THE PSIREN A Publication of the Psi Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi at Cornell University SPRING 2007
ITHACA, NEW YORK
Brothers Prepare For The Ride Of Their Lives: JOH ‘07 Dear Brothers, Please feel free to contact me at (607) 351-4029 or apb32@cornell.edu with any questions about the Journey of Hope. Donations are also possible through the Push America website, http://www. pushamerica.org/donate/. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
This summer Terence Zimmermann ‘08 and I will be undertaking the daunting, yet exciting task of cycling over 4,000 miles from San Francisco, CA to Washington, D.C. on the Journey of Hope. While this may seem like a unique challenge, it is nothing in comparison to the challenges faced everyday by people with disabilities. Along the way, we will In Pi Kappa Phi, meet with many individuals and groups in order to bring a greater awareness to our peers and commu- Adam Barry ‘07 nity about what it means to have a disability with the hope of abating social stigmas attached to those disabilities. On June 10th, 2007 we will join over 70 other Pi Kappa Phi members in San Francisco, representing Psi Chapter, to begin this summer challenge. Together we will complete our 63-day bicycle trek to benefit Push America. Although we will be doing plenty of biking, the main focus of this venture is to build hope for people with disabilities as well as the organizations that serve them. We will be cycling up to 120 miles in a day, but the most important part of our day begins when we finish our riding. Almost every evening we will be participating in friendship visits with people with disabilities. These friendship visits are what makes this journey such a unique and rewarding experience as we are able to connect with the people whose lives we are impacting.
Terence Zimmermann ‘08
We are extremely excited about this opportunity and we have achieved our goal of raising $10,000!
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From the Archon’s Desk To the Brothers of Pi Kappa Phi -
Psi Chapter Alumni Corporation P.O. Box 788 Ithaca, NY 14851-0788 President Shahar Ziv, #982 sziv50@gmail.com
Vice President Will Chang, #989 wc225@cornell.edu Secretary Jay Jendrewski, #992 jasonjendrewski@gmail.com Treasurer William Newell, #436 wfn2@cornell.edu Directors Michael Davis, #795 mad4@cornell.edu
Psi continues to exceed expectations both on campus and with our national organization. Our potential is limitless; who would have thought, only 3 years ago, that our chapter would reach 81 brothers, making us the third largest chapter on campus? Although we’re proud of our success, we’re looking toward the future, and we’re confident that with high-aspiring goals and our dedicated alumni, our fraternity will remain a fixture at Cornell. Please enjoy this issue of the Psiren. We look forward to seeing you soon.
It’s my pleasure to report that the state of our chapter is incredibly strong. This Spring, under the leadership of Member Education chair Adam Dix, Psi welcomed 23 new men into our brotherhood. We are proud of our 100% new member retention, and we’re confident that the Gamma Class will quickly become leaders within our chapter. Brothers Adam Barry and Terrence Zimmerman are making final preparations to bike across the country for PUSH America’s Journey of Hope. Brother Michael Zam- In PKP, brana helped us triple our profits from our annual Best Jug on Cam- Elan Greenberg ‘08, Archon pus philanthropy event raising over Pi Kappa Phi $3,000 for charitable organizations. Brother Chris Sarra spearheaded our sponsorship of the Ithaca Youth Soccer League, providing funding and manpower to drive an entire athletics program for children in the community. Service, PUSH America, and Pi Kappa Phi are quickly becoming synonymous on campus and throughout the local community.
Father Robert Smith, #1033 rss44@cornell.edu PI KAPP AWARDS Jack Cognetta, #985 jcognetta@gmail.com Fred Schneider, #314 fschnei1@optonline.net Alok Tayi, #1028 alok.s.tayi@gmail.com
IFC Most Outstanding Chapter IFC Best New Member Education Program IFC Best New Member- Andy Lazar IFC Best Chapter Officer- Matthew Estersohn A.D. White Administrator of the Year- Fr. Robert Smith
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FALL 2006
House Improvements at 55 Ridgewood By Sheikh Shuvo '09 Our humble residence on 55 Ridgewood Road is an Ithaca historic landmark and has continually been a source of pride. Every day we are working on new projects and bolder additions to the house, hoping to improve our own quality of life and demonstrate a physical monument to Pi Kappa Phi. One such project precipitated over this past winter break. The brainchild of Brooks Diehl, new tiling was installed in our main foyer. The tiling contains a mosaic of the Pi Kappa Phi crest, colorfully illustrating our fraternal colors and motto. Every visitor who walks through the door is immediately greeted by this new tiling. It was a particular hit during this year’s Rush Week, serving both as a conversation piece and a physical reminder of our heritage. Many of the brothers and the members of the Gamma class have been discussing future house improvements: Some have proposed remodeling the staircase by removing the carpeting and refacing the wood surface. The Gamma class has already begun clearing the front lawn of disbris and many have discussed of landscaping the front of the house. The incoming Gamma class is rich with ideas and the brotherhood is looking foward to many of the minor and major house improvements being implemented.
The Pi Kapp crest is now embedded in our newly renovated floors
Professors Share Their Knowledge with Psi By Steven Sachs '09 To enhance the intellectual and cultural aspects of fraternity life, the scholarship committee and our chapter advisor, Father Robert Smith, have worked conjointly to establish a “faculty speaker series” at the fraternity. On a weekly basis, we have invited Cornell professors and other noted officials in the local community to join our brotherhood for a Sunday night dinner and subsequent discussion. The first three discussions were great successes, drawing active participation among members and sparking lively academic
debate. Our first speaker was Professor Steven Shiffrin of the Cornell University Law School, an expert on First Amendment and constitutional law. He addressed several issues regarding the separation of church and state in the United States, particularly the Establishment Clause and the impact of the two new Supreme Court justices on the court’s interpretation of these issues. Our second speaker was Industrial and Labor Relations Professor Gary Fields who fostered dialogue on international economic development. In his discussion, he offered several stories about his own travels to India
and his experiences with the women workers’ union. Our third and most recent speaker was local automotive entrepreneur Bill Cooke who spoke to us about entrepreneurship and automotive business development including the challenges and benefits of owning a business. Owing to the positive feedback of the brotherhood, we look forward to holding more faculty discussions at the chapter house. The scholarship committee is open to suggestions from the brotherhood regarding future topics.
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Introducing the Gamma Class… Daniel Ampadu ‘07 College: Engineering Major: Civil and Environmental Engineering Hometown: Kentwood, MI Matthew Bloom ‘10 College: Engineering Major: Mechanical Engineering Hometown: Sinking Spring, PA Nicholas Brownstone ‘10 College: Arts and Sciences Major: Psychology Hometown: Westfield, NJ Christopher Chamberlin ‘10 College: Engineering Major: Mechanical Engineering Hometown: Royal Palm Beach, FL Nicholas Demko ‘10 College: Engineering Major: Operations Research and Engineering Hometwon: Simsbury, CT David Detomaso ‘10 College: Engineering Major:Mechanical Engineering Hometown: Fort Worth, TX Raymond Feuga ‘10 College: Human Ecology Major: Human Biology, Health and Society Hometown: New Rochelle, NY Alexander Kadesch ‘10 College: Engineering Major: Mechanical Engineering Hometown: Bala Cynwyd, PA
Andrew Lazar ‘10 College: Engineering Major: Operations Research and Engineering Hometown: Irvington, NY
Benjamin Schreff ‘10 College: ILR Major: Industrial and Labor Relations Hometown: Greenwich, CT
Oliver Tim Lutz ‘10 College: Engineering Major: Materials Science Hometown: Hennef, Germany
Jason Shapiro ‘10 College: ILR Major: Industrial and Labor Relations Hometown: Bay Shore, NY
Spencer Marks ‘10 College: Engineering Major: Operations Research and Engineering Hometown: Hartford, CT
Jonathan Soh ‘10 College: Human Ecology Major: Human Development Hometown: Buffalo, NY
Adam Mizrachi ‘08 College: Arts and Sciences Major: Economics Hometown: Boca Raton, FL
Brian Steinmetz ‘10 College: Engineering Major: Mechanical Engineering Hometown: East Meadow, NY
Matthew Murphy ‘08 College: Agriculture and Life Sciences Major: Biological Engineering Hometown: Westchester, NY
CK Tang ‘10 College: Engineering Major: Electrical and Computer Engineering Hometown: West Side, Singapore
Edmond Parhami ‘09 College: ILR Major: Industrial and Labor Relations Hometown: Great Neck, NY
John Vilina ‘10 College: Engineering Major: Mechanical Engineering Hometown: Tokyo, Japan
Joel Posner ‘10 College: ILR Major: Industrial and Labor Relations HometownL Owings Mills, MD
Kelvin Wai ‘10 College: Engineering Major: Computer Science Hometown: Hwachong, Singapore Ben Young ‘09 College: Arts and Sciences Major: English Hometown: Oklahoma City, NY
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FALL 2006
Psi Exec Board at MYLC By Adam Paz ‘09 This past January, the Executive Board of Psi Chapter had the excellent opportunity of participating in the annual Pi Kappa Phi Mid Year Leadership Conference. For three days, all nine members of the Board and the chapter’s Risk Management Chair attended various seminars and workshops with members of other chapters from across the nation to gain the tools necessary for a successful and eventful year. Each person who attended the conference, which was held in Charlotte, North Carolina, was put on a unique track and received instruction from a member of the National Organization’s specialized staff. In addition, because the groups were separated by position, we were able to interact with brothers from other chapters who held the same role in their chapters. In this way, we were able to bounce ideas off of one another and gain new perspectives for programs in our own chapter. When we weren’t in one of the organized meetings of the weekend, it was interesting to interact with other Pi Kapps from different parts of the country and find that it was quite a diverse group. At the close of the weekend, we met as an Executive Board and discussed all of the things we had
learned throughout the weekend. In holding a planning session such as this, we were able to set goals for our terms in our respective positions. The entire event was a great way to get enthusiastic for the coming year and really get into the correct mindset to lead Psi Chapter. Up to this point, we, as an Executive Board, have found that the skills we picked up at Mid Year have been invaluable in accomplishing our goals and helping the entire brotherhood come together for a fantastic spring recruitment period, fundraising initiatives that have exceeded all expectation, and overall excellent chapter operations.
An Associate’s Perspective: The Future of Psi By Brian Steinmetz ‘10 As the semester draws to a close, a bittersweet feeling spreads throughout the house. The warmer months bring freedom from classes, but also bring a sad goodbye for the senior class of 2007. The brothers of the class of ’07 were the youngest of the men that led to the re-founding back in the spring of 2004. With their departure, the house will lose the last of those who can tell from experience the story re-founding. As a result, a huge burden falls upon us, the Gamma class. It will be our responsibility to carry on the beliefs and values that the re-founders vowed to uphold when they brought Pi Kappa Phi back to Cornell. It will be our responsibility to keep their spirit alive and flowing through the veins of Psi chapter, and I am confident that we can. The tenets of CLASS resonate throughout the Gammas.
Our class is composed of twelve engineers— each majoring in either operations research, mechanical, electrical, or civil engineering—four students from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations, four students from the school of Arts and Sciences—Majoring in psychology, English, or Economics—two students in the College of Human Ecology, and one student majoring in biological engineering in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Furthermore, the Gamma class consisted of a majority of freshman, however there were a handful of sophomores, juniors, and even one senior. It is clear that the members of Gamma class each come from a diverse background and each bring unique knowledge into the house. As the year ends, we wave goodbye to the seniors and turn our heads towards the future of the chapter. With the Gamma class at the helm, I am confident that the Psi chapter of Pi Kappa Phi will continue in its traditions as well as its innovations.
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Cheers! And Ni Hao! From Abroad Brothers Being away from Cornell for a semester is a strange concept. Having grown accustomed to its liberal life style, whimsical weather patterns and arduous courses, spending a semester in London has been quite different. Living in London, however, has been a great experience, one in which I would recommended to any of my PiKapp brothers. While here, I have been interning at Barclay’s Bank in the Private Wealth Management division. It is an extremely exciting job; I have a great team and we get to work on accounts which have superfluous amounts of money. Some of the accounts belong to ordinary people who have inherited money, but others belong to
Dear Psi Chapter Active Brother’s and Alumni: Ni Hao (Hello) from Beijing! I’m currently about 10,500 miles away from the Psi Chapter house and will be here until the end of May. I am participating in a semester long academic program through the International Education of Students foundation (IES) at Beijing Foreign Studies University. The program itself has several different aspects to it, the most important of those obviously being Chinese language classes. However, I have also had the opportunity to live with a Chinese family, participate in a part-time internship at Standard & Poor’s and travel around a country that is home to a population approximately 4 times the size of the United States. So far, I’ve had the chance to travel all around Southern China
famous people such as “Borat,” David Beckham and Elton John. My job is working with the internal division to ensure that all the procedures have been carried out according to Company, British and International Law. Being in London for the semester has provided me with the opportunity to travel to some very exciting places. By the time my semester is over, I will have traveled across Europe, from Norway and Denmark, to Austria, Hungary and Germany, to Italy and France, and to Belgium and the Netherlands. Each country has its own story, of which I cannot wait to tell when I return to Ithaca. Most exciting, however, has been the ability to get to know
London. Assimilating into their culture, their style, their way of life has been an exciting task and a great accomplishment. As always, PiKapp has infiltrated my every day life – my flat-mate is a PiKapp, Colorado State – Zeta Phi. Furthermore, while the British life is incredible, your emails and messages remind me of life at Cornell and I cannot wait to get back and hang out with you all. Congrats to the Gamma Class!
for nearly two weeks and plan on going to visit the ancient city of Xi’an over an upcoming weekend. Also, by living with a Chinese family and participating in an internship like I have, I have really learned alot about Chinese history, culture, and overall ways of living that are vastly different from the ways we do things in the U.S. Overall, I feel that this experience will benefit me personally and also will help out our brotherhood. As we try to become a diverse house of men encompassing many different cultures and nationalities it is important that we also actively have brothers stepping outside of their cultural realms and bringing their experiences back to share with everyone. I hope that when I return I will be able to share stories about my travels with many PiKapps back in Ithaca and elsewhere and contrib-
ute to the continued growth of our fraternity. But, until then, Zaijian (goodbye) from China!
-Evan Tyner ‘08
In PKP, Jarett Goldman ‘08
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FALL 2006
PUSHing Forward With Community Service By Michael Zambrana ‘09 The Psi chapter of Pi Kappa Phi completed its 5th annual Best Jug on Campus with its biggest peak: over $3200 in total. This amount was a record total, partially due to our implementation of the Cornell Card/Bursar system. Each day, not only were people allowed to donate spare change, but they also were able to donate money through use of Cornell Card or University Bursar by signing a consent form. Through the Cornell Card sys-
tem alone, we were able to raise over $1700 through this amazing event! Within the last year, the Psi chapter of Pi Kappa Phi has reached a peak in acts of service for the greater community of Ithaca. Our first real testament of helping the community of Ithaca came through when we decided to co-sponsor an indoor soccer league for the youth with the Ithaca Youth Bureau. From the first week of January until Mid-March of 2007, the brothers of Pi Kappa Phi witnessed a successful program that devel-
oped youth from ages 5 to 14 on the grasping the basic skills and command of the game of soccer. After the first year of our successful season, we realized that we will and must continue our mission of relaying the message of brotherhood and teamwork with the local residents of Ithaca.
Brothers volunteering their time at IYB soccer practice.
WE HOPE YOU CAN ATTEND THE ALUMNI MEET AND GREET AT THE NYC CORNELL CLUB JULY 21, 2007 (RAIN DATE JULY 28th) Contact Shahar Ziv at sziv50@ gmail.com to RSVP
We regret to inform of you of the passing of the following Brother to the Chapter Eternal. The Psi Chapter extends its heartfelt condolences to the friends and family of: Michael Shore ’97
The Psiren is published by the Psi Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity. News contributions and pictures are welcome and should be addressed to Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, Alumni Relations Chairman, 55 Ridgewood Road, Ithaca, NY 14850 Layout and Design by Noah Fine Nathel and Brett Bauchner
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PKF
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Check us out on the web! http://www.cornellpikapp.com
PKF HERE
Pi Kappa Phi, Psi Chapter 55 Ridgewood Road Ithaca, NY 14850
STAMP PLACE
Create a Profile on CornellPiKapp.com! Hey Psi Alumni! Now you can create your own personal profile and keep in touch with active brothers as well as fellow alumni. Tell us what you’re doing now, where you are currently located, or just leave an Alumni comment. Your confidentiality is respected; you can fill in as much or as little information as you would like. Additionally, only active brothers and other alumni with profiles will be able to view your information. To create a profile on CornellPiKapp.com, just email our webmaster, Nick Fajt, at ngf2@cornell.edu.
Old Pi Kapp Photos?....Send ‘Em Our Way! The Psiren is looking for your old photos and stories to be put in our next issue. If you have any photos or short stories from your undergraduate days in Pi Kappa Phi, you can email digital copies to Brett Bauchner at beb34@cornell.edu. Or, if you only have hard copies, you can mail them to the chapter house at Pi Kappa Phi c/o Alumni Relations Chairman 55 Ridgewood Road Ithaca, NY 14850 We’ll scan and return any photos you send us!