Featured Image: Phi Kappa Tau hosted a festival with live music outside Brock Commons on Friday, March 24. Emily Moody | Courtesy
For the first time ever, the Virginia Wesleyan fraternity Phi Kappa Tau hosted a festival open to all of campus. The festival was held on Friday, March 24 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the lawn of Brock Commons. According to Brian “Bhos” Hostetter, senior and philanthropy chairman of Phi Kappa Tau, Phi Tau Fest had been a dream of theirs since last spring. Phi Tau Fest was a hit, with approximately 91 Virginia Wesleyan students, and even alumni, attending. Numerous organizations, such as the Half-Baked club, the Marlin’s Business Conference and independent entrepreneurial students hosted tables to sell items they made.
“Phi Tau Fest 2023 will be one for the record books and really set the bar high for future Phi Tau Fests,” Hostetter said.
Hostetter additionally brought up when Phi Kappa Tau alumni Jason Seward, current associate vice president for Campus Life and Operational Management, was a student, as they had a similar event on campus called Lively in the Ivy. Phi Tau Fest presented a phenomenal opportunity for the fraternity to revamp a nostalgic event, catering it to the Virginia Wesleyan campus as it exists today.
Phi Kappa Tau President sophomore Cody Bloxom, Chaplain and Vice President of Alumni Relations senior Jack Mowatt and Hostetter all tackled the majority of planning for Phi Tau Fest together. Mowatt took the lead on communication with the director of Student Activities, Sarah Guzzo, and the general manager of Sodexo, Tim Lockett, working with them to orchestrate their vision. Hostetter handled the logistics, the layout and the schedule of the event. As the president of the fraternity, Bloxom inspired ideas, confirmed decisions and aided his fraternity brothers with their responsibilities.
The main goal of Phi Tau Fest was to serve as a fundraiser that was packed full of fun activities, prizes, food and live music, played by our very own members of campus. Each of these activities and features, along with a dunk tank, led to an amazing event that will have many waiting for more to come.
With hopes of this event becoming a tradition, the chapter looked to hosting this event to stand out in a good way and to do something that hadn’t been done in a long time. The fraternity’s goal was to bring together the campus community for a day of music, food, fun and love for one another.
“All I can say is that the entire day consisted of some really hard work, and some really amazing people,” Mowatt said. “The outcome was exactly what we had pictured when we started the planning process months ago, and I could not be more proud of the brothers of Phi Kappa Tau for what we were able to accomplish.”
Hostetter also said that this event is everything they could have ever wanted and more. They are hoping this event could become an annual event.
Bloxom shares similar hopes and is extremely appreciative of all of the support Phi Tau Fest received.
“As president of Phi Kappa Tau, I would like to thank everyone for coming out, having a great time and for all the support,” Bloxom said.
By Sasha Saxson & Mikayla Moscatelli
ansaxson@vwu.edu
mamoscatelli@vwu.edu
