FITNESS CLASS USES HIP-HOP ROUTINES
SET YOUR CLOCK FOR SPRING
Daylight saving time begins on Sunday.
THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904
LAST HOME GAME FOR SENIORS
Class says goodbye to the Phog. SPORTS | 1B
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSA
FRIDAY, MARCH 6. 2009
WWW.KANSAN.COM
VOLUME 120 ISSUE 113
A DIAMOND ENGAGEMENT
Matt Bristow/KANSAN
Nick Templin, Maize junior, combs his chest hair during the Rock Chalk Rewue Thursday night at the Lied Center. This year is the 60th anniversary of the show with proceeds going to the United Way of Douglas County. Check Kansan.com/videos for KUJH coverage of Rock Chalk Revue.
Rock Chalk Revue celebrates 60 years
Ten Greek houses write, direct and perform skits to raise money for the United Way
BY JENNIFER TORLINE
jtorline@kansan.com
A lot can change in 60 years.
A lot can change in 60 years. When it comes to Rock Chalk Revue, what began in 1949 as a small production in Hoch Auditorium for charity has become an annual variety show that raises tens of thousands of dollars for the United Way of Douglas County.
This weekend, more than 250 students in fraternities and sorori
ties will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the revue at the Lied Center.
"Everybody just uses their strengths and collaborates to put ideas together, so it's a group thing," said Allison Owens, Leawood senior and a director of the "Diamond in the Rough" skit.
For Owens, the 60th anniversary marks decades of family involvement in the show.
Both of her grandmothers and
"They still talk about their shows and their skit ideas," Owens, a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorrity, said. "It's definitely brought up around the dinner table."
one of her grandfathers were in some of the first revues. Her mom and dad met when they were directors for past shows, and several of her aunts, uncles and cousins were also involved with the show.
The revue's theme this year is "In the Nick of Time" in honor of the
60th anniversary. Five groups of partnered fraternities and sororites will perform skits with titles such as "Cast to Sea" and "Jayhawk Jackpot." The skits are all written, directed and performed by students.
Betty Kaspar, Wichita senior and co-promotions coordinator, said this year's goal was to raise $60,000
SEE REVUE ON PAGE 8A
ROCK CHALK REVUE "IN THE NICK OF TIME"
WHAT: The 60th anniversary production of the annual variety show
WHO: More than 250 students from campus fraternities and sororites perform five skits to raise money for the United Way of Douglas County
WHERE: The Lied Center
WHEN: 7 p.m. tonight and
Saturday
HOW MUCH: $15 for students tonight, $25 for students Saturday.
GREEK LIFE
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Above: Construction for the renovation began in June 2008. The project was paid for by fundraising. Below: Elliot Kovach, Shawnee freshman watches TV in the new room of Sigma Phi Epsilon. The fraternity just completed a $1.7 million renovation.
Sigma Phi Epsilon to unveil refurbished house
Jenny Terrell/KANSAN
BY KAYLA REGAN
kregan@kansan.com
Eight years after plans for renovations to the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house began, the project has finally been completed.
house will be unveiled at 12:15 p.m. tomorrow at 1645 Tennessee St. The ribbon cutting ceremony for the $1.7 million project is open to the public, with an open house to follow.
The newly expanded and remodeled Sigma Phi Epsilon
vated house now have 7,000 more square feet to sleep, study and relax. Although the fraternity hasn't increased in membership, Adam Price, Garden City junior and Sigma Phi Epsilon president, said the expansion would help foster a better living environment for current and future members.
"We've always had really good guys, but it was a matter of facility. Our house wasn't as nice as the other frats," Price said. "Now, I think we're right up there with all the other houses on Tennessee."
The 75 Sigma Phi Epsilon members living in the newly reno-
"A lot of alums credit the skills they have today to their days in the fraternity."
The renovations include an entirely new front facade, a new technology center with 16 computers, a larger chapter room, larger two-person bedrooms, a faculty
TOM GREY Construction chair
"We've never had the structure to get along with the people who live here because it has been so cramped," Jones said. "Now, it's spread out enough to give everybody room to stretch their legs."
office, a medica room with a 60-inch plasma television and a couch that can seat 20 people.
the additional space was already improving morale around the house.
Plans to renovate the house began in 2001, but after Sept. 11,
Zach Jones,
Wichita senior
and Sigma Phi
Epsilon vice
president, said
Tom Grey, construction chair, said fundraising for the project was put on hold. The fraternity's board of directors, made up of Sigma Phi Epsilon alumni, picked the project back up in 2006, and Grey said the board traveled across the country to ask other alumni for donations to upgrade the house. Grey
said the majority of donors didn't need much convincing.
"A lot of alums credit the skills they have today to their days in the fraternity," Grey said. "Based on that, they have a desire to give back to the community."
tions can have the same opportunities they did."
Construction began in June 2008, and Grey said the process couldn't have gone smoother. While builders worked on the expansion, lones, Price and many other Sigma Phi Epsilon members helped renovate the home's existing space. The members also
invited their fathers to come help with laying wood floors, painting and putting up fences. Jones said working on the house wasn't just a chance to cut expenses.
"It's definitely a point of pride," Jones said.
Price said living in the house with construction starting at 7
"Now it's spread out enough to give everybody room to stretch their legs."
ZACH JONES
Sigma Phi Epsilon vice president
a. m. every day became difficult to deal with at times, but members knew the end result would be worth the inconvenience. Although Price said he would probably move out of the house next semester, he said he was happy to help
with the project and give back to future Sigma Phi Epsilon members.
"I wish it would have happened when I was a freshman or sophomore, but 1 benefit from it this semester and I'm excited for these guys to enjoy it," Price said.
index
Edited by Sam Speer
Classifieds...3B
Crossword...6A
Horoscopes...6A
Opinion...7A
Sports...1B
Sudoku...6A
All contents, unless stated otherwise. © 2009 The University Daily Kansan
ASSOCIATED PRESS
PIG EARMARK CAUSES STINK
GOP find the pork in a bill a joke, but lowans are still holding their noses. POLITICS 15A
weather
TODAY
TODAY
70 53
SATURDAY
Mostly cloudy
7237
4
SUNDAY
55 33
Partly cloudy
21
weather.com