USC Phi Kappa Psi Chapter Plans Return

Phi Kappa Psi Plans Return to Campus

By Patrick W. Connelly
Co-Editor, The Frat Boy News

Alumni are rallying support for the University of Southern California's chapter of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity to return to campus.

Following a series of disciplinary infractions, the chapter in July lost its status as a student organization on the campus. The brothers were also forced to vacate their house.

Over 40 brothers were cited last April drug-related infractions against the student personal conduct policy. The fraternity kept its national charter through the duration of the disciplinary action.

With enough hard work, the brothers hope to return as a campus-recognized chapter as soon as next fall.

"Our primary focuses in the upcoming months and semesters are to expand our philanthropic endeavors and develop the most effective new-member semester," said Dane McLeod, a brother working towards the chapters return. "We look forward to working with the university to regain our status as one of the premier student organizations on campus."

College Football's Week 1 Frat Boy News Top 12, Part II

The Frat Boy News College News Preseason Top 12

6. Penn State Nittany Lions

- Paterno's boys are looking for respect early, crushing Florida International 0n Saturday 59-0. The Nittany Lions' first test will come this week when they take on Notre Dame. A huge win against the struggling Irish could help Penn State move up.

5. Wisconsin Badgers

- The Badgers came out fired up and look like they're ready to clash with Penn State for the Big Ten crown. Wisconsin knocked off Washington State 42-21 in their opener on Saturday.


4. Florida Gators

- The Gators clobbered Western Kentucky 49-3, as quarterback Tim Tebow threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns in his debut as the team's starter.


3. Louisiana State Tigers

- LSU opened the season with a big win over SEC conference rival Mississippi State on Thursday night. The Tigers hands down look like they have the nation's top defense. The true test will be this coming Saturday when they take on Virginia Tech.


2. Southern California Trojans

- It wasn't even close for a minute late Saturday night when USC toppled Idaho 38-10. Pete Carroll's offense looks like its clicking on all cylinders.


1. West Virginia Mountaineers

- The Mountaineers crushed cupcake Western Michigan on Saturday 62-24, scoring the most points the team has put up since 2001.

The Frat Boy News Preseason Top 12 Power Rankings, Part IV

The Frat Boy News College News Preseason Top 12

3. Louisiana State Tigers (compiled by AOL Sports)

Matt Flynn. Jacob Hester. Early Doucet. Glenn Dorsey. That covers the running, throwing, catching, and defending part. Those are this year's impact players.

Despite losing 9 starters, including #1 overall draft pick Jamarcus Russell, two O-linemen, two WRs and both safeties, LSU is poised to be the most talented team in the conference for the second year running.

Yeah, they're talented, all right. LSU is so freakin' talented it's positively stunning. Best in the SEC? Shoot, this might be the deepest, most athletic and most talented team in the nation, except for top-ranked USC, and even that's debatable.

If the SEC could be won by talent alone, we could forego the 2007 season and hand the conference title trophy to the Tigers and not bother playing any games. However, LSU bore that mantle last year, and not only did they fail to win the SEC, they finished third in their division.

The message? It takes more than talent; but talent will get you a long way.


2. Southern California Trojans (compiled by Big Red Network)

You’ve got to beat the best to be the best. That’s a saying in sports that goes back as far as anyone can remember.

It’s been especially true in college football. In 2005, Texas beat #1 USC to win the national championship. In 2002 it was Ohio State over Miami. This year the consensus going into the season is that USC is the best team in the country.

If Nebraska were to take out the Trojans in week 3 (and assuming the Huskers were unbeaten prior to the game) the Huskers could well assume the top spot in the country and might be favored in each of their remaining games until they lose.

That’s the dream anyway. But USC is ranked high for a reason. They look awfully good.

Lindy’s rates their defensive line, linebacking corps, and secondary each individually as tops in the nation. That makes their defense tops in the country – by a mile.

It’s not like their offense is chopped liver either. Their offensive backfield is ranked third in the country by Lindy’s and their offensive line second.

Only their receiving corps doesn’t merit a top ten ranking. Does that make their receivers a “weakness”? Hardly. USC can roll out 5-star recruits in wide receivers Patrick Turner and Vidal Hazelton and tight end Fred Davis as well as a bunch of three and four-star guys.

What they lack in experience they make up for with loads of talent.


1. West Virginia Mountaineers (compiled by Rick Starr, Tribune-Review)

Expectations haven't been higher since Rich Rodriguez took over West Virginia's football program seven seasons ago.

They couldn't be higher. They've hit the ceiling.

After 30 victories the past three seasons, back-to-back top 10 finishes, and consecutive New Year's Day bowl victories over the SEC champion and the ACC runner-up, the Mountaineers now have their eyes on one prize.

Everything looks to be in place for the Mountaineers to make a serious run at their first BCS title, and they just may have the 4.4 backfield speed to do it.

From an explosive option attack led by two Heisman Trophy candidates, to a fast-talking head coach who recently turned down the Alabama job, West Virginia is a team in the spotlight.

"West Virginia is on everyone's radar," ESPN college football analyst Todd Blackledge said.

West Virginia's Heisman hopefuls, runner Steve Slaton and quarterback Pat White, appeared unfazed by all the preseason pressure and hype as they opened fall practice Saturday at Milan Puskar Stadium.

"We're kind of getting used to it," Slaton said. "Our goal every year is to go undefeated, win the Big East title, and play for the national championship. That's what you put in all the hard work for."

This time, national championship buzz goes beyond the Morgantown Mall. It's all over the Internet, cable channels and magazine stands.

"If West Virginia can make it through the Big East undefeated, it could find itself playing for the national championship," reported rivals.com.

NCAA 2008 Hits Stores Today

Tuesday's Frat Boy News Daily Sports Page (compiled by ABC News)

It's a typical day in L.A.--75 degrees, clear sky, calm winds, no precipitation in sight--as the University of Southern California Trojans football team takes the field. It's a great day to play football, in real life or with Electronic Arts's (EA) newest online sports game, NCAA Football 2008. Scheduled to be released today, the game has an entirely new feature: live weather data, played out on the field. Now when you sit down to play, you will get up-to-the-minute weather conditions for the location where you choose to play.

"If you are playing in a cold-weather stadium, you are going to realize it, whether it's through the snow on the field or seeing the breath of players," says Ryan Balke, the editor of Sportable.com, a sports news site.

Balke previewed the title at EA Sports Tiburon Studios in Orlando, FL, last month. He says it was an incredible experience. "Football is a game that's played in some brutal elements, and this new feature is a nice way to bring that realism into the game and take online gaming to a more realistic level."

With online play increasing in popularity, EA developers are focused on improving the user experience. "We try to add whatever technology, feature, or function to games that gives the player real-world experience," says Kyle Hanley, a producer for EA Sports. With broadband Internet now widely available, the company decided to try to incorporate dynamic data into the games. "We thought, wouldn't that be cool if we could play with the real-time weather?"

Developers at EA Sports made this capability a reality in NCAA Football 2008 by integrating a live feed from the Weather Channel. Hanley says that this will be the first game equipped with such a feature.

Once a player selects a team for the game, the weather conditions are displayed on the screen. The game is set to automatically default to the Weather Channel feed. (Players can also turn off the weather feed and select their favorite weather conditions, as is done in current games.)

Super Sized Fiji

Frat Guy of the Week: Morgan Spurlock

Morgan Spurlock, the star of the documentary "Super Size Me" and the TV show "30 Days," was a brother of Phi Gamma Delta while he attended New York University.

Spurlock was born in West Virginia and was rejected from the University of Southern California's film school five times before deciding to go to NYU.

Before chronicling eating nothing but McDonald's food for 30 days in the film "Super Size Me," Spurlock created a short lived show on MTV called "I Bet You Will."

Comedy Central has announced plans to feature Spurlock in a new series on the network.

Virginia Men's Tennis Team Set to Ball Against Undefeated Georgia

Monday's Frat Boy News Daily Sports Page

University of Virginia (compiled by Daily Press)
The fourth-seeded Virginia men's tennis team will try to do what no other team has done this season: Beat Georgia (30-0).

The teams will square off in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament at noon today at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.

On Saturday, the Cavaliers (30-3) beat No. 12 Southern California 4-1 to become the first ACC team ever to reach the semifinals.

"It is definitely a great accomplishment," said Treat Huey, a junior from Alexandria who played numerous tournaments in Hampton Roads while growing up.

"I feel all our guys have been playing great tennis right now. As a team, we feel that we could go out and upset No. 1 seed Georgia on their home court."

Old School Delt

Frat Guy of the Week: Will Ferrell

Long before he was the star of Blades of Glory or a cast member on Saturday Night Live, Will Ferrell was making the brothers of Delta Tau Delta laugh at the University of Southern California.

In addition to being a Delt and a 1989 graduate of USC, Ferrell had planned for a career in sports broadcasting and majored in sports information. After graduating, Ferrell began to work on his improv skills in various comedy groups, and joined the cast of SNL in 1995.

Impersonating everyone from Harry Caray and George W. Bush to Alex Trebek and Neil Diamond, Will quickly became a comedic icon to a new generation.

Since then, Ferrell has starred in major blockbusters like Night at the Roxbury, Old School, Anchorman, Elf, and Blades of Glory which will be released this week in theaters everywhere.

Come and Knock on My Door

Frat Guy of the Week: John Ritter

John Ritter, of classic TV's "Three's Company," was a brother of Phi Gamma Delta during his time at the University of Southern California. While at USC, Ritter majored in psychology with a minor in architecture.

Ritter went on to make quite a name for himself in Hollywood, starring in the classic 1990s "Problem Child" series and tons of other movies. Sadly, Ritter passed away young in 2003 at the age of 55.

USC Gives Out Names of Students Who Download Music

USC agrees to name RIAA illegal downloaders

Lets be honest: everybody and their mother downloads music illegally. Whether its Limewire, Sharazaa, or even torrents, nearly every person on this planet who owns a computer has "pirated" something at one time or another. College students are certainly among the largest offenders, as it seems to be a pretty safe way to get some new tunes for your Friday night binge drinking.

This is no longer true for students at the University of Southern California, where the school has given into pressure from the Recording Industry of America Association. The group plans to take legal action against the students who the university gives up. Below is a except from The Daily Trojan

"USC general counsel Kelly Bendell said she received the letters Thursday. They list a student's Internet protocol address - not his or her name - a list of songs downloaded, date and time of the download, and which Peer-to-Peer network was used. Bendell said she will coordinate with ITS to identify the students and encourage them to obtain the services of a lawyer.

"I think it's right for the university to inform students that they're going to be sued", said Bendell

RIAA general counsel Steven Marks also insisted the RIAA would only send out letters when it intended to file lawsuits if the student or staff member did not respond.

"We never send a letter if we don't intend to sue," he said.

Marks said the RIAA plans to issue 400 letters per month and double the number of lawsuits within the next three months.In the last three years, the RIAA has sued 1,000 university network users, including USC students, for downloading music illegally."

"Mexican Parties" are as American as Nachos

The Fratboy News Daily College Column
By Gustavo Arellano, The Los Angeles Times

IF SOMEONE asked you to attend a Mexican-themed party, what would you wear? Would you sport long hair, spiked bracelets and a tattered T-shirt of rock en español dinosaurs Caifanes? Maybe visit Brooks Brothers and mimic the sartorial splendor of Antonio Villaraigosa? A snug gown a la Salma Hayek for the mujeres? Jeans, surely?

No. You're going to don a sombrero, glue on a fake mustache and act like a poor, despicable louse. You'll probably belt out a couple of lusty arribas for good measure. And you'll laugh. Really, what else could you do?

No one would recognize those other examples as Mexican, even though muchos Mexicans fit those descriptions. Not only that, but anyone who dresses up for an ethnic-themed fiesta wants to stand out, which means stereotypes: exaggerated takes on reality, some decades old, others as immediate as your office janitor. More important, cultural nuances at parties tend to disappear under a haze of bong hits.

It's important to keep the above in mind when discussing the recent spate of mexcellente bashes held by our nation's emerging scholars. The latest occurred in January, when students at Santa Clara University in Northern California were invited to a "South of the Border" party and attendees arrived as cholos, janitors and pregnant Latinas. The small campus — previously best known as the alma mater of NBA god Steve Nash — is in an uproar, and the national media have swooped in to cover the latest front in the immigration wars.

A college Mexican party — usually held under the auspices of the Greek system — is nowadays as much a part of university life as the Thought Police.

Two years ago, Alpha Epsilon Pi's USC chapter held a party titled "Once Upon a Time in Mexico," at which attendees passed through barbed wire and curious Latino onlookers were told to — yep — go back to Mexico.

Each case was followed by the same ritual of hand-wringing: accusations of racism, rebutted with claims of ignorance or harmless fun, followed by protests and town hall meetings and an eventual half-hearted apology from the culprits. Peace was restored on campus — until the next opportunity to mock Mexicans.

So why do these incidents crack me up? Maybe it's the power of history. Americans have enjoyed dressing like ethnics at bacchanals since the days of the Boston Tea Party. Blackface, togas, sweat lodges, Oktoberfest, St. Patrick's Day, Tommy Bahama — the list goes on, even in this age of supposed racial acceptance.

Participating in such events seems to liberate otherwise placid souls from propriety and excuse momentary transgressions, all while lampooning the Other — a party mix more alluring than jungle juice.

No matter how many diversity workshops or school-sanctioned multicultural festivities universities may hold, these parties will continue. They're as American as nachos.

USC Phi Delts Hit Roadblock In House Rennovations

PhiDelt Encounters Delays in Rennovations

Red tape has put a hold on rebuilding the historic Phi Delta Theta house at the University of Southern California. The house shown above, caught on fire in April 2005. It has since undergone a $3 million dollar restoration. However, things have been put on hold pending a decision by the Los Angeles Associate Zoning Administrator to lift the limit on the number of residents that can live in one building.

The building, built in 1896, and the fraternity moved in to the building in 1950. The chapter has been in a rebuilding phase recently, in terms of their building and the chapter as a whole. In 2002 the chapter charter was revoked. However, the chapter was re-established in April 2006. It has since re-emerged as a leader on the campus. They have instated a no alcohol policy and maitianed one of the highest GPA's amongst fraternities.

"They clearly deserve to go back to the house we've lived in for the past 50 years," said Bill Bedford, a 1957 USC graduate and president of the housing corporation.

USC AEPi's Say Visitor Had a Gun

DPS Investigates Report of Gun at AEPi Fraternity

Police are investigating an incident from last Thursday at the University of Southern California's Alpha Epsilon Pi house when a visitor reportedly brought a gun into the frat.

The brothers were forced to shut down the party early because of the incident. A brother called the police to inform them of the man. The brothers said the man with the gun got defensive when they asked him to leave.

"He was a normal, nice kid. He probably was from USC. None of us actually thought the kid had a gun," said Koltin Stratiner, an AEPhi brother.

"We said, 'Nobody knows who you are, you don't know anyone here,'" he said. "We didn't want a fight to break out. There was probably a 1 percent chance he actually had a gun." Other brothers claimed to see him actually pull the gun out of his pocket

"We were on the dance floor, and we saw him coming from somewhere, walking quickly," Wahl said. "He pulled the gun out of the waistband of his pants. He didn't point it at anyone, and he put it back in his pants. He waited to show everyone that he had a gun," said Morgan Wahl, another brother.

Police originally thought the event was a prank, but said they will speak to witnesses to find more information.