By Alexi Knock, Assistant News Editor
Matt Dougherty threw a pie full of whipped cream and chocolate syrup at Phi Delta Theta member Nick Morgan in front of the Student Center. Students and walking tours watched and laughed while people threw pies at Morgan and his friends nonstop.
"He's my friend so humiliating him is usually a good idea," said Dougherty, sophomore.
On Oct. 22, Phi Delta Theta held "Pie a Phi," a charity event where students could pay a dollar to throw pies at the members while they poked their heads through a decorative board.
"We had heard that another Phi Delta Theta chapter out west did this as their event and raised a lot of money so we thought it would be a good idea for the Hofstra campus," said sophomore Phi Delta Theta member Tom Eddy while he was covered in whipped cream. "Since we're the new fraternity on campus we think it's kind of funny that other Greek life members can come up and pie us in the face."
Phi Delta Theta raised over $225 in about 5 hours through their Pie a Phi fundraiser. The money was raised for the ALS Association, the fraternity's national charity. ALS, better known as Lue Gehrig's Disease, has a personal meaning for the fraternity because Lue Gehrig was a brother of Phi Delta Theta. In Gehrig's honor, everyone of the more than 170 chapters across the nation raise money for ALS every year.
"I'm passionate about the ALS foundation so we're very excited that this is all taking place," said Luke Miedreich, junior Phi Delta Theta member.
Since Phi Delta Theta is a new fraternity on campus, "Pie a Phi" is one of its first fundraisers. On May 8, 2009, the fraternity was voted in as an official colony of the University by the Inter Fraternity Council. Members hope to be recognized as an official fraternity next semester after they submit a 200-page proposal for membership to their national headquarters. Phi Delta Theta has an event planned for each month to raise money for ALS, including a 5k run and a holiday party.
"It feels good to have pie thrown at me because we're doing it for a good cause," said Eddy.
Miedreich stated that he felt similarly about the event. "Any more whipped cream and chocolate I'm ready to take it."
(Haleigh Zueger/The Chronicle)