Whoop! We'er in the Eagle So Much Better Then The Batt!
Cepheid Variable builds on unique friendships
By JOSH BAUGH
Eagle Staff Writer
A group of self-described misfits and pranksters at Texas A&M has gone from losing university funding to winning a prestigious student-organization award in just a few years.
Shortly before school let out for the summer, the group was named the 2006 Registered Student Organization of the Year. Members of Cepheid Variable say they were more surprised than anyone else that they'd won the award. Also, James "Spanky" Smith won an award for being the adviser of the year.
click to zoom in
Eagle Photo/Dave McDermand
Cepheid Variable recently won the 2006 Registered Student Organization of the Year. Jeffrey MacHolt, Jonathan Sneed, Jared Teslow, Summer Eiman, Joseph Narvaez, James Smith and Michael Martin banded together to raise funds.
A few years ago, Cepheid Variable was one of several groups that lost their funding from budget cuts at the Memorial Student Center, club officers said. But instead of folding, the members banded together and did their own fundraising by working at concession stands during A&M sporting events. The group also raises money through AggieCon, a sci-fi convention held on campus each year.
The club, whose name comes from a type of star that changes brightness over time, is made up of members who share a love for science fiction, fantasy, horror and other "strange things," members said. They describe themselves as "intelligent" people who aren't always completely dedicated to their school work.
Summer Eiman, a biomedical sciences major from Houston, said most members of Cepheid Variable were "outcasts and geeks in high school."
"It's an excellent refuge for people who otherwise are misfits on a campus that demands conformity," she said.
When these students come to A&M, she said, they tend to form very close friendships and spend a lot of time just having fun.
Students come to Cepheid Variable because they share a common interest in all things science fiction.
"It's what brings us together," said Jared Teslow, who is working on a Ph.D. in mathematics. "But it's hardly what defines us."
Teslow, a talkative 27-year-old from Houston, has been a Cepheid (pronounced "seff-id") since 1996 when he came to A&M as a freshman. As much as the group stands for mocking fraternities, Teslow said, there is a striking resemblance. They too have alumni out in the "real world" who form a network for jobs and references, though Cepheid alumni are called "elders." Then there's the nicknames, the charity work and the parties.
"We just don't have a house," Teslow said.
On Thursday, more than a dozen Cepheids met at Double Dave's Pizzaworks near campus, where they often go for dinner after their weekly meetings, which begin at 8:33 p.m. Tuesdays during the fall and spring semesters. Most were wearing their black club T-shirts with Delta Psi Phi (a play on "Sci-Fi") across the front in Greek letters.
The Cepheids draw a lot from National Lampoon's Animal House, including the "Delta" in their club's name and their nicknames. As in Animal House, most members in Cepheid Variable have "D-names," which they've earned for a variety of reasons. While some of the D-names aren't fit for print, some Cepheids said, they told stories of many others.
The most infamous D-name belongs to John Michael McGee, more commonly known as "Trip." He said he came by it honestly, tripping down a flight of stairs at the old Double Dave's location in Northgate. On the way back up from refilling two cups of soda, he tripped again - on the same stair.
Many people are unaware that his given name isn't actually Trip. The moniker appears on award certificates he's received from the university, and it is engraved on his Aggie ring, which the policy doesn't allow.
The D-names play such an important role in Cepheid Variable that at lunch Thursday, Trip first learned the real name of Sydney Locke, who is better known as "Tray."
Tray's name evolved from the Hullabaloo - a food court in the MSC's basement - when she didn't have any notebook paper and began working math problems on a food tray. It became a habit, and to avoid getting in trouble for "vandalizing," she ended up buying her own trays to sketch on.
"I discovered a very limited art medium for myself," she said.
Cepheids say they are proud of the $1,500 they donate each year to Scotty's House Child Advocacy Center. The club has also created "S.O.S.," a tutoring program for Cepheids that aims to increase the club's academic status on campus.
But the Cepheids wouldn't be there if they didn't enjoy various sci-fi genres, which include everything from movies and literature to live-action role-playing games and console gaming.
"There's a lot of computer geekiness involved," said Mike Martin, the club's historian.
The club is rich in camaraderie, friendship and even romance.
"It gives us a home," said Heather Moehring, the group's secondary adviser. "It's our family away from our regular family, and sometimes it's just as dysfunctional."
• Josh Baugh's e-mail address is josh.baugh@theeagle.com.
By JOSH BAUGH
Eagle Staff Writer
A group of self-described misfits and pranksters at Texas A&M has gone from losing university funding to winning a prestigious student-organization award in just a few years.
Shortly before school let out for the summer, the group was named the 2006 Registered Student Organization of the Year. Members of Cepheid Variable say they were more surprised than anyone else that they'd won the award. Also, James "Spanky" Smith won an award for being the adviser of the year.
click to zoom in
Eagle Photo/Dave McDermand
Cepheid Variable recently won the 2006 Registered Student Organization of the Year. Jeffrey MacHolt, Jonathan Sneed, Jared Teslow, Summer Eiman, Joseph Narvaez, James Smith and Michael Martin banded together to raise funds.
A few years ago, Cepheid Variable was one of several groups that lost their funding from budget cuts at the Memorial Student Center, club officers said. But instead of folding, the members banded together and did their own fundraising by working at concession stands during A&M sporting events. The group also raises money through AggieCon, a sci-fi convention held on campus each year.
The club, whose name comes from a type of star that changes brightness over time, is made up of members who share a love for science fiction, fantasy, horror and other "strange things," members said. They describe themselves as "intelligent" people who aren't always completely dedicated to their school work.
Summer Eiman, a biomedical sciences major from Houston, said most members of Cepheid Variable were "outcasts and geeks in high school."
"It's an excellent refuge for people who otherwise are misfits on a campus that demands conformity," she said.
When these students come to A&M, she said, they tend to form very close friendships and spend a lot of time just having fun.
Students come to Cepheid Variable because they share a common interest in all things science fiction.
"It's what brings us together," said Jared Teslow, who is working on a Ph.D. in mathematics. "But it's hardly what defines us."
Teslow, a talkative 27-year-old from Houston, has been a Cepheid (pronounced "seff-id") since 1996 when he came to A&M as a freshman. As much as the group stands for mocking fraternities, Teslow said, there is a striking resemblance. They too have alumni out in the "real world" who form a network for jobs and references, though Cepheid alumni are called "elders." Then there's the nicknames, the charity work and the parties.
"We just don't have a house," Teslow said.
On Thursday, more than a dozen Cepheids met at Double Dave's Pizzaworks near campus, where they often go for dinner after their weekly meetings, which begin at 8:33 p.m. Tuesdays during the fall and spring semesters. Most were wearing their black club T-shirts with Delta Psi Phi (a play on "Sci-Fi") across the front in Greek letters.
The Cepheids draw a lot from National Lampoon's Animal House, including the "Delta" in their club's name and their nicknames. As in Animal House, most members in Cepheid Variable have "D-names," which they've earned for a variety of reasons. While some of the D-names aren't fit for print, some Cepheids said, they told stories of many others.
The most infamous D-name belongs to John Michael McGee, more commonly known as "Trip." He said he came by it honestly, tripping down a flight of stairs at the old Double Dave's location in Northgate. On the way back up from refilling two cups of soda, he tripped again - on the same stair.
Many people are unaware that his given name isn't actually Trip. The moniker appears on award certificates he's received from the university, and it is engraved on his Aggie ring, which the policy doesn't allow.
The D-names play such an important role in Cepheid Variable that at lunch Thursday, Trip first learned the real name of Sydney Locke, who is better known as "Tray."
Tray's name evolved from the Hullabaloo - a food court in the MSC's basement - when she didn't have any notebook paper and began working math problems on a food tray. It became a habit, and to avoid getting in trouble for "vandalizing," she ended up buying her own trays to sketch on.
"I discovered a very limited art medium for myself," she said.
Cepheids say they are proud of the $1,500 they donate each year to Scotty's House Child Advocacy Center. The club has also created "S.O.S.," a tutoring program for Cepheids that aims to increase the club's academic status on campus.
But the Cepheids wouldn't be there if they didn't enjoy various sci-fi genres, which include everything from movies and literature to live-action role-playing games and console gaming.
"There's a lot of computer geekiness involved," said Mike Martin, the club's historian.
The club is rich in camaraderie, friendship and even romance.
"It gives us a home," said Heather Moehring, the group's secondary adviser. "It's our family away from our regular family, and sometimes it's just as dysfunctional."
• Josh Baugh's e-mail address is josh.baugh@theeagle.com.