Fall 2015 - The Emerald by Sigma Pi Fraternity

A TRIBUTE TO OU R

VETERANS A C A L L F O R C A N D I D AT E S

GRAND COUNCIL REENGAGE WITH

SIGMA PI CONNECT

FA L L 2 0 1 5

F ROM T H E E X E C U T IV E D IRECTO R

Dear Brothers, For more than 15 years, I have been a part of the Sigma Pi team serving in a variety of capacities both as a volunteer and a staff member. Today, I am humbled to have been asked to step into the role of Interim Executive Director for Sigma Pi Fraternity International, Inc., and I want to take a moment to share with you what I view to be a bright future for our organization. As I enter this honored role, I reflect on the solid foundation that Sigma Pi has built during recent years. We have:

A B OU T T HE EMERA L D Volume C, Number 1 - Fall 2015 (ISSN 1074-5289, USPS 011-013) The Emerald has been published since 1911, and is published two times a year by Sigma Pi Fraternity, 106 North Castle Heights Ave, Lebanon, Tennessee, 37087 and additional mailing offices. Submission Deadlines

• Made the hard decisions to close the few chapters that were not performing, enabling us to now focus our resources on helping viable chapters grow and thrive;

Spring - February 10 (Digital Platform) Summer - May 10 (Print - Opt-In Only) Fall - September 10 (Print - All Addresses)

• Nearly eliminated over $180K in outstanding account receivables and invested in back office procedures to ensure that such situations are avoided in the future; and,

A B O UT SI GMA PI

• Built a Regional Director program designed to provide the highest level of service in the industry to active chapters so that they may meet the growth and operational goals set before them. There is no doubt about it; we have invested significant financial resources to build this framework. The time for investment, however, has passed. The work of ensuring that this investment delivers for the organization is now underway. Know that working with the Sigma Pi Executive Office team to make the most of these investments is only one part of my job. Equally important is my commitment to working with the Grand Council and listening to Sigma Pi members – alumni and undergraduates alike – so that I can help shape an organization that reflects the aspirations of all its members. I look forward to serving as Interim Executive Director for Sigma Pi. I am dedicated to ensuring that this organization continues to innovate, adapt, and lead so that our values and ideals can become an even greater catalyst for change in our members’ lives and in the communities they serve. Fraternally,

Sigma Pi Fraternity, International was founded at Vincennes University, Vincennes, Ind. on February 26, 1897. The Executive Office is located in Lebanon, Tenn. Sigma Pi has chartered more than 230 chapters in North America and has initiated over 100,000 members since 1897. The founding fathers of Sigma Pi Fraternity are: Rolin Rosco James (1879 - 1953) William Raper Kennedy (1877 - 1944) James Thompson Kingsbury (1877 - 1950) George Martin Patterson (1877 - 1960)

EDI TORI A L STA F F EDITOR/CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Chris Carter (Middle Tennessee ’11) ASSISTANT EDITOR

Philip Aiello (Wisconsin-Oshkosh ’15) BUSINESS MANAGER

Jason Walker (Georgia ’96) CONTRIBUTORS

Jason Walker (Georgia ’93) Interim Executive Director

Michael Davis (UCF ’13) Joe Turck (SIU-Edwardsville ’98) Joseph Drain (Florida State ’10) Joey Manglardi (UCF ’15) Dalton Reeves (Central Missouri ’15) Lanse Macke (Oregon State ’15) GS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State ’70) Ryan Miller (Oklahoma State ’16) Bryan Oldham (Oklahoma State ’16) Fr. Mike Hobson (Worcester Polytech ’85) Brad Vaughn (SIU-Carbondale ’87)

SHA R E YOUR STORY Send pictures & stories to: emerald@sigmapi.org or

What do you think about this issue of The Emerald? Let us know at emerald@sigmapi.org

Sigma Pi Fraternity 106 N. Castle Heights Ave. Lebanon, TN 37087

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FRATERNITY COMMUNICATIONS ASSOCIATION

CON T EN TS

FEATUR ES

Introducing...

by Mark Reed (Georgia ’69)

I N EVERY ISSU E

by The Emerald Staff

by Chris Carter (Middle Tennessee ’11)

IN THIS ISSU E

02 Inter national Digest

04 Conferences & Programming

03 From The Grand Sage

06 In Your Own Words

14 Sigma Pi Educational Foundation

07 Lifestyle & Education

22 Chapter Spotlight

08 Sigma Pi Partners

24 Chapter & Colony Reports

09 The Emerald Online

40 Undergraduate Spotlight

38 Sigma Pi Store

42 Volunteers

48 Volunteer Openings

49 Adytum On High

54 Road Warriors

50 Alumni News

62 Archives

60 Chartering Announcement

64 Museum Spotlight

65 Photo Finish T H EEMERAL D.ORG + 1

F ROM T H E E X E C U T IV E O FFIC E

IN T ER NATIONAL DIGE ST

CHAPTER CLOSINGS

JASON WALKER NAMED INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TO REPLACE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MICHAEL AYALON The Grand Council of Sigma Pi Fraternity, International announced that Executive Director Michael Ayalon’s (Buffalo ‘97) last day on the job was September 28, 2015. “Mike became the Executive Director in 2012 and was instrumental in acquiring The Mitchell House as the Sigma Pi Fraternity Executive Office and also introduced the Regional Director concept. This enabled the fraternity to hire more skilled staff to work with the chapters and alumni,” said GS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State ‘70). Associate Executive Director Jason Walker (Georgia ‘96) has been appointed Interim Executive Director effective immediately upon Ayalon’s departure. Jason has served as the Associate Executive Director since 2012. Prior to 2012, Jason served the Fraternity in several leadership roles, and prior to working at Sigma Pi, had an extensive Retail Operations Management career with Publix. “Jason’s knowledge and experience in our operations, his excellent communication and collaboration skills and dedication to the advancement of our Fraternity made our appointment clear and simple.” The Sigma Pi Grand Council will announce its plans for executive leadership at a future date.

Effective October 10, 2015, the Grand Council of Sigma Pi Fraternity, International revoked the charters of Alpha-Beta Chapter at the University of Michigan, Eta-Omicron Chapter at the University of Toronto and Iota-Alpha Chapter at Kansas State University. After numerous attempts by the Executive Office and volunteers to assist the three Chapters through recruitment training and growth support, the decision was made to close due to a consistent decline in membership. The Executive Office has already begun full expansion efforts to recolonize Alpha-Beta Chapter on the Michigan campus this fall. With respect to the other two chapters return, EtaOmicron Chapter is tentatively planned to recolonize in Fall 2018 and Iota-Alpha Chapter in Fall 2016.

A MESSAGE FROM THE GRAND COUNCIL Dear Brothers,

COLONIZATIONS

We hope you are as proud as we are of the important advances Sigma Pi has made during recent years. New leadership training initiatives, increased active chapter sizes, and the implementation of the Regional Director program are all proof that the significant investments Sigma Pi Fraternity, International has made are paying off. These innovative programs—as well as those that have yet to be conceived—are what will carry our fraternity into the future. On September 28, 2015, the Grand Council announced that it had named Jason Walker Interim Executive Director to ensure that the Fraternity continues to stay focused on its mission. Kevin Pons (Johnson & Wales ’06), who has served as Assistant Executive Director since May 2015, has been asked to guide the expansion initiatives of Sigma Pi, in addition to his current work of delivering exceptional service to chapters. We have we have outsourced our bookkeeping and accounting functions, enabling the Executive Office team to continue enhancing our members’ experience. As we approach Mid-Year Leadership Conference and Convocation, the Grand Council will work alongside IED Walker and the entire Executive Office team to further refine the Grand Chapter’s business practices, as well as develop new services for all members. While the process to identify a new Executive Director is underway, the Grand Council will remain focused on its primary purpose: to shape a long-term vision for Sigma Pi. Please accept our sincerest thanks for your support. Know that as Grand Council members, we are committed to continue driving Sigma Pi forward in its quest for excellence. Sincerely, The Grand Council of Sigma Pi Fraternity, International 2 + FALL 2015

Alpha-Beta Chapter (University of Michigan) Epsilon-Nu Chapter (Cal State Fullerton) Eta-Kappa Chapter (East Carolina University)

CHARTERINGS

Iota-Tau Chapter (St. John’s University)

FROM T HE GRA N D SAGE

Q&A With The Grand Sage WE TOOK TO SOCIAL MEDIA TO FIND OUT WHAT YOU WANTED TO KNOW FROM GRAND SAGE E. ANDREW MORRIS

Roy L.

Rob P.

Where do you see Sigma Pi in the next decade?

What are we going to do to utilize our alumni’s time and talents more than we have in the past?

The last decade saw more chapters closed than the previous 25 years. The main reason is how fraternities are perceived by the public through the media. Although the actions are usually by an individual, the entire membership is held accountable. This instant exposure gives little opportunity to work with the host institution to resolve the problem. The success of any fraternity depends on the local alumni working, consulting and monitoring the chapter to avoid problems. This not just a Sigma Pi challenge, but all fraternities will work on it.

Dan A. What made you want to join Sigma Pi? After my freshman year at Murray State University and I got beyond my high school relationships I started looking at fraternities. There were originally five fraternities on campus, but they were unable to handle needs due to the growth from going from college to university in 1966. Over the next two years six new fraternities formed of which one was Sigma Pi. In the fall of my junior year I pledged Sigma Pi and was active for two years. It was the best experience of my college career and my life.

Derrick E.

There’s no magic formula to get alumni involved with the Fraternity. Either you have the desire to be involved that allows the individual to use his time and talents or not. Some continue to say the Grand Chapter should do more to involve alumni, but it doesn’t work that way. The majority of alumni are interested in their chapter, not the International operations of Sigma Pi. The positions of Chapter Director, House Corporations, and Alumni Boards are critical for success of a chapter (open positions can be found on page 48). To be a volunteer it means you have to give up your time to work with young members in a chapter that have their own agenda. It requires a special Sigma Pi to take time away from his family, business and personal interests to go to meetings. Most of these alumni are recruited by other members not by the Executive Office Staff, but if they stay involved they move up to working at the next level in Sigma Pi Fraternity, International.

GS E. Andrew Morris Murray State ’70 grandsage@sigmapi.org

In my 45 years as a volunteer I have used what knowledge and talents I have whenever possible to better the Fraternity, not myself. I admire the many alumni that have given their time, but there are just enough to cover the demand of our chapters. “There is nothing stronger than the heart of a volunteer.” We welcome those alumni who have the time and a positive attitude toward working with the Fraternity.

What is your fondest memory as a Sigma Pi undergrad? The dances! There were three major parties we looked forward to beginning with Homecoming, Founders Day and ending with the Orchid Ball. We knew how to party, behave socially, respect the ladies and each other. We were a Band of Brothers that started in college and lasted a lifetime.

Matt R. Are there any new things coming up geared towards alumni? In this issue of The Emerald (page 18), you’ll learn more about Sigma Pi Connect, “an online skill-share and mentoring network to help all Sigma Pi members connect with employment, internship and mentoring opportunities.” This will allow our alumni to engage professionally with undergraduates in a simple but effective way.

T H EEMERAL D.ORG + 3

CONF E R E N C E S & P R O GRAM M ING

C A L L F O R C A N D I DAT E S SEEKING ELECTION TO THE GRAND COUNCIL FOR THE 2016-2018 BIENNIUM The Grand Chapter at the 52nd Biennial Convocation of Sigma Pi Fraternity, International, held August 2014 in Orlando, FL, made significant changes to the process for the election of Grand Council members. The Nominating Committee has been retired. Going forward, Bylaw 6, Section 1 now provides for members to self nominate by completing a candidate filing process, much as one would when seeking an elected public office. Additionally, the Bylaw sets a firm deadline for submitting required filings of January 15, 2016. Only those who have filed by this deadline can be considered by the Convocation for election to the next Grand Council. The Bylaw does not allow for additional nominations, “write-in” candidates, or “running from the floor”. In fact, Bylaw 6, Section 2(c) excludes these possibilities. Lastly, an Elections Board was established in Bylaw 6 by the Grand Chapter. Appointed by the Grand Sage, this board, which will consist of undergraduates and alumni, is responsible for overseeing the elections process as defined by the Bylaw. The board does not nominate candidates. It can only certify candidates who have met the requirements of the Bylaw and followed filing procedures it is charged with establishing. Details of filing requirements and procedures, required forms, and citations of Bylaw 6 Sections 1 & 2, have been posted to sigmapi.org/convocation.

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CON FER EN CES & PROGRA MMI N G

MID-YEAR LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE HILTON ST. LOUIS AT THE BALLPARK 1 SOUTH BROADWAY STREET, ST. LOUIS, MO 63102 JANUARY 29â&#x20AC;&#x201D;31, 2016 MYLC 2016 will start promptly at 2:00 PM on Friday, January 29, 2016. All undergraduate students are asked to arrive at the Hilton Ballpark Hotel no later than 1:30 PM on Friday, January 29th. The conference will end at 8:00 PM on Saturday, January 30, 2016. There is no cost for Chapter Sage, 2nd Counselor, 3rd Counselor and Recruitment Chair conference registration. Conference registration includes hotel accommodations for Friday and Saturday night, breakfast and lunch on Saturday and your program materials. Other meals and travel expenses are the responsibility of the chapter. New this year, we will be hosting chapter consultations for undergraduate students. This is an opportunity for students to meet with staff and volunteers to discuss issues their chapter is facing and talk through solutions. We will be inviting our volunteers to join us for these consultations to provide advice and support to our undergraduate members. Assisting with the chapter consultations is voluntary. New Chapter Directors and Province Archons will receive complimentary registration for MYLC 2016. Returning volunteers can customize their registration package based on what they would like to attend. Program registration is $15.00 and from there, you can choose to have your own room or share a room and join us for our Brotherhood Breakfast and Brotherhood Luncheon. All hotel and meal fees are based on the cost we are being charged from the hotel. Attendees can choose what they would like to attend and will be charged based on your selections.

This year, students will have the opportunity to schedule Chapter Consultations with their Regional Directors on Saturday evening between 8 PM-11 PM and Sunday morning between 9 AM-11 AM. We highly recommend that each chapter contact their Regional Director to schedule a consultation.

For more information, please visit sigmapi.org/mylc.

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s d r o W n w In Your O

PI F SIGMA O D L R O E W FROM TH S T H G U IGHT O TH IA SPOTL D E M L A I SOC Of Missouri

Chapter at amma-Sigma

To see your own words here, be sure to use #sigmapi, tag @sigmapi or email us at emerald@sigmapi.org to share your thoughts!

y the Universit

@sigmapimizzou

Gamma-Sigma won big again this year; we took home: • 100-Man Chapter Award • ACE participation Award • Member Recruitment Award • Best ACE Project Award • Gold Level on Standards of Excellence • Top Standards of Excellence Score In The Country

Our youngest member poses for his composite photo Sigma Pi - University of Missouri Congrats to Chef Chris on winning the first annual Greek Chef Chili Challenge!

@sigmapimizzou Check out our new website, designed by brother Michael Tsvetanov MizzouSigmaPi.com

Sigma Pi - University of Missouri Had a great time at Mizzou Zeta Tau Alpha’s annual volleyball tournament benefiting breast cancer education and awareness!

@sigmapimizzou We want to give a HUGE shout out to our house dad, Chris Schuck, for his hard work this past year and especially these past several weeks. This year we moved in to our new annex at 913 Curtis Ave, in the heart of Greek Town. Since then, his hard work has turned an empty house into a great place for 18 of our brothers to live. Our new annex features a study room and a lounge on the first floor, two separate tv rooms (one pictured) and a study area on the second floor, and a third floor study room.

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@sigmapimizzou retweeted

@MizzouIFC IFC Outstanding Chapter President: Ben Baker from @SigmaPiMizzou @sigmapimizzou @sigmapimizzou A house divided... Who are you rooting for? #CubsvsCardinals

We would like to give a HUGE shoutout to our president Ben Baker for his outstanding achievement in winning Missouri IFC presidency!

LI F EST Y L E & EDUCAT I ON

reviewing today’s hottest trends in technology & communications

Founded in 2010 by Sigma Pi Brother AJ Forsythe (Cal Poly ‘11), iCracked is the world’s largest on-demand device repair and management company. With a suite of services including in-home repairs, warranty plans, device re-sell and DIY kits, iCracked is there for the entirety of your phone’s lifecycle iCracked powers a worldwide network of 4,000+ backgroundchecked certified technicians, called iTechs. Customers can request a local iTech at the click of a button and enjoy hasslefree phone and tablet repair whenever, wherever. Whether it’s your home, library, coffee shop, you name it and they’ll be there at time that works for you. The company also launched in the United Kingdom and Germany in 2014, and opened offices in both London and Berlin, and is on track to triple in size this year.

Have you ever wondered how the fish are reacting to your lure or bait? Have you ever thought that it would be helpful if you could see your lure or bait from a fish’s perspective so that you could adjust your lure selection and/or presentation accordingly? Have you ever wondered whether or not the fish can actually see your line and, if so, how they are reacting to it? Last, wouldn’t it be great if you could actually record a video of that single moment in time when the trophy you have sought after oh so hard approaches your lure or bait and then suddenly strikes so that you could share the moment with your friends on social

media? Well, now you can with GoFish Cam! GoFish Cam is an underwater action camera that’s been developed specifically for fishing. The camera is designed to sit on your fishing line and record in HD all the action happening to your lure. It then works wirelessly with a mobile application so you can quickly review, edit, and share all the action! The company and product was created and founded by a Sigma Pi alumnus, Brandon Austin (Carleton’14) from Eta-Rho Chapter in Ottawa, Canada. The company is offering a discount to all Sigma Pi brothers that will be good until February 1, 2016!

To apply this discount use the code SigmaPi on their website at GoFishCam.com T HEEMERAL D.ORG + 7

S I G MA P I PA RT N E R S

CHAPTER 2

SIGMA PI PARTNERS

FINANCIAL CHECKLIST FOR EACH CHAPTER OF LIFE by Brett Stewart, Sigma Pi Relationship Manager at Nationwide Affinity Solutions

Each chapter of life brings a new assortment of financial decisions you will have to make. We compiled useful information from Forbes, USA Today and Daily Worth to create this checklist of financial issues you may face—and how to address them. “Financial Checklist for Each Chapter of Life” is a four-part series from our partner, Nationwide, to help provide information about financial situations that our members may face throughout their lives.

Nationwide Insurance is a proud partner of Sigma Pi. Join your fellow Brothers and start saving today. Call 1-866-633-5747 OR VISIT nationwide.com/sigmapi

“It’s tough to think about the end of a journey when you’re just starting out.” Says Nationwide Director of Business Consulting John Kerr (Wake Forest ’89). “Thinking about retirement when you land your first full time job? Wrapping your head around sending your newborn off to college? These feel like the last things in the world to be considering but in reality, its the best thing you can do to insure you’re prepared for the next stage of your life.”

CHAPTER 2. JUST MARRIED Meet in the middle Educate each other about your finances • Review credit reports and compile a list of the locations and balances of all assets and debts • Scrutinize spending to see where you can save money, such as combining auto insurance policies Consider joint accounts • Figure out if joint checking, spending and savings accounts make sense • Update car titles, mortgages and financial accounts to have joint ownership Re-visit estate planning • Update your will, beneficiaries, power of attorney and health care proxy • Change beneficiary information on retirement, investment, insurance and similar accounts Review insurance policies • Go over insurance options, particularly life and disability coverage • See if it makes sense for one spouse to be covered by the other’s insurance • Explore which insurance policies you may want to combine Notify financial institutions of name changes Consider insuring engagement and wedding rings • Find out if your homeowners insurance provides coverage for jewelry Meet with a financial planner

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T HE EMERA L D ON L I N E

THE EMERALD ONLINE

A S N A P S H OT O F W H AT YO U C A N F I N D O N T H E E M E R A L D .O R G Don’t wait for The Emerald magazine to find its way to your mailbox. Just visit theemerald.org for the most up-to-date news and information on what is going on in the world of Sigma Pi. With the implementation and development of theemerald.org, nearly every Sigma Pi member in the world now has the ability to get the most current up-to-date information about our brotherhood–on any device! You can expect all of the same content (plus some new features and columns) to be provided on the online platform that you see in the print magazine, plus much more. This addition to The Emerald lineup is about the challenging economics of print publishing and distribution, while remaining more connected to our subscribers.

F E AT U R E D A R T I C L E S F R O M T H E E M E R A L D .O R G

FEATURES

BY RHETT LAROSE (UTSA ’12)

NOW THAT RUSH IS OVER, IT’S TIME TO START RECRUITMENT! Many of us have heard phrases like, “It’s about recruitment, not rush” or, “Recruitment is 24-7-365”. And while we may agree that it sounds like a novel idea, very few of us actually understand the how of yearround recruitment. In this month’s blog, I’d like to share with you some ideas for practical application of “365 recruitment”; as well as some other ideas I’ve picked up along my travels around the land of Sigma Pi. Get Organized You can have the most charismatic chairman in the world, but if he and the rest of the chapter can’t keep track of names and progress, then you are destined to underperform.

read more online at theemerald.org

H AV E S O M E T H I N G TO S H A R E ? V I S I T T H E E M E R A L D .O R G / S U B M I T T HEEMERAL D.ORG + 9

by Mark Reed (Georgia â&#x20AC;&#x2122;69), contributing writer

Sigma Pi Brothers and friends gathered together on Saturday, July 18, 2015, as the Fraternity paved the way for a monumental change in Veteran engagement within the organization: the Sigma Pi Veterans Memorial. The newly constructed tribute gives members across the globe an opportunity to recognize loved ones and establish their honor at the Fraternityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Executive Office.

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rand Sage E. Andrew Morris (Murray State ’70), had a vision—a vision to honor all Sigma Pi veterans, past, present and future. He appointed Mark Reed (Georgia ’69) as Chairman of the Sigma Pi Veterans Committee, to give his vision life. With the collaboration of GS Morris, brother Reed designed the Veterans Memorial, appointed a distinguished committee of veteran alumni as advisors, raised $50,000.00 through $1,000.00 donations from fifty individual alumni named “The 50,” to build and maintain a fitting Veterans Memorial on the grounds of Sigma Pi Executive Office at The Mitchell House in Lebanon, Tennessee. That Memorial was constructed and gifted to Sigma Pi Fraternity, International by THE 50, being dedicated on July 18, 2015. The dedication was attended by hundreds of alumni, undergraduates and guests. The featured speaker and ribbon cutter was Major General James Livingston (Auburn ’62) , U.S.M.C. (Ret), Medal of Honor Recipient during Vietnam. Upon dedication, the Veterans Committee partnered with the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation to establish a fund to receive donations from the sale of commemorative engraved bricks and pavers. The Foundation is receiving and holding these donations in order to fund scholarships to Sigma Pi veterans starting or continuing their college education. The goal is to raise over $250,000.00, the contributions from which will be attributed towards the scholarships.

The Commemorative Brick Program is currently operating in the following manner: There are over 1,000 bricks making up the footprint of the Memorial, which consists of a brick and paver area designed as a Greek Cross surrounding the 9’ tall granite centerpiece, backed up by three 30’ tall flagpoles, and an additional bricked Walk Of Honor leading up to the Memorial. The Greek Cross area is surrounded by commemorative brick pavers which denote each chapter of Sigma Pi honoring their veterans. The center Greek Cross area is restricted to Sigma Pi Veterans, and the Walk Of Honor will have bricks from any Sigma Pi alumni, or friend of Sigma Pi, who was not a veteran, but wishes to honor the veterans. The Walk of Honor will also be home to bricks honoring family and friends who were veterans, but who were not initiated Sigma Pi brothers. Please join with fellow Sigma Pi veterans, alumni and friends of Sigma Pi to be a part of the tribute to our Sigma Pi Veterans. You can order your brick or paver by either downloading a copy of the Brick/Paver order form and mailing it to the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation, or by making your donation online. The bricks are available for a $250.00 donation. The chapter pavers are available for a $500.00 donation. At this point, the chapter pavers are being donated by loyal alumni on behalf of their chapter, although each chapter can acquire their own. All donations, payable to the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation, are tax deductible.

To print a form or fill out the digital form, please visit sigmapi.org/veterans-memorial

1) In the previous issue of The Emerald, we incorrectly identified Mrs. Sara Livingston, the wife of Major General James Livingston (Auburn ’62), as Barbara Livingston. We apologize for this mistake; 2) Tim Callahan (Fitchburg State ’07), while wearing a “Operation Iraqi Freedom” hat, looks on as the National Anthem is played; 3) An example of the bricks from members of “The 50,” showcases multiple layouts for the brick text; 4) An example of the paver, this one from Alpha-Phi Chapter at the University of Georgia; 5) Members of “The 50” gathered together to cut the ribbon in front of the Veterans Memorial monument on Saturday, July 18, 2015; 6) A plaque dedicated to the Sigma Pi Veterans Committee, as well as “The 50,” sits at the base of the monument.

For additional information, contact Mark Reed at veterans@sigmapi.org

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S I G MA P I E D U C AT IO N A L FO U NDATIO N

In 2014, the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation launched the Jacobsen Campaign. The success of the inaugural campaign was apparent, as $3,380.44 was raised by contributions of 134 donors, of which 53 were first-time donors to the Educational Foundation. The campaign is named in honor of our first Executive Secretary, Harold Jacobsen, who at the 1926 Convocation, was appointed by

124

TOTAL DONORS

CHAPTER WITH MOST DONORS

12 DONORS GAMMA-SIGMA CHAPTER UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

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the Grand Council to be the first Executive Secretary, where he served a 35-year term before retiring in 1963. The campaign runs for two weeks leading up to October 14th (Jacobsenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s birth date). After the success of the campaign in 2014, the Educational Foundation set a goal of $5,000 in contributions this year. The 2015 campaign raised a total of $5,447.88 from 124 donors!

$5,447.88 LARGEST CONTRIBUTION

Stephen Fronapfel NJIT (Alpha-Mu Chapter) $1,000 Contribution

TOTAL DOLLARS RAISED IN 2015

61.16% INCREASE FROM 2014 CAMPAIGN ($3,380.44)

SIGMA PI EDUC AT I ON A L FOUN DAT I ON

TOP CONTRIBUTORS Brian Akerson (Missouri ’69) PGS Donald Cox (Temple ’55) Robert Crane (Columbus State ’84) Martin Doerr (Missouri ’76) Charles Eldridge (Morehead State ’90) Stephen Fronapfel (NJIT ’70) John Hall (Iowa State ’97) Eugene Hibbs (Iowa State ’93) Michael Hobson (Worcester Polytech ’84) Niles Leisti (NJIT ’05)

Richard Livengood (Eastern Illinois ’56) Richard Lowman (Buffalo ’96) Ricky Marshall (Arkansas State ’92) Todd Miller (Tennessee-Martin ’87) Bruce Peterson (UCLA ’77) Jeffrey Sletten (Missouri ’98) Ann Smyth (Friend of Sigma Pi) Rick Tibbetts (Rhode Island ’65) GH Les Wright (Murray State ’70)

ALL CONTRIBUTORS Phil Aiello (Wisconsin-Oshkosh ’15) Brian Akerson (Missouri ’69) Patrick Albano (Florida ’11) Sean Arca (California-Irvine ’18) Thomas Armstrong (Indiana ’89) Ryan Armstrong (Iowa ’12) Brian Auer (Missouri ’02) Tom Barr (Missouri State ’70) Fred Bauer (Wake Forest ’90) Brandon Bjorkman (Wisconsin-Oshkosh ’15) Robert Brennes (Louisiana Tech ’76) Gregory Bryant (Columbus ’77) Jeff Cameron (Missouri ’18) Brandi Carter (Friend of Sigma Pi) Chris Carter (Middle Tennessee ’11) Kyle Cayabyab (Worcester Polytech ’13) Scott Chastain (Florida ’91) Christopher Chesney (Texas Tech ’2004) Peter Chrustowski (Rowan ’96) Scott Courter II (Detroit-Mercy ’12) PGS Donald Cox (Temple ’55) Robert Crane (Columbus State ’84) HGS Dean Crook (Eastern Illinois ’59) Norbert Cygan (Illinois ’54) Daniel Daugherty (Morehead State ’92) Michael Davis (Central Florida ’13) James DeLorenzo (Buffalo ’07) GTC Brian Devot (Cal State Long Beach ’00) Adam Dickinson (Embry-Riddle ’10) James Diefenderfer (Ohio Northern ’49) Martin Doerr (Missouri ’76) GSC Craig Donnelly (Loyola-Chicago ’01) John Draheim (Valparaiso ’64) David Ebert (Barton ’70) Charles Eldridge (Morehead State ’90) Edward Elfreth (Widener ’98) Jeffrey Englebert (Wisconsin-Platteville ’81) Scott Evans (Missouri ’73) Richard Fitzer (Drexel ’73) Stephen Frayn (Missouri ’73) Stephen Fronapfel (NJIT ’70) PGS Frank Fryburg (Penn State ’49)

Patrick Gallahue (Fitchburg State ’14) Zack Garbowitz (Worcester Polytech ’12) Mike Gardini (Slippery Rock ’88) Steve Gera (Missouri) Edd Ghent (Illinois ’62) Edward Gogin (Cal State Fullerton ’#) Richard Gurevich (San Diego State ’90) John Hall (Iowa State ’97) Paul Hansen (Valparaiso ’80) Dwayne Harris (Seton Hall ’90) Eugene Hibbs (Iowa State ’93) Michael Hobson (Worcester Polytech ’84) Francis Humes (Hofstra ’12) Thomas Huscio (Michigan State ’02) Danny Hyche (West Alabama ’05) Glennon Jamboretz (Missouri ’69) James Jaqua (Oregon State ’56) Lester C. “Jay” Joern Jr. (Missouri ’72) Paul Ke (Purdue ’93) Matthew Kenny (UTSA ’15) Brendon Kirouac (Wayne State ’18) Chris Kowalenko (Carleton ’95) Brian Krull (Edinboro ’88) John LaBerge (Maryland ’53) Pete Larson (Missouri ’83) GFC Steve Lawler (Iowa ’82) John H. Lee (Kentucky ’85) Niles Leisti (NJIT ’05) PGS Ed Levesque (Bridgewater State ’89) Richard Livengood (Eastern Illinois ’56) Richard Lowman (Buffalo ’96) David Magnano (Worcester Polytech ’13) Taylor Mahanna (Friend of Sigma Pi) Ricky Marshall (Arkansas State ’92) Drew Martin (Arkansas ’18) James Maxwell (Valparaiso ’61) Ryan Miller (Oklahoma State ’16) Todd Miller (Tennessee-Martin ’87) Terry Monroe (SIU-Carbondale ’68) Kyle Monsees (Wake Forest ’16) GS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State ’70) Kevin Mumma (Missouri-St. Louis ’04)

NOTE: Due to space constraints, we were unable to include “In Honor Of” and “In Memory Of” information.

Tyler Oakes (Ursinus ’17) David Olson (San Diego State ’85) Joseph Palazzolo (Monmouth ’03) Patrick Patterson (Grand Valley State ’08) Lisa Pearson (Friend of Sigma Pi) Emily Perlow (Friend of Sigma Pi) Bruce Peterson (UCLA ’77) Kevin Pons (Johnson & Wales ’06) Ryan Post (Valparaiso ’12) David Presson (Murray State ’81) Tim Quick (Iowa State ’01) Dalton Reeves (Missouri State ’15) Charles Reid (UCLA ’70) Dave Rigby (Carleton ’82) Alan Rovira (Southeast Louisiana ’93) George Ruhle (Eastern Illinois ’63) Saad Shamshair (Rutgers ’15) Marc Sirotkin (Wake Forest ’98) Jeffrey Sletten (Missouri ’98) Brent Smith (Indiana of Pennsylvania ’02) Ann Smyth (Friend of Sigma Pi) George Sohm (NJIT ’66) Marc Sterne (William & Mary ’00) Charles Stoll (Kansas State ’13) Rick Tibbetts (Rhode Island ’65) Scott Tucker (Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo ’10) Joseph Turck (SIU-Edwardsville ’98) James Tysse (Virginia ’02) Denis Van Doros (Akron ’86) Brad Vaughn (SIU-Carbondale ’87) PGS James Verplanck (Mississippi ’61) Jason Walker (Georgia ’96) GFoC James Wisherd (Georgia ’93) Nickolas Woll (NJIT ’17) GH Les Wright (Murray State ’70) Paul Wydra (Missouri-St. Louis ’01) Allen W. Yee (Georgia ’99) John Yevick (Slippery Rock ’84) Corey Zavorka (Missouri ’01) Robert Zinger (Grand Valley State ’12)

T H EEMERAL D.ORG + 1 5

S I G MA P I E D U C AT IO N A L FO U NDATIO N

HOW WE RECOGNIZE OUR CONTRIBUTORS

The SPEF supports the educational pursuits of Sigma Pi and its membership. Among other things, the Educational Foundation provides for the Fraternity’s educational programs and leadership conferences; sponsors national, regional, and local leadership training events; and improves educational opportunities for deserving students through the awarding of grants and scholarships. The Educational Foundation relies entirely on donor support. Without the generosity of Sigma Pi alumni and friends, the Educational Foundation would be unable to fulfill its mission. Every dollar given to the Educational Foundation is an investment in the future of our Fraternity and the young men who have and will pledge their lifelong loyalty to Sigma Pi. Improving and expanding our educational programs will better position Sigma Pi and our members for growth and prosperity. Financial contributions will allow: • Immediate Impact - Your support goes to work right away • Affordable Options - Make a dramatic impact with a manageable monthly contribution • An Investment in Our Future - Create a sustainable future for the educational programs of Sigma Pi • Ease the Burden - Support current undergraduates and future Sigma Pi brothers

BOARD OF TRUSTEES CHAIRMAN Dr. Lester C. “Jay” Joern, Jr. (Missouri ’72)

TRUSTEES Mason Cozart (Southern Arkansas ’83)

VICE CHAIRMAN OF ADMINISTRATION PGS Larry Rovira (Cal State Fullerton ’85)

Michael Simmons (Cal State Fullerton ’87)

VICE CHAIRMAN OF INVESTMENTS David Presson (Murray State ’81)

PGS Donald J. Cox (Temple ’55)

VICE CHAIRMAN OF LEGAL AFFAIRS Scott Evans (Missouri ’03)

GS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State ’70)

TREASURER Ricky Marshall (Arkansas State ’92)

Shea Stickler (Arizona State ’90)

Founders Society - Named in honor of the four founders of Sigma Pi, the Founders Society recognizes those whose lifetime gifts to Sigma Pi total $100,000 or more. Tau Phi Delta Society - Named after the original appellation of Sigma Pi, the Tau Phi Delta Society recognizes those whose lifetime gifts to Sigma Pi total $50,000 or more. Old Vincennes Society - Named after the birthplace of Sigma Pi, the Old Vincennes Society recognizes those whose lifetime gifts to Sigma Pi total $25,000 or more. Shadowwood Society - Named after the traditional headquarters of Sigma Pi, the Shadowwood Society recognizes those whose lifetime gifts to Sigma Pi total $10,000 or more. Emerald Society - Named after the official jewel of Sigma Pi, the Emerald Society recognizes those whose lifetime gifts to Sigma Pi total $5,000 or more. ANNUAL GIVING Brotherhood of the Golden Cross - The Brotherhood of the Golden Cross recognizes annual fisclal year gifts to Sigma Pi of $1,000+. LEGACY GIVING Byron R. Lewis Heritage Society - Named in honor of HGS, PGH and Founder of the Educational Foundation, the Byron R. Lewis Heritage Society recognizes those who have documented a planned gift to Sigma Pi. UNDERGRADUATE GIVING Delta Society - The Delta Society recognizes those undergraduate members who have made an early commitment to giving back to Sigma Pi with a gift of $20 or more.

Nelson Farris (Cal State Long Beach ’66) PGS Ed Levesque (Bridgewater State ’89) ADVISOR TRUSTEES Paul Hansen (Valparaiso ’80)

SECRETARY Tim Quick (Iowa State ’01)

John McCann (NJIT ’83)

HONORARY LIFE TRUSTEE PGS Frank Fryburg (Penn State ’49)

Allen W. Yee (Georgia ’99)

Jeffrey Yordon (Northern Illinois ’70)

FOUNDATION DIRECTOR Lisa Pearson

1 6 + FA LL 2015

LIFETIME GIVING Radiant Triangle Society - Named after the most sacred symbol of Sigma Pi, the Radiant Triangle Society is reserved for Sigma Pi’s most generous supporters whose lifetime gifts total $500,000 or more.

Should you have any questions about making a gift of support to the Educational Foundation, please contact the Foundation office at 615-921-2313 or email Lisa Pearson at lpearson@sigmapi.org. To donate online, visit sigmapiedfund.org/donate

As a recognized 501(c)(3) non-profit organization under the United States Internal Revenue Code, gifts to the Educational Foundation are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law.

SIGMA PI EDUC AT I ON A L FOUN DAT I ON

BROTHERHOOD OF THE

+ GOLDEN CROSS + The Brotherhood of the Golden Cross recognizes fiscal year gifts to the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation of $1,000 or more. Your gift can be a one-time gift during the fiscal year or a recurring monthly gift of $83.34. As a token of appreciation, a supporter receives a nice gold lapel bar pin that can be worn at various Sigma Pi events acknowledging your belief in and support of the Educational Foundation. Giving at this level garners recognition in the Annual Report, on our website and your name being permanently engraved on a plaque located outside the Bryon R. Lewis Educational Foundation Suite at the Executive Office. Your support of the Educational Foundation, no matter how large or small, is appreciated and assists in helping us meet our educational leadership and scholarship goals. Judge Curtis G. Shake (Vincennes ’06), once said, “No single effort can make the endowment fund a success, but constant cooperation on the part of all cannot fail to produce great results.”

“I have recently increased my giving to the level of Brotherhood of the Golden Cross as I feel that it is always important to give back from what was given to us (as undergraduates) in the Fraternity. Also, I feel that it is important to maintain the historical level of donations from Alpha-Mu Chapter. I’m proud to be a part of it all.”

2014-15 Contributors FISCAL YEAR GIFTS (JULY 1, 2014 - JUNE 30, 2015) Brian Akerson (Missouri ‘69) Michael Ayalon (Buffalo ‘97) David Bailey (Morehead State ‘81) Buddy Beck (Arkansas State ‘58) Basil Boritzki (Missouri State ‘48)* Scott Chastain (Florida ‘91) Roger Claar (Eastern Illinois ‘66) Joseph Conway (Cal State Fullerton ‘80) PGS Donald J. Cox (Temple ‘55) Mason Cozart (Southern Arkansas ‘83) Mark Cranney (Friend of Sigma Pi) Daniel Daugherty (Morehead State ‘92) Covey Detmer (Vincennes ‘10) GSC Craig Donnelly (Loyola-Chicago ‘01) Charles Eldridge (Morehead State ‘90) Dr. James F. Elrod (Indiana ‘47)* James Espy (Beloit ‘70) Nelson Farris (Cal State Long Beach ‘66) David Finkel (UCLA ‘87) Stephen Fronapfel (NJIT ‘70) Russell Furnari (NJIT ‘79) Gary Grubacich (UC-Santa Barbara ‘68)* Paul Hansen (Valparaiso ‘80) Mark Helmick (UCLA ‘79) Paul Hetrick (Murray State ‘92) Dr. Jay Joern (Missouri ‘72) Rande Johnsen (Cal State Long Beach ‘78) Claude Keyzers (UCLA ‘58) Stephen Lawler (Iowa ‘82) Niles Leisti (NJIT ‘05) PGS Ed Levesque (Bridgewater State ‘89) Andrew Low (Lawrence Tech ‘08)

Richard Lowman (Buffalo ‘96) Ricky Marshall (Arkansas State ‘92) Arturo Martinez (UCLA ‘91) Edward Mora (Cal State Long Beach ‘93) GS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State ‘70) David Newberg (Cal State Long Beach ‘80) Larry Niederkohr (Ohio Northern ‘74) Steven Ochmanski (Rowan ‘94) Paul Owen (Cal State Long Beach ‘93) Richard Owens (UCLA ‘63) Joseph Palazzolo (Monmouth ‘03) Robert Pankau III (Oakland ‘05) Bruce Peak (Morehead State ‘76) David Presson (Murray State ‘81) Tim Quick (Iowa State ‘01) David Reale (Monmouth ‘96) PGS Larry Rovira (Cal State Fullerton ‘85) Andrew Salas (UCLA ‘78) William Schmitt (Slippery Rock ‘65) Michael Simmons (Cal State Fullerton ‘87) Eddie Gene Smith (UMSL ‘70) Matthew Sumrow (UCLA ‘91) Justin Todoroff (Cal State Long Beach ‘06) Ronald Tredennick (Eastern Illinois ‘78) PGS James Verplanck (Mississippi ‘61) Howard Vierra (San Jose State ‘67) Charles Wahl (Rowan ‘92) Clifford Wilke (UMSL ‘81) GH Les Wright (Murray State ‘70) Allen W. Yee (Georgia ‘99) Nicholas Zeisler (Colorado State ‘93)

2015-16 Contributors Y TD FISCAL YEAR GIF TS (JULY 1, 2015 - NOVEMBER 1, 2015)

Niles Leisti (NJIT ’05) Brotherhood of the Golden Cross Member ($1,000+ annually)

Roger Claar (Eastern Illinois ‘66) Arthur Engel (UC-Santa Barbara ‘68) James Espy (Beloit ‘70) Stephen Fronapfel (NJIT ‘70) Dr. Jay Joern (Missouri ‘72) Claude Keyzers (UCLA ‘58) Brian-Patrick Kurisky (Ferris State ‘07) PGS Ed Levesque (Bridgewater State ‘89) Ricky Marshall (Arkansas State ‘92)

Chester McKeen (Illinois ‘45) Everett Rea (UCLA ‘48) Alexander Scheuermann (Buffalo ‘16) William Schmitt (Slippery Rock ‘65) Paul Singer (Maryland ‘71) Shea Stickler (Arizona State’90) Clifford Wilke (UMSL ‘81) GH Les Wright (Murray State ‘70) Nicholas Zeisler (Colorado State ‘93) *Adytum on High T H E EMERAL D.ORG + 1 7

Introducing...

An online skill share and mentoring network to help all Sigma Pi members connect with employment, internship and mentoring opportunities Sigma Pi Connect is a fantastic new online community built exclusively for Sigma Pi members that includes more than 8 million employment and internship opportunities from around the world. Also included are career opportunities provided by our administrators, our graduates, and our ambassadors. The community is also designed to support the sharing of skills and foster an environment that encourages mentoring relationships between our students and alumni. It is our mission to connect our students with alumni, that may be able to spare a few minutes a month to share advice and tips online or in-person. If you are a career placement professional and have an interest in hiring or placing Sigma Pi brothers, please contact Phil Aiello at paiello@sigmapi.org to learn how you can utilize the platform effectively. The platform will officially launch at Mid-Year Leadership

Conference on January 29, 2016. Pre-registration is now open, build your profile online at sigmapiconnect.com.

Features for All Members ALUMNI DIRECTORY

MESSAGING + GROUPS

Find Sigma Pi Members near you, from your chapter, in your

Directly message Brothers, or communicate in groups that

industry, and with job opportunities. Search Brothers by

connect to you to your career and interests. Post comments

university, skill, employer, location and name.

and documents to share within the online community.

MENTOR MATCHING

RESOURCES + ADVICE

Establish a mentoring relationship with an individual based

View and download resources pertaining to career

off of skill, interests and career. Search for a specific mentor

placement, assessments and mentoring.

or let us find one for you based off of your needs.

that could benefit other Brothers across the platform.

Post resources

JOBS + INTERNSHIPS

EVENTS

Search jobs and internships posted by community members

Find chapter/colony events, alumni gatherings, workshops,

and professional recruiters, or thousands of pre-populated

fundraisers, career fairs, webinars and more. Post your own

opportunities posted from Indeed.com.

and invite others to attend.

T H EEMERAL D.ORG + 1 9

by Chris Carter (Middle Tennessee ’11), Editor

hase Paris (Georgia ’06) is the man who helped cast roles for some of the most beloved characters on tv and film, from The Walking Dead to Captain America: Civil War. As an undergraduate at the University of Georgia, Paris made a joke about being an agent in the entertainment business. Unbeknownst to him, life would lead him in just that direction. Paris sat down with The Emerald staff to talk about his role as a Casting Director in the entertainment business and the impact that Sigma Pi has had on his life.

Tell us a little bit about your background, where you grew up and your experiences in high school. I grew up in Marietta, Georgia, just north of Atlanta in East Cobb. I’m one of the few people in Atlanta that lives here and actually grew up here; there’s a very big transient community in a city this big so sometimes the home grown guys are outnumbered. Growing up was pretty typical suburban—played a bunch of sports, did well in school, got in enough trouble to have fun but nothing serious. In high school I didn’t have much down time—I jumped from football to wrestling to drama club to summer baseball and then repeated it all the next school year. Needless to say I stayed very active between clubs and sports, which is good because it helped with my admission to UGA. I had good grades, but the extracurriculars are what got me over the edge I’m convinced.

What was your undergraduate experience at Georgia like? There were really two halves of my college experience—the first two and a half years where I screwed around and the last two and a half years where I got focused and put in the work. This was both in class and the Fraternity. Personally, I served as chair for about half a dozen committees and was elected VP my final year. If you had told me (or my pledge brothers) that when I was a freshman they probably would have laughed at you!

Did you ever expect that you would join a fraternity? Why did you decide to join Sigma Pi? One of my best friends, Jonathan Kleitman (Georgia ’00) was a year older and pledged the fall before me, and he invited me up a few weekends to

20 + FA LL 2015

Chase Paris

hang out and see what it was all about. In all honesty, I was young and the band party we went to really got me excited—it was a lot to take in as a 17-18 year old. However, before I graduated or pledged I realized that a fraternity could really help me with opportunities after college. I’m a big believer that the true value in any fraternity isn’t when you’re an undergrad, it’s the benefits brotherhood and camaraderie can give you over a lifetime in your personal and professional life.

How did you get into the entertainment business? One night when packing up our apartment to move out we were watching Entourage and I said “hey man, you be the actor, I’ll be your agent!” We both thought it was hilarious—but years later when I was bartending and trying to figure out what to do with my life, that idea came back to the forefront. I sent a random email to a few talent agencies in town and got lucky enough to get a call from one to intern. From there I worked my way up to the lead theatrical agent for one of the most successful agencies in Atlanta, all while the new film tax incentives were being implemented in Georgia and surrounding states. Later I went to my future partner Tara Bennett, then a client, and she asked if I wanted to go into casting with her, so I took a leap of faith and did it. On all accounts I was in the right place at the right time, so I’ve been very fortunate to this point.

What opportunities have you had in the industry that are most memorable? Nothing will beat the first time I got to see my name in the credits on TV and in the theatre, respectively. Getting our first job as a casting company was pretty incredible, given we were handed a network TV show—NBC series Revolution— as our first job. Of course getting to work side-by-side with people like John Lee Hancock, Gavin O’Connor, Robert Kirkman, and others has been amazing—it’s still hard NOT to get star struck at times. As an agent I helped get actors I represented on The Walking Dead such as Melissa McBride (Carol) and Iron-E Singleton (T-Dog—and a UGA alum!), and helped get some kid actors their first big jobs like Pierce Gagnon (Looper, Extant) and Noah Lomax (Safe Haven, Playing for Keeps.)

What move single-handedly propelled your career? Making the jump from being an agent to a Casting Director. It took a big leap of faith and the support from my wife Lindsey for it to work, but there were a lot of unknowns at the start. I was going from making a paycheck to making my own money, which is nerve WRACKING—especially since we had a small child at the time. I was fortunate to also go into business with someone who complements me well and works as hard (and often harder) than I do. It was making the leap and then finding work with someone as tenacious as Tara that allowed us to be successful. I’d like to think I would have been successful on my own, but it’s hard to imagine I would have been THIS successful THIS quickly without the people around me.

Could you share with us a story about how Sigma Pi and your career have crossed paths? Well my favorite actor is and always will be my best friend and Fraternity brother Jonathan Kleitman, but that’s been a lifelong thing. Otherwise it’s been few

and far between that Sigma Pi has crossed over into my professional life (though I’m sure that will change after this article!). When I was an agent I helped an undergrad with auditions and tried to bring him into the agency as an actor, but wasn’t able to do so. I’d love to see more Sigma Pis cross my path in the film industry, and if you’re in Atlanta the career opportunities are growing exponentially, and not just for actors. If you ever find yourself working on a film or television project in the southeast let me know!

What learning experiences (failures/mistakes) have you faced during your career and how did Sigma Pi help you move past or learn from those experiences? When I was Vice President I was determined to revamp our committees and make them more effective. We had written reports, goals to hit, and other measures to make that happen. In some ways it was a success, but in others it wasn’t. That taught me that MY way isn’t always the BEST way, and that I have to be pliable to be successful when working with other people. That’s come in to play a lot in my career, because very rarely are you an island unto yourself. From being an agent and being a subordinate to an agency director (who was wonderful), working with clients to voice my opinion but also consider their needs so negotiations were smooth and mutually beneficial, those lessons I learned as an officer in Sigma Pi helped shape my professional relationships. Especially working with a partner where everything is 50/50—you HAVE to learn how to compromise and take into account other peoples wants/needs.

What are your expectations about the future of the industry? Georgia is rising meteorically. There’s talk about it taking over the workload from CA and NY—but I don’t see that happening any time soon. However, every year the amount of work increases and the local government is enthusiastically backing it, so there’s no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Which is good when you’re a freelancer like myself! If the work ever dried up here I’d have to move to where it is, which I’d hate to do.

With recent graduates entering the job market, what advice would you share with them to achieve their dreams? First off—always keep sight of your dream. Don’t wait. Always work towards it. There’s no time like the present to pursue what you dream of doing. That being said, the real world requires an income and dreams can sometimes get in the way of that, so pursue your dream but also pursue your living. If you can make your dream your living GREAT— but realize that’s not always possible. There’s no reason to give up on either completely, and it’s important to pursue them or you’ll always wonder what if. T H EEMERAL D.ORG + 21

C HA PT E R SP OT L IG H T

ALPHA-NU CHAPTER AT WAKE FOREST CELEBRATES 75TH ANNIVERSARY by GS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State ’70), contributing writer

On April 25, 2015, Alpha-Nu Chapter at Wake Forest University celebrated it’s diamond anniversary and 75 years of continuous operation in Sigma Pi Fraternity, International. Originally founded in 1928 as Delta Sigma Chi, a local fraternity, it became a chapter on May 12, 1940. Sigma Pi is one of only two fraternities that has never been dormant on the WFU campus. The celebratory events began at the Barn on the Wake Forest University campus and lasted well into the night at the Chapter house. The next day, alumni traveled to the Childress Vineyards in Lexington, North Carolina, for a tour and sampling of the grapes. That evening a banquet was held at the Benton Convention Center in Winston-Salem with 250 alumni, undergraduates and guests. PGS Gary B. Tash (Virginia ’68) welcomed alumni representing every decade since chartering to the celebration. The two oldest alumni in attendance were Bobby Land (’50) and Pat Mast (’53). A Proclamation was made by the Honorable Allen Joines (Mayor of Winston-Salem), declaring April 25, 2015 as Sigma Pi Day. Introductions were made

by Mike Champlin (’75), President of the Winston-Salem Alumni Club, which contributed to that evening’s events. Former Executive Director Mike Ayalon (Buffalo ’97) and GS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State ’70) represented the Grand Chapter. GS Morris announced that one the columns at the Executive Office with the four founders names had been sponsored by three anonymous alumni who donated $10,000 in PGS Tash’s honor. The plaque reads: JAMES THOMPSON KINGSBURY Sponsored by PGS Gary B. Tash (Virgina ’68) Recognition was given by PGS Tash to all the members that have made Alpha-Nu one of our leading chapters in Sigma Pi over the years. Commemorative paddles were presented to several outstanding alumni who had significant contributions during the various decades.

The two oldest Alpha-Nu Brothers in attendance were Bobby Land (’50) and Pat Mast (’53)

To conclude the event, Sage Johan Oakes (’16), introduced a video that covered the history of Alpha-Nu Chapter, followed by the Sigma Pi Creed and the Fireside Song to wrap up the evening. It was a great gathering of brothers.

ALPHA-NU AWARDS INCLUDE: Founders Award 1984 Edgar Estes Folk (’48) Grand Sage Award 1996, 1998, 2002, 2008, 2010 Triad Award 1994, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2004, 2006 Grand Chapter Award 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010

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Mayor Joines makes the announcement to those in attendance, declaring April 25, 2015 as Sigma Pi Day

CHA PT ER SPOT L I G HT

GAMMA-IOTA CHAPTER AT WORCESTER POLYTECH CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY by Fr. Mike Hobson (Worcester Polytech ’85), contributing writer

The celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Gamma-Iota Chapter at Worcester Polytechnic Institute was held on Saturday, September 26th, 2015 and was, by all accounts, a tremendous success with almost 250 Brothers and guests present. Alumni traveled from as far away as Texas, Oregon and Georgia—as well as other states throughout the country. The day began with the annual Psi Theta Nu Alumni Corporation Meeting which updated alumni and undergraduate brothers as to the status of the Corporation, and especially about the extensive chapter house improvements and future needs. Presentations were given by, or on behalf of, the 10-member PTN Board of Trustees, as well as reports delivered by the undergraduate Sage. After the alumni annual meeting, tours of the chapter house were given by the undergraduates. Many alumni commented on the improvements and were very excited by what they saw. Memorable stories were shared as alumni reminisced with one another, and undergraduates were very interested in learning the history of the brotherhood. As the afternoon moved on, and the reception at the Worcester DCU Center began, it was exciting to see old friends gathering together and sharing their memories. In the banquet hall, dining tables were beautifully decorated, as well as commemorative champagne glasses provided for everyone present bearing a specially designed logo by Cody Schultz (‘13). A variety of food selections were available, and music was provided by Glen Butler (‘89) and his band. GS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State ’70) was present to congratulate the Chapter, and commented that only 16 chapters have sustained themselves long enough to celebrate their Golden Jubilee. In addition, PGS Ed Levesque (Bridgewater State ’89) was present to speak of his own involvement with Gamma-Iota for over 20

years when he first began as New England Province Archon. We were especially grateful for the presence of the new WPI President, Laurie Leshin, who enthusiastically spoke to us about ongoing developments at WPI, which in turn is celebrating its 150th anniversary. Despite her very tight schedule with WPI Homecoming events, it was an honor to have her join us for part of the evening. The evening slowly wound down with the brothers encircled, shoulder to shoulder, loudly singing Billy Joel’s “Goodnight Saigon,” later followed by a highly demanded encore! Of course, the evening celebration would not have been at all possible without the leading efforts in planning the 50th Anniversary at the Worcester DCU Center by David Magnano (‘13). David worked tirelessly with the Sigma Pi Executive Office, WPI Alumni Relations Office, and the Worcester DCU Center in arranging guest lists and invitations, website registration, food selection, entertainment, commemorative glasses and T-shirts, program schedules, and seeking donations for undergraduate brothers to attend. Also on the committee was Don Petry (‘87) , who rallied brothers from 1985-1990 yielding 46 brothers in attendance, representing the largest alumni grouping present! Thank you David and Don for all your hard work in ensuring a wonderful 50th Anniversary Celebration of our brotherhood! With a renewed and significantly improved chapter house, we have a new beginning as we enter the next 50 years for Gamma-Iota’s history. Alumni awareness and involvement is paramount for the continuing life of the chapter. Our community is strong, as witnessed by the numerous emails that have begun circulating since the 50th celebration event, including offers to help the undergraduates with employment and internship opportunities, as well as offers to provide financial assistance to support future critical house improvements.

Founding Fathers from Gamma-Iota Chapter: ( from left to right) Ken Brown (’65), Chuck Frary (’65), Joe Osvald (’65), Allen Downs (’71) and Jeff Cheyne (’65)

Brothers join together in the singing of Billy Joels’ Goodnight Saigon

T H E EMERAL D.ORG + 23

C HA PT E R & CO LO N Y RE P O RTS

CHAP TE R & CO LO N Y

R E PORTI NG Editor’s Note: Chapter and Colony Reports are submitted by undergraduate members of each Chapter and Colony. Along with updating and correcting basic guidelines, reports have been edited to only provide the most important content.

LEGEND Ø

Zero Balance

Owe Money

Number of Undergraduate Members

Chapter GPA Donors to SPEF this fiscal year (undergrad & alumni) Standards Of Excellence Grading Scale

NO REPORT SUBMITTED ALABAMA (THETA-OMICRON)

DUKE (IOTA-XI)

OREGON (IOTA-EPSILON)

AUBURN (ALPHA-DELTA)

EMPORIA STATE (EPSILON-EPSILON)

PURDUE (ETA)

CAL POLY-SAN LUIS OBISPO (ETA-DELTA)

FERRIS STATE (THETA-THETA)

SAN DIEGO (EPSILON-CHI)

CAL STATE DOMINGUEZ HILLS (ETA-IOTA)

HOUSTON (THETA-NU)

UC SANTA BARBARA (ALPHA-OMICRON)

CALIFORNIA-IRVINE (ETA-UPSILON)

KANSAS (BETA-DELTA)

UCLA (UPSILON)

CLEMSON (ETA-PSI)

MIAMI (OH) (ETA-PHI)

VINCENNES (ALPHA)

CSU-CHICO (THETA-MU)

MICHIGAN STATE (ZETA-MU)

VIRGINIA (BETA-PI)

N/A

2.99

3 Ø

ARIZONA STATE

ARKANSAS

BETA-KAPPA COLONY

ALPHA-SIGMA CHAPTER

Brothers of Beta-Kappa Colony started the new semester strong and are cruising towards chartering. We accepted 18 new fine gentlemen with an average GPA of 3.5 who had a Quest For Excellence and welcomed them to our family. Aside from the recruitment operation, we had an event where we played laser tag together and strengthened our brotherhood. Philanthropy committee is planning a bubble soccer event for October, and Community Service committee has collected over 100 hours community service over the summer. Finally, it is worth mentioning that brother Ryan Hayes has received scholarship from our Scholarship committee for his dues.

At Arkansas, the men of Alpha-Sigma have started seeing the progress we have been waiting for. After our chapters active number hit a new low, the 23 undergraduate members stepped up to make an awesome rush. Brothers like Kyle Hatcher (AS, University of Arkansas), Dan Rael (AS, U of A), President Hunter Young (AS, U of A), stepped up and took on different important roles. Young introduced the chapter and its past. Rael created a powerpoint presentation and Hatcher then used his great public speaking skills to eventually convince 25 guys to accept a bid to Sigma Pi doubling our chapter. Follow us on Twitter @ArkansasSigmaPi

24 + FA LL 2015

2.83

ARKANSAS STATE ALPHA-PI CHAPTER

Alpha-Pi has had an exciting year in 2015. The undergraduates have had a successful summer of relaxation and are kicking off the Fall with a busy recruitment and football season. We have our busiest schedule ever for philanthropy and community service events and are looking forward to a fun social calendar as well. The Alpha-Pi alumni have kept busy as well hosting the 4th Annual I Believe Golf Tournament in Little Rock in mid-June. The event was a great time and everyone had fun. Make plans now to attend our Founder’s Day celebration to be held in Jonesboro the weekend of March 5th, 2016.

CHA PT ER & COLON Y REPORTS

3.02

2.68

ARKANSAS TECH

BUFFALO

IOTA-LAMBDA CHAPTER

EPSILON-OMICRON CHAPTER

Upon arriving back at Arkansas Tech, multiple undergraduate members were involved in orientation, making an excellent impression among the 2015 freshman class. With 38 undergraduate members, we look forward to extending 30 bids to potential new members after the completion of formal recruitment.

It has been proven to be a sensational start here at Epsilon-Omicron Chapter at the State University of New York at Buffalo as everyone excitedly prepares for the upcoming year with haste. All of our members are working diligently to plan for upcoming Fraternal events including Fall Rush, Alumni Weekend, and our hosting of the 2015 Ontario Providence Workshop. We also began our first philanthropic endeavor, Brothers for Breast Cancer, will include selling bracelets that raise awareness and profit to fight against a horrible disease. Epsilon-Omicron Chapter is now one step closer towards our Quest for Excellence.

3.15

BENTLEY IOTA-THETA CHAPTER

We held our annual Sean Williams Basketball Tournament, which raised over $1000 for a scholarship fund. Alumni and Undergrad Brothers are now trying to plan a joint event in honor of Sean, a Founding Father. Iota-Theta has partnered with our on-campus food service to run Sigma Pi Food on the Fly.

2.90

CAL STATE LONG BEACH BETA-OMICRON CHAPTER

Beta-Omicron Chapter spent the summer making renovations to the chapter house. BetaOmicron Chapter was eager to begin classes in the fall semester and are excited for a good rush. Rush is looking really well and Beta-Omicron is expecting a large class of new members this fall.

3.11

N/A

CARLETON ETA-RHO CHAPTER

Eta-Rho Chapter would like to once again, congratulate brothers Craig Handy and Sean Smith on becoming VP-Finance and VPStudent Life of the Carleton University Student Association. As well, thanks to Cameron Bradshaw, an Eta-Rho member will be on the executive of Carleton’s Residence Association for the third straight year. Eta-Rho had a big presence during orientation week with 30 brothers volunteering to help Freshmen transition into University. On Saturday the 19th, Eta-Rho will host their Annual Reese Scofield Golf Tournament, which has a confirmed attendance of 50 Undergraduates and Alumnis.

Ø Ø

3.06

CENTRAL MICHIGAN

BRIDGEWATER STATE

DELTA-ALPHA CHAPTER

ETA-ETA CHAPTER

Eta-Eta Chapter at Bridgewater State enjoyed a relaxing summer break after a very successful academic year while maintaining the top cumulative GPA among fraternities on campus for the past two consecutive semesters and are poised to make it a third this year. Eta-Eta received the bronze standard for the SOE and are making strides to receive the silver or gold standard this year. The chapter is graduating more than 50% of its undergraduate members this May, so they are preparing to pass the torch to their younger members with confidence that they will continue to improve the chapter.

3.14

CALIFORNIA IOTA CHAPTER

Fall semester at Berkeley has kicked off with a bang, and as fall rush comes to a close, we have the new 16 man strong Alpha-Iota class! House improvements and Fraternity and Sorority relations are better than ever, and as the semester continues we only expect bigger and better things here at Iota Chapter!

The brothers of Delta-Alpha attended Faster Horses Festival for a summer retreat, spanning 3 days of country music festivities. The recruitment goals for the Fall semester are 25 new members, although it is not a hard number, depending on how many quality undergraduate students come out for rush. Delta-Alpha is planning a Homecoming event with all alumni invited, having food and drinks at the house for the Homecoming parade and attending the football game afterward. The brothers of DeltaAlpha Chapter are fundraising by volunteering at Cedar Point two weekends in September.

T H E EMERAL D.ORG + 25

C HA PT E R & CO LO N Y RE P O RTS

N/A

COLORADO STATE

3.02

DELAWARE IOTA-BETA CHAPTER

This semester is one of Eta-Sigma colony’s most important. Last year, when we colonized with 18 men, we knew it was going to be a challenge to reach 50 in order to charter. We were 32 men away from reaching a huge milestone in the four degrees of chartering, but we didn’t let that stop us. For many months we planned for Fall Rush 2015. We worked hard, but most importantly we worked together. The outcome was several great new members in the beginning of the semester. Not only did we get new members, but by working together so diligently, we established true brotherhood, and it’s that brotherhood that’s going to fuel us for many years.

After a long summer, the brothers of Iota-Beta are excited to finally be back on campus. Next week marks the beginning of fall rush and our brothers are anxious to welcome new members into this outstanding brotherhood. The 2015 Fall Semester is already off to a great start and our chapter looks forward to continued success.

N/A

DETROIT-MERCY GAMMA-ALPHA CHAPTER

COLORADO

We’ve made some major improvements since last year. We’re back, the chapter is charged up, and the house is running at full capacity. The Chapter will be hosting two major events this fall. The first is a Bocce Ball Tournament/Fundraiser for Housing Development and the second is a Philanthropic Pig Roast, both of which we’re expecting a high turnout for. We have a lot more planned for the rest of the semester and we’re all looking forward to fall rush.

3.49

CORNELL

ZETA-DELTA CHAPTER

MU CHAPTER

This summer our Sage Sam Benavram decided to step down. Since then, our Vice President, Brad Kaplan, has taken over the role as Sage. With a unanimous vote, Davis DeGregorio was voted to be Vice President. However, as the brothers of Zeta-Delta are starting off the new school year, we are excited and our optimistic the semester. Fall rush is going to begin September 24th. Followed by a preference night the next week, we will get a new pledge class and they will begin their new member education as quickly as possible. After having a successful spring rush class, we are expecting nothing less from the Alpha-Lambda class.

The highlight of this semester has been the opening of the Richard Cahoon Technology Center. Thanks to the gracious donation of Richard Cahoon (‘77) we were able to build an amazing, state-of-the-art technology center, comprised of a flat-screen TV, complete with a webcam and mic, all housed in a beautiful, custom wooden cabinet. It was unveiled at a special ceremony attended by Mu Chapter undergraduates, Alumni Board members, prominent members of Cornell administration, and of course Richard Cahoon. We are extremely excited for the alumni networking opportunities that this great addition will provide for us.

26 + FALL 2015

Gamma-Alpha Chapter couldn’t be any happier!

We kicked off fall semester with recruitment week. Our events included sand volleyball, ultimate frisbee, and cookouts. We finished fall recruitment with twenty new members. September 19th we plan to initiate nine new members from the Spring 2015 class. This fall we are paired with Delta Zeta Sorority for homecoming and have elected Quincy Usry (’15) as our candidate. With our growing numbers we are making advancements in our scholarship plan, philanthropic activities, and communication with local alumni.

N/A

Class is back in session and the brothers of

GAMMA-GAMMA CHAPTER

ETA-SIGMA COLONY

CENTRAL MISSOURI

3.01

3.31

DRURY EPSILON-RHO CHAPTER

Epsilon-Rho Chapter ended a successful academic year at Drury University, having tied second place in the top five Best Chapter in North America. Sadly, we had to say farewell to seven undergraduate members as they finished their college education. A month after classes finalized, our chapter started their recruitment process by contacting each incoming freshman. Two weeks before school started, Epsilon-Rho Chapter went on a brotherhood retreat, on which recruitment skills where discussed. After an eventfull week of recruitment, we had the honor to welcome six new undergraduate members to Epsilon-Rho Chapter of Drury University.

CHA PT ER & COLON Y REPORTS

2.75

303

EAST STROUDSBURG

FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON

BETA-PSI CHAPTER

EPSILON-XI CHAPTER

This semester Beta-Psi Chapter got to work immediately in terms of service, volunteering at the Animal Welfare Society of Monroe County the first week of school. In recruitment, Beta-Psi added ten members to our ranks. BetaPsi Chapter has a lot to look forward to this semester, we cannot wait for it to unfold.

From the beginning of the semester the EpsilonXi chapter has gotten straight to work, focusing on our first official event which was hosting a table at our organization fair. The following week we started our rush events which garnered much attention. As of now our main focus is participating in a few community service opportunities that include volunteering at the Hillside community food bank and participating in the annual Pike Hike, while at the same

2.62

time planning our ACE event which consists of handing out hot chocolate to students and

EASTERN ILLINOIS

3.03

3.11

FLORIDA STATE ETA-EPSILON CHAPTER

Beta-Gamma Chapter at Eastern Illinois University is going to have a strong semester in Fall 2015. This semester, a much stricter academic and financial system have been put in place in order to advance the chapter to new heights. The chapter also plans to partake in extra community service in order to give back to the community. Beta-Gamma also wants to extend a big thank you to its alumni for the generous $20,000 donation they received this past month. The brothers of Beta-Gamma are looking forward to seeing the alumni to celebrate the 100th homecoming at the university and 66 years of excellence in brotherhood.

faculty at the beginning of November.

BETA-GAMMA CHAPTER

Going into fall semester with a brotherhood of seventy-five gentlemen, Eta Epsilon Chapter is on track this fall rush to become a onehundred man chapter for the first time since recolonization! In addition to anticipating this huge milestone, we here at Florida State University are pleased to announce that we have achieved the highest grade point average of all twenty-two fraternities! Our chapter is also excited to be paired with both Delta Delta Delta and Gamma Phi Beta Sororities for Dance Marathon this upcoming Spring semester. The future looks bright for Eta-Epsilon!

2.71

2.94

EASTERN KENTUCKY

FITCHBURG STATE

FRANKLIN & MARSHALL

EPSILON-LAMBDA CHAPTER

ETA-TAU CHAPTER

NU CHAPTER

Epsilon-Lambda had a successful 2014-2015 school year. We initiated 16 new members and received a SOE score of 74%. We are ready to get the 2015-2016 started. June 26th through June 28th we held our annual Executive Council Retreat at Paradise Lake, Michigan to plan for the coming year. Our Executive Council along with a few undergraduate members worked hard to make sure Epsilon-Lambda was prepared for the coming year. On September 8th, Eastern Kentucky University started rush. Around 280 young men are signed up for rush. We look forward to meeting all the young men and brining quality men into our chapter.

We here at Eta-Tau Chapter have begun our recruitment process in full swing, with many events on campus to bring in potential new members into our folds this semester. The brothers of Eta-Tau have held an info-session on joining fraternity life, as well as a 9/11 Memorial Reading & Candlelight Vigil in memory of those who had passed away on that tragic day 14 years ago. Things are going well & continuing to look great as we move our way into new member processing later this month! There’s a lot more coming from Eta-Tau at Fitchburg State University in the future, so be sure to keep an eye out for us!

Nu Chapter underwent a variety of changes from last semester. After growing to a total of 27 members, we were dealt with saying goodbye to our seniors. One of which was, Past Sage Sam Crozier who worked tirelessly to make sure Nu Chapter could return to being as strong as it is currently. Many members of Nu Chapter went traveling this summer. Sage Giovan Shepard studied abroad in Italy and enjoyed a wonderful vacation away. Chapter Director Frank Fryburg spent time at the Veterans Monument in Tennessee. Newly elected Recruitment Chair Brian Camilleri traveled to Sigma Pi University this summer. We are ready for this semester.

T H EEMERAL D.ORG + 27

C HA PT E R & CO LO N Y RE P O RTS

3.12

ILLINOIS PHI CHAPTER

3.13

The future is looking bright for Phi chapter as a revitalization seems imminent. Phi Chapter’s mindset for recruitment remains quality over quantity as we search for new brothers to add to our diverse but close chapter. Our chapter is also searching for new opportunities, including partnering with service groups and possibly finding a new location to call home. Additionally, we want to strengthen alumni relations so that Phi Chapter will always feel like a home to our graduates, and new relationships can be cultivated with new undergraduates. With these endeavors and more, Phi Chapter is working hard to make the fall semester a great one.

GEORGIA ALPHA-PHI CHAPTER

Alpha-Phi continues the trend of starting the year off strong. During the summer, the house has undergone enhancements. The remodels include the kitchen that is completely redone with new granite countertops and wood cabinets, the staircases with new carpet, and new indoor and outdoor furniture. Huge thanks to all the parents, brothers, and alumni who helped. After these renovations to the house, Alpha-Phi Chapter again increased its numbers. We had a solid fall 2015 potential new member class with twenty three new initiates. This continues the strong growth that we are known for down here in Athens.

3.17

3.07

GRAND VALLEY STATE THETA-RHO CHAPTER

The men of Theta-Rho held our first annual “Back to School BBQ” on campus and invited all students to enjoy free live music and food. This fall semester we have set a chapter goal of a 30man fall pledge class. Brothers are finding new ways to increase our impact on Fraternity and Sorority Life at Grand Valley State University. Theta-Rho has partnered up with Alpha Sigma Phi Fraternity for this years homecoming and we look forward to another great year.

2.78

115

N/A

INDIANA BETA CHAPTER

Thanks to new renovations over the summer, Beta is excited as ever for all this year has to offer! Our exterior, late plate area, and laundry room all have undergone renovation. With fall rush right around the corner, we are ready to bring in a great new fall class!

2.97

GEORGIA TECH

HOFSTRA

INDIANA OF PENNSYLVANIA

IOTA-MU CHAPTER

ETA-GAMMA CHAPTER

THETA-EPSILON CHAPTER

Iota-Mu has many events planned for this semester. We are hosting a 5K race around Thanksgiving called the Sigma Pi Turkey Trot to raise money for the Amazing Day Foundation. Brotherhood chair Sean Bradley (’17) plans to have a big tailgate on campus before the homecoming game against Florida State for all the alumni in the Atlanta area to attend. IotaMu is very excited for the opportunity to see all the alumni in the area. Our new members this semester are very excited and highly motivated. They are planning an event where we bring dogs from a local shelter to campus to help raise awareness and to bring joy to the community.

We are excited for another semester of college and, with it, another opportunity to show the school and community what it means to be Sigma Pi men. Many of us worked over the summer months and are integrating that same drive into the classroom as the Fall 2015 semester ensues. Outside of the classroom, we have been celebrating the importance of brotherhood, holding weekly pep-talks and outings to boost our morale. Additionally, we have kicked of the year with some fundraisers and are building momentum, incorporating our philanthropy into future events. As always, recruitment is high in our priorities.

The men of the Theta-Epsilon chapter were eager to get back to school after a long summer break to be back with their brothers they have waited months to see - spirits could not be higher. Ending off last semester with the highest overall GPA of social active fraternities, we enter this fall semester with hopes of not only staying on top of the list, but to continue to raise our GPA to much higher levels. Now on our second year living in our new house, we now understand how important and memorable it is to be living with your closets best friends, your brothers. We can’t wait to get the school year started off on the right foot.

28 + FALL 2015

CHA PT ER & COLON Y REPORTS

2.91

2.74

2.28

IOWA

KENNESAW STATE

LOUISIANA TECH

XI CHAPTER

EPSILON-ALPHA CHAPTER

DELTA-LAMBDA CHAPTER

We are proud to announce we will have 18 new members this year. Also, Xi Chapter has a lot of activities planned for the fall semester. As well as competing in Intramural Football, we have Parents and Alumni Weekend to look forward to as well. We also looks forward raising money for the Dance Marathon event.

What we’ve been preparing for a year is finally here; Epsilon-Alpha chapter makes its final challenging transition into Kennesaw State University. Getting familiar with the new administration and the new student body will be among our top priority this semester. We will be planning on having more on campus events to get awareness. One event that we’ve being doing this past year, “Pie a Sigma Pi”, for the Amazing Day foundation has been pretty successful on both campuses. We hope that we all have a great semester and continue 118 years of traditions.

Delta-Lambda is excited for another successful year. To start off the new school year, The Chapter was very ecstatic to participate in Dog Haul, an event that helps returning and freshmen students move in to their dorms. With the upcoming Fall recruitment, we are hopeful for a great prospective recruitment class.

2.93

IOWA STATE SIGMA CHAPTER

Sigma Chapter has recruited 34 new members this summer; the largest new member class in Sigma Chapter history since our re-founding! Thanks to our ever supportive alumni, Sigma Chapter now has a completely renovated basement with brand new flooring, walls, windows, and kitchen utilities. This semester, we are also proud to announce that another member of our house has been elected to the Interfraternity Council as the Vice President of Community Service. Sigma will also be hosting a tailgate this semester for the Iowa v. Iowa State game, and will be honored with an appearance with Presidential Candidate Marco Rubio!

N/A

KENTUCKY EPSILON-BETA COLONY

Since returning from break, Epsilon-Beta Colony had its first successful Fall Rush. With the addition of ten new members, the Colony has been able to grow the brotherhood. We are starting the process of planning our fall semiformal as well as anticipating a formal in the spring semester. With the addition of our newest members and with how well dynamic recruitment is going, we are eager to see Epsilon-Beta Colony reach its fullest potential and exemplify the ideals of Sigma Pi in our Greek Community.

2.60

2.74

LOUISVILLE IOTA-OMICRON CHAPTER

Iota-Omicron chapter is looking forward to another great semester at the University of Louisville. We began with a back to school cookout and a brotherhood reball outing that was a lot of fun. Fall rush has already come and gone, and we have 12 members in our Eta pledge class. We hope to get that number even higher with dynamic recruiting throughout the semester. We also look forward to continued improvement in our academic standing and intramural performances.

LAWRENCE TECH ZETA-OMICRON CHAPTER

3.23

KEENE STATE IOTA-RHO CHAPTER

We started off the Fall 2015 semester strong with a solid group of men. We look forward to the promising year ahead and hope to have brothers visit other chapters. Brothers continue to be a strong presence on campus with some involved in sports teams, alternative breaks, alumni relations, orientation staff, and much more.

We’re fired up for the school year ahead. Armed with a redesigned rush booth and memories of the summer’s adventures, the brothers kicked off the semester with a bang, welcoming newcomers with a flurry of exciting recruitment events. We will also be welcoming the American Red Cross back to campus for their biannual blood drive, as well as partnering with Adopt-A-Road to maintain a stretch marked with the Fraternity’s letters. All of this will be topped off with the entertaining Brovember which is currently in the works with the Brotherhood Committee.

2.76

MICHIGAN TECH ZETA-EPSILON CHAPTER

Zeta-Epsilon strives to bring in the best men we can find. We have held three successful rush events including a group hiking trip, a barbecue, and a trip to the local disc golfing course. With the goal of 11 new and initiated brothers this year, we are recruiting those who can help improve our brotherhood and uphold our values.

T H EEMERAL D.ORG + 29

C HA PT E R & CO LO N Y RE P O RTS

2.86

MISSISSIPPI BETA-MU CHAPTER

The fall semester is in full swing here at BetaMu Chapter. The semester is off to an exciting start with us moving into our new chapter house, which will offer many more rooms and facilities for our brothers to take advantage of. This past

3.12

Saturday, many of our brothers made the journey to the Grove for some great tailgating, followed by an exciting football game against UT- Martin. As we move further into the semester here at $

2.94

Beta-Mu Chapter, we’re preparing for this years rush, which will most likely bring us 70 new pledges. We’re all excited to see what the rest of

MIDDLE TENNESSEE

the semester and year have in store for us.

THETA-OMEGA CHAPTER

Theta-Omega is in the heat of the recruitment process. We have extended bids to fifteen men and over ten of them have signed bids to become new members in our chapter. This fall, our can food drive for the MTSU Student Food Bank will kick off in mid-October. Also, this fall we will be working closely with the June Anderson Center for Women to raise awareness for sexual assault. Homecoming is right around the corner. We are excited for all of the activities that will lead up to the homecoming game against Vanderbilt University on October 3rd. Finally, our last objective for this semester is becoming a True Blue Accredited organization again this year.

3.11

MINNESOTA

141

3.18

Alpha-Iota Chapter will be hard at work building social and educational assets with the other members of Fraternity and Sorority Life at Missouri University of Science and Technology this semester. Along with this, our chapter has been actively replacing/fixing our ritual equipment to ensure that everything is in good working condition. The Sigma Pi members have also been busy replacing and fixing things around the house during our opening week of school. Alpha-Iota Chapter has also welcomed 11 new members into our Brotherhood this semester thus far, with the possibility of a 12th.

MISSOURI

IOTA-ZETA CHAPTER

GAMMA-SIGMA CHAPTER

Following a successful Spring Semester at the University of Minnesota, Iota-Zeta Chapter members took a much needed break during the summer. Two committees, however, stayed hard at work. Both Recruitment and Public Relations chairman put forth an impressive effort to better the chapter even during the summer months. Summer recruitment became a reality as events were held for incoming freshmen. Additionally, our social media presence skyrocketed especially with the unveiling of our brand new website at Sigmapiumn.org. With the fall semester and rush upon us, we are excited to add to our ever growing numbers.

Gamma-Sigma has begun the year with an enormous amount of exciting news! To start off the list we were thrilled to receive numerous awards at this year’s Sigma Pi UIFI including Best ACE Project, Member Recruitment, Gold Level on Standards of Excellence, and 100-Man Chapter! This was a very big year for GammaSigma and we could not be more proud! GammaSigma has recently gained over 30 men for our fall Iota pledge class, as well as recently initiating our Theta class. Lastly, due to our positive feedback from last year’s ACE project carnival we will be holding the event again this year with hopes to be even bigger and better than the last!

30 + FALL 2015

MISSOURI S&T ALPHA-IOTA CHAPTER

2.86

MISSOURI SOUTHERN STATE ETA-MU CHAPTER

So far, Eta-Mu Chapter at Missouri Southern State is having a great semester. Recruitment went quite successfully resulting in the pledging of nine new members. During the rush week of this fall semester, there were several events including bowling, eating at Buffalo Wild Wings, ultimate frisbee, video game night, poker night, and volleyball along with some philanthropy events including helping out at a local animal shelter called Golden Paw. This pledge class will essentially double the active chapter size when the members are initiated.

CHA PT ER & COLON Y REPORTS

N/A

3.09

MISSOURI STATE

NJIT

ALPHA-RHO CHAPTER

ALPHA-MU CHAPTER

As we enter the fall semester of 2015, AlphaRho is focused on maintaining our record of academic excellence (2.99 GPA last semester) and community engagement (#1 in community service hours for all fraternities at Missouri State) along with growing our chapter to a dominating force on campus. Thus far, the semester has been a success. With the hard work of our recruitment chair and his team, we have signed 40 upstanding gentlemen to be pinned. This will bring our total number of active brothers to 104 after their initiation. As we continue our journey at Alpha-Rho we are simply becoming more and more excited for what our future holds.

After a much needed summer break, Alpha-Mu is ready to keep pushing on as we enter another school year. In the past semester, Alpha-Mu had the third highest GPA of all fraternities on campus and thanks to our Philanthropy Chair, Vinnie Gleason met its commitment to raise money for a separate philanthropy every two weeks of the Spring Semester. Six of our new members were initiated in the Spring, and they’ve really hit the ground running. Michael Elia, one of our newest members and Community Service Chair has done an excellent job setting up a multitude of events and has encouraged more brothers to participate than ever before.

2.62

MOREHEAD STATE DELTA-RHO CHAPTER

2.99

MONMOUTH DELTA-BETA CHAPTER

Delta-Beta wants to invite all chapter alumni and all Sigma Pi alumni living in the Monmouth area to contact the Jersey Shore Alumni club. Each Saturday of this semester, four brothers volunteered at St. Luke’s church, and also at the Children’s Center of Monmouth County where we hosted a fashion show for the children.

2.98

It has been a good summer for the brothers of Delta-Rho Chapter here at Morehead State University. Over the summer, Delta Rho’s brothers held our annual summer picnic at Cave Run Lake where we got to spend valuable time with our alumni. We also held a golf scramble at morehead state’s golf course where we raised money for Delta Rho’s educational fund. Furthermore, we initiated two new members into Delta Rho Chapter. We have had a successful recruitment thus far and look forward to having a good fall semester.

2.83

2.70

NORTH CAROLINA STATE RHO CHAPTER

Rho Chapter is excited to announce some of the most exciting news in recent history. We have finally finished moving into our new Chapter House! This new home can house up to 40 brothers at one time which is a huge step up from our previous chapter house which could

2.89

MONTCLAIR STATE

MURRAY STATE

OAKLAND

IOTA-IOTA CHAPTER

GAMMA-UPSILON CHAPTER

ZETA-PI CHAPTER

After finishing off last year extremely well, IotaIota is hoping for big things in the upcoming Fall 2015 semester. Last year we achieved an 85% on the Standards of Excellence and received the most improved Greek organization on Montclair State University campus. We are focusing on improving our recruitment as well as keeping up the standards of our philanthropy and community service events. Iota-Iota would like to focus more on the campus community as a whole and gear events towards the organizations and students on campus. We expect this semester to be a great one that will not only make us proud but Sigma Pi as a whole proud.

Gamma-Upsilon held its annual Summer Retreat where undergraduate and alumni members competed in a golf scramble held at Miller Memorial golf course. The members who attended the retreat witnessed the initiation of five new members into the chapter. Moving into the fall semester, Gamma-Upsilon worked to recruit a pledge class of 14 new members, and is actively recruiting to add to this number. During this semester, the chapter will hold its annual Fall Fest philanthropy October 31 to raise money for the Amazing Day Foundation. Homecoming will take place October 10; the chapter encourages all alumni to attend the events that weekend.

Zeta-Pi had many fun brotherhood events this summer, and our alumni golf outing was a huge success. Also, we are planning out our events for the upcoming semester and are excited for what we can bring to the table during the new year. So far, Zeta-Pi easily had one of the biggest Fraternity presence during welcome week. During freshmen move-in, we met and made an impression on many new incoming students. Also, our participation with events such as involvement fairs and Jump Start programs has been outstanding. We are excited to throw our 21st annual Pig Roast, and make this semester the best one to date.

T H E EMERAL D.ORG + 3 1

C HA PT E R & CO LO N Y RE P O RTS

2.76

2.84

3.00

OHIO

OKLAHOMA STATE

PENN COLLEGE

EPSILON CHAPTER

IOTA-PI CHAPTER

THETA-PHI CHAPTER

The Epsilon Chapter of Ohio University has

We successfully raised our GPA, an area we had been struggling with. This fall we have pinned 12 new members for the upcoming year. Typically our new member class has a booth during our homecoming walk around which allows these members to get their first taste of planning an event for the Fraternity.

Theta-Phi made our presence known by hosting rush events for incoming freshmen, such as Sigma Pi Cookout, Capture the Flag and Flag Football, which showed the students that ThetaPhi is out there and ready for the year to begin. Sigma Pi is planning to have more of a one on one connection with them.

been very busy the start of this fall semester. Over the summer we participated in the Charlie Waddington Annual Charity Golf Scramble, in honor of one of our brother’s late father. The event raised over $12,000 benefiting Stein Hospice of Sandusky, Ohio. We are currently working on rush and looking forward to many other events this fall to build a successful semester. We will also be going to our annual

2.43

3.18

Gatlinburg Fall Formal again this October. Epsilon Chapter is on the right track and excited for the year ahead!

3.05

OLD DOMINION

PENN STATE

THETA-ETA CHAPTER

THETA CHAPTER

The summer was a busy time for Theta-Eta.

In our 103rd year, Theta Chapter is looking

We also had a very successful Firefighter Day

forward to another successful year. Fraternity

in April. We ended the semester by winning

recruitment has begun and we are expecting a

Chapter of the Year at ODU. Matt McCartney,

large recruitment class between twenty to thirty

Chris Levy, Spencer Pedigo, Arthur Bern, and

members. Theta Chapter is anticipating quality

Joshua Davis all graduated in May. In August, we

fundraising events this fall, along with multiple

initiated 8 men into the Chapter. The updated

Greek Community events. Some events include

Family trees were posted to the Alumni Facebook

Greek Sing, Penn State Homecoming and our

group. Recruitment went very well and we have

first ever Haunted House in October. The

a very sizable pledge class for the Fall of 2015.

Haunted House is designed to fundraise money

Please remember that Homecoming is October

for suicide prevention. Theta Chapter is excited

17th. We will be hosting various events for the

for the semester to come with high-expectations

entire Chapter.

for our fundraising events.

32 + FALL 2015

2.53

PENN STATE-ALTOONA

OHIO STATE

THETA-IOTA CHAPTER

GAMMA CHAPTER

Gamma Chapter had a great summer and beginning of Fall semester. We successfully relocated into a new house on campus’ main “Greek Row.” This has helped our image as a new fraternity grow phenomenally and we’ve seen outstanding growth and involvement with new sororities as well as an incredible Fall recruitment. We are currently planning our annual Haunted House which serves as our Fall ACE project contribution. We also have a very involved social and philanthropy calendar this semester which will be sure to keep the brothers busy and active on campus as we continue to grow into a bigger and better fraternity.

N/A

OREGON STATE OMEGA CHAPTER

Omega chapter is going to have a busy fall term with a schedule full of recruiting. One year ago we had our largest fall recruitment class ever leaving large shoes to fill for our two new rush chairs. Even with our high expectations we know all of the hard work they’re putting in will pay off. Omega chapter is excited to start the new school year off on a high note and continue the growth of our chapter.

We are currently in the middle of rush, and we had a big turn out at our table during the Club Fair. Our first rush event was a success, with double the amount of rushes than brothers. We are already looking forward to our next events such as football in the coming days. With interviews already a week away, we are really putting our selves out on campus. That includes where our rush shirts as much as possible and really getting to know this year’s freshman class. Many of us are getting involved in clubs such as Ju-Jitsu, Ski and Golf Club, further allowing us to branch out. We wear our letters everywhere we are, always making sure were known.

CHA PT ER & COLON Y REPORTS

2.88

2.70

RADFORD

SAGINAW VALLEY STATE

THETA-LAMBDA CHAPTER

THETA-BETA CHAPTER

Theta Lambda chapter is ready to start the the school year off with a bang. We just had our first chapter meeting and successfully planned out our goals and expectations for the coming semester. We also just started rush week on September 8th and we are looking forward to adding another great class of brothers to our ranks. We have been working closely with the Greek Life Office and the school to plan a blood drive, suicide prevention week, and plan on having a full schedule of community service and philanthropy events within the coming weeks. We are also currently in the process of planning both our parents weekend and alumni weekend.

Theta-Beta Chapter and its members are excited to begin our new school year as the Registered Student Organization of the Year and follow up last years success with another great year. This summer many members participated in the Annual Alumni Golf Outing which helps to raise money for future scholarships that are available for the active members. We also had our retreat where all of the upcoming Fall Semester events were discussed and plans were initiated. We look forward to our fall mixers and Rush Week, as well as, doing our best to out perform all organization at this years Homecoming in October!

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ROWAN ZETA-CHI CHAPTER

Zeta-Chi Chapter continues to strive in every aspect imaginable. Our intramural sports teams seem untouchable after our basketball, and soccer teams all took first place in the fraternity league without losing a single game. Coming off a Greek Week championship, Zeta Chi also took first place in Homecoming during the fall semester. A high point of the year was hosting our 3rd annual “Swing for the Fences” event, which is a softball game where we partner with Rowan Unified Sports for Special Olympic Athletes. Zeta-Chi also just admitted our chapters biggest pledge class to date, and plan on continuing its success in the upcoming year.

RHODE ISLAND ALPHA-UPSILON CHAPTER

Alpha-Upsilon Chapter at the University of Rhode Island is ecstatic to begin the new semester. The brothers have enjoyed catching up and spending time together during these few days before classes begin. The first week at URI was kicked off with a Beach Day at Narragansett State Beach. We have a lot of other activities planned for the upcoming year as well, including a golf tournament with Sigma Pi alumni, blood drives, and more community oriented activities. Our executive board is new in its entirety and we are all looking forward to contributing to our chapter. We are also looking forward to the recruitment of new members.

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SAINT JOSEPH’S RUTGERS GAMMA-ETA CHAPTER

After a long summer of relaxation, GammaEta chapter is looking forward to a promising Fall semester. We wish the best to the senior brothers who graduated in the spring, and hope to fill their spots with other future leaders during rush. Also, we moved into a new house this semester, and look forward to having great events and creating long lasting memories once we get it lettered.

THETA-CHI CHAPTER

Now that the semester is underway, we are hard at work laying the foundation for an amazing year. Each one of us is excited to return to campus and prove that being in Sigma Pi is truly an honor. In keeping with the great events from last year, we are hoping to have another successful Rose Giveaway and take part in even more Neighborhood Street Cleanups. Learning from the past, we believe that these events will be even more successful.

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C HA PT E R & CO LO N Y RE P O RTS

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2.92

SALISBURY

SIU-CARBONDALE

SOUTHER ARKANSAS

THETA-XI CHAPTER

BETA-NU CHAPTER

EPSILON-KAPPA CHAPTER

This fall, Theta-Xi is aiming to go from good to great. We plan on doing that starting with fall rush. We hope to add about 10-15 new members this semester and we have re-vamped how we go about rush so we can obtain this goal. Secondly, we are striving to improve on our reputation on campus by doing more philanthropy events that can have maximum involvement from our peers as well as the community as a whole. Starting with the Out of the Darkness walk this month in Ocean City to support The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. We also aim to improve our chapter internally by improving attendance and participation.

Beat-Nu has been arduously striving to bring pride and honor to the name of Sigma Pi over the course of the summer and beginning of the year. The summer yielded us several new brothers to welcome to our family, and a very helpful and eventful summer meeting. Perhaps more impressive, however, is the addition to the house that we’ve all been exhausting ourselves acquiring. Two new, absolutely beautiful letters were placed upon our house, elegantly displayed in our royal colors, officially cementing our chapter house at SIUC. We look forward to excelling during the upcoming semester.

After taking a hard financial hit this previous spring, the chapter is focusing on fundraising. Having a small fundraiser every week and two major fundraisers a semester. We are also pushing for recruitment having a different team of members holding a recruitment event once week, there being 5 teams we have a small recruitment event everyday. Members invite out potentials and do various actives, such as backyard football, Frisbee, grilling, video games, etc. We hope to grow exponential this year and take back the title we lost last year of the Fraternity of the year given by Southern Arkansas University.

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SANTA CLARA ZETA-ETA CHAPTER

Towards the end of spring quarter, Zeta-Eta took a brotherhood retreat rafting on the American River, attended Giants games and had Orchid Ball at Mission Beach. This fall quarter, we are thrilled to meet the new freshman and are gearing up for a fun yet purposeful rush.

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SETON HALL

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2.76

SOUTHERN INDIANA

DELTA-EPSILON CHAPTER

Delta-Epsilon is coming off of a stellar year where we were awarded Bronze in the standards of excellence. The chapter is continuing right where we left off by maintaining a great campus presence. The chapter holds “Whiffle Ball Wednesdays” in the center of campus and encourages all to participate. Delta-Epsilon already has two community service outings planned this fall where they will impact the local community. The chapter is participating in the “Adopt a Highway” program where we will maintain a highway over the year. Delta-Epsilon was also given the chance to host the annual Province Workshop on our Seton Hall Campus.

THETA-PSI CHAPTER

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SIU-EDWARDSVILLE DELTA-OMEGA CHAPTER

Delta-Omega Chapter is looking forward to a great fall semester! They have planed out multiple philanthropy events, as well as organizing their annual Haunted Trail. The Chapter is also excited to start fall intramural’s after winning an award last spring for Outstanding Chapter Intramurals. Fall recruitment is going outstanding and the Chapter is hopeful to take a great new member class.

The Scholars, Athletes and Gentlemen of Theta-Psi Chapter kicked off the Fall Semester with a memorable summer retreat held at alumni Jarrod Daeger’s (Theta- Psi, University of Southern Indiana ’11) farmhouse in scenic North Vernon, Indiana. During the retreat our chapter made plans for the coming rush and held workshops to better synchronize and develop the chapter. This fall semester is looking packed with many mixers, brotherhoods, and even a fall semi-formal that we are all looking forward to. Last year our chapter, Theta-Psi Chapter, was awarded Bronze for Standards of Excellence, an award we are extremely proud of.

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ST. JOHN’S

UCF

IOTA-TAU CHAPTER

IOTA-KAPPA CHAPTER

During this past summer our brothers here at the St. John’s University have been working hard. Then some of our brothers had gotten internships working with big companies such as Target and National Mutual. Then others gave back to our school by working as orientation leaders. Then also all of our brothers were working collectively to achieve one goal and it is to be able to charter. Then after working for after eighteen months of working non-stop, our petition was submitted and three weeks later St. John’s University became Iota-Tau Chapter of Sigma Pi on September 19th, now this is where the real work had starts for our bother.

Iota-Kappa kicked off the fall semester with a bang. We are proud to announce brother Benjamin DeStefano (’16) was appointed as University of Central Florida’s Comptroller, making him a member of this year Student Government’s Presidential Cabinet. Also brother Arjun Watane (’17) has been recognized for being a D1 Athlete, professional pianist, and computer scientist. Check out the media attention he has received at today.ucf.edu/man-in-motion. Finally we are proud to announce we have thirty outstanding young gentlemen ready to begin the new member process. We cannot wait to lead them through their quest of excellence!

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TEXAS GAMMA-THETA CHAPTER

Hello Gamma-Theta Alumni! We have had an exciting summer and first few weeks of school here at the University of Texas at Austin. First, we have some important news; we have moved into a new fraternity house! Our new home is located at the corner of Rio Grande Street and 22nd Street right in the heart of West Campus! We also have started Fall Rush, and are actively recruited potential new members to GammaTheta Chapter! So far we have had a variety of recruitment events, and have 4 signed bids already!

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UMSL DELTA-ZETA CHAPTER

Under the new guidance of Sage Kyle Williams (’17), the chapter has multiple community service, fundraising, and Fraternity and Sorority Life events throughout the fall semester to continue our individual growth as role models for the students at the University of MissouriSt. Louis. Along with this, recruitment has been one of the focal points for fall semester as every

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member is getting involved in some capacity or another. Delta-Zeta believes this will be a memorable year for the best and we will strive

TCNJ THETA-DELTA CHAPTER

After a very successful summer, the ThetaDelta Chapter is looking forward to the new school year. At over 50 brothers strong, we believe this semester will be one of our best. Our new members have shown great enthusiasm towards bettering the fraternity, and we expect to continue the positive trend they have set. We have already begun organizing events to better the community here at The College of New Jersey, like our annual blood drive taking place in early September. Lastly, through the generosity of our Chapter Director, Don Cox, we were able to do some much needed work on the chapter house which the brothers are excited to use.

for nothing less than excellence for our chapter.

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UC SANTA CRUZ IOTA-ETA CHAPTER

Iota-Eta concluded the last spring quarter by adding 17 new members. Now, we are all energetic for the 2015-2016 school year and the new pledge classes. We are planning many philanthropic and public relation events that will really demonstrate the scholarship mindset and gentlemen-like nature our members and new initiates represent.

URSINUS THETA-SIGMA CHAPTER

Theta-Sigma has only been back to school for a week and a half, but we have made the most of our time and our summer. We have set up a great series of events every night of the week for recruitment, including ice cream socials, barbecues, a football get together, our traditional Steaks & Stories afternoon, and even a pig roast. T H E EMERAL D.ORG + 35

C HA PT E R & CO LO N Y RE P O RTS

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USF

WAYNE STATE

IOTA-SIGMA CHAPTER

GAMMA-OMEGA CHAPTER

The summer here in Tampa, Florida was full of

After reaching 40+ members in the spring, we had a large graduating class. The new school year has kicked off & recruitment is in high gear with the help of junior, senior, & two alumni brothers focusing on men of character. We are committed to completing many ACE projects this year. It has been years since our chapter has given appropriate attention to our alumni but it is our intention to reach out to the wealth of experience that you all hold. We have been growing rapidly the past few years but could do much more with a stronger alumni presence. To Gamma Omega alumni, please reach out to our executive board at gammaomega1c@sigmapi.org.

sunshine and Sigma Pi. We had a good number of brothers stay around taking classes and working for the entire summer. When we first got back to school we were able to initiate out last founding father Jacob Pedrero (’15). Our first sweethearts Kirstin Park (Kappa Delta) and Gabby Englander (Gamma Phi Betta) were elected for this Fall. We are off to a great start with recruitment at USF, and are very excited for our Alpha pledge class. We have several big events planned for this

semester and are hopeful for what this semester will bring us here at the Iota-Sigma Chapter.

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UTSA IOTA-DELTA CHAPTER

After an extensive summer of recruiting, we compiled a list of names even before the semester started. At the end of rush, we ended up extending bids to 16 gentlemen. Another focus has been scholarship. We revamped our scholarship program and look forward to having the highest fraternity GPA on campus.

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WAKE FOREST ALPHA-NU CHAPTER

Alpha-Nu is very excited for the Fall semester and has planned several philanthropy events and our ACE Project in concert with other organizations on campus. Our primary focus is recruitment and we are working hard to acquire a large Spring class. Many new members have stepped into leadership roles in key functions such as recruitment, social, and brotherhood. The beginning of the year has been very dynamic and successful in terms of our social and recruitment events and we hope to build on this progress throughout the coming year. Alpha-Nu Chapter eagerly awaits our 75th Homecoming celebration on September 25-26, 2015.

VALPARAISO

BETA-TAU CHAPTER

Beta-Tau Chapter is off to a busy start, preparing for their award-winning event, Amazing Day. Last year, Beta-Tau Chapter won the “Living your Values” award for hosting the Amazing Day. The Amazing Day event is open to everybody on campus, as well as the surrounding town of Valparaiso. Beta-Tau Chapter provides free food and entertainment to everyone who attends. Attendees play lawn games and enjoy a live band that plays throughout the entire event. To those interested in donating to the Amazing Day Foundation, they have the option of registering a volleyball team for a small fee, and participating in the Amazing Day Volleyball Tournament.

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WEST ALABAMA THETA-GAMMA CHAPTER

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WASHINGTON STATE IOTA-NU CHAPTER

Iota-Nu Chapter is pleased to announce that we pinned 30 new members to our Lambda pledge class. We are excited to see what good things will come from them. Some of our main priorities for the year are to continue to focus on brotherhood and improving our academics from the previous year. The atmosphere of Iota-Nu is high as we are ready to take on the year. Go Cougs!

Theta-Gamma welcomed 15 new members to our ranks who we see potential into becoming proper men of Sigma Pi. We have many philanthropy events lined up for the upcoming semester, including working the Geico 500 race at Talladega Motor Speedway and taking place in supporting the Amazing Day foundation. Overall, we feel as though we are taking many steps in the right direction to be the elite fraternity that we strive to become, to take back the Homer Award for the most outstanding fraternity on campus, and to become the best men that we can be.

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WILLIAM PATERSON THETA-TAU CHAPTER

As the fall of 2015 opens up, Theta-Tau Chapter of William Paterson University is looking to potentially triple within the next two semesters. The Brothers have already begun setting up dates for community service events. ThetaTau’s first event on campus this semester was Freshman move-in, in which the Brothers helped the incoming students as well as their parents unload all of their dorm necessities and $

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bring them to their respective rooms. As a whole, the Brothers of Theta-Tau Chapter are looking Interfraternity Council as well as on campus.

EPSILON-ZETA CHAPTER

Unfortunately, we have faced some difficulties the past semester. As a result of poor grades, we were put on academic probation. Now we are facing academic suspension as a result of another difficult semester. Now we are suspended for one calendar year. Since we have been facing struggles over the past few years, we are now trying to coordinate more with our Alumni to get back on track. Fortunately, we are still able to recruit while on suspension. Being that recruitment is the only thing we are allowed to participate in with the university, we are focusing all of our energy on recruitment and getting our grades back to an acceptable average.

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WESTERN ILLINOIS

This Fall Semester is showing progress with rush that we have successfully thrived on. Returning guru Zach LaSalvia (’17) has already established the dominance over the recruiting process that he asserted last Semester when he got an 11 for 11 with recruitment bids. Austin Aimone (’17) has been groomed to lead the spring rush program.

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forward to maintaining the highest GPA in the

WEST CHESTER ZETA-ALPHA CHAPTER

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WISCONSIN TAU CHAPTER

Reconvening after summer break, Tau hit the ground running with this year’s Fall Rush. Tau’s members are hopeful to gain one of the best new neophyte classes this year, in both number and quality of the new members. In the summer, Tau instituted its own endowment fund to subsidize dues, pledge fees, and membership fees.

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WEST VIRGINIA TECH GAMMA-XI CHAPTER

Everyone here at Gamma-Xi is excited about our school moving to a new campus in two years. The new location will allow for the institution to grow and thrive, thus allowing for us to do the same. We plan on continuing to make an impact on our school and community no matter where we are. Despite the hard times experienced here over the last year, we are looking forward to increasing our numbers and showing everyone what it means to be Sigma Pi. A smoldering fire Smokes, but it is not extinguished. We will rise from the ashes bigger and better than before. We are Sigma Pi, now and always.

WILLIAM & MARY

WISCONSIN-OSHKOSH

ALPHA-ETA CHAPTER

GAMMA-MU CHAPTER

Alpha-Eta Chapter at the College of William & Mary has experienced substantial improvement in rituals over the course of the year, transitioning from an effort mostly dependent upon the efforts of solely the Executive Council to a collaborative event incorporating all undergraduates in the chapter. This change has resulted in a more fulfilling experience for those partaking in the ceremonies, particularly new members at the initiation ceremony who are new to fraternity rituals and ceremonies. What was once solely a stepping stone in the Sigma Pi experience, is now a memory of which members can admire and reminisce on.

This past spring and throughout the summer, Gamma-Mu has been working very hard with our alumni to renovate our house and set up a strong alumni to undergraduate connection going into the future. By establishing a strong relationship with our alumni, we are setting the table for our incoming and newer members to succeed easily when taking on more responsibility. This coming semester we are looking to bring in a large pledge class and continue to help the greek community on campus grow. Another one of our goals is to increase our GPA of our chapter, with us pushing the importance of scholarship now more than ever.

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C HA PT E R & CO LO N Y RE P O RTS

S I G M A P I S TO R E Ø

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WISCONSIN-PLATTEVILLE

CHAPTER ESSENTIALS

DELTA-IOTA CHAPTER

Over the course of the summer the Brothers of the Delta-Iota Chapter worked the dunk tank for the 23rd annual Champion Games. The Delta-Iota Chapter is also celebrating their 45th anniversary of being Sigma Pi this homecoming. We are also looking forward to what looks to be a very successful rush period this fall.

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WORCESTER POLYTECH GAMMA-IOTA CHAPTER

The Fall Semester is looking to be a great one for Gamma-Iota Chapter. In late August we assisted WPI’s class of 2019 in moving into their dorms with the other Greek chapters on campus. Over the summer our house underwent many changes. These include renovations to the entryways, library, and bathrooms as well as new facilities to make our house handicapped-accessible. The 50th anniversary of the Gamma-Iota Chapter will occur on the 26th of September, and we are excited to host our Alumni from all over the country. We are enthusiastic about Rush upcoming in November, and have already begun utilizing the names list and planning for Rush events.

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T H E EMERAL D.ORG + 39

UN DE R G R A D UAT E SP OTLIGH T

by Bryan Oldham (Oklahoma State â&#x20AC;&#x2122;16), undergraduate contributing writer

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UN DERG RA DUAT E SPOT L I GHT

am one of the lucky few who had a high school teacher who loved their job and subject so much that it inspired me to pursue a career in political science and ultimately become a public servant by serving in the legislature either in my home state of Colorado or on the national level in Washington, D.C. My mother has been a practicing attorney for a majority of my life so I grew up around the legal system and seeing the impact my mother had on others and the positive change that she was able to create. With the influence of my mother and high school teacher, I decided to pursue a degree in political science. It only made sense to attend an institution from which both of my parents graduated, so I moved to the heart of Oklahoma and started my journey at Oklahoma State University. Being highly involved in high school, becoming involved on campus at OSU was inevitable but I wanted to belong to organizations in which I could truly have an impact. My father is a member of a fraternity, but I did not feel that the fraternities at OSU were a fit with me and being from out of state, participating in the recruitment process was not easy. However, I found out about a new fraternity colony on campus and was intrigued by the idea that I could help create something that would have a lasting impact on campus and with the men who came in contact with the organization after I did. Joining Sigma Pi has shaped my undergraduate time and given me the opportunities to develop more skills necessary to working in politics than if I had not joined. After my sophomore year, I went back to Colorado for the summer and was offered a position with a United State Senate campaign. While that sounds like something that doesn’t just happen, it did for me. I stumbled upon a posting for entry-level campaign staff on a student job board and decided to the take the risk by submitting my résumé. Taking the risk was worth the shot and I was offered a position. During my time working with this campaign, I learned that politics is not as glamorous as most people think. There is far more work that goes into not only a campaign but in being a politician that most people do not regularly see or understand. However, I enjoyed the work and felt like I was having a positive impact on the people of Colorado by helping Senator Gardner win the election; so much so that I decided to remain in Colorado for the duration of the campaign, which meant temporarily withdrawing from Oklahoma State and enrolling with the University of Colorado at Boulder. While this might be daunting at first, my membership in Sigma

Pi gave me a group of men to not only live with but away to become plugged in at a new university. My time affiliated with Zeta-Delta Chapter showed me the major differences between operations in a housed chapter versus an unhoused chapter like we are at Oklahoma State. I also learned many tips and tricks to develop our recruitment practices and make them more efficient. Moving back to Stillwater in the spring to finish my junior year, I was overwhelmed with the continual changes that my career aspirations had put me through. Readjusting to life in Stillwater was difficult at first, but I was welcomed back by my brothers and that showed me the true meaning of fraternity. While I had to leave to better my career, I was always their brother no matter what. My experiences working on Senator Gardner’s campaign led to an internship with his office in Washington, D.C. Working for the United State Senate was an experience unlike any I have had before. The work is extremely fast paced and the staff are just as knowledgeable which was intimidating at first. I quickly felt right at home and jumped right into the work of a political intern. Dealing with the phone calls of angry voters was always a special treat to look forward to but showed me that my patience much exceeds what I thought it was and that our elected officials deal with a great number of issues on a daily basis. It is important that constituents actively participate in the legislative process because their thoughts and opinions will be heard. Having been part of a campaign and doing policy work in our nation’s capitol greatly diversified my skillset and can be used in a variety of political arenas as well other aspects of my life. Working with Senator Gardner has opened up many opportunities for me to stand out among the competition in a field that is becoming oversaturated. While I thought my time had ended, I was surprised to be asked to help work the Republican presidential debate in Boulder, CO at the end of October. Mainly, I learned that a positive work ethic and drive will result in opportunities that wouldn’t necessarily be available otherwise. Being involved in this debate was just another in a line of unique experiences in my political career. These combined experiences have helped me realize more clearly what I want to do with my career, as well as the things I do not wish to pursue. I have been very fortunate to have had these opportunities and realize that not everyone has these same experiences, which makes even more imperative that I use my talents and skills to not only further my Quest for Excellence but that of our country.

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VOLU N T E E R S

WH Y I VO LU NTE E R by Brad Vaughn (SIU-Carbondale ’87), contributing writer

Volunteering means different things to different people. Some volunteer out of a sense of obligation. Others may volunteer out of a sense of loyalty, while others may look at volunteering simply as the satisfaction of assisting others and enjoying being a part of something larger than themselves. When we go back to the root of our Fraternity, and possibly to our individual fraternal experience, we come together as a group to share a common goal, common interests, and to experience what we’ve come to call our brotherhood. It develops into what many would consider a separate and distinct community of like-minded men who believe in something greater than themselves. Those of us who enjoyed our undergraduate experience welcome the opportunity to work with new undergraduate members and share what we’ve learned, been exposed to, and strive to be. Each chapter needs a type of peer mentor program that draws on the knowledge, skills, and experiences of alumni who enjoy donating their time and volunteering with these young men not only to assist them in their fraternal and personal development, but to also share the experience of passing on a knowledge base that they can use to assist others as they go out and volunteer. It is, symbolically, the passing of the torch from one generation to another. As an undergraduate at SIU-Carbondale, I enjoyed wherever I went around either Lawrenceville or Vincennes and came across a member of Sigma Pi who was eager to shake my hand and call me brother. I felt then, as I continue to feel, the strong connection between myself and my fraternal brothers, and the nexus with Sigma Pi. This endures to this day, when, wherever I see Sigma Pi on a shirt, hat, or bookbag, I’m quick to approach, extend a hand, and meet a new brother. It was a courtesy that was extended to me, and I feel obliged to continue that tradition. It was through my love for the fraternity that I joined the staff as a Chapter Consultant upon graduation from SIU-Carbondale in 1987. In all, my early experiences in joining Sigma Pi comprised undergraduate leadership in the chapter and working with chapters across the US and Canada in developing better undergraduate members. During those years on staff, both as a Chapter Consultant and as the Director of Expansion, I assisted brothers in opening colonies and new chapters that continue to thrive to this day.

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After I left staff and started graduate school at Florida State University in 1989, I was Eta-Epsilon’s first house father, and later Greek Advisor on that campus. My fraternal spirit continued and I was glad to work with that young chapter, and later the chapters of 25 fraternities at FSU. During those several years, and during the years that followed, I enjoyed my volunteer role, in whichever capacity I was asked to perform, for Sigma Pi. But, life happens. I started one job, returned for a second graduate degree, accepted another job, and moved 300 miles from the nearest chapter of Sigma Pi. For almost the next decade, I felt estranged from Sigma Pi, but willingly accepted infrequent requests from Executive Director Mark Briscoe (Arkansas State ’82) to complete tasks, to assist in expansion work, and attend meetings in and around South Florida where I represented Sigma Pi. Currently I fill the position of Florida Province Archon, serve as the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) liaison/delegate from Sigma Pi, representing our interests before the other NIC fraternities, and serve on the Sigma Pi Judicial Review Committee. While my current job as a federal law enforcement officer keeps me busy, I’m glad to find the time to continue to work with Sigma Pi as a volunteer. I earlier alluded to something that I discovered while traveling: few answer the call to participate after their undergraduate years conclude. While many fondly recall their undergraduate years in their chapter, they may not realize that they may continue to participate on a larger scale once they receive their diploma. Alumni volunteers help pave the way for the waves of undergraduate members reaching the shores of each chapter. This isn’t meant to detract from those who proudly wear a Sigma Pi hat, shirt, or give to the educational foundation, or to a specific fraternity cause. They, too, assist in the undergraduate growth by providing donations and establishing scholarships that may mean the difference in a brother’s academic future, and rightfully qualify as volunteers who give their time, their money, or their talent to Sigma Pi. However, there are few that give all three. Volunteering brings its own rewards, and anyone who truly enjoyed their undergraduate experience and is proud to be a member of a leading fraternity is welcome to continue in a tradition since 1897 in working with brothers who will gladly welcome you with a firm handshake.

VOLUN T EERS

Why do you volunteer for Sigma Pi? I believe in the mission of Sigma Pi and our undergraduate members need more guidance and assistance than can be provided by professional staff alone to achieve our mission. As alumni I feel it is our job to provide this assistance. How long have you volunteered for Sigma Pi? I have been a Chapter Director for just under 5 years and I have been the Chair of the Technology Committee for two years. I’ve also recently taken on the role of Southern California Province Archon. What is your biggest accomplishment in your role as a Volunteer? As a Founding Father of the chapter of which I now serve as Chapter Director, I am most proud seeing what my chapter has grown into over the years. When we chartered there was very little support from alumni and the Executive Office and the chapter made some pretty big mistakes trying to emulate the “top” chapters on Cal Poly’s campus (virtually all of which have now lost their charters). My chapter now understands the importance of recruiting the right men vs recruiting the largest number of guys. They hold each other accountable with a strong standards system. They have become fiscally solvent to the point where they no longer live quarter to quarter and if the opportunity arises they have the savings to put a down payment on a house. This past year they achieved a bronze rating on the Standards of Excellence and now have their sights on earning gold. Over all I feel my biggest accomplishment is that I have gotten them to a place where they see issues that exist on their own and work to fix them. What do you think is in the future for Sigma Pi? We are at a very important point in history for Fraternities, our purpose and values are being challenged on a daily basis by the media and universities. We, as Sigma Pi, are going to have to better define who we are, why we exist, and why we have a value to our members. We should not be looking to what other fraternities are doing but we should determining what is best for us and setting the standard. What advancements would you like to see coming from the Executive Office? I would like to see the Executive Office provide more tools and training to assist our chapters. As an organization we don’t train our members on many skills that would help them be higher caliber chapters and better all around men. Distance learning is one possible solution to provide these trainings to those that could benefit from them.

Eugene Hibbs (Iowa State ’93) HE ARTL AND PROVINCE ARCHON

Why do you volunteer for Sigma Pi? In the beginning I volunteered in order to give back to my fraternity for making me a better man as an undergrad, and I felt an obligation to future brothers to give them a similar experience that I had. After becoming an alumnus volunteer I discovered a strange irony - volunteering with Sigma Pi makes me a better man and helps me continue to grow. Sigma Pi is still improving me far more than I help the organization. What is your biggest accomplishment in your role as a Volunteer? I believe I’ve made an impact in the lives of a handful of undergrads. Several I’ve become close to over the years have gone on to become even more incredible people and I like to think I’ve influenced them a little. Most of the undergrads I’ve spent time with have heard me say more than once, “You’re truly capable of anything.” Undergraduates, or other people for that matter, don’t realize that the biggest challenge in their lives will be what they think of themselves. Just don’t give up on yourself, ever, and keep moving forward!

F E AT U R E D P R OV I N C E A R C H O N

E TA- DELTA CHAPTER DIRE TOR

F E AT U R E D C H A P T E R D I R EC TO R

Scott Tucker (Cal Poly ’10)

What is your biggest struggle in your role as a Volunteer? Getting other alumni involved. There’s so many ways brothers can help, even in very small ways. Send an encouraging letter or email to your chapter, join your alumni association, donate to the Sigma Pi Educational Foundation, come back to a tailgate, buy your house a nice picture or older photo of a brother, call other alumni and ask them to attend an event, or just thank your Chapter Director. If you just step up and help a little you might just be surprised how good it feels. What do you think is in the future for Sigma Pi? Fraternities are booming. Social media has helped shine a light on what we have. When people find out how much fraternities offer and how much we can develop young men into the leaders of tomorrow, we can only grow. As long as Sigma Pi maintains its pure mission and insists on values and excellence we will continue to flourish. How have you challenged your chapters? I set goals ever year; academic, membership, housing, financial standing and of course, stay in contention for the Grand Sage’s Cup!

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VOLU N T E E R S

The Sigma Pi Fraternity Education Coalition will serve as a partnership between initiated and non-initiated members with advanced degrees and/or employment in the field of education. The focus of this group is to provide direction and feedback for educational initiatives led by Assistant Executive Director Kevin Pons (Johnson & Wales â&#x20AC;&#x2122;06). This team will assist with programming, curriculum development, chapter accreditation (Standards of Excellence) and other duties as requested. All members will be asked to volunteer their time at various points throughout the year to increase the validity and educational mission of our organization. Brett Bruner Director of Persistence & Rentention, Fort Hays State University

Jesse Koch Assistant Director of Greek Life, Carnegie Mellon University

Matt Smith Technology Assessment Coordinator, Valpo University

Brian Kurisky Director of Academic Initiatives for Academic Enhancement, Old Dominion University

Joseph Palazzolo Lending Team Leader, Education & Early Care, New Jersey Community Capital

Megan Foster Associate Director of Education & Leadership, Alpha Xi Delta

Joseph Granado Assistant Site Director (The NUin Program), Northeastern University

Scott Tucker Application Administrator & Programmer, Cal Poly State University

Cat Sohor Director of Fraternal Development, Delta Chi Fraternity

Justina Demott Assistant Director of Greek Life for Assessment & Leadership, Syracuse University

Susan Luchey Associate Director of Student Centers for Student Leadership Development, University of Delaware

Colleen Melchiorre Research & Rentention Specialist, Phired Up!

Keith Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Neil Associate Dean of Student Affairs, William Rainey Harper College

Taylor Mahanna Organizational Development and Talent Management Cordinator at Asurion

Dave Conner Director of Fraternity & Sorority Life, The College of New Jersey

Kevin Carey Assistant Director of Student Life, Ball State University

Thea Zunick Associate Director of Student Life, Stevens Institute of Technology

Donald Abels Fraternity & Sorority Life Coordinator, Middle Tennessee State University

Kevin Foster Assistant Director for Student Life, Indiana University-Pennsylvannia

Tim Walker Facilitator, Blue Valley Southwest High School

Emily Perlow Director of Student Activities, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Lori Hart Director of Prevention Education & Speaker, Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity & CAMPUSPEAK

Tina VanSteenbergen Organizational Growth Expert, Phired Up!

Gina Keucher Assistant Director of Student Activities, Wright State University

Maggie Bach Assistant Dean - Leadership Development, Seton Hall University

Victoria Stankus Assistant Director of Education & Leadership, Kappa Alpha Theta

Hannah Roberts Assistant Director of Community Prevention & Intervention, California Polytechnic Institute

Mandy Womack Director of Student Leadership & Engagement, University of San Diego

Vince Fabra Training Director, Phired Up!

Jason Hinson-Nolen Director of Campus Initiatives, NIC

Matt Johnson Assistant Professor, Central Michigan University

Brooke Massey Collegiate Services Manager; Colonies & New Chapters, Sigma Kappa Sorority

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VOLUN T EERS

At the Province Archon Conference on October 10, 2015 at the Executive Office, we mutually decided on the creation of the Sigma Pi Fraternity Parliament. This group will include all current Grand Council Members, Executive Office Staff, Educational Foundation Board and volunteers. This group will allow us to share information and collect feedback on various topics to benefit the Fraternity. Thank you to our brothers who traveled to Lebanon, Tennessee over the PA Conference weekend. We had a very productive meeting and we look forward to working together as we advance our Fraternity. Working together as a unified team will really help create stronger relationship among our leaders. A Facebook group has been created to facilitate the discussions on the advancement of Sigma Pi. This group will aid in connecting the pillars of the Parliament, and will allow our volunteers a more prominent voice as part of those discussions. The owl is a very special symbol to the members of Sigma Pi Fraternity. The owl represents divine wisdom and knowledge. A group of owls is called a parliament. The Sigma Pi Fraternity Parliament will serve as a network of our current Grand Council officers, Executive Office Staff and volunteers. The purpose of this group is to bring together various leaders within our fraternity and continue to advance man’s quest for excellence.

UPDATE YOUR INFORMATION ONLINE We are proud to announce that a redesigned version of MySigmaPi is now available! We are asking for your assistance in spreading the word to all alumni. Please keep your e-mail address, mailing address, and phone number up to date. It can be done online and it only takes about 10 minutes. Step 1: Go to mysigmapi.com Step 2: Click on “Establish Access” if you have never had an account there. Step 3: Once you are approved and have your access set up, login to the site. Step 4: Click on “Edit My Profile” Step 5: Enter your current information (mail, phone, e-mail, etc.) and click to save it.

You can also visit sigmapi.org/updateinfo and complete the online form!

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VOLU N T E E R S

As a firm believer in making your own opportunities, that is exactly what I did when approaching the Executive Office staff about creating an internship for me this previous summer. While the Executive Office has not had a formal internship program in several years, that does not mean they do not have a need for interns (they do) either during the summer or throughout the academic year. If you intern with the Executive Office, you will not be doing menial tasks or getting anyone coffee, you will be given relevant and impactful tasks for improving our Fraternity which have been created to best

by Ryan Miller (Oklahoma State â&#x20AC;&#x2122;16), undergraduate contributing writer

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Looking back on my internship, I gained valuable skills and experiences but was also able to create lasting relationships with more brothers and have an impact on an organization that has given me so much.â&#x20AC;?

fit your knowledge and skill set. Spending a summer at The Mitchell House giving back to our organization has been one of the highlights from my undergraduate time. During the first week I spent in Lebanon, Tenn., the entire Executive Office staff was in town for the first of their summer meetings and I was immediately asked to join the conversations that were taking place the first time I walked through the doors. This showed me I would be a valued member of the team during my internship, that everyone on staff truly does care about the thoughts and opinions of undergraduates, and they do take those thoughts into consideration when making decisions. Being part of these conversations allowed me to see the progressive ideas our staff has for making Sigma Pi the most successful fraternity in North America, which energized me for the rest of my internship. While at the Executive Office, I was able to work with all of the different departments and learn more about what each department and staff member does on a daily basis. This gave me an appreciation for what goes into each position and allowed me to see how talented the men and women who work for Sigma Pi actually are. Our staff is talented enough to be working in the private sector earning much more, yet they choose to give their time and talents to Sigma Pi.

For more information on interning, contact Assistant Executive Director Kevin Pons at kpons@sigmapi.org

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I spent a lot of time working on data input and migration, and while that might sound boring, it was actually very interesting. I learned a lot about how high-performing chapters operate and how to bring those

habits and ideas back to my chapter. I also noticed that chapters who are not performing as well as they would like, are all doing (or not doing) many of the same things. Bringing back this knowledge will be beneficial to my chapter moving forward and was not originally something that I expected to gain from my time at the Executive Office. Another memorable experience was sitting in on and participating in some of the training for the then-newly hired Expansion Consultants and seeing the quality of training that goes into preparing these entry-level field staff for them to most effectively perform their job and create competitive new chapters. However, my favorite experience while interning was being able to help with Sigma Pi University: A UIFI Experience. Having attended UIFI myself during summer 2014, I had been excited about this event since it was first announced. I have always enjoyed all of the Sigma Pi conferences I have attended, but I think this past SPU was by far the most impactful and best Sigma Pi event that I have a been a part of. Being able to work with the North-American Interfraternity Conference staff and other fraternity and sorority professionals was invaluable to me since I intend to pursue a career in higher education. But even better than that was seeing all of the undergraduate members go through the institute and become better fraternity men because of this experience. The look in their eyes when they finally understand what it means to be a Sigma Pi and live by our Ritual is incredible. Looking back on my internship, I gained valuable skills and experiences but was also able to create lasting relationships with more brothers and have an impact on an organization that has given me so much. I never felt like an intern and I think that should be the goal of any successful internship. While I was not paid, I was given housing and I believe I had a much better, and more complete, experience than had I accepted a paid internship elsewhere. If you are looking for an internship that is tailored to your skills but will still challenge and teach you new things, is flexible with your schedule (I was still able to go on vacation with my family during the summer), gives you an opportunity to live in a different state, and interact with phenomenal men and women, then an internship with the Executive Office is definitely for you!

VOLUN T EERS

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VOLU N T E E R S

VO L U N T E E R OPPORTUNITIES CHAP TE R /CO LO N Y D I R EC TO R S Buffalo Cal State Fullerton CSU-Dominguez Hills Duke East Carolina Eastern Illinois

Ohio Southern Arkansas UCF UC-Santa Barbara USF

PROVINCE ARCHONS ARKANSAS

SOUTH ATLANTIC

Arkansas Arkansas State Arkansas Tech Louisiana Tech Southern Arkansas

Auburn Clemson Georgia Georgia Tech Kennesaw State

NORTH CAROLINA

WISCONSIN

Duke North Carolina State Wake Forest

Michigan Tech Wisconsin Wisconsin-Oshkosh Wisconsin-Platteville

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ADVISORY BOARD ME MB E RS Sigma Pi Fraternity has a vested interest in developing our members to be the very best they can be in all aspects of their lives. In an effort to further that goal, we believe that it is important to provide each of our Chapter and Colonies with an established Advisory Board. The bottom line is this: a successful Chapter or Colony has strong alumni support. Advisory Boards exist for one reasonâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;to support the efforts of the undergraduate Chapter or Colony. This team, made up of committed and dedicated alumni, university staff or friends of Sigma Pi will serve as mentors to our undergraduate men as they pursue their Quest for Excellence. We feel that this team is pivotal to a successful organization because of its ability to assist and guide the undergraduates in various aspects of Chapter/Colony operations. Each advisor is responsible for training and advising one undergraduate officer or committee head. The advisor will become an expert in his area of Chapter/Colony operations and will help maintain continuity through officer transition and longterm planning in that area. The advisor is not expected to attend every committee meeting; however, we recommend attending committee meetings when possible, as well as provide advice, assistance and encouragement. We hope that you choose to serve on a local Advisory Board, because we know that any real-world and fraternal experiences you share with the active brothers will help the Chapter/Colony continue to grow for years to come.

A DY T U M O N H I G H “Our Ancient Sage firmly believed in the persistence of the soul beyond the grave, and although we mourn our brother’s passing from this world, we take comfort in sharing this belief that life is not ended, but changed, and that he now enjoys the reward for a life well-lived and guided by the ideals of our Fraternity.”

ARKANSAS STATE

PURDUE

William Henry Keedy, Jr. (’64)

Norbert Edward Olinger (’49)

LTC Dallas Carlyle Wood (’58)

SAN DIEGO STATE

ARKANSAS TECH

John King Daniel (’82)

Jake Harlan Caviness (’13)

SIU-CARBONDALE

AUBURN

Ralph William Nuneville, III (’66)

Donald Keith Owens (’85)

TORONTO

EASTERN ILLINOIS

Shae Frattura, Jr. (’04)

Donald Arthur Brauer (’49)

Collin Patrick Salmon (’02)

John Boyd Waggoner (’51)

UCLA

FRANKLIN & MARSHALL

Robert Milton Doumakes (’48)

Dr. Rodney Roy Hoober (’48)

UMSL

GEORGIA

Terry Patrick Goedeke (’77)

Timothy Ryan FitzGerald (’13)

VALPARAISO

William Kenneth McAlpin (’56)

Jerry Ross Wright (’60)

PENN STATE

Charles Atwood Adams (’40) Richard Lee McCombs (’43)

REPORT A BROTHER’S DEATH: Visit sigmapi.org/adytum-on-high to let us know.

ALUMNI NEWS, EVENTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

CELEBRATING CHAPTER BROTHER’S WEDDING

CARENZA HONORED WITH MACKEY AWARD John “Big Jake” Carenza, Founding Father of Delta- Omega Chapter, and 1972 graduate of Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, received the Guy “Red” Mackey Memorial Award at the 2015 Mid-Year Leadership Conference. As a standout in soccer at SIUE his accomplishments include:

On April 18, 2015, John Van Brunt (Monmouth ’04) married Courtney (Feddeler) Van Brunt at The Channel Club in Monmouth Beach, NJ. The wedding was attended by 17 brothers of Sigma Pi. John was a past Sage of Delta-Beta Chapter and volunteers his time with new officer training and the Jersey Shore Alumni Club. Courtney is a sister of Alpha Sigma Tau sorority at Monmouth University and graduated in 2003.

• Two-time All-American (NCAA Division I) • Two-time runner-up for the Herman Award (NCAA Division I Soccer’s Heisman Award) • Elected 1971-72 to Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities & Colleges for outstanding merit and accomplishments. • 1971 Outstanding College Athletes of America • 1972 MVP of all athletics at SIUE • Member of the 1971 Pan-American Soccer Team at the VI Pan-American Games • Member of the 1972 U.S. Olympic Soccer Team at the XX Olympiad, Munich Germany • Olympic Torchbearer in St. Louis for the 1996 Olympic Games, in Atlanta, Ga. John met his future wife Dianne in 1969, and was married in 1972. They have three children and two grandchildren. He is a financial management adviser with Nicol Financial Services in Granite City, Ill., and resides in St. Louis, Mo. The Guy “Red” Mackey Memorial Award is given to a Sigma Pi initiate who exemplifies the traits of the fraternity, dedicated community service, and excellence in athleticism in the outstanding manner which Brother Mackey displayed during his lifetime.

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MADONNA UNIVERSITY NAMES FIRST LAY PRESIDENT On July 1, 2015, Mike Grandillo (Zeta, Ohio Northern ‘79) became the first lay president of Madonna University in Livonia, Michigan. He began his career in admissions at his alma mater, Ohio Northern University, where he received the 2014 Distinguished Alumni Award. During his tenure as associate dean of admissions at Heidelberg, undergraduate enrollment doubled. “I am humbled and honored to be called upon to serve and lead this exceptional University community,” Grandillo said. “I understand and embrace the charism and core values of the Felician Sisters and Madonna University. I am eager to continue building on our successes to ensure Catholic higher education is accessible and affordable at Madonna.”

COY PRESENTS SIGMA PI WITH LEATHER CREST Peggy Coy, daughter of Orville Coy (Ohio State ’33)—badge #5766—presented a crest of Sigma Pi on a piece of leather that he made while at Ohio State. She told GS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State ’70) and GH Les Wright (Murray State ’70) that Brother Coy always spoke of his fond memories of the Fraternity and wanted it displayed in the Executive Office museum.

KENTUCKY THOROUGHBRED ALUMNI CLUB Our Housing Corp is actively looking for properties for a chapter house. We have looked at several properties but things haven’t panned out. If you have, or know of, a property in Murray, KY that would make a suitable house please contact us at SigmaPiAlumni@hotmail.com.

TONY SIRESS NAMED CEO OF MOUTAIN VIEW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY RECOGNIZES JIMMY STEINFELDT

On October 20, 2015, The Mountain View Chamber of Commerce announced that Tony Siress (Santa Clara’87) was named as their new CEO. Siress is the most generous contributor to the educational programming efforts of Sigma Pi.

During the month of September 2015, Jimmy Steinfeld (San Diego State ’81) was covered in SDSU’s “Part of the Culture” documentary series, which highlights SDSU alumni and their accomplishments in the entertainment industry.

Congratulations to teachers David Weatherly and Sam Lakey. David is the Speech and Debate coach for Lakewood Middle School in Paris, TN. They took sixth place in the national speech and debate tournament. Gordon Germain is an attorney in Monticello, KY. Louis Junkerman is now the house director for the Beta Mu chapter at Ole Miss. Paul McDonald is the CFO for the McDonald Family Foundation. Michael Raines is a BioMedical Technician at Norton Healthcare. Dr. Gordon Loberger is retired from MSU and living in Murray. Bill Shelton is the Owner/ CEO of Leftfield Creative in St. Louis. Don’t forget to pay your alumni club dues ($25 /year). You can send checks to our VP/Treasurer, Dakota Fields, at 206 Stewart Stadium, Murray, KY 42071 OR pay on PayPal by sending money to SigmaPiAlumni@hotmail.com.

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ALUMNI NEWS, EVENTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

COLUMBUS ALUMNI CLUB HOLDS ANNUAL MEETING On October 16, 2015, the Columbus Alumni Club held it’s annual dinner in the Ohio Staters Traditions Room in the Ohio State University Union. There were 45 alumni, undergraduates and guests in attendance with President Rodger Rinebold (Ohio State ‘68) as Master of Ceremonies for the event. The undergraduate officers of Gamma Chapter update all on the progress over the last year and their continued growth. The main concern is for future permanent housing by next year and the alumni will be working with the headquarters on the project. Province Archon Charles Eldridge (Morehead State ‘ 90) spoke along with GS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State ‘70) on the state of the Grand Chapter. A presentation was made by Bob Abel (Ohio State ‘65) and Andy Shuman (Ohio State ‘92) to GS Morris of items from Gamma Chapter to the Executive Office. (see article on page 64) Officers of the Columbus Alumni Club: • President: Rodger Rinebold - ‘68 • Acting Vice President: Rick Theiss (‘65) • Treasurer: Pryor Timmons (‘68) • Secretary: Aaron Winkle (’12) • Herald: Bob Abel (‘65) Any Sigma Pi alumni in the Columbus area is welcome to belong to the alumni club and can get information by contacting Brother Rinebold at rrinebold@fuse.net. On Sunday morning several alumni attended brunch before going to the chapter house on campus. That evening 108,534 people were in the Ohio State Football Stadium “The Shoe” to see the Buckeyes beat the Penn State Nittany Lions 38 to 10. If there had been the “old traditional skin” bet on the game Theta Chapter would have lost that bet. Go Buckeyes!

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GS Morris is presented the Gamma Chapter museum items by Bob Abel (left) and Andy Shuman (right)

DR. SANDY MEEK TRUE APPOINTED TO MU CHAPTER EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Mu Chapter of Sigma Pi Educational Foundation announces the appointment of Dr. Sandy Meek True ‘78 to the Board of Directors. Dr. True is the first outside director and the first woman on this board. Sandy earned her BS from Cornell University in 1978 (and was the Sweetheart of Sigma Pi fraternity). She earned her RN, FNP, and MS from Pace University in 1981 and her PhD in Nursing Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1993. She has spent the last 25 years as a volunteer for non-profit agencies in Ithaca, working in the areas of fundraising, event planning, major gift program development, and capital campaigns.

MU CHAPTER UNVEILS NEW TECH CENTER Mu Chapter at Cornell University proudly presented the Richard Cahoon Tech Center. The Tech Center, funded by a generous gift from Richard Cahoon (Cornell ’77) to the Mu Chapter of Sigma Pi Educational Foundation, is a state-of-the-art videoconferencing system that will facilitate interactions between undergraduates and alumni. “Today’s college students have more and faster access to everything than any generation prior,” Cahoon said. “In order for Sigma Pi to continue its positive trajectory, we need to make certain that all the benefits available to today’s students are available at the Pi house. It is why your alumni board and education committee wanted to make this investment, and it is why I made the gift.” The Tech Center, which is housed in the Memorial Room of Sigma Pi, will allow for one-to-one and one-to-many webcasts between alumni and undergraduates. A frequent request from Sigma Pi undergraduates is for alumni assistance with career planning, internships, mentorships, and job placement. The undergraduates also want advice from alumni regarding graduate school and/or postgraduate degrees. The Tech Center will directly address these requests and play a pivotal role in the focus on career development and mentoring.

Sandy has spent the last 3 years assisting the Mu Chapter of Sigma Pi Educational Foundation establish a chapter of College Mentors for Kids at Cornell University. She says, “The commitment and engagement by the brothers of Sigma Pi has been extraordinary, as has their pride in its success”. Sandy is the liaison between the Ithaca City School District, Caroline Elementary School, the College Mentors for Kids National Office, and Sigma Pi. This Spring the Cornell Fraternity and Sorority Awards selected Sandy to be the recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Service Award for her work with College Mentors. College Mentors for Kids brings 80 elementary school students to the Cornell campus for weekly one-onone mentoring with their college student mentors. Mentors show kids the importance of trying harder in school and help them understand higher education opportunities. The initial funding for this effort came from the Sigma Pi Mu Chapter Educational Foundation whose mission is to offer educational and leadership opportunities to the brothers. Sandy began her involvement with the Greek system as Chapter President of Sigma Delta Tau and understands, firsthand, the positive impact the sorority and fraternity community can have on the Ithaca community at large. She says, “I am honored and excited to join the Board and can only see a win/ win result for the Ithaca community, Cornell University, College Mentors for Kids, and Sigma Pi as we help equip college kids and elementary kids with the skills they need to be successful in life”.

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ROAD WA R R IO R S

Q U ESTIO N S FRO M TH E ROAD:

WHAT IS BROTHERHOOD? As the Fall 2015 semester has moved along and the Executive Office traveling staff has been on the road, The Emerald Staff asked the Regional Directors and Expansion Consultants “What is brotherhood?”

MICHAEL DAVIS UCF ’13 REGIONAL DIRECTOR

here’s a saying that comes up 99% of the time when we’re asked about brotherhood. You’ll hear it during recruitment and debates about why fraternities should continue to exist: “From the outside looking in you can’t understand it. From the inside looking out, you can’t explain it.” It’s a saying that we have been comfortable with for far too long, as it’s a hazard to the very existence of what “brotherhood” truly is. In order to be a part of something, you should be able to explain it to whomever and whenever the opportunity arises. So what is it? Now the explanation of something so broad is difficult. I myself had to think about it for quite some time after receiving the prompt, mainly because my definition of brotherhood has grown and matured throughout my time as a brother of Sigma Pi. It’s also not just my own; I’ve had this conversation with multiple members of the chapters I’m fortunate enough to work with and collaboratively created what I now know to be brotherhood. Many people will describe brotherhood as “always having somebody’s back” or “knowing that you always have somebody to lean on;” this definition of brotherhood, in one word, can be described as trust, or even love.

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Regional Director Michael Davis snapped this picture of the Theta Chapter house at Penn State during his recent visit

Though both of those describe key elements of what we as men of Sigma Pi need to uphold in order to have a healthy brotherhood, many of us seem to operate on the idea that brotherhood is only made up of trust and love. So what happens when a member comes up for review if we only operate on this definition of brotherhood? Well, nine times out of ten the member won’t be held accountable for their actions because under this definition “they’re a good guy.” It’s toxic to continue to think this way.

Brotherhood isn’t just love, it’s tough love. Brotherhood is dragging your brother out of bed when he’s skipping class and walking him to the classroom door so he can boost his GPA up. Brotherhood is taking a cup out of somebody’s hand and their keys away when he’s had too much. Brotherhood is caring more about the chapter’s charter than having people like you when it comes time for a tough decision. Brotherhood is based around the oath we’ve all taken and the values

ROA D WA RRI ORS

we’ve pledged to uphold. Once members begin to undermine these values are they even really brothers? If they’re not brothers, why do they continue to be a part of our organization? Why do we get offended when people say “we’re paying for friends” when we, as individuals and organizations, choose to not uphold the values of our brotherhood because somebody is a “good guy”? Brotherhood is hard and, at times exhausting, from this viewpoint. However, this brotherhood is dependent on its people. In order to have the best brotherhood we need to have the best people. Just like anything in life it takes practice. So continue to practice tough love and our brotherhood will continue its quest towards excellence.

JOE TURCK SIU-EDWARDSVILLE ’98 REGIONAL DIRECTOR

tend to think of the Golden Rule when it comes to brotherhood. Treat others as you would like to be treated. You want that support. You want someone to help you when you are having problems. Conversely, you are there for them in the same way, “United in Brotherhood.” As I have traveled to different chapters over the past two years, I have witnessed all sorts of brotherhood. Chapter brothers supporting a member who runs for homecoming, bringing awareness to a student government campaign that a brother is involved in, showing up to cheer on a brother in athletics, or helping a brother who is participating in a philanthropic marathon. Then there are those times when a chapter supports one of their own in a time of need. Recently, I have watched a chapter raise funds for a brother who was diagnosed with cancer. I have also seen a

Regional Director Joseph Drain visits Rho Chapter at North Carolina State

chapter support an alumnus’ family member who was diagnosed with cancer. These are the moments that make you realize that you have a lot of love from your fellow brothers. Then there are the times when a chapter has to face a loss of one of their own. It is amazing to see the support from so many people when a chapter member passes on. The love from his brothers, families of brothers, alumni from their chapter and even people from other chapters who have never met that individual or know anyone from that school. Every year alumni come together at homecoming or alumni events to meet the members, reunite with the old friends they were in school with, and to reminisce about those that could not make it that day. I also see alumni from different generations come together to celebrate weddings, births, and even deaths. It is always great to catch up with my fellow brothers at Mid-Year, Sigma Pi University and especially Convocation. At the very end of Convocation I always take time to think about the brotherhood as everyone joins in the circle, places their arms on their fellow brother and joins in singing “The Fireside Song”. Brothers who are not there are thought about, relationships

that have been strengthened and knowing that this will continue for many years to come brings a smile to my face. Brotherhood transcends boundaries, it heals old wounds, it brings a smile to many faces and it is what holds our Fraternity together.

JOSEPH DRAIN FLORIDA STATE ’10 REGIONAL DIRECTOR

y professional path working with the fraternity and sorority community since leaving my undergraduate institution has allowed me to gain perspective on where we stack up compared to many of our peer organizations and their chapters. We are on the cusp of a new transformative age with the fraternal movement, and our chapters are right in the middle of this fantastic evolution. But with all the great advancements to create better chapters and, more importantly, better leaders, there is one constant that remains; the importance of the brotherhood that bonds us. That aspect is what drew me to Sigma Pi in the first place, and I know the same can be said for those reading these words, Sigma Pi or not. The region I work with spanning the Southeast grants me the ability to work with a spectrum of chapters T H E EMERAL D.ORG + 5 5

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who are at different stages in their existence on campus, and longevity does not necessarily translate into stronger brotherhood. It is my belief that over time a chapter, and an organization as a whole, needs to bring it back around to the values that they’re supposed to be exemplifying in the first place. Almost a refresher on why you chose Sigma Pi, why you chose fraternity life in the first place. I do not feel our chapters are lacking in this virtue from those I’ve had the pleasure of working with thus far, but that does not limit them from always improving. Take for instance our Rho Chapter at North Carolina State University; after undergoing an intervention from both the Executive Office and the university, they took the time to reinvest in the aspect of brotherhood. Their commitment to that bond within the chapter was so apparent that it really moved me during my visit. They share personal feelings and have no doubts on the support that their brotherhood provides. It was truly outstanding, and made me proud to see. I’m not sure if that can be said for all chapters in the land of Sigma Pi, but I think it is our job as brothers, regardless of chapter affiliation, to always be on the quest to strengthen this value. The biggest critique I could give from the brief time that I have worked on staff with the Fraternity is that progress is still needed in breaking down the walls among the silos of chapter affiliation to really allow brotherhood to soar across our organization. This is not to say that there is an active disregard for interactions or relationships between chapters, but more so that many undergraduates are not cognizant of that benefit of the Fraternity. Further engagement and bridging of the brotherhood chapter-to-chapter is the next step in fortifying the value of 5 6 + FALL 2015

brotherhood. I have seen great things that this organization has undertaken, and feel that the vision for the future is even brighter. By reinvesting in the importance of being “a fellowship of kindred minds” amongst all brothers, young and old, we can hopefully achieve many more great things to come.

LANSE MACKE OREGON STATE ’15 EXPANSION CONSULTANT

o me, Brotherhood is a bond deeper then anything else in the world. Brotherhood is acceptance to something bigger than yourself, and it’s a support system that lasts a lifetime, similar to what family is for most of us. When you are apart of a brotherhood you feel at home and at ease with everything around you. These are the things that I teach the men that I recruit. I care about Sigma Pi more than anything else and want to give these men the same opportunities that I had when I was an undergrad. I want these men to experience the brotherhood that I experienced when I was in college, a brotherhood that I am still a part of even after I graduated. These are the things that I try and tell our men about when they join. I am at my first project here at California State University, Fullerton and I have noticed a lot of things since becoming an Expansion Consultant. First of all, it is unbelievably rewarding to see these men grow as you are recruiting them, and literally seeing the results of your work as you go. It’s amazing to be honest. It’s really awesome to see and get to know a different campus than the one you went to as a student, it really opens your eyes to a different culture and different fraternity and sorority life system. While at Cal State Fullerton, I’ve noticed how

excited the community is to see it grow with the addition of Sigma Pi on campus and how receptive they are to the values and ideas of Sigma Pi. One thing that is much different here than other places is that Cal State Fullerton is a commuter campus, so when I recruit men they are so excited to have an opportunity to be a part of something on campus and be a part of a brotherhood and network that they would not otherwise be able to take part in. Many students here have a mentality to “get in and get out” when they’re on campus, and Sigma Pi is an opportunity for them to be involved and a great way to get to know other men. The men I have recruited so far through my first project have bought into the values and beliefs of Sigma Pi and are unbelievably excited to be a part if the greatest brotherhood in the world.

ANDREW LOCKE KANSAS ’14 SENIOR EXPANSION CONSULTANT

hen starting a new group it often feels like I am just putting a bunch of dudes in a room and telling them “alright, now go be friends.” While it sounds somewhat comical in my head the reality is, at its core, the Expansion Consultant’s role is to cultivate a brotherhood amongst a diverse group of men, many of whom would have never met had it not been for the Fraternity. Over the past year and a half as an Expansion Consultant, I have come to learn there is much more to this idea of a brotherhood than just a bunch of guys wearing the same letters who enjoy hanging out together. As a Founding Father, I have learned all too well that you cannot walk into a room and expect to automatically be brothers with the 30 guys sitting there. The process

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of cultivating a tight-knit bond takes effort. If you want to create lifelong relationships, you have to be willing to step out of your comfort zone and engage deeply with those around you. So the question then remains, where do you start when you have a room full of strangers? Like a house without a solid foundation, a fraternity without a strong brotherhood will fall apart. A strong brotherhood starts by having an organizational understanding that â&#x20AC;&#x153;fraternityâ&#x20AC;? is founded on the notion of coming together with others who share a common goal. It is essential to understand that brotherhood is not simply hanging out and partying together, but learning how to work with others who have different ideologies, thought processes and backgrounds than yourself. The fraternal experience, if done correctly, should provide members with the opportunity to be surrounded by others who challenge them to strive to be the very best they can be. For the group to be successful, it takes effort on the part of every member within the group to perpetuate the values on which the group is founded. You cannot simply throw money into an event and hope that your brotherhood will be strengthened as a result. Each member must be willing to go beyond a simplistic understanding of friendship while learning how to challenge those around him to live the life of excellence that Sigma Pi is dedicated to pursue. In my time as a consultant I have had the pleasure of working on campuses throughout the country. While each campus has its own unique culture, I have noticed a common theme from the men who ultimately make the commitment to become a Founding Father. While there is varied interest in things like philanthropy, intramurals or

Expansion Consultant Andrew Locke grills hot dogs for Epsilon-Nu Colony

simply a having a group of guys to call their brothers, there is a comprehensive desire to get more out of the college experience. With such varied personalities, it is imperative that a new group understands the purpose for its existence. I truly believe that we as a fraternity, regardless of the size or location of the chapter, should be striving to become a group that serves as examples of what it means to be leaders while showing what it really means to be social.

JOEY MANGLARDI UCF â&#x20AC;&#x2122;15 EXPANSION CONSULTANT

rotherhood is a vague term used in a variety of ways. Members of an athletic team might refer to their relationship with teammates as a brotherhood. Military personnel may consider those serving alongside them as brothers. Even though there are some overlapping characteristics, brotherhood means something a little bit different in regards to fraternity. I find the idea of fraternal brotherhood focuses around two main themes: a sense of belonging and achievement. The first is

somewhat easy to understand. Most of our chapters and colonies are located at very large, public institutions with an immense student population. In this type of environment, it is very possible for a student to feel lost among the masses prior to joining a fraternity. The university is so big that it is difficult to find a group of people to feel connected with. Establishing that brotherhood for our members means developing relationships and creating a community in which they feel comfortable. The second fundamental purpose of brotherhood is achievement. Each of our members has personal goals they hope to achieve throughout their time as an undergraduate. Additionally, most members have goals for the organizations they join. We present Sigma Pi as a resource to help these members achieve the goals they have set. A group of like-minded, driven, and goaloriented undergraduate men, a brotherhood, can come together to achieve a new level of success they could never reach on their own. Once I have the attention of an interested member or small group it is easy to communicate this T H E EMERAL D.ORG + 57

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Expansion Consultant Dalton Reeves photographs Eta-Kappa Colony

message of brotherhood. College students want to make friends and they want to achieve their goals. The problem is that many of them don’t know how to do either. When the opportunity of fraternity is presented, and I can explain the benefits and resources we have to offer as an organization, many of the men I am speaking with are ready to jump on board. Analyzing more specifically the individual members I have been recruiting, I have seen one overarching trend: our potential members are tired of the stereotypical “frat guy.” We all know the type of person when I describe them. He is the obnoxious upper-class white guy who wears Chubbies and Vineyard Vines year-round. He is the guy who will challenge anyone to a beer chugging contest at any time. He is the guy who walks around as if he’s better than you and speaks with a condescending tone. The description could go on, but I think this is sufficient. Our members are welcoming the shift in fraternity culture and a renewal of the actual purpose of being a member of a fraternity. I’m proud that the gentlemen I recruit are more concerned with their number of community service hours and dollars donated to philanthropies, rather than the 5 8 + FA LL 2015

number of kegs they buy for Friday night’s party. The young men I see being fit for Sigma Pi have high GPAs and are respectful towards authority rather than “sticking it to the man.” As a Consultant, I see a trend in students having the drive to make their community a better place, but with no outlet to do so. The expansion program of Sigma Pi is to gather these undergraduates into one common space so that they can develop into gentlemen who make a positive impact in each area of their lives.

DALTON REEVES MISSOURI STATE ’15 EXPANSION CONSULTANT

hen starting a new organization, convincing them to join is less important than asking them to be a part of something new. We are not just establishing new or returning colonies, but creating an opportunity to be something different on a campus, something that fraternity life has never seen before. While brotherhood is the idea of men coming together to grow as individuals and to develop as an organization, I don’t have to build the foundation upon brotherhood. I build the foundation on a new generation of leaders, men on these campuses

that want to leave their legacy and be what no other organization has ever been. In order to establish ourselves as a fraternity, we have to show them the importance of every part of our creed, with brotherhood being a strong part. Friendship is brotherhood with a promise and it is my job to create those friendships, but it’s their choice to make that promise. Diving far deeper than the superficial layers of fraternity life, past intramurals, social events, and even study hours, I can help them experience why we were brought together over 115 years ago. We weren’t getting something in the classroom to help us grow as students, men, and citizens and that idea of fraternity still exists today. Bringing people together to discuss more than layers is key; shed those layers, find a core, and be vulnerable. That is what brotherhood is. If Sigma Pi was going to be like other fraternities on campus, then go join them, but that is not what our members want. Brotherhood develops as progress is made. Without progress, there is no brotherhood, without brotherhood, there is no Sigma Pi. The guys that we recruit believe in change, they believe in making a difference on this campus, redefining this culture, and they believe in Sigma Pi.

CON T EN T T I T L E

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C HA RT E R IN G A N N O U N CEM ENT

â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have been blessed as Founding Fathers of this colony with an opportunity to be a part of such an exceptional International organization. We believe we are ready to embark upon a new journey in our quest for excellence.â&#x20AC;?

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CHA RTE RI N G A N N OUN CEMEN T

AT ST. JOHN’S UNIVERSITY by GS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State ’70), contributing writer

INSTALLATION TEAM HISTORY OF THE UNIVERSITY St. John’s University was originally founded in 1870 with 47 students and six faculty members, and has since gone on to grow to have more than 170,000 living alumni. Today, many marvel at the grand scale and size of a traditional college campus in the middle of New York City. St. John’s main Queens campus spans 100 acres. The University offers a total of nearly 200 different degrees over 100 academic areas. The first Greek organization formed was a local sorority Gamma Chi on October 17, 1956. In 1959, Alpha Phi Delta was the first national men’s fraternity chartered and Sigma Pi is now the eighth along with five national Panhellenic groups. HISTORY OF THE COLONY The St. John’s Colony of Sigma Pi Fraternity, International colonized on February 23, 2014. Michael Davis (UCF ‘13) and Rob Barbulescu (Wayne State ‘13) were sent in as Expansion Consultants and recruited the original 36 brothers. Led by the guidance of Colony Director Derick Rheaume (Bridgewater State ’03), the Founding Fathers were tasked with being an innovative, novel group on the St. John’s campus meant to change the very standing and outlook of fraternity & sorority life at the university. With structural supports in place—the Colony’s committee system being a stronghold—the membership was able to participate in several different events across campus. The Fraternity hosted their first traditional philanthropy event, a K9’s for Warriors fundraiser that raised over $2,000. The Colony also held its first ACE Project, which gave the membership the opportunity to interact with its campus for the first time since colonization. In the Spring of 2015, Andrew Calvano (‘17) and Thomas Bodamer (‘15) chaired an aggressive recruitment, producing a large pledge class. All the efforts and hard work paid off and the St. John’s University Colony submitted it’s Petition to Charter on July 1, 2015. CHARTERING The ceremony was held on September 19, 2015, in Bent Hall on the St. John’s University campus where 43 new brothers were installed as Iota-Tau Chapter. The Executive Office staff—Associate Executive Director Jason Walker (Georgia ‘96), Director of Expansion Ryan Armstrong (Iowa ‘12), Regional Director Joe Turck (SIU Edwardsville ‘98) and Zach Kishpaugh (Oklahoma State ’14)*—led the event. The Installation Banquet was held in the D’Angelo Center Ballroom on the St. John’s campus. Over 200 guests attended, including Maggie Bach, former Assistant Director of Leadership Development and Service, who was instrumental in Sigma Pi being invited onto campus. Sage Tyler Defranco (‘15) spoke on behalf of the chapter recognizing individuals that were instrumental in the work done to becoming a recognized chapter. Chapter Director Rheaume complimented the chapter, who brought him in as one of their own. GS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State ‘70), on behalf of the Grand Council and all the chapters in North America, read the Presentation of the Charter Proclamation, officially recognizing the installation of Iota-Tau Chapter of Sigma Pi Fraternity, International.

Grand Sage GS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State ’70) Grand Second Counselor Derick Rheaume (Bridgewater State ’03) Grand Third Counselor Russell Furnani (NJIT ’75) Grand Fourth Counselor Stephen Fronapfel (NJIT ’67) Grand First Counselor Zach Kishpaugh (Oklahoma State ’14) Grand Herald GH Les Wright (Murray State ’70)

CHARTERING OFFICERS Sage Tyler DeFranco (Nesconset, NY) Second Counselor Stephen Blake Jr. (Clayton, NJ) Third Counselor Austin Scrivano (Portland, CT) Fourth Counselor Richard Cantoral (South Ozone Park, NY) First Counselor Ryan Sullivan (Bridgewater, NJ) Herald Jordan Canela (Corona, NY)

FOUNDING FATHERS Ryan Ahmed Nicholas Amster Jeremy Ashton David Bautista Aditya Bhagirath Stephen Blake Jr. Andrew Bujarski Andrew Calvano Jordan Canela Richard Cantoral Rob Cohen Connor Coughlin Jason Da Cruz Tyler DeFranco Nicholas DiTore

Conor Fagan Lou Gadaleta Vinny Galluzzo Marcus Hernandez Jonathan Herrera Aaron Jimenez Donald Klorczyk Elijah Klorczyk Carlos Lopes Francesco Maisano LaQuan Martinez Brendan Mickalay Kyle Mobus Yougnand Paul Chris Pilarte

Noah Robbins Ruben Saavedra Jr. Tom Schildknecht Austin Scrivano Salmineo Sherman Robert Sluka Jacob Spatz Ryan Sullivan James Tagliaferro Wynston Thurman Kyle Werth Matthew Wieckhorst Brenton Young

*former Expansion Consultant for St. John’s colony

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THE EMERALD RECOVERED

A PROUD MOMENT In this series, The Emerald staff finds past articles from the archives that are still relevant in today’s fraternal world . The following excerpt is from an address delivered by PGS William D. Akers (Ohio Northern 1912) to Delta and Kappa Chapters to whom Brother Akers paid a visit on his way to attend the Interfraternity Conference at New York City.

think there are two events which stand out alone as the proudest moments of my life: One was when I donned my first pair of long trousers, the result of many hours of back-breaking labor in a Kentucky tobacco field; the other was when I became a Sigma Pi. The third issue of The Emerald, volume II, issue II was published in January 1915, with Luther C. Weeks (Purdue 1912) serving as Editor-in-Chief and Kenneth G. Hobart (California 1917) serving as Business Manager

As some of you may know, I founded the local Phi Chi Psi which afterward became Zeta [Chapter] of Sigma Pi. The struggles of this little local in its infancy, but which later became a most potent factor in college life at Ohio Northern, I believe gave me the opportunity to find the true wells of fraternalism whose waters are brotherly devotion and loyalty to ideals. As I have said, I was proud to become a Sigma Pi, not that it was a national fraternity necessarily, but because it seemed to embody the right principles of a brotherhood. I had opportunities to join other fraternities, but the ones at our college did not appeal to me and I determined to get a good congenial bunch together and petition some good fraternity. Although I left school in 1911 with my hopes and dreams not yet realized I was not kept waiting long, for the word soon came that Sigma Pi considered our petition favorably and it is needless to say that my joy was intense. While in school I never was the passive type of man. I couldn’t stand inactivity, if things didn’t start, I helped start them— and often landed on the carpet before “Prexy” who handed out justice in great glee, but this so-called justice was only a greater incentive toward action. In college life as well as in the business world there is no room for the passive type of man. A dead man and a lazy one are exactly alike, except the lazy one takes up

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more room. The man who sits calmly by and lets the water trickle over his powder flash draws an obituary, and justly. Since there is no room for an “easy goer” in college or business there is no room for him, certainly, in the fraternity world which is composed of both elements. We Greeks, and I mean to speak with modesty, are the highest type of American manhood. We must be aggressive wideawake men and we must guard well and invest wisely the treasures delivered into our keeping. We must not only lead the college world in athletics, but in scholarship and most of all in moral conduct and fidelity to our vows. The common criticism hurled at us is: “Fraternity houses are hot beds of vice, where neither the laws of God or man are respected and where the young man learns to drink and gamble instead of study.” Of course, all of this would be sad and distressing and would bring tears to our eyes and compunctions to our consciences if it were true, but it isn’t as regards general conditions throughout the fraternity world. However, though this is not true and we know it, we have this sentiment or idea to fight and the only way to gain a victory is to prove to the world that a fraternity is a blessing to a man; that it produces better students, athletes and cleaner men than those organizations or the individuals who fight us through jealousies. A great deal of the criticism directed toward us is drawn by some one moral degenerate who seeks the reputation of a rounder or sport and forgets his oath to his fraternity. A man of this kind is a cancer on the body of the fraternity and should be quickly cut out. While our enemies make capital of the exploits of one man like this they never mention the

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men in their own ranks who do likewise or worse. It all simmers down to the principle involved when people say, “Ministers’ boys are worse than any others” and then proceed to illustrate with the example of one boy they knew. I am a minister’s son and I’m proud of the fact. The only reason I’m meaner than you fellows whose fathers are lawyers, bankers, or farmers is, that I am expected to be so much better than you, that my conduct is watched through a pair of high [powered] lenses and my mistakes receive the benefit of this enlargement, while you are not watched at all, everybody expects you to be mean, possibly your great, great Uncle was a reprobate so you inherit badness. I rather imagine that St. Peter is equipped with glasses which make my sins and yours the same color, so when the day of reckoning comes don’t think that you will be welcomed into the Amen corner while I will be sent to the cellar to fire the furnace. Well, to bring it closer home—people expect more of us because we are fraternity men. They view us through glasses which magnify our sins and fail to even show our good points, consequently it behooves us to make our lives above the reproach of these higher (?) critics if possible to get above. I not only believe that the college fraternity is a good thing, but I believe it is an absolute necessity, for we know that it is a necessity of the soul to associate closely with other individuals. No great invention, no great discovery or engineering feat, in fact nothing of lasting benefit to the human race ever has been or will be the product of one man. To know that you have warm personal friends, who are intensely interested in you and in your success is one of the greatest of motive forces, and makes us do our best. The highest type of friendship, the closest tie to that of blood, is realized in the fraternity. To associate on terms of intimacy with men of good blood, to exchange ideas and enjoy the warmth of such a friendship is the surest way to bring the best in any man to the surface. It also brings the culture of many homes under one roof and all this has a refining influence which could not be felt if the men lived in dormitories or rooming houses. Again, the very fact that we are fraternity men urges us to exert every effort to make a success. We know that the eyes of the fraternity are upon us, that there is always joy when we succeed and sympathy and brotherly love when we fail, and all this combines into a powerful

incentive to succeed. Is it not a significant fact that ninety-three per cent of America’s great men are fraternity men? Does this look like fraternities are a menace, or that they cause men to take the wrong road to success? If only one man or two men, who have been successful, were fraternity men I would agree that they were accidents and that fraternities should be suppressed for the common good. As you all know, the strength of any organization is in the men who are in the ranks, so to speak. The fighting force is estimated from the number of men who can fight, not give orders and while officers are necessary—I know you are sorry to hear that painful fact—the strength of our fraternity and the future of the fraternity are in your hands. The duties of an officer are not one half as important as those of an active member in one of our chapters. The point is, our fraternity is not judged by its officers. We do not come into close personal contact with individuals who compose the public mind and sentiment. So I repeat that the duties of our latest initiate are of more importance to the Fraternity than those of the Grand Sage. While the former may have no official duties to attend to, he is actively engaged, either in building up or tearing down our reputation, a matter of more vital importance than any official business could be. I know there are times when we feel that we have invited a Judas to be one of us—a man who for thirty pieces of silver forgets his manhood—a man who sells his birthright for a mess of pottage—unworthy to stand beneath the banner of Lavender and White or to wear the gold Cross of Sigma Pi—but these trying times while deplorable in one way are really beneficial—for the Judas and his band are located, the danger is seen and the chapter or fraternity is purged of its uncleanliness, the loyal again press forward with almost a fanatical determination to achieve greater things—to see the Brotherhood grow and prosper and the strength of these efforts is not spent in vain. Oh! how I wish I could impress on your minds, just how much power for good or bad each one of you holds. By some foolish indiscretion you can injure the fraternity beyond repair, by gentlemanly conduct and loyalty to the ties which bind us one to the other you can prepare for our posterity a gift which will be invaluable—a fraternity which will be synonymous with gentlemen, scholars, and useful citizens.

To read the complete excerpt from PGS William D. Akers, view Volume II, Number II from January, 1915 at sigmapi.org/the-emerald-archives T H E EMERAL D.ORG + 63

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FROM THE MUSEUM ARCHIVES

ARTIFACTS FROM GAMMA CHAPTER by GS E. Andrew Morris (Murray State ’70) & Robert P. Abel (Ohio State ’65), contributing writers

Editor’s Note: The “From The Museum Archives” spotlight will be an ongoing series in each issue of The Emerald that introduces an important historical item from the museum at the Executive Office. In 1993, as Gamma Chapter was closing, the following artifacts were recovered by Ohio State brothers Andy Shuman (’92), Eric Buddendeck (’93) and Tom Finkelmeier (’93). THE MATTOON BIBLE This leather bound book is dated August 7, 1884. The letters “KP” (for Knights of Pythias) are printed inside, as well as “Atolia #24” and “Lodi number 189.” The bible was used by Gamma Chapter during rituals for nearly 85 years. It also contained a photo of Past Grand Sage Winfred Lecky Mattoon (1908) who fought to retain the name ‘Sigma Pi’ despite a widespread call to adopt a new name after the events of the Patterson Episode dealt a major blow to the Fraternity’s public credibility.

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CLOTH BOUND BOOK A ledger book with removable pages, cloth bound with “Gamma” imprinted on the front. This was the original record of pledges and initiates. A second book contains names with the final entry taking place in 1995. SIGMA PI MANUAL A copy of the “I Believe” pledge manual published in 1963. MINUTES BOOK The bound “Minute Book,” contains meeting minutes from February 15, 1909–April 12, 1914, and bylaws from 1909–1910. Of special significance to the Fraternity are the minutes from December 13, 1909. These four pages provide an account of the charges filed against Robert Patterson and his “co-conspirator” Scott Souders, who were expelled from the Fraternity pursuant to the events surrounding the Patterson Episode. The book also contains the rosters and roll call of Gamma Chapter, beginning November 8, 1909. This book was re-bound on February 15, 1994. Gamma Chapter has loaned these items through the Columbus Alumni Club to Sigma Pi Fraternity, International. They are on display for all members to see in the Historical Society Museum at the Executive Office. 6 4 + FALL 2015

PHOTO FINISH This photo was submitted by Brandon Trevino (UTSA â&#x20AC;&#x2122;15) as part of the UTSA Chapter Report. To submit your own photos for consideration as the Photo Finish, please email them to emerald@sigmapi.org or use #sigmapi on your social media accounts.

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