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Michigan Alpha Centennial 1964

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    The Centennial Celebration 1964 jointly hosted by the Michigan Alpha Alumni Association and active chapter.

Homecoming 2013

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    Homecoming 2013 at 1437 Washtenaw.

Harmon BBQ 2013

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    BBQ at the chapter house to honor Tom Harmon '41.

Homecoming 2012

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    BBQ revives tradition attracting strong alumni attendance.

Mud Bowl

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    A PHOTO HISTORY OF THE MUD BOWL 1934 to 1997 ~ MICHIGAN'S GREATEST FRATERNITY ATHLETIC RIVALRY During the fall of 1934, Phi Delta Theta (PDT) active member E. Reed Low '37 challenged the "house across the street" (Sigma Alpha Epsilon -- SAE) to a friendly game of "touch" football on the morning of Homecoming in a little used valley in their side yard along South University. Low is considered the founder of the Mud Bowl. The men of PDT and SAE fought a close match which SAE narrowly won 8 - 6. Given the intense rivalry between the two fraternities which were located only a couple hundred feet apart, it was decided that the Mud Bowl would be an annual event. The Mud Bowl became a revered Homecoming tradition as PDT and SAE fiercely battled each year for nothing more than pride. In the early years, the game essentially was a rough intramural football match played on a field that was wetter and shorter than regulation. As the annual contest matured, it was decided that the challenge and entertainment value of the game could be enhanced by tilling the ground and flooding the field. Eventually, the Ann Arbor Fire Department contributed to making the mayhem on the field even more muddy by pouring approximately 10,000 gallons of water into the valley shortly before the game. By kickoff of games played in the 1970s through the 1990s, it was not uncommon for the mud to be more than one foot deep with water covering the west end of the "field." The PDT-SAE rivalry series in the Mud Bowled ended in 1997 after the 60th game between the two fraternities was played. The records about these 60 games are a combination of fact and myth, but no one disputes that this was the greatest fraternity athletic rivalry in the State of Michigan if not the entire nation. The Mud Bowl grew into such a spectacle that crowds numbering in the thousands showed up each year to witness the game. The game attracted coverage by Sports Illustrated, ESPN, ABC Sports as well as campus, Ann Arbor and Detroit media. The Mud Bowl became so popular that national brewing companies -- at first Stroh's, and then Miller -- sponsored the event. Of course, some people have speculated that the presence of sororities playing football, or speedball in some years, during the half-time may have garnered most of the great public interest in the event. Nonetheless the athleticism and intensity of the PDT-SAE matchups proved to be very entertaining for the fans. While the exact win-loss tally is subject to dispute, it is believed that PDT rightly boasts a few more victories in the series than SAE. Given that SAE hand picked the referees for each Mud Bowl, a PDT victory typically required overcoming the opposing players plus the men in stripes. For this reason, PDT's hard fought "losses" remain as much a source of pride as its many victories. If you have pictures or memories of the Mud Bowl to share with the Alumni Association's Heritage Project, please contact us at [email protected].

Peter Islip

Name: Peter Islip 

Current Residence and Contact Information:  Los Angeles, CA

Graduating Class Year: 2006

Pledge Class Year/Semester: Fall 2002

Employer: On Set Production Assistant

Career Overview:
I graduated in 2006 and moved to Los Angeles and began working on set in the entertainment industry.   I work mainly on commercials and music videos, but I do occasionally find myself on television and movies.

Personal Activities and Family Status:
I have left town for a short while and gone back to my hometown of Plano, TX to get married and be there until my fiancé finishes her graduate work.  I will be back in Los Angeles this summer after the wedding.

Interesting Career Fact or Experience: 
It is always really cool to see a commercial, music video, or movie on TV that I worked on.  All the memories always come rushing back.  Once I unwillingly ended up on the other side of the camera was for the season finale of a terrible reality TV show on Bravo called Top Design.  I ended up as an assistant carpenter (Go U of M School of Art and Design) and had to be bleeped out several times on the broadcast.  The episode was called Lofty Designs, and was a real crazy job.

Role in the Reestablishment of the Michigan Alpha Chapter:
I was on of the original members from the first recruitment class in that fall of 02.  I was there when the house officially became a colony and then eventually a full house.  I was on the executive board twice, once as a recruitment chair and once as the internal VP  and Warden.  My Bond number is 1846. I worked tirelessly along with many other the early brothers to build from nothing an organization that would bring a better version of fraternity.  We had to create a methodology, identity, and a series of traditions that borrowed from the past and the present.

Favorite Memory of Michigan Alpha:
It is hard to determine one truly individual memory of my time at Michigan Alpha.  I remember the many good times and the many difficult times.  We remember the week when we had 10 guys from the first group quit in one week, the failed Bergin idea of a Haunted Hay ride, Bergin himself, or being threatened with pulling the plug due to membership.  I also remember the successes of Whirley Ball, trips to Canada, Fight Night, and Super Bowl parties.  We had so many good times in that house as we really lived life there in and amongst each other.

Message for the Brothers About the 5 Year Anniversary of the Reestablishment of the Michigan Alpha Charter:
In the early days there were several times that we were sure we were going to fail and were thinking that house was done.  I am sure every one of use back then thought about giving up and quitting many times, but we didn’t. We always found our way threw the fog and we worked tirelessly to get to where we are now.  Our few pledge classes never got to see the fruit of our labors while we were undergrads but it fills us with joy to see it succeeding today.  We were so lucky to have found such excellent leaders in brothers like Paul Wezner, Will Todd, Evan Isaacs, Greg Lavigne, Kellyn Parker, Cam Young, Jon Buck, Jason Barley, and Jacob Bach.  There are so many others that contributed their time and energy because they believed in something.  The only thing that I would ever ask the current active brotherhood is to respect both our old and recent history and grow the fraternity in a respectful manner.  As you guys do today, we put our hearts into this house so take care of it.  I do have a quick 2nd request.  Win that Mud Bowl tournament and take down SAE.  I still believe we need to convince SAE to return to the tradition of PDT v. SAE in the Mud Bowl every year.