Review The
of Psi Upsilon Spring 2012
Psi U “Definitely Not for Just Four Years” “It surprises me how many alumni seem to feel so far removed from and even indifferent to the Fraternity. Some of the most important lessons we learned happened at the chapter. Leadership, integrity, pushing yourself ... these things are as – if not more – valuable than anything they teach you in the classroom ....” - Matt Carter, Tau ’07 (Pennsylvania)
When he joined Psi Upsilon’s Tau Chapter (Pennsylvania) in 2004, Matt Carter would’ve never guessed that events of those first few months would shape his entire collegiate career. “First of all,” the young alumnus notes, “I never ever Matt Carter, Tau ’07 imagined myself joining a fraternity at all. My father is a professor at the University of Wisconsin, and growing up around that campus, I had a pretty negative view of Greek Life. But after I met a couple of the Psi U guys my freshman year, I realized they were the most engaged, most interesting people I’d met. They invited me to ‘The Castle’ as our house is called, and I distinctly remember being quite taken by the whole thing.” Fraternity members at Penn must be sophomores or older, so Matt Carter joined during the fall of his sophomore year. Within weeks of taking his oath, he and his Tau Chapter brothers faced a serious crisis when a guest sustained a severe injury in a fall at the chapter house. “I watched Justin Director, our president, step up and take charge. He did everything by the book and immediately reached out to the international organization. They were immediately there to help us.” While the Tau Chapter and its brothers were found to be without fault in the incident, “the whole experience was really formative for me. It taught
me a lot about responsibility and leadership.” In fact, Matt says watching how Justin handled things convinced him that he, too, would be capable of providing good leadership to his brothers. “So I ran and was elected as chapter president in January of my sophomore year.” Attending his first Archons’ Academy that same month was Matt’s next exposure to Psi U on an international level. “That was a great experience. It showed us how Psi U’s tradition is deep and meaningful to a whole lot of people outside jour own chapters, and we could learn from other chapter leaders.” It was during this Archons Academy that Matt began to see how integral was the role of alumni participation and generosity. “Most undergraduates don’t think much about what alumni provide, they just sort of take for granted that whatever they need will be there ... a roof, or the help we needed during that crisis.” The more alumni he met, the more Matt gained a deeper understanding of, and appreciation for, their critical support. Just months later, Matt Carter gained a seat as an undergraduate member of the Executive Council. “That really solidified my belief that Psi U is definitely not just for four years. It’s for a lifetime.” Today Matt continues to live out that belief as an active volunteer (Foundation Director and Tau Chapter’s alumni corporation president) as well as a generous monthly donor to the Psi Upsilon Foundation. And he’s not ashamed to actively encourage his fellow alumni to contribute, as well. “Brothers may think a few wealthy alumni can take care of things for Psi U. But I know differently. The needs of our younger brothers have Continued on page 2...
Psi U Social Hours are a Hit! Thanks to the generosity of several brothers, including board members Patrick Gilrane, Psi ’83 (Hamilton), J. Martin Brayboy, Gamma ’84 (Amherst), Alex Senchak, Eta ’06 (Lehigh) and Tim Zepp, Chi Delta ’08 (Duke), brothers have celebrated Psi U in several cities this spring.
Continued from page 1 to be met by all of us working together – international staff, undergraduate leaders, and especially the alumni.”
Social hours have been held in Boston, New York City, Atlanta, Chicago, Naples and Washington, DC. But these are not one time events. Plans are underway for additional gatherings in each of these cities again this summer and fall. Patrick Gilrane, Psi ’83 suggested that the events be sponsored by brothers. Sponsors are included in the invitations that are sent to anyone for whom we have an email address within 50 miles of the event location. If you haven’t been invited, send your email address to Psiu@psiu.org to be included in the next gathering. Sponsors also help promote the event to their Psi U friends. The events have been well attended, averaging 50 brothers from 20 different chapters. Bring your business cards and join the fun at the upcoming events. If you would like to help sponsor an event, contact Mariann Williams, Director of Development at mariann@psiu.org or 317-571-1833 ext. 22 Of course there are also many chapter and regional events that occur throughout the year as well. Check the Psi Upsilon website (www.psiu.org) for other events which may be happening in your part of the country.
Atlanta – November 5
Psi Upsilon Fraternity and Foundation
Boston – February 9
Alex C. Senchak, Eta ‘06 (Lehigh) Mark DiPasquale, Pi ‘88 (Syracuse)
Naples – February 16
David A. B. Brown, Epsilon Phi ’66 (McGill) The Psi Upsilon Foundation
Chicago – March 8
The Psi Upsilon Foundation
Washington, DC – March 29
Tim Zepp, Chi Delta ‘08 (Duke) Aaron Reed, Psi ‘80 (Hamilton) Bob Nealon, Upsilon ‘77 (Rochester) Upcoming events are listed on the cover.
Psi U “Definitely Not for Just Four Years”
New York City – April 19
Patrick Murphy, Psi ‘80 (Hamilton) Samuel J. Tinaglia, Omega ‘88 (Chicago) J. Martin Brayboy, Gamma ‘84 (Amherst) Patrick J. Gilrane, Psi ‘83 (Hamilton) Jeffrey S. Neubauer, Delta ‘78 (NYU) Jim Cornacchia, Pi ‘86 (Syracuse) Chris DeWinter, Chi ‘88 (Cornell) Christopher Fuller, Zeta ‘89 (Dartmouth) Ernesto J. Mejer, Tau ‘71(Penn) Lou Brusco, Jr., Lambda ‘81(Columbia) Murray L. Eskenazi, Lambda ‘56 (Columbia)
“With very few exceptions, everyone I know had a great experience. But too many have forgotten about that, or maybe they just don’t realize it’s alumni who are responsible for making it happen. Some of the most important lessons we learned happened at the chapter. Leadership, integrity, pushing yourself ... these things are as , if not more, valuable than anything they teach you in the classroom ....” For Matt Carter, one final reward of giving back to Psi Upsilon is seeing exactly how gifts translate into tangible benefits for undergraduates. “You can give to your University, but you don’t really see the results. With Psi U you can see the need and know exactly that your contribution is making a positive impact. Scholarships are directly funded by alumni dollars. So is the Archon’s Academy and the Leadership Institute at Convention.” Matthew Carter graduated from University of Pennsylvania in 2007 with a degree in international relations. He remains active in Psi Upsilon at both the local and international level. Carter is a television producer; he is currently working on a new series for Animal Planet featuring stories of the world’s largest aquarium manufacturer. The second season of Tanked premiered April 14.
Graduating Senior Shares Perspectives on Psi U Benefits Birthdays, Brotherhood, and (Executive) Boards Some birthdays are more memorable than others. Psi U brother Chris Kizer will always remember how he celebrated his 22nd birthday last June 25. “I was attending the Psi U Convention in Washington, D.C. and I was announced as the winner of the Francis C. Hardie, Omicron-Zeta 1918 Award,” Brother Kizer says. This international award is merit-based with a financial need component. The 2011 award was “much, much higher than anything I had expected,” the Duke University senior recalls. “I called my parents to tell them. I remembered that as a freshman I was talking about all these scholarships and opportunities available through Psi U. They were happy to see my investment paying off.” Chris says for some time he’s been well aware that it is alumni who fund scholarships like this one. “I learned that early on. Our alumni corporation president Laura King helped pay for my travel so I could attend as the undergraduate delegate at our Convention in Vancouver. And for our [Chi Delta] chapter awards, I personally know some of the alumni association officers who are the primary donors to those.” He says he knows he wouldn’t be where he is today without them. Chris’s gratitude for the many opportunities Psi U has afforded him has prompted him to give back, as well. As a contributing member of the 1833 Club, Chris is providing the kind of example and inspiration he hopes his successors will emulate. In fact, Chris was instrumental in convincing everyone in his chapter to make an Annual Fund gift for the second year in a row. Among the opportunities he refers to are experiences that a classroom education can’t begin to provide. “Especially
with a major (Medieval and Renaissance studies) like mine!” he laughs. “ So I definitely feel lucky that Psi U offers so many things most undergraduates generally wouldn’t have in college. As an archon I’ve not only led a group of people internally, but had to work externally as the representative of Psi U communicating with the university and other groups on campus. “I’ve also gotten to attend the International Conventions and meet older alumni in a lot of different roles. I participated in some of the legislative sessions where they were debating policies. That led to me serving on Psi U’s Executive Council this year; I got to participate in decision-making meetings. These things are not the norm in a regular university education. For me they feel really relevant to the outside world and for what I’ll eventually be doing.” Those life skills have already begun to pay off for Chris and his chapter. As archon, Brother Kizer collaborated with Duke administrators to help the brothers obtain a dedicated space for socializing within their housing section of campus. “For ten years, we had been sharing one common room for the entire building, which houses a lot of non-Greek students. Duke didn’t want the fraternity controlling this area in a way that other students would not feel welcome – which is not an unfounded concern, by the way.” So last year when Kizer identified some underutilized space on a different floor, he began to negotiate with the university’s leadership to allow his chapter to switch floors and use that area. His skills in communication and debate, largely shaped by his Psi U experiences, prevailed and the chapter celebrated what was a very memorable moment. “Having our own place to hang out together has made a huge difference in the dynamic of our chapter. We’ve really enjoyed it. It has strengthened our unity,” Chris says. But that’s not the end of the story. “After all we went through, we’ve just recently found out that it’s going to go away. Duke has totally reconfigured housing for next year. So we’re moving again, this time to a whole different area of campus.” And so as Chris Kizer graduates and looks forward to his 23rd birthday, he takes with him another important lesson he’s learned as a member of Psi U. Life changes. And then it changes again.
Psi Upsilon International Office 3003 East 96th Street Indianapolis, Indiana 46240 Address Service Requested
Inside This Issue Psi U “Definitely Not for Just Four Years” Psi U Social Hours are a Hit Graduating Senior Shares Perspectives on Psi U Benefits
Highlights include: Visits and Cookouts at the Beta Beta Chapter at Trinity College and the Xi Chapter at Wesleyan University Leadership Institute for undergraduates and alumni Legislative Sessions Awards Banquet
Join Psi U brothers and friends from around the country as we gather in Hartford, Connecticut for the
169th Psi Upsilon Convention Early bird registration for alumni and their families is at www.psiu.org
UPCOMING EVENTS May 11, 2012
Tau Alumni Weekend - University of Pennsylvania
June 1, 2012
Psi Alumni Event - Hamilton College
June 22-24, 2012
169th Psi Upsilon Convention and 2012 Leadership Institute Hilton Hartford Hotel Hartford, CT
October 11, 2012
Upsilon Reunion & Dinner University of Rochester