What it takes: Surpassing their goal
Quis separabit?

President Lois B. DeFleur and Larry Hollander ’78 admire a display case filled with memorabilia of Tau Alpha Upsilon fraternity outside the TAU Bearcat Clubroom in the Binghamton University Events Center during a naming ceremony in January. Alumni members of TAU pledged $280,000 to name the clubroom.

The Latin motto of Tau Alpha Upsilon fraternity means "Who will separate us?" The answer, as demonstrated by the fraternity's response to a challenge to raise $250,000 for its alma mater: no one.

In an effort that began in earnest in October 2003, 142 TAU alumni -- more than 40 percent of the fraternity's alumni membership -- pledged $280,000 to name the clubroom in the Binghamton University Events Center the TAU Bearcat Clubroom. The endeavor exceeded its original goal by $30,000.

"This is, in many ways, the culmination of a lot of hard work by a lot of people," said Sanjay Malhotra '85, a member of the committee of five TAU alumni who led the fundraising effort. "It could not have been done without the support of the University's administration and the [Binghamton University] Foundation."

In a reunion-like atmosphere marked by boisterous greetings and non-stop ribbing, more than 120 TAU alumni gathered at the Events Center on a Saturday evening in late January for the naming ceremony.
"Look at the turnout here," exclaimed committee member Larry Hollander '78. "We have people who have flown in from Florida to be here. That's evidence to me of people who care enough, both for the University and the fraternity."

"I'm pumped! It's been an incredible effort," said Michael Marcus '87, another committee member. "It's great for the University and great for the fraternity to raise $280,000 from an eclectic crew spreading across the class years from 1962 to 2004."

TAU was established in 1961 and is the only campus-based fraternity at Binghamton University. The fraternity already has a tradition of giving back to the University, having raised funds to establish the Terence "Tex" Haran Memorial TAU Scholarship in 1996. The scholarship honors Terence Haran '90, who died in 1996. It is awarded to a full-time male student in his junior or senior year, who demonstrates a commitment to community service and involvement with campus life.

The room now bearing the TAU name is located on the southwest corner of the Events Center's main concourse. It is furnished with two flat-screen televisions and a fireplace; the décor is dark green and black. A display case just outside the clubroom's main entrance is filled with TAU memorabilia and includes a parchment listing all those who contributed to the room-naming effort.

President Lois B. DeFleur thanked the fraternity on behalf of the University. "I am very impressed both by the generosity and the commitment of the fraternity, which has supported the University in many ways," DeFleur said at the ceremony. "As you can see, your efforts have enabled us to make significant enhancements to this room. Thanks for your support."

"We are some of the tightest-knit people who have ever walked on this campus," said Marcus. "We see each other in and out of the work place, we travel to see each other and
we're there for each other both in times of happiness and
times of sadness."

Quis separabit?

-- Gary E. Frank

The ties that bind Because of the bonds among the brothers of Tau Alpha Upsilon fraternity, and their ties to their alma mater, more than 40 percent of TAU alumni answered the call when challenged to raise funds for the TAU Bearcat Clubroom, a new venue for gatherings in the Events Center. Their goal was $250,000. They ended up raising $280,000. When alumni support Binghamton University, they help to elevate the institution in a number of ways – improving facilities, enabling the University to do more for students and faculty and inspiring others to support their alma mater. Now, more than ever, we need alumni support to ensure that Binghamton endures as a distinguished institution of higher education, one that combines innovative research, rigorous scholarship and creative endeavor with the best undergraduate programs available at any public university in the northeast. You can make a difference in shaping the University’s future. Support your alma mater by giving online now at giveto.binghamton.edu.