THETA MU CHAPTER UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS-AMHERST
SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST: •
PUSH the Pedal
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A Capella Concert
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Brother MacDermott Abroad
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Access-ABILITY
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New Website
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JOH Journal Entries
INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Letter From The Archon
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Awards Recognition
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Brother Keough’s 3 JOH Druar’s Experience
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PiKapp Abroad
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DTP on Network- 8 ing Recruitment Recap
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Eta Spotlight
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Brother Moffet’s JOH
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Theta-Mu Minutes V O L U M E
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PUSH the Pedal Pi Kappa Phi - Theta Mu is currently continuing its progressive tradition and planning on teaming up with a UMass sorority in introducing a new event to the University of Massachusetts this spring. "Push the Pedal" will be a campus wide cycling event, in which teams of 4 or 5 will be able to participate in a race around a track. Pi Kapp will reach out for community participation, as well as try to foster a sense of competition across the Greek community as a precursor to Greek Week. Also, during the race, there will be a variety of activities and family friendly entertainment in the infield of the track. Ultimately, the event hopes to raise money and awareness to benefit individuals with physical and mental disabilities. Also, because of the nature of this event, Pi Kapp will be tying in a new theme and promoting green transportation. Stay tuned for more information and details!
Pi Kappa Phi presents: First Annual A Capella Concert William Anderson, with the help of Push America chairman, Andrew Venooker, and Vice Archon, Rusty Brown, have organized a unique effort to raise money for Push America. On November 15th, Theta Mu will present the first annual A Capella Invitational, which will
host a variety of groups including some from UMass, Smith College, Mt. Holyoke College, Northampton High School, and SUNY Stony Brook. All proceeds go to Push America, our National Philanthropy, an organization who’s purpose is to help people with disabilities. “This is
something that is very important to us as a chapter. We hope this will be as successful as the spring race,” William Anderson says. The concert will be held at the UMass Campus Center Auditorium on November 15th from 3-5PM.
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Letter From Archon Corriveau "What got you interested in Pi Kappa Phi? Why did you join? And why are you here today?" I was the first to respond. I stood up and reached for my rosary beads that I received from when I was in seventh grade. Warily, I began to relate my entire life story to the brotherhood and used those rosary beads as a window into my past. I expressed to them how tightly I held onto my religious faith during some of the most darkest and difficult times in my life. And I also expressed my heartache and pain when I realized that my faith, my rock in uncertain times, had abandoned me at my darkest and most desperate hour. I spent four years of high school wandering throughout life in search of something to believe in again. Unfortunately, my search was fruitless. I decided to go away to college to change the scenery in my life but realized a difficult lesson we all learn sooner or later: you can travel halfway across the world but the storms and tidal waves that rage within you will never subside, even if you are standing in paradise. So I did my best to make the best of my time at UMass. I eventually joined Southwest Area Government my freshman year, where I met Brothers Jerome Rogich, Nick Druar, and Adam Gentile. I was then hired by Brother Paul Vasconcellos at the Dean of Students Office the summer before my sophomore year. All four of them always spoke so highly about something called "Pi Kappa Phi." I wanted to see what they were talking about. Soon after, I was hooked. There was no turning back. I had found my home away from home. I may not have known it then, but I can look back now and understand why Initiation and becoming a brother was so important for me. It gave me something to believe in again and a reason to believe in myself after years of misery and heartache. Pi Kappa Phi became my new religion and I have devoutly knelt at its alter for the past three years. And I intend to do so the rest of my life. For the rest of that meeting, many other brothers shared their heartfelt answers to those three vital questions I previously answered. Some of the answers were emotional, some were humorous, and others were insightful and revealing. Yet, regardless of their answers, they all provided an answer to an even greater question: why is Pi Kappa Phi Theta Mu so important? So, at this time, I would like to reach out to all of you, our beloved alumni, and ask you to answer those three vital questions and search within your hearts for the reasons why Pi Kappa Phi Theta Mu was and still is an important part of your life. In brotherhood, Brother Rob Petrie Corriveau
Pi Kappa Phi Recognition:
UMass Greek Honors & Awards • • • • • • •
2009 Fraternity of the Year Highest Cumulative GPA of UMass Greek Fraternities 2009 Outstanding Philanthropic Event: Push America 5k Race 2009 Outstanding Greek Scholar: Brother David Paquette 2009 Fraternity Man of the Year: Brother Matt Sloan 2009 Bernie Dallas Leadership Scholarship: Brother Mike DiPietro 2009 Outstanding Junior Chapter Member: Brother Josh Jost
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2009 Champion Master Chapter 2009 Silver Star for Push America 2009 Master Chapter of Academic Achievement 2009 Master Chapter of Superior New Member Education 2009 Master Chapter of Living the Ritual 2009 Master Chapter of Recruitment Success 2009 Master Chapter of Effective Alumni Relations
Pi Kappa Phi National Recognition
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Brother Keough: An excerpt from Journey of Hope beauty still exists.
June 22, 2009 Butte, MT - Bozeman, MT Today was easily the most trying and most beautiful day of the trip. We woke up at 5:00am to damp and chilly conditions, luckily by the time we started cycling, the rain had stopped, though the temperature did not improve much. I rode with Cubby, Trevor, and Schmidt and had one of my worst days on the bike, but apparently my cynicism kept them entertained. The ride began with a big climb that I had the privilege of pulling for. We posed out of breath at the peak for a picture with the remains our Yakima, WA apples for Tink, the team's Washington native before beginning the cold descent. I've taken to keeping my speedometer off, because I freak out when ever I see it climb above 35mph. Today we easily broke 40. We averaged well over 20mph for the first 50 miles and were treated to a beautiful ride through mountains and rolling hills, past caves, and alongside rivers so blue green it hurt to look away. Meanwhile antelope and deer grazed peacefully, seeming unaware of our existence. It is so refreshing to see that such unadulterated
Our ride took a turn for the worse, quite literally, when we made a right at Moff's crew stop. The tailwind that had propelled us at record speeds became a surging draft that no pace line could tame. Schmidt got a flat along the way but our hands were all so frozen it took an unusually long time to fix. In the mean time Trevor started yelling at a nearby group of cows, and I started screaming every obscenity I'd ever heard. After the flat was changed we took of at an asthmatic pace, at which time we all began yelling obscenities - I learned some new ones!
is helpful for people learning to walk as it helps develop balance, and the movement of the horse mimics our own method of walking. We saw three young brothers, who had been rescued from a meth house, participate in the class. Their adoptive mother was kind enough to tell us a little about the boys background and the different therapies they're involved in now. It would make you cry just to listen. Dinner was wonderful! They had fruit AND vegetables! We were all so happy not to have cheeseburgers and hot dogs again. We ate with two paracyclists who allowed us to test their bikes after dinner in the parking lot. I didn't have nearly enough upper body strength to make a complete lap.
After what felt like an eternity, we caught a glimpse of the rest of the team eating lunch up ahead. We pulled in for a Crew I'm writing from my sleeping Chief Lunch (2 pieces of deli bag now. Most of the team is meat, and one slice of cheese on engrossed in "Liar, Liar" but I your choice of white or wheat, can't take my eyes off this sunor in this case just wheat beset. I've never seen one like this cause everyone ate all the on the East Coast. Time to sleep white). Drayton surprised us though. Tomorrow's another with a box of caramel candy 5:00am wake up and we're cyfrom our stop in Phillipsburg cling another 85 miles (all upthe day before - it really hit the hill) to the state boarder and the spot! After a brief respite in the fringe of Yellowstone. I'm vans with the heat on full blast, pumped. we hit the road again to finish the 40+ miles into Bozeman. In 1987, a young Pi Kappa Phi alumnus named We are lodged tonight at Eagle Brook - a facility for locals with physical disabilities. After a hot shower and the obligatory shave, we sat in on a therapeutic equestrian class. I didn't realize horseback riding
Bruce Rogers (Chi) cycled across the country in an effort to bring more attention to the mission of Push America. Inspired by his inaugural trip, a 21-person team led by Jim Karlovec began the Journey of Hope in 1988. Every summer since, members of Pi Kappa Phi have cycled from CA or WA to Washington, DC while delivering a message of understanding. There are now three routes on the Journey of Hope: North, South, and Trans America. All three of the routes finish in Washington, DC.
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“A Ride Along to a Greater Appreciation” used to riding with them in the van that I wanted to experience riding on a bike with them as well.
The following is an excerpt from Brother Moffet’s Journey of Hope Journal
Date: August 9, 2009 Day: 65 Miles: 40 Destination: Roanoke, VA As a member of the Crew, I knew that my Journey across America would be far less physically demanding than that of a cyclist. However, I never imagined just how hard it is for them until today. For just one day during this trip, each Crew Member is allowed the opportunity to ride a bike and live the life of a cyclist. After hearing all of the stories and all of the memories they have made, I could not resist
giving it a shot. With the help from Whitey in supplying the uniform, and Matt Schmidt teaching me how to ride, and the actual bike from Mike Keough, I was ready to go. I was even going to be joined by fellow Crew Member, Terry Hortsman so this day had all the potential in the world to be entertaining.
Once we started and got into a groove, it hit me… riding your bike across the country is no easy task! By mile 10 I was ready to throw in the towel. My paceline was very supportive by being really encouraging and patient since I was going at a speed far slower than they were used to and making more stops than they did. However, they stuck by my side the whole day and I can honestly say that I could not have finished without them pushing me all the way.
Now, I have not ridden a bike in easily 5 years, so going on it for the first time was interesting. After some laps around the parking lot and a quick info session on hand signals and bike safety, I felt more confident that I could at least make it a mile.
I really got the full experience as a cyclist and had four flat tires. The worst one came three miles out of lodging when we unfortunately ran out of tubes. Brian “Kankles” McDonald came to my aid and actually switched front wheels with my bike so that I could finish the ride. It is something I will never forget and I cannot thank him enough for giving me the opportunity to keep going.
I chose to ride with my van consisting of Danny Carpenter, Ben Thacker, James Fredrick, Brian McDonald and Eric Galdo. I am so
Today was a challenge for me but it was also a realization of how much more credit the cyclists deserve for everything that they do.
Physically doing what they are accomplishing is an amazing feat and they get stronger each and every day. I truly feel that I am surrounded by greatness. I have always recognized what they do but I have definitely gained such a greater appreciation for them and the talents they show. After the ride, we had an amazing friendship visit and lunch with the Down Syndrome Association of Roanoke. It was a perfect way to end the day! However for tomorrow, I am most certainly ready to be back in the van but am so happy and grateful to be allowed the opportunity to ride for the day! Andrew Moffett Crew Member Theta Mu – UMASS Amherst Fairfield, CT
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Recap: Vice Archon reports on Recruitment Our Fall 2009 theme was "Excellence," a word that is difficult to place in the facade of a Fraternity. To define a Fraternity by a single solitary word, seems impossible. However, the brotherhood this semester rose to the occasion by showing that we are a Fraternity of excellent men, who strive for leadership in the classroom, community, and morality. With the theme picked out, the Fraternity chartered into new territory with the implementation of a campus wide scholarship. The "Leader By Choice" Scholarship
was built to find a man whose moral compass was in the same direction as the members of our Fraternity. This scholarship and our theme this semester takes us back to our roots as a Fraternity who "Builds Better Men!" We have gained an outstanding Eta Class for the Fall Semester, hoping that someday, they will carry the light of this Fraternity and the Excellence we strive for everyday. -Rusty Brown # 56
Eta Spotlight: Ryan Trzpit My name is Ryan Richard Trzpit. I was introduced to Pi Kappa Phi by my brother , Jesse Trzpit, and father, “Cricket� Trzpit, a recent alumni initiate. I am originally from Ware, MA and I'm currently an undeclared freshman but have an interest in the fields of History, Political Science, and Education. In regards to the fraternity, I'm most excited for the brotherly bonding and togetherness as well as the idea of participating in the Journey of Hope. I am pumped to become a Pi Kapp!!
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City Year
If you saw me at work you would probably immediately wonder why everyone is dressed the same. We all wear Timberland boots that suit a construction worker more than a student mentor. Even more eye popping, however, are the red jackets that many in the city of Boston automatically associate with City Year. This year City Year celebrates its 21st birthday and my chance to serve as a Corps Member in a year of volunteer service. Over that long period of time City Year has evolved quite a bit and emerged as an organization dedicated to stopping the drop out crisis in high school by recognizing early drop out indicators in ele-
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mentary school students. Most of the corps spends everyday working in a classroom mentoring and tutoring students and most also run after school programming to help struggling students. City Year also runs two other programs that work with high school and middle school students. I work on the Young Heroes teams which brings together 150 middle school students three Saturdays a month between December and May to learn about different social issues that affect their community. Each Saturday the students discuss the issues in groups, hear from speakers, and use activities and games to gain a broad understanding of topics such as violence, homelessness, drugs and alcohol and even people with disabilities. Not only that but in the afternoon
they have go out into the Boston community and do physical service that relates back to the topic they discuss in the morning. This might look like painting a peace mural for violence or building benches for a homeless shelter. Not only do these students gain an understanding of the issue but they also are inspired to help make a small change that day. So in a nutshell, that is City Year and what I spend my time working on. It has been an incredible experience so far and everyday brings something new. I certainly credit Pi Kapp helping me to be a leader for many of these youth that I work with. I encourage you to learn more about City Year at their website at cityyear.org.
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The Pi Kapp Experience Abroad has been adjustment to life without the family, friends, and support I am used to receiving on a daily basis. Having always come from a close and supportive family, I have learned my entire life about the importance of keeping genuine, caring people around you. Waking up everyday to the sounds of century old church bells ringing and the hustle and bustle on “Hauptstraße” (Main Street) can be a very bizarre experience for someone that is used to the quiet sanctuary of Orchard Hill. I have seen 1000-year-old churches, buildings you could only imagine in a movie, and the German forests and countryside are breathtaking. I have found most Germans to be very friendly and they love Americans. The food, the culture, the people, and scenery here are everything one dreams of seeing in Germany. I currently live in a “city” by German standards but the appearance is more of a big village when compared to American cities. My village is on the Neckar River, nestled in the mountains and a Castle overlooking the village. These changes have all been welcomed and everyday, even walking to class, is a sight seeing tour. Still the differences that have been hardest to overcome here in Germany are not the culture shock, language adjustment or figuring out what exactly is in a Bratwurst. The hardest thing
Going to UMass as a freshman and leaving behind my life of 18 years made it difficult not to have my “normal support” that I was used to getting. This is what I believe most attracted me to Pi Kappa Phi. People with whom I joined may argue I said other things like “networking” and the “business” end of it, but I believe those were disguises used to cover up what I had a hard time admitting would be “worth paying semester dues for the next 3 years.” Regardless of reason or cause, I found myself amongst the best Gentlemen and best friends I would make in my college experi-
ence. In 3 years as a brother, I have had had the best of memories made, and always find new reasons that I am ever happy I joined this Fraternity. Using a language everyday that doesn’t even have a word for Fraternity can be hard to explain what Pi Kappa Phi is to Germans, and even more difficult to explain why this group of men means so much. Thankfully, technology is amazing and I have had the honor of still staying connected with brothers back home. Somehow, at times of feeling down or homesick, a brother will always make a timely Skype call, leave an impulsive Facebook message or just somehow find me on AIM. This to me is amazing. When you have something everyday, you can take it for granted and it loses some of its shine, but when you cannot fully experience it, you realize what it truly
View from Heidelberg,Germany
means to you. Still I know that as far away as I may feel, deep down I know that my brothers are still there for me even if its in an Instant Message or what form the situation allows for. Being abroad has been a humbling experience and I truly believe that Pi Kapp has helped to give me the personal tools I needed to be more successful here. Being a Pi Kapp is something greater than the individual and that transcends any boundaries. I am an ocean away and yet, I still feel closer to my brothers than ever. To all of you guys, I look forward to coming home, and continuing to build memories, maybe a few ramps too, along the way. Excellence is a choice, and I know you have all made it your choice! Joseph MacDermott #49
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Theta Mu roots grow in the Professional Environment DTP, through pro-active efforts, was given a budget, the task of designing, adding new content, managing, and bringing a new face to the on-line Daniel O'Connell's Sons brand. When it came to choosing a web designer the most important factor for me was to look for someone I could be 100% honest with and who I could trust to do a good job and at a good value. TJ Kelly was the obvious choice for this job. Not everyone knows this but TJ was originally recruited to design a website for our Fraternity. He not only completed this at no cost to our chapter, but also joined our fraternity and continues to provide tier 1 web services.
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They say your, "network determines your net worth," and I am a strong believer of this quote. Theta Mu, through its continued high standards of recruitment, provides a gateway for young talented men to surround themselves with like minded brothers who will go on to become business partners, colleagues, wedding guests, and an extremely valuable resource. I urge all brothers to keep these bonds of brotherhood even after they make their real world debuts. Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter and many other social networking sites make this extremely possible. Diego Torres-Palma #02
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Website Receives Facelift For the past couple of months, TJ Kelly has spent countless hours refining his own personal design of the UMass Pi Kapp webpage. The new webpage is more media-driven and interactive than other websites. Some new features include a slide show that appears on the homepage and a blog that contains recent entries such as the chapter minutes and events. Other features of the website include brother biographies with pictures, a complete event
Archon Brother Robert Petrie Corriveau #35 Vice Archon Brother Russell “Rusty� Brown #56 Treasurer Brother Gregory LeMoine #72 Secretary Brother Michael DiPietro #58 Warden Brother Andrew Moffett #44 Historian Brother Joshua Jost #75 Chaplain Brother Michael Pearson #76 Push America Brother Andrew Venooker #87
list with calendar, an in depth explanation of our national philanthropy, PUSH America, and Frequently Asked Questions. The website is continually updated by TJ so stay tuned for new events, updates, and announcements. Feel free to visit the website @ www.pikappumass.com
Pi Kappa Phi was founded as Nu Phi (the "non-fraternity") in Charleston, South Carolina at the turn of the 20th Century. The founding fathers of Pi Kappa Phi saw the fraternities on their campus taking the wonderful opportunity of brotherhood for granted. The men of the Theta Mu Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi are a group of motivated, passionate, and intelligent men who hope to continue the tradition of our founding fathers. By taking advantage of opportunities presented by college life, the University of Massachusetts, and the brotherhood of Pi Kappa Phi, our mission is to challenge ourselves and our brothers to create better men for today and for the future, ultimately to give back to our community and contribute our talents and efforts to others. In Pi Kappa Phi is a first CLASS fraternity that firmly believes in the tenets of Character, Leadership, Academics, Sportsmanship, and Service. These principles are not only valued but instilled through leadingedge educational, service and leadership opportunities provided by our National Association. Forget every negative thing you've ever heard about fraternities because the rules of the game have changed. The men of Pi Kappa Phi will help change the face of Greek life at this University, because "excellence is a choice" and we have made our decision. Chapter Website: http://www.pikappumass.com Photos of the Chapter: http://www.flickr.com/pikappumass
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