Review The
of Psi Upsilon Fall 2012
Brothers or Bullies? Hassan O. Abdelhalim, Phi Delta ‘10 (Mary Washington University), Chapter Leadership Consultant Bullies are losing power. In an increasingly connected wired and wireless world, bullies can no longer rely on an individual’s isolation from information to insulate their abusive behavior. As bullying is scrutinized under a broader cultural lens, terms like “nerd” have gone from insult to indicators of insight. From PTO’s to boot camps, NCAA locker rooms, boardrooms at Google, concert stages and standup performances, our friends and families declare that bullying is repugnant. Belittling, demeaning or physically harming another person is not a value anyone would espouse. Bullying and hazing behaviors are driven by a disparity in power dynamics. Bullying can happen to anyone and emphasizes the perpetrator’s perception of power. Hazing is done to a person or group of people seeking to gain entrance or acceptance into a club, organization, team, workplace or formal group and occurs through the paradigm of the victim’s perception of power. Bullying and hazing are both incongruent with Psi Upsilon’s values. By its very nature Psi Upsilon offers an environment averse to the inherent power dynamics of bullying. The lessons of self-governance, democracy, and group-living allow students to develop as leaders while contributing as equals. In 2013 Psi Upsilon will celebrate 180 years of brotherhood. From its founding in 1833, Psi U’s mission has been to build friendships through a commitment to moral, intellectual and social excellence. If Psi Upsilon is to survive the next 180 years brothers must commit to the principles and values that support a framework cultivating personal growth. Membership in Psi Upsilon is an investment in personal development. When we allow activities that humiliate, degrade, or embarrass, and that risks emotional or physical harm to another regardless of that person’s willingness to participate, we all suffer. Reluctance to welcoming new members into Psi Upsilon damages the integrity of Psi Upsilon. It isn’t made better by being forced to drink, exercise, stay awake or do embarrassing things that would upset you if the same was asked of your siblings. Membership in Psi Upsilon is offered as a cherished gift, given in the spirit of friendship.
Allowing the pledge process to devolve into meaningless rituals often turns into attempts to outdo the misguided intentions of previous classes. Demanding a derisive pledgeship under the guise of building brotherhood echoes deep insecurity. True brotherhood derives from faith in the principles that have supported Psi Upsilon for more than 179 years. Call it what you will, hazing or bullying, it’s not brotherhood building and it has no place in pledging or at any other stage of a brother’s life. Psi Upsilon is not held in high regard despite overcoming brief disrespectful treatment. Brothers cherish the depth of building relationships. Bringing it out into the open for intelligent discussion and real change is difficult. Brothers with the awareness to speak out in the moment are those who do not allow themselves to become victims. Psi U has lost four chapters in recent years as a result of bad behavior, poor choices, weak leadership and a lot of excuses. It’s time to call it what it is – unacceptable. We joined Psi U to become better people and to benefit from the synergy that comes from true friendship. Closing a chapter is painful but not nearly as painful as knowing that our younger brothers are denied the experience of fraternity as it was meant to be, a safe place to grow, learn and develop lifelong friendships. Hazing seeps into the absence of guidance. It’s time for all brothers, alumni and undergraduates alike, to do something about the bullying behavior. Make Psi U a place that stands out by living its commitment to excellence. Don’t tsk-tsk and wish it were different, take a stand against the biggest threat to Psi Upsilon today. • If you are active in a chapter that hazes, stand up, speak up and change the culture. • If you are an alumnus, get involved as a volunteer. Chapters with strong alumni support are less likely to engage in acts of hazing. • Support Psi Upsilon with a gift to the Annual Fund, which funds staff visits to chapters, goal setting chapter retreats, and educational programming to address inappropriate pledging activities.
Brotherhood Abounds in Psi U Social Hours all Psi U brothers live within fifty miles of these areas. Social hours in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, DC and Atlanta were organized and hosted by generous brothers who wasted no time, talent or treasure in helping the Psi U Foundation get the message out about the ongoing Leadership Initiative. Keep your calendar handy. Charge up that cell phone. Don’t miss out on some great opportunities to meet and great Psi Upsilon brothers from other chapters, eras and vocations. This fall has been a cornucopia of events, starting with a golf outing at the Lake of Isles Golf Club. Hosted by Foundation Vice Chairman Martin Brayboy, Gamma ‘84 (Amherst), the outing was the first of many we hope to add on an annual basis to the Psi U calendar. Locations were strategically chosen because more than 60% of
The Psi Upsilon Leadership Initiative is a major gift effort to raise money restricted for use in improving and expanding existing educational programs for every brother in every chapter. Better programs mean more opportunities for brothers to get involved as volunteers and mentors. Be sure we have your favorite email address so that you’ll be the first to be invited to next year’s events. Check the contact information we have for you on the front of this newsletter and if necessary, update your preferred addresses at www.psiu.org.
We are very grateful to the following brothers who sponsored this fall’s events: Psi U Golf Outing – Lake of Isles, CT, August 2012 J. Martin Brayboy, Ganmma ‘84 (Amherst) Boston Social Hour, September 27 J. Martin Brayboy, Gamma ‘84 (Amherst) Mark DiPasquale, Pi ‘88 (Syracuse) Duane Nelson, Omega ‘88 (Chicago) Alex Senchak, Eta ‘06 (Lehigh) New York Social Hour – October 11 Samuel J. Tinaglia, Omega ‘88 (Chicago) Jim Cornacchia, Pi ‘86 (Syracuse) Christopher P. Fuller, Zeta ‘89 (Dartmouth) Jorge Gonzalez, Delta ‘90 (NYU) Jeff Neubauer, Delta ‘78 (NYU) Patrick Murphy, Psi ‘80 (Hamilton) Philip C. Timon, Tau ‘86 (Penn) Patrick J. Gilrane, Psi ‘83 (Hamilton)
Louis Brusco, Jr., Lambda ’81 (Columbia) James Graf, Omega ’87 (University of Chicago) Graham Stephens, Psi ’04 (Hamilton College) Philadelphia Social Hour – October 25 M. Nick Barron, Phi Delta ‘06 (Mary Washington) Matthew M. Carter, Tau ‘07 (Penn) Patrick Sheridan, Eta ‘00 (Lehigh) Mark A. Williams, Phi ‘76 (Michigan) The Psi Upsilon Foundation Washington DC Social Hour – November 15 Tim Zepp, Chi Delta ‘08 (Duke) Rock Tonkel, Gamma ‘85 (Amherst) The Psi Upsilon Foundation Atlanta Social Hour – December 6 Jesse Joe Scherer, Gamma Tau ‘05 (Georgia Tech) Carrie “K” Woehler, Gamma Tau ‘01 (Georgia Tech) The 170th Psi Upsilon Convention and 2013 Leadership Institute will be held under the auspices of the Chi Delta chapter at Duke University. The beautiful Washington and Duke Inn will be the setting for many of the Convention activities. The Chi Delta chapter, founded in 1973, has enlisted the help of its 370 alumni and 22 undergraduates to host an exciting weekend on Duke’s campus.
REGISTER ONLINE AFTER APRIL 1 AT WWW.PSIU.ORG.
Are You Thinking About Anton Wagner, Phi ‘14 (University of Michigan) ? Anton Wagner, Phi ‘14. Not exactly a name you’re thinking about. That could change after you read this. It’s a safe bet no one is yet with us who actually met any of the seven Founders of Psi Upsilon. Just think what those men set in motion. Their vision continues to influence our brotherhood everywhere . . . especially these days in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Meet Anton Wagner. Here’s an outstanding Psi U who, as a junior majoring in economics and financial mathematics, is fast putting the “fraternity” in Fraternity. He hails from Lake Grafton, Wisconsin just north of Milwaukee (almost impossible to locate on a map). His brother is a senior in high school and both working parents have been downsized in recent months, putting in jeopardy his ability to continue at Michigan. Like so many others, he grew up hearing negatives about the fraternity experience. But once at Michigan, he joined Psi U and never looked back. Today, he’ll tell you “90 percent of me is Psi Upsilon.” Now comes some really good news that is sure to warm the hearts of Psi U donors everywhere. Anton is a recent recipient of the Psi Upsilon Foundation’s Greg E. Rohlin Scholarship Award. Writing to the Psi Upsilon Foundation, Anton said, in part . . . “every note of congratulation I have received mentioned the influence and character of Brother Rohlin. I am extremely grateful and especially humbled to have received such a meaningful scholarship . . . I will be living in the house as a junior and will be providing upperclassman leadership and advice throughout the year . . . In our alumni efforts to revitalize the Phi chapter, undergraduate leadership is necessary . . . and I pledge to commit myself fully to furthering excellence at the Phi in memory of Brother Rohlin, and in gratitude for my selection.” Anton was unable to attend the Fraternity’s 169th Convention to accept his scholarship because of a job commitment in Alaska, working at a land-based salmon fishery/cannery, a job Phi alumnus Jean-Sebastien Glos ‘83 assisted him in arranging.
If you talk with Anton for any length of time, you’ll come away believing he’s actually majoring in Psi U. His chapter activities include: • 2nd angelos and house manager • Worked with alumni to renovate the kitchen, hire chef and cut heating costs • Fostered dramatic cultural shift within the chapter • Created housing committee to act as liaison between chapter and alumni to better the condition of the physical plant • Served as kitchen captain, worked with chef to set up lunch and dinner Sundays through Thursdays and is Winterfest chairman And just when you’d think he couldn’t squeeze in any more activities, his campus internships and co-ops are impressive: • MPowered Entrepreneurship Club • Interned for Johnson Level and Tool CFO • Student researcher for UM Institute for Research on Labor, Employment, and the Economy • Center for Business Acceleration and Incubation Studies—2011-2012 Putting aside all this activity, what really makes this young Psi U tick? He’s passionate about economic thinking and politics, good food, and Green Bay Packer football. Not necessarily in that order. If he could wave the proverbial magic wand, what would he select as the ideal job? Just now he’s not completely sure, but it would probably involve work with a research foundation dealing with economic policy. The Heritage Foundation comes to mind. He enjoys discussing economic perspectives, listening to others’ points of view. You might ask what Anton does for fun. His response? Play golf, watch/play football (he was a quarterback in high school), and relax. He confides he doesn’t have much free time. Oh, he also plays poker, loves Seinfeld reruns, Peter Sellers’ films, and gets upset with disrespectful people (and Chicago Bears’ fans). Face it: Anton Wagner’s presence on the Psi U scene at the University of Michigan is the 2012 personification of our Founders’ vision, and would surely bring smiles to the faces of those seven men. Psi Upsilon Foundation donors have a right to smile too and to feel exceptionally good about their contributions making a difference for such an outstanding young student. Anton Wagner’s name a household word? Probably not yet, but . . .
Psi Upsilon International Office 3003 East 96th Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46240 Address Service Requested
Inside This Issue Brothers or Bullies? Rohlin Scholar Anton Wagner, Phi ‘14 Brotherhood Abounds in Psi U Social Hours Membership Directory Convention Site Announced
Be A Famous Part of Psi U History One of Psi Upsilon’s Famous Five Firsts, a membership catalog, is now in the works. Psi U has partnered with Publishing Concepts, Inc. (PCI) to publish the 2013 Membership Directory. Psi U was the first fraternity to publish a listing of its members in 1842. In the modern era, a directory has been published every 4-5 years, a critically important part of being able to keep in touch with brothers. Your updated contact information ensures that you’ll get your chapter’s newsletter, invitations to events and The Diamond of Psi Upsilon magazine. PCI will be contacting Psi U brothers to gather information for the membership directory via postcards and email, then through follow-up phone calls, if necessary. Please contact PCI promptly to verify your most up-to-date information. This is a new publisher for Psi U, chosen based on its strategy to minimize calls to brothers in favor of asking brothers to phone in their contact information. Although this
is a new partner for Psi Upsilon, you can be assured that their request for your information is legitimate. Members can purchase a printed copy or a CD ROM version when you contact PCI to confirm your information; however, there is no obligation to purchase. If you order a membership directory, it will be shipped in July 2013. The directory can help you search and maintain contact with brothers, share your most recent information with the chapter so you can be included in chapter events and activities and more. If you have any questions regarding this initiative, please review the member directory FAQ available at psiu.org/directory, email Tom Fox at tfox@psiu.org or call the International Office at 317-571-1833. Psi Upsilon will receive a portion of the proceeds from each sale. Watch for your yellow postcard or email reminder. Call to update your contact information with PCI today!