General Description

• • Chapter officers voted to assemble a secret task force who traveled from Manhattan, KS to Lawrence, KS under the cover of darkness to decorate the KS Alpha Bent monument in an overwhelming amount of K-State gear (with a smidge of red and blue for KU) in preparation for the 2023 Sunflower Showdown rival football matchup between the University of Kansas Jayhawks and the Kansas State University Wildcats. For context, we have a long history of friendly pranks. 

Purpose & Relationship to Objectives of TBP

• • The operation had multiple purposes which served to benefit both the KS Alpha and Gamma chapters, along with the Association as a whole. Both local chapters had struggled to remain relevant and visible within their respective colleges. Lauren Wolf, President of KS A, informed KS G delegates, during the 2023 National Convention, of many of the problems facing her chapter. One of those problems was lack of pride in and visibility of Tau Beta Pi at the University of Kansas. Having the same issues at K-State, KS G officers devised a plan to create attention for both chapters by tapping into students’ interests in the annual Sunflower Showdown which occurs each time the KU and K-State football teams face off in a rivalry matchup. Knowing that many students follow those games closely, KS G officers decided to decorate the KS A Bent in K-State gear the night before the showdown and to publicize the sabotage by posting it on the @ksutbp Instagram page and tagging @taubetapiatku in the post. The friendly gesture was meant to stir up controversy and therefore get people at both schools talking about Tau Beta Pi. The gesture was well received by President Wolf, who said that the decorations were so beautiful that she planned to leave them up for as long as possible. Many K-State students saw the post, and our Chief Advisor Assistant Dean Andy Fund loved the idea. 

Organization & Administration

• • The event was wholly organized and administered by the KS Gamma student chapter officers. The officers voted in favor of the event, and self-elected to participate in its execution on the first night of fall break. President Divilbiss and Events Director Rizzo collected supplies during the days leading up to the event. Four officers met at the K-State College of Engineering at 5:00 pm on the night of the event to prepare the decorations, which included a handmade purple and white paper chain that was over 120 feet long.

Total Cost

• • $0.00

Cost Breakdown

• • President Divilbiss and Events Director Rizzo carpooled to the site, while Membership Coordinator Pine and Awards Director Bash stopped to assist on their way to the Kansas City area. Rizzo and Divilbiss covered the decoration expenses. 

Special Problems Encountered

• • Though President Divilbiss had previously scoped out the location of KS Alpha’s Bent, there was an unexpected amount of vehicular and pedestrian traffic in the surrounding area when the task force arrived with their decorations at approximately 7:30 pm. The officers had to wait for the perfect opportunity to cross the busy street between KU’s engineering building and staff parking lot without being spotted by any pesky KU students who could foil their plan. 

Overall Evaluation/Results

• • The event was successful because it stirred up interest in both chapters. It made students at KU stop and wonder what the purpose of the K-State themed Bent monument on their campus was. Even before the event began, it made K-State students inquire as to the purpose of the paper chain that stretched across the entire length of the engineering atrium. Those students were very excited about the idea once they were informed what Tau Beta Pi is and what its plan of attack was. One outcome KS G hopes to achieve is a continuation of annual friendly pranks between Kansas chapters, as students are typically very passionate about school rivalries, and Tau Beta Pi stands to benefit for their passion if its events contribute to their school pride. KS G hopes to stir up pride and involvement in the struggling KS A chapter by metaphorically poking the bear (Jayhawk), and hopes to see KS A transform into a healthy active chapter with passionate membership,