ΔΦ  ’Λ - 150

A site for the Alumni of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute chapter of the Delta Phi Fraternity

Where We Are

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Map of RPI Delta Phi alumni in the US

Delta Phi (Lambda Chapter) alumni in the US

Taking a break from stuffing the paper invites for the Sesquicentennial Celebration and using the opportunity to play with our data in Tableau visualization software. Here is where the 426 invites are going. There are a few international addresses as well, of course.

We hope as many as possible land safely in your mailboxes, even if you’ve already registered online. If nothing else, the returned mailings from this event will go a long way toward helping us clean up our data going forward, especially as we turn this site into an online community for the association as a whole. We’ll have a members-only back-end where people can correct/verify their data initially, self-report address changes in the future, look up other brothers, etc. We want that to be as secure as possible, so it’s taking a little while, but post even, as this site switches over to a regular non-event-based resource for alumni this summer, we’ll be ready.

Hope to see you in June!

Going once! Going Twice!

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As of today, the Hilton Garden Inn is booked solid, as is Franklin Suites downtown. Certainly many rooms have been reserved in advance and will free up as the event date approaches and people cancel, but meantime, there are hotels in Latham and Albany. If you are an AirBNB user, you may find some options there as well.

The Low Gallery

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Back in October, the Sesquicentennial Committee gathered for a face-to-face meeting on campus, and we took a tour of the Low Gallery in its deteriorating state. I took many pictures. This past Alumni weekend Tom Slaney ’04 (in town for Alumni Weekend) took some more. As you can see, the decor is dated, the furniture has taken a beating, and there is really no life in the space. But the artifacts on display, wow.

If you’ve contributed to the Low Gallery Fund and helped us reach our initial goal, thank you so much. As Roger Mike discussed at the Alumni Weekend business meeting Saturday 2/15, this has been established as a permanent fund, so donations will be accepted indefinitely. The initial round of renovations will cost at least $20,000, and we’ve reached that goal, but the key to preventing this kind of decay from happening again is to have this fund be always active. If you currently do donate to Rensselaer, you can allocate some of those dollars to the “Low Gallery Fund.” If you’ve never had the desire to donate to the school {raises hand}, you can do so and make sure it benefits a ΔΦ cause.

Here are some shots of the gallery in its current state. There so much at which to marvel. Thanks again to everyone who has contributed to the revitalization of this space.

Hotel update

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Hilton Garden Inn Troy, NYWe blew though three room blocks at the Hilton at the original discounted rate of $129. The new block has rooms priced at $159. We will try to work on that between now and the event, but for now that is the rate.

Continue to use the DPFS code though, so we can track reservations and to ensure you get the lowest room rate possible when you actually pay for the room.

It’s that time!

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Troy February snowDon’t let the last seventy four inches of snow keep you away from lovely Troy, NY! We hope to see you all at the Heffner Alumni House tomorrow, February 15th.

Hotel Survey

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Please complete the below survey to help us create an event to remember. In addition to the main event Saturday, we are planning other gatherings from Friday through Sunday. We need to know what kind of numbers to expect.

[polldaddy survey=”0E0B0B52D8011F8E” type=”button” title=”Take the Hotel Survey” style=”inline”]

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The Committee

Reservations

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It’s time!

You can reserve a room at a discount for Friday, June 27, 2014, and/or Saturday, June 28, 2014 at the Hilton Garden Inn on Hoosick Street. You can either call 1-877-STAYHGI or reserve online at troy.hgi.com. Our code is DPFS, and the rate is $129*. You can begin using this code and discount on July 8, next Monday. [Read more…]

Roger’s History Lesson – Albert Metcalf Harper (Lambda 1866)

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Picture of Albert Metcalf Harper

Albert Metcalf Harper

One of the brothers from our early history who has a fascinating story is Albert Metcalf Harper (Lambda 1866). He was the subject of the first letter in 2002 as well as referenced once or twice since. His story could have been written in Hollywood. I keep returning to him because I keep finding new material. And now I am in communication with the Pittsburgh Regional History Center to gain access to Albert Harper’s personal letters and archival material, so this is not the end. But for now, here is a brief recap and a new twist: [Read more…]