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 at here.
What is the memory that makes you laugh hardest today?“Watching one of the crow-hunting brothers wake up following a night of revelry and seeing a dead crow tied right over his head.” - James R. Carey, ’50
“My wonderful years in the "rat hole".” - Huber (Hugh, Moose) Stevens, ’51
“A dead cat hanging from the light in the front stairwell and then with his tail hanging from the refrigerator door on the back stairwell. Also the dead rat in a sugar bowl in the dining room. I know who did it, but my lips are sealed. The night we put a brother's furniture in one of the upstairs bathrooms.” - William R. Lysinger, ’54
“Walking in unannounced, and taking my grandparents piano and moving it to campus so we could use it for our Greek Week Skit/entertainment.” - Alexander William Zerban, ’55
“Duck-walking from the third floor bathroom to the first floor fireplace with a mouth full of water without laughing so hard one didn't swallow it. Purpose was to spit out the water and help to put out the fire, along with the other pledges during pledge week.” - John M. Bergey, ’56
“Several of us, Bob Franklin, Joe Eberly, George Smith and some others, created a fictitious character, C.V. Tummer, who set out to raise school spirit. Burma Shave type signs on the Mall, mysterious letters found in the Collegian Editor's typewriter (Bob Franklin) and so on. The University announced that if we were caught we would be severely punished, perhaps even expelled. There are a lot of stories about our escapades, but we were never caught. Joe Eberly, now one the world's experts in the field of Quantum Optics, has included in his entry in Who's Who in Science that he was one of the founders of the C.V. Tummer Society.” - Hal K. Byers, ’57
“Tom Phillips and I roomed together in what was called "the penthouse." Tom and I, along with Bob Wayne and Ernie Stevens cooked up a scheme late one night to wake up the house. We planned it carefully, rounded up flashlights and timed our watches. At about 2 AM three of us threw firecrackers into "the head" while the fourth guy turned off the electrical power from the basement. Then we made our way back to the penthouse to enjoy the commotion. Ah, the joys of youth.” - James Malcolm Shugert, ’60
“Class of '64 Pledges Chariott Race during hell week.” - Kerry Kissinger, ’62
“Pick-up football games played when it was very muddy, wet and cold.” - James W. McCormack, ’66
“Bob Cinibulk dressed as Santa at a football game and entertaining the whole stadium all game long.” - Ned Bulk, ’69
“26 new pledges trying to line up in alphabetical order while blindfolded!” - Frederick D. Ellrich, ’71
“Sherlock riding a sled down the kitchen stairs into 007.” - Richard "Ike" Bullock, ’76
“One time a pledge was asked to take the vacuums to Swoops to be serviced. Unfortunately, this pledge wasn't real bright and soon after he jumped into his truck with the vacuums he forgot the name of the shop. He hurried back to the house to speak with the House Manager, Chaka Dunghe. Chaka was irate and yelled at the pledge "Swoooooops. Swooooooops!" in a Chaka voice that's only funny if you know Chaka. When it comes to the TKE house, any memory of Chaka is a good one.” - Damian Louie Finio, ’91
"Hell Weeks 1960 and 61." -Kerry W. Kissinger, ‘62
"The greatest laughs always came at meal times at the house particularly during Help Week." - Dave Tressler, ‘58
Describe the best party“They were all great-I sold beer for Hickey’s.” - Huber (Hugh, Moose) Stevens, ’51
“Several of the Orchid Dances. We worked real hard at the decorations each year.” - William R. Lysinger, ’54
“Not exactly a party, but Orchid Dance was the social highlight of the year.” - Hal K. Byers, ’57
“Orchid Dance, 1959. I fell in love, or thought I did.” - James Malcolm Shugert, ’60
“Singing at Friday night dinner to our dates and learning proper manners.” - James W. McCormack, ’66
“Any of the parties the TEKE FLAMES played for.” - Ned Bulk, ’69
“Spring Formal 1971 - boardwalk/beach theme - last blast for the seniors.” - Frederick D. Ellrich, ’71
“Farmers Harvest Ball 1974. Pledges filled the party room with straw and a bunch of stolen farm stuff (they put it all back).” - Richard "Ike" Bullock, ’76
“The TKE "Get Abused" Party led by Fishy Fuscellaro was by far the best. The cups, the shirts, the music, the company, it was all top notch and appropriate given the state of the house back in the early in 1989.” - Damian Louie Finio, ’91
"South Sea Island Party 1961." -Kerry W. Kissinger, ‘62
"The best party always was the Spring Orchid Dance. It was at the Orchid Dance at 1956. I had my first date with Joyce Mack of Gamma Phi Beta and we have been together ever since. (We have been married 48 years.)" - Dave Tressler, ‘58
Describe your favorite/best road trip“My pledge trip to Gettysburg Chapter. Dick Brayme and I hitched a ride to Harrisburg and then drove his parent's car to G-burg and back. Fun!!” - William R. Lysinger, ’54
“Pledge trip to Temple in Philadelphia.” - Kerry Kissinger, ’62
“Favorite was with the Blue Band to the 1964 Ohio State game in which heavily favored OSU LOST big.” - James W. McCormack, ’66
“Pledge trip to Washington - had to bring back a Potomac frog.” - Frederick D. Ellrich, ’71
“Jr, Harry, Gramps, Dile and I to Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. Had nothing to do that weekend so we decided to go see Jr's friend Emory. He was a TKE at WMU. So at the drop of a hat we loaded a bunch of Rock 7oz returnables in Harry's car and off we went. We got stopped by the Ohio State Police at 3:30 AM but for some reason they let us go. Spent the next day partying and handing out Rock bottles to babes to use as bud vases, called the house and told them we were in jail (they almost sent a rescue party), drove home the last 15 miles with no headlights in a fog because Harry just wasn't stopping. Somehow we made it back unhurt without a police record.” - Richard "Ike" Bullock, ’76
“A group of us traveled out to NYC led by Big Al Herrera and Johnny "The Cus" Mancuso. Speeding down I-80 with The Cus at about 135 listening to some 80's hair-band while he casually smoked a cigarette was classic Cus all the way.” - Damian Louie Finio, ’91
"Temple, 1959." -Kerry W. Kissinger, ‘62
"My most memorable road trip was my pledge trip to our chapter at Drexel in Philadelphia. One of the requirements was to get the autograph of a famous dancer at the night club, The Wedge, in South Philly. The dancers name was Julie Gibson and she did the dance of the Bashful Bride. Ron Gatehouse was my fellow pledge at the time. I will never forget that experience!!!" - Dave Tressler, ‘58
What is the one memory you have shared or will share with your children or grandchildren?“Two groups of Tekes meeting regularly: the post war gang and my pledge class.” - James R. Carey, ’50
“My Dad was not in favor of me joining a fraternity, until he saw my grades improve and came to the house on parents’ day. He was impressed and would stop every time he was in State College. My Mom was very pleased with the brothers' politeness.” - Philip W. Amos, ’52
“Getting engaged to my wife in the Library on a Spring day.” - William R. Lysinger, ’54
“How vital Pi Chapter was in my maturing process.” - Alexander William Zerban, ’55
“Probably two: Winning the IFC Sing, and many evenings during a break in study hours there would be an impromptu gathering of some of the musicians in the house for a half hour of music.” - Hal K. Byers, ’57
“The social education provided by fraternity life.” - Al Ely, ’57
“Winning the IFC Choral and Quartet competitions in 1961.” - Kerry Kissinger, ’62
“How integral fraternity life was to my college experience - How much I enjoyed being in the house.” - Frederick D. Ellrich, ’71
“Just that your fraternity brothers will be the best friends you will ever have in your life.” - Richard "Ike" Bullock, ’76
"The "Ben Hur" Hell Week theme and its execution."-Kerry W. Kissinger, ‘62
"My favorite memory will be of the fellowship and collegiality of my 3 years in the house. I learned a lot about myself and how to get along with others. I have been Quoted many times by my friends and associates. "I owe almost everything I have today to Penn State, my education, my job, my wife.” You can add TKE as a post script." - Dave Tressler, ‘58