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...