lovely friends who were there with me.
Please join us this Fall that we might again be together.
VTL,
Buck”
Being a Walt Whitman fan, I responded to Buck:
“Thanks Buck, will do. That quote sounded nothing like Whitman (of whom I am a huge fan) - so I took the liberty of fact checking it. Here is the actual quote:
“Day by day and
night by night we were together,
all else has
long been forgotten by me.”
From “Once I Pass’
d Through a Populous City.”
"So apparently the quote you found was a “modern translation”…..yeah. And if you don’t mind, I much prefer the actual quote. Funny though, how even a modern version of it is very powerful. If you were moved by that, check out the poems he wrote during the Civil War. He volunteered to tend to the wounded in field hospitals.”
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REUNION 2021 UPDATE:
Our esteemed Reunion Chairs Tison Keel and Frank Collins sent me this:
“ATO Reunion Chairs for the Classes of 1975 and 1976, T. Keel & F. Collins met for an intense 2-day planning session at a secret mystic location in the northeast U.S. Expect an unmatched reunion experience; a splendid time is guaranteed for all attendees. Get the shots and show up in October! VTL! ILAMATOB!”
Despite the Delta Variant, and increased fears, I have heard no change in Vanderbilt’s plans for Homecoming 2021. As far as I know, it will still be October 22-23, 2021, a joint Reunion to make up for the lost Reunion of 2020, a joint reunion of our Class of 1975 and 1976, and 1970 and 1971 (we have only a few guys from 71 on radar); and Class of 1980 (the year of infamous Rod Yanker) and 1981 (we have no one from 81 on radar).
I am following the lead of Tison Keel and Frank Collins, and I encourage everyone to mask up and get vaccinated. We can do our part, and at Reunion this might contribute a little bit to some sense of safety.
The Agenda:
Vanderbilt
Reunion this fall will be Friday, October 22-23. I hope you can make
it.
Friday
afternoon, 1:30 p.m. we will visit Alex and Laura Wilson’s graves.
Friday
night - Vanderbilt Class parties, and All Class Party in the Big Tent.
Saturday
VU Tailgate, Homecoming Game, TBA
Our annual ATO Cocktail and Dinner Party at Cabana, after the Game Saturday evening, TBA.
“.
. . .it will be beautiful!”
At our ATO Party this fall, and all of our ATO events, we will be observing CDC Guidelines.
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KEEPING TABS:
Here is a reminder of the Brothers and Sisters we have lost.
DAVID W. HAINES, JR., died January 17, 2021.
Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2021, No.01
ROBERT LOUIS CROSSLEY, JR.,
died October 24, 2019.
Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2021, No.03.
Obituary: https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/knoxnews/name/robert-crossley-obituary?pid=194272149
ANTHONY GUY MIRANDA, died
June 18, 2019
Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2019, No.04.
Archive: ___ 2019
Obituary: http://www.brinsfieldfuneral.com/obituary/anthony-guy-miranda
MARK McGANN, died December
10, 2018.
Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2018, No.07.
Archive: Dec. 2018
BECKY BRUNING MANYAK, died October 19, 2017.
Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2017, No.07. Archive: Sept. 2017
Obituary: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/washingtonpost/obituary.aspx?n=rebecca-manyak&pid=187110606
ROB BLANKENHORN, died December
2016.
Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2017, No.05,
(See Comment by Dick Stoner). Archive: Sept. 2017
EDWARD G. “TED” STEPHANY,
died January 20, 2016.
Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2016, No.01,
Archive: Jan. 2016
J. NEAL CRENSHAW, died
November 12, 2014.
Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2014, No.08, Archive: Nov. 2014
Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2014, No.10, Archive: Dec. 2014
MILES WALSH, died in July
2013.
Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2013, No.05,
Comments Section (over 50 comments), Archive: Aug.2013
DAVID HOWE, died November
30, 2006.
Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2006, No.68,
Archive: Dec. 2006.
Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2007, No.30, Archive: May. 2007
KURT WAGNER, died in July
2002.
Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2016, No.02,
Archive: Jan. 2016
ALEXANDER WILSON, died
April 9, 1977.
Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2006, No.25,
Lowenstein Essay Contest. Archive: Aug. 2006
Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2006, No.33, Honoring Alex and Laura. Archive: Sept. 2006
Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2006, No.45, Tale-o-Pig-Roast. Archive: Sept. 2006
Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2006, No.50, Winner Essay Contest. Archive: Oct. 2006
Beta Pi Blog, Vol.2017, No.05, Alexander Wilson. Archive: Sept. 2017
Alex and Laura are buried at the
Nashville National Cemetery. The cemetery is at 1420 Gallatin Pike South,
Madison, TN 37115. Alex and Laura are at
Section KK, Site 794.
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THE ARCHIVES
To explore the “Archives” in this Blog – go to the top of the latest “blog issue”, on the right. You access it by clicking on the Month and Year, and it will drop down with choices. For example, if you click on December 2006, a list will drop down listing all issues that were published that month. Click on an issue, and you can then post a comment to that issue. It’s never too late to post a comment, right?
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HOW TO POST OR READ COMMENTS: Just click the button - Comments – below my signature block.
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BETA PI BLOG ROSTER STATS: As of August 14, 2021, there are 132 ATO’s on the blog email list, including 13 Brothers whose e-mail address is unknown, plus 19 ATO Gal-Pals.
VTL,
Larry Simons
Beta Pi, 72
