Review Spring 2008

RE THE

OF PSI UPSILON

Spring 2008

Beyond Gammie

The Fraternal Journey of Foundation President Tom Hanford Perhaps most surprising about Tom Hanford’s role as president of the Psi Upsilon Foundation is that from his earliest involvement as an alumnus, he says, “I never thought I’d be active nationally.”

Psi U is a great institution and I felt it was worthy of preservation.

Tom Hanford, Gamma ’62 (Amherst College)

The 1962 economics graduate of Amherst College describes the Psi U of the mid-20th century as a strongly decentralized organization. “Dues to national were $6.00 per year. There were no visiting members from the Fraternity to chapters that I know of. So for us, the Fraternity was the chapter.”

Tom’s father, uncle, and older brother were all Psi U’s. Tom says his decision to follow in their footsteps was no foregone conclusion, but in the end the bid came easily.

During his undergraduate years at the Gamma, Tom took on several leadership positions. He served as treasurer for two years and in 1961 was named the Gamma’s Outstanding Junior. After graduation,

outstanding experience in Gammie. It had truly been a great learning cauldron.

There is tremendous gain that goes along with living in a small, cohesive group that is constantly addressing new issues and conflicts. It’s something you don’t get in any other place, and I wanted to see the chapter continue and prosper. Psi U is a great institution and I felt it was worthy of preservation.”

Thomas T. Hanford, Gamma ’62 President, The Psi Upsilon Foundation and Gamma Chapter Corporation

Tom pursued his MBA at Harvard. Career and family commitments took precedence over fraternal involvement for a full decade. But Tom never forgot the positive influence the Gamma made on his life. In 1972, he contacted the Gamma Chapter Corporation, the alumni group providing assistance and support to the undergraduates.

“My main motivation for getting involved was to do whatever small part I could to give back for my own

Following his return to an active role in the chapter, Tom began to appreciate the critical functions the International Fraternity fulfills for every chapter.

“In college everybody loves their chapter; that’s natural, that’s expected. But I could see that the international organization was providing critical programs for these undergraduates. These efforts were going to help in the long-term survival.”

Tom recalls a critical moment in 1984, when Amherst withdrew all formal recognition and support of Greek organizations – a stance

Tom Hanford, con’t. that prevails to this day.

“It’s difficult for brothers to fully appreciate the role of the international organization in the survival of the chapter. But things like the alcohol education program, our insurance program, risk management efforts, these are things needed to keep every chapter going.”

Tom Hanford, Gamma ’62

“The undergraduate chapter leaders came to the alumni corporation and said, ’We want this to keep going, but we need your help.’ We told them they had our full support, on the condition that they continue to play a positive, cooperative, active role in the extracurricular campus life. We were not going to preside over a group who’d thumb their noses at the administration and act like they wanted nothing to do with the college.”

With the help of the International Fraternity, the chapter was able to relocate off campus and eventually purchase a house. Tom saw clearly that without a strong international level organization, his own Gamma chapter – along with any chapter facing the myriad of challenges in a complex world – couldn’t survive.

Hanford’s business partner, Dave Gosling, Upsilon ’63 (Rochester), encouraged Tom to become involved at the international level. In 2001, Tom was elected to the Foundation board of directors, and the following year, he was elected president and will complete his second two-year term this summer.

“My goal has been to get the Foundation on solid financial footing for the long-term. I’ve worked to increase alumni support through the Annual Fund.

I think the big difficulty is that the vast majority of members tend first

and foremost to associate with only their chapter.

It’s difficult for brothers to fully appreciate the role of the international organization in the survival of the chapter. But things like the alcohol education program, our insurance program, risk management efforts, these are things needed to keep every chapter going.”

to Psi U. He’s encouraged by what he considers vast potential for growth in this area from alumni like him – graduates who look back with fondness on their own collegiate days and wish to perpetuate the same for a new generation.

“The future of Psi U,” Tom asserts, “depends upon us continuing to replenish our membership. That takes committed alumni, Tom Hanford hopes committed undergraduates, every alumnus will stay involved at some level. The and plenty of support from an international opportunities are many. organization that is able to reach out with “Alumni can start by individualized support and checking to see if their strong programming for local chapter has an active our very wide range of alumni group. If not, chapters.” or if the geography isn’t good, you can reconnect through the Psi U website and find out a whole host Tom and Margaret Hanford of information on the live in Rochester, New York.

Fraternity today. Some They have two children and two grandchildren. In addition chapter web pages are to serving as Foundation up and running. Alumni president, Tom continues his can also volunteer – all it takes is a desire to help Psi active involvement with both the Gamma and Upsilon chapters Upsilon.” of Psi U. Strong financial support remains an annual priority among Tom’s contributions

The Hanford family, from left Nicholas, Margaret, Sarah and Tom at their summer home in Fair Haven, NY.

2008 Archons’ Academy Builds Teamwork Leadership education can be taught in the classroom but it is learned by experience. Most alumni agree that the leadership experience gained in their undergraduate chapter was the best teacher.

To prepare the chapters’ chief elected officers for success, every undergraduate chapter president is invited to attend the Archons Academy. The program is presented at no cost to the archon or his chapter. All expenses of transportation, housing, meals and the educational program are provided by contributions to Psi Upsilon’s Annual Fund.

The topics covered at this year’s Archons Academy included: w Goal setting and program planning w Learning to supervise, direct and delegate Psi Upsilon’s history, heraldry, organization and values w Ritual, exactly what is (and isn’t) a secret and why it is important in the 21st century w Understanding the chapter’s stakeholders – young alumni, older alumni, parents, faculty, administration As one of this year’s archons commented, “The greatest advantage of the Archons Academy is the opportunity to understand how other chapters function and the chance to learn from each other.” Every undergraduate president leaves the Archons Academy with a better understanding of Psi Upsilon and his place in it.

Archons came from every direction to attend the 14th Annual Archons Academy held prior to heading back to school in January.

A common love of Psi Upisilon made teamwork easy for these archons as they learned about one another and shared ideas.

Guest speaker Jeremy Slovinsky, Executive Director of Alpha Kappa Lambda, discusses crisis management with the archons.

Order of the Owl

T

he most direct and effective way to ensure the success of Psi Upsilon is with your gift to the Annual Fund. To sustain that success, the Psi Upsilon Foundation has established the Order of the Owl recognizing those brothers who make three-year pledges of $1,000 or more annually.

Each year Psi Upsilon provides the Archons Academy, the Leadership Institute, on-campus support of each chapter, and educational materials to every one of its chapters. The Order of the Owl permits Psi U to plan better and to use contributions more effectively. And, as a donor, you can free yourself of those pesky solicitation letters for three years.

For more information about becoming a member of the Order of the Owl, contact Mariann Williams. (mariann@psiu.org or 800-394-1833 ext. 22)

$10,000 and above David A. B. Brown, Epsilon Phi ’66 William G. Cavanagh Esq., Pi ’72 Louis T. Hanover, Omega ’87 Samuel J. Tinaglia, Omega ’88 Charles A. Werner, Omega ’55 $3,001 - 10,000 Mark D. Bauer, Omega ’83 J. Martin Brayboy, Gamma ’84 Murray L. Eskenazi, Lambda ’56 Lewis R. Finkelstein, Omicron ’83 Eldred A. Halsey Jr., Delta ’58 Thomas T. Hanford, Gamma ’62 John P. McGinn, Omega ’90 Forrest G. Weeks IV, Tau ’52 Mark A. Williams, Phi ’76

$3,000 Thomas T. Allan, Theta Theta ’89 Farzad Alvi, Omega ’88 John E. Becker II, Psi ’61 Andrew Brownfield, Omega ’88 Rahsaan Burroughs, Phi Beta ’96 Manuel J. Chaknis, Omega ’85 Anthony Chedid, Omega ’97 Matthew W.Clary, Theta Theta ’85 Bradley R. Corner, Omicron ’72 Kevin A. Klock, Chi Delta ’01 Jack Lageschulte, Eps. Omega ’59 F. Hampton McFadden, Jr. Gamma ’84 Henry B. Poor, Gamma ’39 James A. Swanke Jr., Rho ’80 Evan W. Terry, Epsilon Phi ’93

Spotlight on Scholarship:

Jonathan Tamayo, Lambda Sigma ’08 (Pepperdine University) What did you do last summer?

Jonathan Tamayo, Lambda Sigma

’08 received the Gardner A. Calanen, Psi 1929 Scholarship Award for 2007-08. We asked him about his Psi U experiences

How did you decide to join Psi Upsilon?

My RA freshman year was a Psi U, and he convinced my entire suite to rush to get free stuff. I ended up really liking the guys, and four of us got a bid. There’s a saying in our chapter that “Psi U is the fraternity for guys that never thought they would join a fraternity.”

How did the Psi Upsilon scholarship help you this year?

It has tremendously helped make tuition more affordable. There is a lot of opportunity at Pepperdine to do amazing things that is shaping who I am. My scholarship has made it possible to take advantage of these opportunities without having to worry about the financial burden they can bring.

I interned in London last summer. It was one of the best times of my life and the internship I had there was life changing. I worked at one of the top radio stations in London that broadcasts all over the UK. I was able to do reporting in a big city and got to interview the mayor of London, government officials, detectives, British celebrities, artists, and world explorers. I even got to cover Prince Charles. I followed him around all day as he toured an environmental facility that helps kids on the street get jobs.

What kind of projects have you worked on this semester?

This past semester I was our chapter’s philanthropy chair and planned our 2nd annual “Psi U Think You Can Dance.” It’s a dance competition between sororities that raises money and awareness for the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation. Sam was our chapter’s first president, so it was really special for us to help out an alumnus who has done so much for us.

I’m also still involved with our “Newswaves” program at Pepperdine. Last year I was a producer while still continuing to anchor and report.

Tell us about “Man Waves.”

“Man Waves” is a show that started as a joke between a friend and me. We

were sitting in class one day talking to one of the producers of a show called “Strong Currents.” which is a female talk how that’s similar to “The View.” We told her it would be a good idea to do a segment about a guy’s response. She liked the idea and “Man Waves” was born. After the end of the semester, we decided to make our own show and have grown from a small segment on a female talk show to our own distinctive man-oriented show with a live studio audience.

Do you get ideas from Lambda Sigma brothers for news stories?

I do from time to time. I also have some brothers that work for my news crew. I actually get more help from the Fraternity doing “Man Waves.”

Everyone gives me ideas about things we should do like a fishing segment or a burrito eating contest or ultimate Frisbee match. I took a camera to one of our pledging events in Yosemite and ended up using a lot of the footage for a camping segment the next week. A lot of my brothers actually started working on “Man Waves” as camera operators and teleprompter operators and then got really into it and are now hosting segments on the show and floor directing. In one of our early episodes this year we were short on crew members, so I made one phone call and six pledges and two actives showed up to help. Psi U is the biggest part of our audience members at live

tapings. I get a tremendous amount of support and ideas from our chapter.

Are your broadcasts available on the Internet?

Some of our “Man Waves” episodes are available on facebook, and we’re working on getting them on YouTube.

What would you like the rest of Psi U to know about your chapter?

Our chapter encompasses the polar opposites of beliefs and everything in between, yet we are still really close to one another.

We come together as brothers and bond through the experiences we’ve had together not through living together or even liking the same things. Just being “Psi Us” is what keeps our brotherhood strong.

Jonathan produces, directs and reports for Pepperdine Campus TV Channel 26.

A list of 2008-09 scholarship recipients can be found at www.psiu.org

Psi Upsilon INTERNATIONAL OFFICE 3003 EAST 96th STREET INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA 46240

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INSIDE this issue: Thomas T. Hanford, Gamma ’62 Spotlight on Scholarship Commitment to Excellence Retreat 14th Annual Archons Academy Order of the Owl grows

Phi Chapter Retreat makes a “Commitment to Excellence” Without goals and plans to reach them, a chapter is like a ship that sets sail without a destination. Through Commitment to Excellence, chapters chart their own course to success. A pilot program of this initiative was presented at the Phi chapter (Michigan) this spring.

To achieve its objectives, the chapter designed its own strategies and action plans to address its unique situation. After establishing chapter-specific goals, the chapter group developed action plans with appropriate benchmarks and metrics to be monitored, reviewed and adjusted throughout the year.

With the Commitment to Excellence, chapters will develop objectives in areas like the following: 1. Moral leadership development and self-governance 2. Intellectual engagement and academics 3. Social responsibility and personal conduct 4. Service and philanthropy 5. Community relations

Mark Williams, Phi ’76 (right) helps Ben Shpeen, Phi ’11 present thoughts on how the chapter will pursue excellence in the coming year.

The initiative requires an integrated, coordinated effort by the chapter, alumni and International Fraternity. Psi Upsilon wants every chapter to have the opportunity to make the Commitment to Excellence. When fully implemented, the program will lead to an annual cycle of planning, assessment and recognition.