BUILDING COMMUNITY AT ROANOKE COLLEGE
As brothers of the Xi Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi, we are versed in the shared values, standards and goals set by the National Headquarters. Alumni and undergraduate brothers should strive to become exceptional leaders and take advantage of uncommon opportunities in the communities we reside in and serve.
As members of the Xi Chapter Alumni Association, we are focused on building community with our undergraduate members by identifying opportunities for joint involvement. This is accomplished through fostering relationships, mentoring and working together on activities that benefit both groups and Roanoke College.
This fall, the undergraduate chapter arrives back on campus, and must have a plan to execute an effective rush for new members. Bids go out by mid-October. This timeline makes competition for the attention of the incoming freshman class fierce. In determining ways to work together for a successful rush, we have scheduled a joint tailgate on September 6, 2025, for the Roanoke College football season-opening home game at Salem Stadium. The game starts at 2 p.m., and the tailgate will begin at 11:30 a.m. We alumni can have a significant impact through strong attendance and our additional resources, making this a quality rush event.
Our attendance as a Pi Kapp community in large numbers at select athletic events supports the success of the Roanoke College community. Roanoke College’s commitment to increasing the number of sports programs in the past few years was identified as the
best way to attract new students in the coming years. College demographics indicate a decline in collegeage students, particularly academically eligible men at Roanoke College. Recruiting football players and the implementation of a marching band program and cheerleaders should certainly help. Alumni can play a crucial role by showing up for various sporting events and showing their enthusiasm for Roanoke College. As a result, Roanoke College benefits from a strong Pi Kappa Phi presence, enhancing our overall leadership position among Greek organizations.
Mark your calendars for September 6, 2025, and look for more details to be emailed in August. If you want to get more involved in supporting this event or getting involved in the Xi Chapter Alumni Association, feel free to contact me via email or by phone at (540) 353-1519.
Yours in Pi Kappa Phi, Mark Edgell, '78
XI HOMECOMING CELEBRATION
SAVE THE DATE - OCTOBER 4, 2025
Mark your calendars! The weekend of October 4, 2025, promises to be a memorable time for the Xi Chapter Alumni Association. Please review the fall homecoming weekend schedule below and email Mark Edgell or contact him at (540) 353-1519 to share your intentions or preferences to attend any of these activities.
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE
Friday, October 3, 2025
Golf Outing
Saturday, October 4, 2025
MacAfee Knob Hike or Kayaking on Roanoke River or Carvin’s Cove | Morning | Roanoke Football Game: Roanoke College vs Randolph-Macon | 2 p.m. | Salem Stadium
Joint alumni/undergraduate tailgate prior to the game.
Dinner Party | Evening | On campus
XI ALUMNI FAMILY FRIENDLY MIXER
SAVE THE DATE - FEBRUARY 15, 2025
The Roanoke College Maroons men’s basketball team had a terrific season this year. After coming in second in the ODAC tournament they received an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III tournament and made a good run into the regionals before losing to Catholic University.
On February 15, Roanoke played Hampden-Sydney in the Creggar Center for a share of the top spot in the conference. This event was the second consecutive year the Xi Alumni Association reserved the “skybox” rooms overlooking Moir Court. During the game Xi alumni, their family members and friends came early to enjoy a boxed lunch from Roanoke College Catering and entertainment before the game. Caricature Artist Kyle Edgell around the room for the 50 or so attending. In addition to the caricatures, we brought in a street entertainer for balloon tying and magic tricks.
It was fun to have the children at the event, and we look forward to sponsoring another Family Friendly Mixer next winter.
Caricature of Chris Orndorff, ’77, and his wife, Huong.
XI ALUMNI SPONSOR SENIOR DINNER
For the past several years, Xi Alumni leaders have sponsored a dinner for graduating seniors at the College. This year's event was held on Wednesday, April 30. We decided to elevate the dinner by inviting local alumni to join, increasing attendance and filling the President’s Dining Room. We asked President Shushok (current president of Roanoke College) to join, and he graciously agreed. Thirty-one Xi alumni, all dressed in coats and ties, came to the event. We had a marvelous time!
The event started with a drink from the wine and beer bar, and for many of us, the chance to view the pictures of past Roanoke College presidents on the wall. Alumni in attendance had experiences with Oberly, Kendig, Fintel, Gring, O’Hara, Maxey and on this night Frank Shushok. In his remarks, he thanked Xi’s own Dr. Ken Garren for his input and support as he leads Roanoke forward in these challenging times.
We spoke about leadership and community, encouraging the 12 graduating brothers to stay involved in the Roanoke College community by attending alumni weekends and sporting events.
Shushok shared that he and his wife, Kelly have been career-long supporters of Greek organizations. They experienced firsthand the opportunities for leadership and community building in fraternal organizations. He mentioned that if not for his fraternity, he would be proud to have an opportunity to be a Roanoke College Pi Kapp. It was noted that at least 15 Pi Kapps have earned the Roanoke College medal, Roanoke’s highest honor, recognizing lifetime achievements and support of the college.
We spoke about leadership and community, encouraging the 12 graduating brothers to stay involved in the Roanoke College community by attending alumni weekends and sporting events.
Steve Esworthy (‘91), chief advancement officer of the Pi Kappa Phi Foundation, invited all our seniors to introduce themselves. Each of the 12 seniors shared their post-graduation goals and their leadership experiences in organizations on campus. In his remarks, he challenged all of us as Pi Kapps to make a third decision in their membership journey by choosing to engage in lifelong brotherhood in our Fraternity.
All Pi Kapps have three decisions to make. The first decision is to join Pi Kappa Phi. The second decision comes during initiation as you take the oath of membership. The third, arguably most important decision, is to continue to support Xi Chapter and the greater Fraternity. As alumni who have made the third decision, we have a fantastic opportunity to mentor young brothers beginning their journey as Pi Kappa Phi alumni.
XI CHAPTER GOES TO NASCAR!
BY HISTORIAN JACKSON HARDY, ‘27
On March 29-30, the brothers of Xi Chapter took a weekend off and traveled down to the Martinsville Speedway to work concessions for the Marine Corps 250 NASCAR Xfinity Series race.
This was a planned fundraiser for The Ability Experience, our national philanthropy, and Xi Chapter was well represented with 24 guys participating. The deal was presented that the speedway would pay the chapter a percentage of each sale made, multiplied by the number of volunteers present each day.
We sold so many concessions that our stand was completely sold out of hot dogs, drinks and chips by Sunday night. Even the condiments and the napkin dispenser were empty! All said and done, we raised $3,182 for The Ability Experience, crushing our goal for the year. Combined with other fundraising efforts, our total for the year was approximately $3,500. This opportunity was made exclusively available to the chapter by Robin Bennett (Ed Bennett’s younger brother). Robin owns Sports Haven stores in Salem and Vinton, Virginia, and is well connected with various professional sporting organizations. This is a great example of the alumni and undergraduate partnerships we want to foster.
We are very proud to have raised this amount for The Ability Experience and hope we will have the opportunity to go to Martinsville and do this again next school year. Visit abilityexperience.org to see the impact of our efforts!
our goal for the year. " "
All said and done, we raised $3,182 for The
Ability Experience,
crushing
TRAVEL BLOG: GASPARILLA
Jeff Rubin ‘78 was an inviting and gracious host for a long weekend centered around the Gasparilla Festival in downtown Tampa. The weekend included a Parade of Pirates with over 160 bands, floats and other units. Many of the citizenry dressed up as pirates, and we had a wonderful view from a 12th-floor condo adjacent to the parade route.
We learned that this festival is one of the largest community festivals in the United States. Other events we did not witness during this weeklong festival included a Pirate Invasion, where a large sailboat flotilla entered Tampa Bay, and the pirates then demanded the key to the city from the mayor.
During Roanoke College Alumni Weekend, months later, we learned that Jason Fields ‘90 from St. Petersburg had a sailboat there and was part of the flotilla.
Interested? Click here to learn more about Gasparilla.
Later that afternoon some of us took a break from parade watching to stream the Roanoke College vs. Randolph Macon basketball game from the Roanoke College website.
On Friday, January 24, we visited the Tampa Bay Rays spring training facility and lucked into a private guided tour of the spring training stadium in Port Charlotte.
We visited the Tampa Bay Automobile Museum in Pinellas Park on Friday afternoon. This museum features a unique collection of vintage cars and vehicles demonstrating the exceptional creativity and imagination in their history and engineering. This small but informative museum celebrates engineers who, through advanced thinking, created the features of the cars we know today.
Have you made a trip with fellow Pi Kapps? Tell us your story to use in future editions of Xi Lites. Share a picture or two and send your story as a Word document to Mark Edgell.
XI CHAPTER’S OWN –DURWARD OWEN, #372
AUGUST 30, 1930 – APRIL 20, 2025
The Fraternity’s beloved honorary fourth founder passed to the Chapter Eternal on April 20, 2025. Roanoke College, his alma mater, honored his memory on campus by flying Pi Kappa Phi’s flag at half-staff. Learn more about Durward’s life and legacy by reading In Loving Memory of Durward W. Owen.
A LOOK BACK: ROANOKE COLLEGE ALUMNI WEEKEND
Xi Chapter’s own Steve Esworthy, chief advancement officer of the Pi Kappa Phi Foundation, and his wife, Dana, hosted a Friday happy hour at their home on April 4. Both visiting alumni and members of the undergraduate chapter were in attendance.
Chapter Advisor Don Potter ‘70 shared an update on the chapter’s recent activities. The undergraduates managed concessions at an Ability Experience fundraiser at the Martinsville Speedway, and it was a huge success. Don and Dudley Woody helped facilitate chapter participation at the track. The guys did a great job and have been invited back to participate next year.
Saturday morning, more than 30 brothers gathered to perform the memorial service ritual at the Antrim Chapel. Our departed brothers (in the past year) recognized were Harry Johnson Jr., ‘48, Matt Plasket, ‘79, Michael Dowdy, ‘77, Richard Owen, ‘83and Dan Wooldridge, ‘67 (alumni initiate). After the service concluded a rendition of Amazing Grace was played on bagpipes by brother Joe Donohue, ‘90.
Saturday afternoon was our annual BBQ outside the Pi Kapp Quad. We filled ourselves with catered BBQ and the traditional southern sides of coleslaw, potato salad and baked beans. Many thanks to Don Potter and the undergraduates for all their hard work putting this together.
XI ALUMNI ASSOCIATION 2025 VOLUNTARY DUES
We encourage all alumni to consider paying voluntary dues in the amount of $50, $75, $100 or higher to the Xi Alumni Chapter.
Please send a check or money order to:
Pi Kappa Phi Xi Alumni Chapter
C/O Dudley Woody
3814 Heatherton Rd SW Roanoke, VA 24014
XI HISTORY – PICTURES WANTED
Ed Bennet ‘68, Whit Gravely ‘75 and Jack Wade ‘69 manage the Xi Chapter Facebook page. We want to archive as many photos and videos as possible from our college experience. The undergraduate historian is collecting scrapbooks, and we are looking to fundraise to put all that is collected into yearbook-inspired publications.
If you have photos from your undergraduate experience, please send them to Mark Edgell. Please include an approximate date and identify the individuals in the photos you send.