Smithfield Alumni's NUPES Night Out Was A Success

It was long overdue. Blame it on the job, family, or just the growing list of obligations, whatever the reason, getting together last night was important for many of us.

The idea for a NUPES night out event came from a conversation I had with my fraternity brother, Kevin Richards. As the Membership Services chairman, he always keeps his eye on the tone of the chapter. What are the brothers talking about? What do they need? How can WE provide it?

Over a hot cup of coffee, Kevin explained to me that we needed to do something for the brothers. It had been a while since we last spent some real one-on-one time together as a chapter. Sure, a few members went to the Durham Alumni Super Bowl Party and others attended various Founder's Day celebrations around the Triangle. Unfortunately, we needed something of our own. NUPES Night Out was born.

On the Friday, February 8, 2013, members of the Smithfield Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. gathered together at the Champps Americana restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina. For many of us, we arrived immediately after work. Although, I noticed some were a little extra fresh and clean, which leads me to believe that they went home first and changed clothes. Leave it to the pretty boys.

For the first hour or so, the guys gathered around the bar and entered into conversations about the recent Duke and NC State basketball game. Others talked about video games, the Super Bowl power outage, and upcoming vacations.

Once the table was ready, all ten members in attendance migrated over to the group seating. We later found out that this particular table was perfect for watching local singers test their skills on the Karaoke microphone. This seemed to be a popular attraction as multitudes of people soon entered the establishment. It was packed!

Over the next two hours, the brothers enjoyed a good meal, tons of laughter, and a healthy reminder that in order to work hard, we have to also play hard. As the Middle Eastern Province Polemarch Carlos Watson would say, "We need to remember and promote BROTHERHOOD whenever possible." I concur.

In the final moments, everyone in attendance agreed that NUPES Night Out was a success. The question on everyone's mind was this...what's next?

According to many, a family oriented event would be in order. Therefore, the next event will take place in March and we'll call it "NUPES On Wheels." No, not motorcycles, bicycles, but roller skates. Next month, Smithfield Alumni will organize a family friendly event where wives, kids, and friends can come out to enjoy a fun-filled afternoon around the skating rink. Details on the event will be announced soon.

I personally would like to give a shout out to all the brothers that attended the event and look forward to our next get together. Yo Yo!

Until next time...

If you are unable to view the photo gallery, click here.



If you are unable to see the video, click here.