The members of Phi Delta Theta pose for a picture in shirts that read “Too Tall” on the back, which was Teleha’s nickname. // Photo Courtesy of Gianna Costanzo, Hofstra Chronicle
Students and staff at Hofstra University continue to honor the life of a classmate, 12 years after his passing.
Pete “Too Tall” Teleha was a rising junior at Hofstra when he passed away in the summer of 2012. The loss was felt throughout the entire university, as he was an active member of five on campus organizations and a valued friend to many.
Twelve years later, his alma mater continues to honor his life and legacy through the annual “Just Sing Memorial Concert,” which is hosted by Hofstra’s chapter of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity and the Hofstra Dutchmen.
The concert featured performances from all of Hofstra’s a cappella groups: The Hofbeats, the Hofstra Dutchmen, Makin’ Treble and Sigma’Cappella.
“As the years go on, we find ourselves in a position where no active brother has had the privilege of personally knowing [Teleha], but through this concert, his legacy lives on,” said Ryan Farello, a junior finance major and the current president of Phi Delta Theta.
Teleha’s passion for music and involvement on campus inspired this philanthropic event. He was a member of the Phi Delta Theta, Phi Beta Kappa Academic Honors Society, Hofstra Vocal Jazz Ensemble, the Hofstra Dutchmen and Sigma’Cappella.
“This concert shows that [Teleha] left his mark on the school,” said Aidan Schroh, a junior music education major and president of the Hofstra Dutchmen. “I’m sure I speak for all of the performers here today when I say it’s an honor to sing at this event every year.”
Each year, all the proceeds from this event go toward the Pete Teleha Memorial Fund, which is sponsored by Hofstra’s Rabinowitz Honors College, however, raising money was secondary to the primary goal of the night.
“Our biggest goal is mostly just getting everybody together and sharing [Teleha’s] story and spreading the message of positivity and togetherness that [Teleha] brought to Hofstra,” said Zach Kiekhaefer, a senior music business major and the fundraising chair and parent secretary for Phi Delta Theta. Kiekhaefer is also a senior member of The Hofbeats.
A video projection of Teleha’s friends and family welcomed audience members into the Student Center Theater. This allowed audience members to get to know who Teleha was before his tragic passing.
“[Teleha] was not only a Dutchman, but he was one of the founding members of the group,” Farello said. “That gives us the honor of passing on his appreciation of music and performance, both to new members of our group, as well as the audiences that we perform for.”
Each year, the Dutchmen honor Teleha’s legacy through their choice of songs. They perform a vocal warm-up that Teleha composed and, as a tribute to Teleha’s parents, they perform “True Colors” by Cyndi Lauper. They end their performance each year with a remix of the songs “Pour Some Sugar On Me” by Def Leppard and “Fat Bottomed Girls” by Queen, which Teleha also partially composed.
“[The ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ and ‘Fat Bottom Girls’ remix] goes from the sadness and the remembrance [of the memorial] right into this boisterous, joyful, happy, entertaining alumni song,” said Grace Gustafson, a sophomore double major in psychology and criminology with a minor in forensic science and a member of The Hofbeats. “And it just really captures the happiness and the joy that we all feel to be here.”
Sigma’Cappella also honored Teleha by performing a song that he once sang as a solo: “Blackbird” by The Beatles. Theo Bazin, junior music major with a concentration in voice performance and member of Sigma’Cappella, composed that song for the memorial concert last year and performed it, not knowing the significance of the song.
“After we performed it [last year], [his] father came up to me and said that [Teleha] had sung ‘Blackbird’ in his time at Hofstra. Completely coincidental,” Bazin said. “I had no idea that it had that significance. It was really awesome.”
The meaningful songs and moving performances created a welcoming atmosphere in the theater that was appreciated by both the performers and the audience members.
“I’m so moved by the energy in this room,” said Cade Ferguson, a junior computer science and mathematics double major with a minor in German and president of Sigma’Cappella. “It’s abundantly clear that [Teleha] had a tremendous impact on Hofstra, and it’s really incredible to see how many people he’s touched, even people that never got the opportunity to know him.”
After the last a cappella group performed, each group, as well as the members of Phi Delta Theta, joined together on stage to perform one last song: “Lean on Me” by Bill Withers. They were met with a standing ovation from Teleha’s father, Chris Teleha. Teleha’s parents travel from Pennsylvania every year to attend the concert.
“A moment that stood out to me was when all of the groups got together, including the frat that he was in, and they all got together to sing,” said Sophia Zalewski, a sophomore double major in criminology and psychology. “It was really beautiful seeing all of them get together in unity.”
Another example of unity could be seen in the wave of blue that painted the theater and stage. The members of Phi Delta Theta wore matching T-shirts that read “Too Tall” on the back, which was Teleha’s nickname.
“[Teleha] brought an unforgettable energy to the group that really lives on to this day,” Ferguson said. “As a group, we strive to carry on his legacy of acceptance and positivity, and because of him, we’re reminded to cherish every second we have together, and that’s an amazing thing.”
